14/04/08

I’m sitting on a box of nappies that we bought for the orphanage in SM Shopping Centre Cebu. Haven’t really done much today but I’m so tired!

We visited a Catholic church cathedral today. I felt sick at the sight of all the idols and how Satan has deceived so many. Apparently they believe the statue have some healing power so most of them kept touching the statue and themselves. I wanted to stop them and try and teach them the truth but there was too many of them I didn’t know where to begin. .

I’m in the red truck that used to be a World War II army truck. They only have basic road rules and even those are broken. It is pretty much organized chaos if you could organize this chaos.

Everywhere you look you see dirt, Dirt on the faces of those walking past, dirt on the streets, dirt in the homes; constantly breathing in dirt.

The slums break my heart. Those that live there fight everyday just to live for the next. The houses are little sheds, even our garden sheds in our back yards are better to live in.

We are heading to the orphanage now to drop off the donations, nappies, toys, food. It’s amazing how you feel when your heart is moved into action and beating in union with God’s.

God is really blessing this trip and everyone on the mission. Knowing there is so much more to our little world as we know it makes me appreciate what we have back home. Because we have so much that they don’t. But there is one thing that they have that we lack and that is the pure joy of being alive. Having said that however, I see many hopeless faces it breaks my heart when they look at me knowing that I have more.

The holiday is over for all of us I think it is starting to weigh us down; very Emotional. 

We are going over to Metro for dinner in a place that is starting to be like a sanctuary for us, a place we feel comfortable. Bye for now.

                                                                                                                                                Andrew T Burns

15/04/08

3 words, Imong nawong tualya – these three words will have more meaning a little later.

Today started out really really hot, at 7:30am the temperature already reached 30! I was very anxious this morning because we were going into the slums of Cebu where some drug lords and those addicted to cocaine dwell. When we arrived we went single file into a street that probably would not be wide enough to fit the smallest car through. We arrived and there were so many kids! When we started singing there were hundreds of people crowding around us and singing along. We preached to them and I felt like I was in Jesus time when Jesus preached with all those people surrounded him. Ace is an amazing Guy. He is with Mick and I talking about his life when he was a drug addict and the bad things he used to do and about Gods grace.

We painted faces on the kids and prayed for those that wanted to be prayed for. I think today was the greatest day of my life. I think I really saw Gods Kingdom come into action.

We had 2 baptisms today Tim a member of our team and Edito our red truck driver. What and amazing man what an amazing day. God Bless you.

P.S I forgot to mention the meaning of imong nawong tualya. We were driving back from swimming and Mick was trying to think of something to say in Lugalo to the girls and he came up with your face is a tower. Ace had to try and translate and he was laughing so hard it was great!

                                                                                                                         Andrew.T.Burns

16/04/08

We are on our way back from Kaka where we visited some of  Jane’s family about 2 hours drive from Cebu. We sung together and ate together and had a great time with the kids. I’m starting to open up to the kids now. At first it was hard to relate and interact with them. But I have come to realize that just being in their presents is enough.

The kids love being in pictures so I took heaps of photos of them kids. We did karioki and it was fun! There was one girl who had a beautiful voice. I’m feeling a little woozy right now so I’ll talk to you later.

18/04/08

Sorry I haven’t spoke in a few days. Life on Leyete was really busy! And so very tiring. Most days we got up about 6 and didn’t get back home till after 10 and didn’t sleep till around midnight. We slept on the concrete but it was ok people have it a lot worse.

When I first arrived here in the Philippines I thought this is going to be such a great change to serve God. But I have found even though I have served and looked for every opportunity, I found that I am the one being served. The house we are staying in is very nice for Filipinos standards and the locals would wake up at 4am to prepare our breakfast!

I was talking with Luke and Ryan in the truck on the way back from Canthing about us being treated like Kings. Ryan brought up a good point and ill try and summarise. The reason we fell like kings is because we are not familiar with this kind of service. We feel guilty because we should be serving in the same way back home and here. It is not we are being treated as kings we are actually treated exactly how Jesus would! That of a servant. We should be following and learning from them! This was a wonderful eye opener thanks Ryan!

The time in Leyte was amazing; we feed the poor which was something I was never forget! The smiles on the faces on those kids faces when we handed out the clothes and food will be with me for ever. We spent lots of peso’s so we could have a feast with the locals from the near by villages. The passage that came to mind when we were doing this was the parable Jesus told about invited those that are poor and sick to the banquet.

Luke led a good talk yesterday morning about being servants. He talking briefly about home and the fact that because we have so much that everything is provided it is very difficult for people to need a God. Luke illustrated that the Filipinos are like the poor, sick that the bible talks about. Those that are hungry for God. IN some respects it is easier to minister because what they need is obvious and easy to fulfil. But for those back home it is not so easy or obvious.

The kids are so amazing and absolutely amazed at white people. I’m starting to get used to be being stared at! I had one boy today that would not stop holding me exploring my arms and face. They are fascinated with our noses! I think it is because they have never seen a pointy nose before. God is so Good! And he has worked with us on this trip. I’m on a boat right now heading back to Cebu looking forward to a soft bed and a warm shower!

                                                                                                            Andrew T Burns

19/04/08

We only had 1 more night in Cebu we arrived back to the island from the boat trip around midnight which ment we only had 5 hours left until our plane trip to Bacolod!! Sleeping is starting to become a luxury during this trip.

We took a taxi back to the hotel from the Cebu port. I was amazed at how many people still tried selling things even at midnight!

We got up about 5am to get ready for the taxi ride to the airport. This was the first “car” that I actually got into while I have been here I never really took much notice of that fact until now. 

The Plane ride was only 30 minutes and we arrived in Bacolod. As we flew over the island I noticed it wasn’t as cluttered or disorganised as most of the other islands that we visited. I wondered if this was a richer area. This notion i soon realised was totally incorrect!

When we left we had been told that today was going to be a day of rest a day we can catch up on some meditation or just chill out and relax. But I came to realise on this trip there was no such thing as a day off! We were invited out that night to a Family’s house for dinner. It was a beautiful night and the dinner was amazing! Wow they are so generous they laid out tables and just packed the tables with food. These people are just incredible with their generosity. I want to be like them!

When i looked back at the days prior to this i realised that over a 5 day period i had only slept probably 10 hours!! wow im running on pure joy and love at the moment i think!

We got home late that night and i fell straight to sleep!

Andrew T Burns

Still updating this post. Stay Tuned….

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Is this really what God had in mind when he created the Church, Me, Everything?”When I was growing up my only answer to why I went to church was, “Because I’m supposed too”. I believe this is still the answer for many of us. “Is this really what God has in mind?”

There is a passage in the Bible that has helped me think about our worship and our attitude to worship.Now Jesus is having dinner with some religious people of his time. The Bible calls these people Pharisees or teachers of the law, but we might like to think of them as preachers or teachers. Now These Pharisees have all these complicated hand washing rituals before they eat, but Jesus ignores their rules. And knowing what they are thinking, Jesus launches into what we call the Six Woes. And he says in the first part of Luke 11:39

“Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness”.

Jesus goes on a little further and says

“Woe to you Pharisees because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces”.

Jesus is saying, everything about you is for appearance, how your seen in public. Still Jesus continues.

“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it”

Jesus is basically saying, you are spiritually dead and you don’t even know. One of the experts in the law realising what Jesus is doing and speaks up saying: “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us”Notice Jesus does not stop, but continues:

“And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift a finger to help them”.

Why do you attend worship? To keep the family happy? So you don’t feel guilty? So you can be seen at the right place, wearing the right clothes, sitting in the right seat so you can be seen by the right people? Now Jesus has infinite patience with those that are honestly seeking the truth and are struggling with the deepest questions, but people that regard themselves as religious but have cold hard hearts Jesus is relentless. God demonstrates many, many times that he doesn’t want empty rituals but he wants our hearts. We can sing all the right songs and we can say all the right prayers but if we are only going through the motions, what is the point?

There is even a passage in the Bible where God is speaking to some extremely religious leaders through Isaiah and he says’ your sacrifices and burnt offerings what is this to me? I take no pleasure in this. God says his soul hates them that they have become like a burden to Him; God even says I am weary of them. (Isaiah 1)

 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
       Your incense is detestable to me.
       New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
       I cannot bear your evil assemblies. 14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
       my soul hates.
       They have become a burden to me;
       I am weary of bearing them.

Say I give flowers to my wife and I make sure the colours are just right. I give them to her she is like blown away. And I say, “Well I’m your husband it’s my duty”, or “They were on special, I wasn’t really thinking about you”. Does she even want these flowers anymore? No! Why? Because she wants my heart and if she doesn’t have my heart then my words and actions don’t mean a thing. God hates, he can’t stand when we put on a religious show but neglect the poor and the oppressed. God says a little further down in Isaiah 1.

  17   learn to do right!
       Seek justice,
       encourage the oppressed.
       Defend the cause of the fatherless,
       plead the case of the widow.

God speaks again in Isaiah “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”Why do you give? Because God needs it? God says in Psalms 50

 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
       for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Do you give because you want to be seen? Or that you feel guilty if you don’t, or that you’re under some compulsion or to get God off your back? There is even a letter in the Bible called Corinthians were Paul commands those not to give out of compulsion or reluctance.

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”

When we realise everything we have is from God then our whole attitude to giving and worship changes. When we realise that God wants our hearts and our Love, he does not want us to be compelled to worship because we feel we have too, God wants us to worship because we WANT too out of love. Church is not a 1 hour on a Sunday, Church is people, people whose hearts are beating more and more like Gods. When we realise there is so much more out there then we realise, so many people that are hurting and struggling and in need, when we realise that God wants his people to encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the widow, is there nothing more beautiful?
1. Thoughts and words referenced, Rob Bell Sunday

Something that I have become painfully aware of while working in the city is the amount of homeless people asking for assistance, walking the streets and/or sleeping on street corners. I am aware of the vast majority of people that ignore them and wish they were not part of society or at least part of ‘their’ society. On very rare occasions is my heart gladdened to see people talking to them and offering assistance. When I see this in action it reminds of what God is all about.

When God created Israel to be a Holy Nation God did not intend for them to alienate themselves to the nations around them. God did not want Israel to have a superiority complex but rather be a lighthouse of God to the nations. There is a passage in the Bible were Isaiah is telling them what God wants His people to do; it says:

Learn to do right! Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

God wanted His people to help those less fortunate to be a light to those around them.

Jesus Himself even condemns those that regard themselves as religious but are neglecting those around them. In Luke 11 we see Jesus slamming the Pharisees and he tells them:

Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Now Jesus is telling them that they are unbelievably zealous for God so much so that they will obey even the smallest part of the law but when it comes to helping others, showing justice and the Love of God they fail.

Now Jesus has infinite patience for those that are weak and oppressed that are struggling with Sin, but to those that regard themselves as religious but neglect the oppressed and the fatherless Jesus is relentless. He even calls these people Sons of Hell.

When I see a homeless person I am constantly reminded of what Isaiah said. But I struggle to find answers, I struggle to know what to do. And it saddens me that most of the time I do neglect these people. I do not have the answer I can not say “Ok this is what you should do” all I know Jesus would not do nothing. I am not sure what Jesus would do but I am confident that my Lord of Love would not just walk passed them and do nothing.

Please feel free to leave a comment I would love to hear from you and together let us bring Jesus to those neglected.

a.
Isaiah 1:17