Summer Days

The last few days of summer are winding down, and there is a mixture of excitement and loathing as kids are preparing to go back to school.

At the beginning of May, I had the privilege of joining the IT-Tender staff for a family retreat at a beautiful beach resort for 20 families from their Sponsor-A-Child program. The weekend was filled with laughs and games that taught families the importance of working together and successfully communicating with one another. But, of course, hanging out by the pool and building sandcastles along the shore were also a must.

On the afternoon of our last full day, we had breakout sessions for the tatay's, (dad's) nanay's, (mom's), and kids. In the tatay's session, they were encouraged to embrace their household's leadership role while helping their wife and spending time with their children. At the end of their sessions, the tatay's learned how to cook a traditional Filipino dish—adobo—in which they surprised their wives later on that evening. The nanay's were also encouraged to embrace the Proverbs 31 wife's role. But in taking on that role to not forgot about themselves either. The nanay's closed their session by being treated to makeovers and later that evening "walked a runway" for their spouse to show off their beautiful new look. That evening, as I watched the special events unfold, I had tears in my eyes as the nanay's glowed and giggled about their "new" look, and their husbands looked on with pride. It was indeed a special moment. The kids also prepared a special treat for their parents and spent their sessions discussing how they could honor their mother and father. It was a whirlwind of a weekend! We left for Manila with some teary-eyed kids as they were sad to go, but also with smiles as they thoughtfully remembered the fun times we had just shared.

I just returned from MCH’s summer camp with the boys. It was a busy, fun-filled three days from sunrise to way beyond sunset :) We played team-building games (like the Amazing Race) had some super fun water games, followed by swimming, basketball, and team devotions. The boys learned about being more than conquerors in Christ and that “nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 31-39) I heard so many heartfelt laughs these past few days that just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. We returned to Manila exhausted but content that the past three days were so successful. The boys will be starting school on the first of June! Everything is ready for their first day, and we are praying that it will be a fantastic school year for them.

Things to PRAY for:

• Please continue to hold up ER’s partner ministries in prayer. In my post “All Settled In,” I shared specific prayer requests for each organization. Please refer to it as needed :)

• Please pray for the boys as they start school. Pray that it will be an easy transition for them as they get back into the swing of things and have fun in the process while retaining what they have learned for tests, etc.

• I have spent the past week or so “sorting” through things that the Father has been putting on my heart. I shared some of these with you in my post, “A Stirring Inside,” others are more personal. But through it all, He has shown me that I am to truly take in the moment—soak up all of the Philippines—as much as I can. This is a season for me to grow, be challenged, observe, and walk away with a deeper intimacy with our Heavenly Father…

"Most of the situations that entangle your mind are not of today's concerns...look for areas where you need to let go...Instead of scanning the horizon of your life, looking for things that need to be done, concentrate on the task before you and the One who never leaves your side. Trust Me to show you what to do when you have finished what you are doing now."

~Tali Beach~