marr-family

Update: December 5th 2009

Dear Supporters, families and friends,

We hope and pray that all is well at home! Here's what's happening on this side of the world!

Our needs

Although we have received an overwhelming response to our financial and prayer needs, we have recently had some unexpected expenses such as mistakenly being a day late in paying our visas and had to pay a pretty large penalty. Please pray first for God’s continued provision, and second, if you feel lead to, we could really use the extra financial help as we prepare for our trip back home. If you decide to, you can send a check (tax deductible) made out to Sierra Pines Church “Marr” in memo to:

Sierra Pines Church

PO Box 2383

Oakhurst Ca 93644

Financial:

Rent and utilities here on the YWAM base

Food and general living expenses

We will pay for one more Visa before we go

Transportation to the airport

Hotel in Manila- we will need to stay the night as Manila is 4 hours from here and we have to be at the airport around 5am.

We will also begin to raise support to lead a team here in February. Any unused funds from this trip will be put towards that trip.

Prayer:

We have done a lot of work here with the various ministries. Pray that the people will be able to continue what was taught after we leave.

Pray for financial provision

Pray for safety as we prepare to return home

Pray for the planning of the missions trip we will be leading back here in February.

Pray for Leslie and Sonny. When we leave, they will continue on. Pray for their hearts and minds to have been refreshed during this time and for a continual passion to serve the poor of this country.

If you have any prayer needs, please email us and we will be sure to keep you in prayer as well!

Anything is helpful and greatly appreciated thank you all so much.

Update:

We have been here in the Philippines for almost two months now, can you believe it?! Here is what we have been up to since the last update…

We joined a dental clinic with 5 German dentists and some local dentists. On the first day we went to the local jail at which over 130 inmates were seen. It was not like the dentist at home. They only pulled the teeth that were rotting! Each inmate had multiple teeth pulled that day! Becher took blood pressure, while I handed out meds from our makeshift pharmacy. What a practical way to show care and concern for even criminals! They were so grateful.

I have continued to train the children’s ministry workers each week on different topics and have really been able to mentor and encourage them in their work. They really soak up the teachings and apply it each week! I have also helped them find a curriculum in their own language! They are so excited!

Becher was given the role of team coordinator for the IPHC team (Intro to Primary Health Care School) that were here for a week of lecture and outreach. He did a great job coordinating and leading the team, making their time here effective and memorable.

I helped with a prenatal clinic held on 12th Street. There were over 15 pregnant women from the community that attended. It was great to experience the gratitude and excitement as some of these women heard their baby’s heart beat for the first time, or received counsel on nutrition or remedies for discomfort.

Project Life has recently received a donation to put together a Christmas party and food bags for the people of 12th Street! We will be helping with the organization of the event and gift bags.

We also had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Leslie, Sonny and the German dentists :) We hope you all had a wonderful time as well! We truly have so much to be thankful for and really recognize it during our time here working with the impoverished.

As our time here comes to an end….

We will continue to give 100% of our time and effort to the people and ministry here. We have been used by God and have also learned a great deal about His love and compassion for the neglected and impoverished of the world. Thank you again for also being used by God to send us here to do His will.

We will be flying from Manila December 13th and should arrive back in Oakhurst around December 15th. We will be seeing some of you shortly and would love to personally sit and share our pictures and experiences with you over coffee. We are excited about the things of God and would love to answer any questions or chat with anyone about what God is doing here through Project Life.

Philippines Update Letter

“Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things - with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope. - Corazon Aquino (Political leader and president (1986-92) of the Philippines

We are here sharing the love of God by serving others. We are not imposing our religion, but sharing our faith and ultimately encouraging a “blazing and serene hope” in God, that is sometimes difficult to experience when all else seems hopeless.

We have been busy these last few weeks, acclimating to the culture, participating in various ministries, and beginning to build friendships with people that I am confident will last through eternity. Some of the things that we have been involved in are: various Bible Studies, Project Life youth group; mentoring the youth of 12th street, children’s ministry and feeding program, and weekly base worship. Leslie and Sonny’s ministry, Project life focuses on community development. They are targeting one extremely impoverished community that is locally known as 12th Street. So, most of the ministry we will mention is on 12th street or with the people of the community.

We are preparing for a medical outreach as we read and learn from the book, Where There Is No Doctor. Leslie and Sonny are also personally mentoring us in lessons of leadership, communication, empathy and compassion by example, and next week we will be reviewing spiritual gifts.

We have decided that I will focus on the 12th street children’s ministry and Becher will focus on the youth ministry. There are two leaders in the children’s ministry that give everything they have to children, but they would love more training. I will be meeting with them this week to develop a plan. I will be working alongside them to develop a strong and sustainable children’s ministry. As of now, for their weekly ministry and feeding program, the children are crammed in a walkway with small make-shift houses on one side and an open sewer on the other. There are consistently about 50 children that attend, but hopefully by next week, the program will move into a vacant lot in the same area. Once the word gets out, they are projecting about 200-300 children to attend! Lot’s of planning and work to be done!

The youth group is comprised of about 25 young adults, mostly male. There is one female staff to work with them. The boys are so desperate for a postive male role model and attention. They naturally took to Becher right away. Many of the kids grow up with out dads and many of their parents are lost in addictions. Becher joined the group this weekend for an overnight youth camp. Becher shared his testimony and spoke about what it means to be a Christian and how to live in the love of Christ. There were games, swimming, worship, prayer, laughing and crying. God really speaks to the heart when you set yourself apart for Him, even for a night. It was really an awesome time. The kids were so grateful to escape their daily worries and poverty and have good food and fellowship for the weekend. They have NOTHING materially, but they have the love of Christ and it really runs deep in them. We are truly impressed by the devotion and hearts of these children. Many have aspirations to be missionaries and pastors, and they would be awesome at it!

Prayer Requests:

*For the children’s move into the vacant lot, that the word will get out and many will be fed and loved and the community will continue to be transformed.

*For health and safety

*For our hearts and minds to be open for what God has to teach us

* For the arrival of the underground China team to be a safe one

Thank you for your love and support, we will be in touch again soon!

YWAM Subic and Project Life website

New! Project Life/YWAM Subic link to youtube

Sonny & Les website

YWAM SUBIC

P.O. Box 166

Olongapo , 2200

Philippines

Update: November 15, 2009

Dear supporters, friends and family;

Here’s what we have been up to:

*I am working with the children’s ministry of 12th street (slum area) to develop their program. Last week we moved into a vacant lot, which provides more room for the children. The attendance doubled in size to over 100 children! I am training the children’s ministry leaders in a new topic each week. So far they have learned about behavior management, lesson development and building genuine relationships with the children. Next week we will discuss child development.

*Becher is working with the men’s Bible Study and the youth group. He has also been a very effective speaking at various organizations including the local prison and has been a great help with manual labor within the ministries. The youth of 12th Street have really been clinging to Becher for a positive male influence in their lives and he is building lasting friendships with them.

*We have been working a long side Leslie and Sonny to help facilitate visitors and YWAM teams that come to stay at YWAM Subic and minister in the area. Currently we have a small underground YWAM team from China staying here. We will be learning how to host a YWAM team as well as encourage them in their time here. (erase?)

*Makaya also has her very own ministry here. She draws attention wherever we go. People say she looks like a “living doll” with her big blue eyes and bouncing blonde curls. She has really given us much opportunity to talk to meet people and she LOVES the attention!

*We have been truly grateful for our time here. We are overwhelmed with love that God has given us for the people here. We are drawing close to God as he gives us the strength we need in our ministry here. There are so many open doors and so many broken hearts that are desperate for the hope of the Lord. Thank you for your persistent love and support as we continue in our time here.

Prayer requests for the family:

~Continued health and safety

~For wisdom and guidance

~Provision of finances (and peace in our hearts Knowing God is BIGGER than money and will take care of us!)

Prayer requests for Project Life ministry:

~Dedicated and loyal WORKERS!

There is so much opportunity here to serve and there are so few workers. It amazes me that Les and Sonny do what they do with only 2 full time staff!

~Finances for the children’s program.

The children’s ministry is not currently funded and it would be such an answer to prayer to have finances available for the children.

~For the community of 12th street.

The people are so amazing and so willing to change their community. They are so grateful to see their area developing and working their way out of the slums. They are doing the work now and are so involved in bettering their neighborhood. God is really changing them from the inside out as he instills his love and HOPE in their hearts and minds.

~For the next generation

Some of the children are so misguided and don’t have love and support in their homes. Many of their parents are lost in addictions or absent for other reasons. Pray for their transformation as they begin to learn about Jesus each week and receive love from God through the workers. As their hearts begin to be filled with hope, so will their futures.

~Pray for the long-term staff here

Leslie and Sonny and their 2 staff work day in and out and give their lives to help change the lives of a poor community. Thank God for them and ask for continual blessings and rest in their lives.

Lastly, like I mentioned before, the attendance of the children’s ministry has more than doubled in size and there are not a lot of resources for them. If you feel led to give specifically to the children’s ministry, it would really be a blessing.

If you would like your donation to be tax deductible, send a check (“children’s ministry, Philippines” in memo) to:

Sierra Pines Church

PO Box 2383

Oakhurst Ca

93644

Or send it directly here:

Youth With a Mission Subic

PO Box 166

Olongapo, Philippines

Here’s what is needed for the children’s program:

•5 more plastic tables and 20 more plastic chairs-

•White board and markers- $40