Grateful

Shawn and I spent our 5th wedding anniversary on a boat to Bohol in a cabin with 5 other single team members, very romantic. I keep telling myself we will celebrate when we get back.:)
Marie is now back to normal and barely even has a runny nose. She is currently sleeping at our new location of Arms of Love children home in Bohol!!!Click here. We attended the Vineyard here this morning and really enjoyed it. So great to worship to some familiar tunes! Marie did great in Sunday School and already latched on to a little 4 year old orphan girl named Jazel. They were hugging and holding hands and sharing the Strawberry shortcake doll back and forth! So cute!!
Shawn and I met with the directors here this morning and are very excited as we have a full week of ministry and health teachings. Much of our time will be invested in the staff as well as the kids. Every morning we'll be meeting with them for worship, Bible teaching as well as health teachings. I am praying that it will be a refreshing time for them!
Last Saturday we got to spend some time with Justice For Children International'sClick here traing program for kids rescued from the brothels. It was very good to see what they are doing. There are many students from our program considering that field as a full time life work, so we were happy to conect the programs and we look forward to future interaction with them too. In fact, this March I will be speaking with one of their staff members, Kathy, at the Children at Risk conference at the Anaheim Vineyard. God is so moving in these areas of injustice. MORE LORDclick here
We continue to pray and ask for Jesus to meet these people right where they are. I read something in Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus this week that encouraged me in this area.."We can touch only those within our reach and can change only the world in which we live, but we can do that often. It requires us to move from the isolation of our invisibility to the dangers of visibility if we are going to make the invisible visible.That's the amazing thing about seizing devine moments. We choose to no longer be invisible, to take the risk of letting others see us, and so when we become visible, the invisible presence of God becomes visible."
Some days I long for a "normal life" and I wonder what we are doing with our 6 month old on a dirty boat heading to a childrens home in the Philippines. It is those days that I thank God for you all, your love and your prayers. I thank God for Janice Smith who looked me straight in the eyes that day and said "Jenna, Go! Do it or else you won't" and for Lora Glenn, who modeled to me what it is to really trust God with her beautiful blue eyed blonde baby in the ghetos of Worcester, I thank God for my college buddy Lindsey who told me to dream a dream so big that unless God interviened it would surely fail. I thank God for every little face that is smiled at. Last night we read in Proverbs 15:30 that "a cheerful look brings joy to the heart..." I think of all the prostitutes in Mindoro, and the little ones here and I am grateful that I do get to be here with my 6 month old. Maybe in a small way we are bringing joy and some hope to "those within our reach".
With love,
Jenna