Victorian Team

Victorian Team

Hello again,

My apologies before-hand, this blog will be a fairly short one. I never got to spend a lot of time with the Victorian Team. Because I was sick for part of their stay in Manila. ANd I also have limited pictures.

But any way, the I got better. We went building and Gasangan shelter was the finished product. I think it’s amazing what you can do with 4 pieces of tin and 10 pieces of coconut wood. Hehe it took us 3 quarters of the day to finish. But the finished product was awesome.
But to get to the finished product…. Well it took some sweat. First we had to dig rather deep holes. With our hands, sticks, knifes and pieces of wood. Which we then sunk four poles into. This was the basic shape of the structure. Then we hammered on four pieces of bracing wood and slowly began to build the rest of the frame. 6 hours later the frame was finished and the phillipinos where putting the tin on the roof.
But then we had to stop for lunch so we left to get our food, and some of the Phillipinos stayed behind to finish the rest of the roof. When we came back the entire thing was nearly finished. So after banging about fifty sharp ends of the nails we had finished.

I will provide pictures of the shelter. But I will have to go there and take the pictures. So expect the pictures on Thursday.

Cheers

Childrens Church and Children (Part 2)

Ah yes continuing Children’s Church……

The Childrens Church the pictures all show is in at Place called Aplaya. Which is about ten minutes walk from our house (Pastor Mark and Chris’ house). The kids there all live in weatherbeaten-scraps of tin, wood and tarpaulin- houses. So when we show up with our cool songs, funny games and (of course) the prizes; the kids show up in a pack. Ready   for fun……. Cool

The role I play in the meetings is varies. From doing a short object lesson to Dancing around like a nut with the kids. From judging the colouring competition to…… gaurding the door.  Yes I do a fair bit in these ‘Parties.’

Oh the running goes as follows.

First Praise and Worship (usually Hillsong Kids songs led by three people doing actions).

Followed by testimony time (some of these kids have amazing testimonies).

Then it’s on to Lesson intro (usually a short story or object lesson).

Object Lesson (uh….. yeah).

The Actual Lesson (yep this is usually about God’s Love, justness or forgiveness).

Possibly a second object lesson (yep).

Then the summary. (hmm)

Closing Prayer. (done by a John 14:12 youth)

Finally the Colouring competition.

That is a typical service. Good fun for us youth and awesome fun for the kids.

 

There will be some pictures. I have to take them this Sunday so hang tight till then.

Cheers

New Poem

Well since you are all waiting for my next post, (wich I am trying to add pictures to). I will post this poem hope you enjoy!!!

Cheers Joshua

Friend

Wandering the death vales, chains hold me tight,

looking for healing sunshine, but finding only despairing night.

My body feels like a cave, void of all but the dark,

and worldly pleasures which I place in their, seem to leave no mark.

A burden is on my body, one that laughs at my pain,

any tries to loosen the burden, all come to vain.

Tears fall from my eyes, for they are clouded in despair,

With no one to hold me, to no one to help me, my lungs finding no air.

My body is now covered in scars, all within bruised and beaten,

nothing can keep me going now, and to the blackness my body weakens.

Stumbling now I fall on my hands and try to push myself back up,

but strength alludes me and beaten I sink into the dust.

Sobs rack my chest as hope leaves my heart,

as my weakened, despairing body lies there lost in the dark.

Then slowly hands encircle me, cradling me like a babe,

and slowly the hands embrace me, so I feel the warmth he made.

The hands have healing, the hands hold hope, and thankfully, I breath these ‘to me,

then with a snap my burden leaves and then I know I am free.

Slowly he picks me up and places me, gently, on my feet,

and gives me a light, bright and burning, to search out what I meet.

Healer, redeemer, deliverer, saviour, my lord, all these things to me.

But when I stumble again and gently he lifts…….

One more word shall I delightedly add,

and that one I believe is friend.

Children and Children’s Church (Part 1)

Childrens Church!!!!!!!! (and Children)
The kids here are totally different from back home. Every day they go to school for two hours and then spend the rest of the day playing…… With anything they can find. Tex cards (a kind of kids collect-a-card game) ,taz discs (the object is to flip one of the discs over, by hitting it with you’r own disc.), Hula hoops (does that need explanation?), Hide and seek (uh… yeah), and my mums personal favorite FIRECRACKERS!!!!!!. for 1 peso you can get a bunch of firecrackers , and set them of to your hearts content. POW POWPOWPOWPOWPOW!!!!!!!!……….POW! Mum does not enjoy them. Any way I am friends with quite a lot of them and here is an photo of most of them, I will try to get photos of the rest of them.

So without further ado……

Leonard (New rose’s son) and Nicolae ( Pastor Marevick and Marko’s son)

Roslyn and John-Ray (New Rose’s younger son and daughter)

Nicolae (again) and Andrew (younger son of Pastor Marko and Marevick)

Chicken-Joy (Ati Weng’s youngest daughter)

From left to right Chicken-Joy, Rea (Weng’s second youngest daughter) and Beverley (Pring’s second oldest daughter )

On the left Marylin (Pring’s oldest daughter) and Meryl (the second oldest in Marco and Marevick’s family)

and last but not least

Chun-Chun (old rose’s oldest son)

 

I will get some new pictures soon, but it is so hard to catch them standing still!!!!!! So I will try my best and while you are waiting for my new set of pictures. Stay tuned for the next part of this blog.

 

Cheeeeeeers Josh

 

 

 

Sorry for Slackness

Hello sorry I’ve been so slack lately. I’ve had a lot to do, so I let the blog department slide for a bit. For 10 weeks the blog has been silent and finally I will give you some news. Which will cover the last 10-15 weeks.
Briefly it will cover, Childrens church, The victorian Team, The people I’ve met in Baseco, The Crusades in Mindanao, The Youth (and Bands) in Mindanao. And a couple of Insane videos or two. Oh yes, I will be making a ‘barrel of laughs video’ about a little mishap we had in Mindanao. stay tuned it is coming…..
First blog……….. Childrens church!!!!!!!

Bring it on God I’m pumped for you!!!!!!!

Manila (one week in the most amazing place on earth)

Well I came to Mannilla fearing the worst and suprisingly I was pleasantly surprised. Here is the lowdown on various awesome stuff we have been doing….

Heat…..
When we first arrived in the airport I was pleasantly surprised. I mean it wasn’t very sweaty or hot at all. So totally happy with the heat I walked outside….. Whoosh!!!!! A wall of hot sweaty moisture hit me so hard that I started to sweat bullets. Fair Dinkum I could have cleared up Australia’s droubt problems in the first ten minutes….. We’ll just say it was hot.

Water….
Being in the ‘Philos’ in all this hot weather, really makes you think about how much water you should be drinking. Because you sweat so much: your water intake must go up…. or you’ll expire. So…. a minimum of 6 bottles of water a day should keep dehydration away.

I learnt from Mark and Chris that people in Manila do not drink nearly enough water because they do not want to get sweaty. Because sweat makes you feel dirty and hot. So the Manillans do not drink much water, so they are often very tired.

Well those are the down sides and now we have the upsides.

Rubbish…..

I know what youre thinking (what on earth is he putting rubbish in his upside list,) but hold youre horses I will explain…..

When we first came I was imagining MOUNTAINS of rubbish EVERWHERE. But surprisingly, allthough there was large piles of rubbish. I didn’t see the fabled mountains….. But I have yet to see ’smoky mountain’ so I will wait till then to see the mountains.

People…..
The people here are amazing. They live in slums on a hundred pesos a day, cardboard boxes for houses and they still have big smiles on their faces. When I first arrived I expected them to be very depressed and rather sullen.
But they surprised me, happy people everywhere smiling, yelling out hello wherever you go, shaking your hand, giving you Hi-fives, all the while smiling like there is no tomorrow. Which for some of them is a very likely possibility. Sickness, poverty and just plain bad luck all take their toll here. But still they smile, even though they might be expiring by the second, Plagued with TB, Worms, dehydration but they still smile. I love the Philo people and I’m quite sure western people could take some lessons from these amazing people. Smile its good for you. Reminds me of something I said to Chris. Ben felt sick and he was acting very mopy. So I told him if you act happy you’ll eventually wind up not only not being sick but better than before. Chris liked it and I like it too. Because no matter what you are going through. Tough days at school, problems in work and all that kind of stuff, if you smile and praise God throughout the hell you’re going through. Soon enough the hell will disappear and you will be left praising God and thanking him for helping you stand firm. The Philos do it so why can’t we?
Childrens Church…..

Wathcing those little kids praise their Father did something to me. There they where in the middle of the slums jumping, dancing and praising there Lord, With all the innocence of their age , oblivious to the white people watching them (who are watching in amazement). Yes the little kids over there are amazing.

Church…..
All right, All right, they sing like a bunch off frogs all trapped in a pot. But it is still amazing. People pouring their heart out to God with no regrets totally wrapped in him…… 0_0 wow….. and the preaching amazing sermons delivered in 15 minutes, prepared the night before directed by God and ready to preach amazing, with the faith of children that makes them think, God is God, faith is faith and healing is not just around the corner but  in front of them. Yes the philo churches are amazing.

God is here, well he is everywhere anyway. But it is amazing to see what God is doing among his people. And I hope to be a part of it.

Well thats all for now seeya……. -_- goodnight/morning world.

Three New Poems

Well it says it all

(download at the bottom of the post)

cheers

Time Tie

History is in the hands of the history writer to be.

Future is in the hands of Him and sheltered me.

Present is in the hands of the glorious one shining above.

All are tied together by the God who rules in love.

The Noble Warrior

Just watch the noble warrior, see how he uses his sword.

Every sentence that comes out of his mouth, is the way he keeps his word.

See the noble warrior, watch him dance with death.

Using his might and power, he’ll fight evil to his last breath.

Shouting his blood chilling battle cry, he charges towards his

death.

The Cross

Calling across the ages is our ever faithful God.

Raising us up from the dust to be heavenly,eternally shod.

Oh what is the key to this glorious thing.

So it is…. The bane of Satan and the killer of mankinds sin.

Satan is defeated and Jesus is alive, Never will that beast

bother us again, ’cause I believe he has run to hide.

J.L.T

Download

http://rapidshare.com/files/257829741/Poetry.zip.html

To Thee

I was reading my bible one night when God started to speaak to me about covenants and loyalty to him. This is the Result.

(Download at the bottom of the post)

Cheers

To Thee

To Thee, my Lord I daily turn,

in suffering and in praise.

To Thee, my King I always turn,

in the goodness of my days.

To Thee , my daily bread I’ll give,

on earth as it is in heaven.

To Thee, my daily song shall sing,

as it is you I daily craven.

To Thee, my gifts I gladly give,

for they are yours and are not mine.

To Thee, my hands are gladly given,

to see works that shall pass all time.

To Thee, I pledge my mortal heart,

for my spirit is already yours.

To Thee, my body may seem dead,

but my spirit, ’tis out of death’s jaws.

To Thee, I owe my wonder filled life,

for your life it paid for mine.

In Thee, I see a wonderous cross,

that held sin, once for all time.

To Thee, my feet turn when I’m lost,

for your love is a beacon in the dark.

To Thee, I run like a little lost lamb,

for my Lord is a sheperd in the dark.

To Thee, my last breath I will pledge,

as a ‘membrance of life gone by.

To Thee, I will fly on eagles wings,

up through the deep blue sky.

To Thee my heart will always sing.

To Thee my song I’ll always sing.

To Thee, who above all made everythimg.

To Thee my heart will be.

J.L.T

Download

http://rapidshare.com/files/257828056/To_Thee.pdf.html

Peace This Winter

This poem was made for a school assignment but I liked it so much that I wrote it out properly…… Well here it is.

(There’s a dowload link at the bottom of the post if you like it.)

Cheers

Peace This Winter

Peace reigns supreme on this cold, white world,

As kindly old Jack Frost sounds the quiet herald.

The trees relax and let down their leaves,

As motherly old Lady Snow sees to their needs.

The birds are sleeping and the badgers snore,

As all of nature slumbers for a little of ‘evermore.

The world is quiet, all nature is asleep,

As the clouds move over and shower their long kept keep.

The clouds are gone, the sky is crystal clear,

Behind, a blanket is left ,to be seen from far to near.

The beautiful snowflakes decorate the earth,

Turning this planet into a wonderful berth.

Like the sand on the beach these little crystals are.

Decorating the Land, in white, near to far.

But who could have thought of such wonderful things,

The Winter, so cold and the beauty it brings.

Only the Creator the true and risen King,

Could have thought of the Winter and the beauty it brings.

J.L.T

Download

http://rapidshare.com/files/257826031/Peace_This_Winter.pdf.html

Hello world!

Well that says it all, check out the two new pages. (all about yours truly, and Poetry, Food for thought)

Cheers.