Take me Out To The Ball Game...

Well Baseball season is back which is always good news for me, the not so good news is once again I am not sleeping much due to the time difference and the weird hours the games are coming on. This will probably be my last blog due to the fact that I am coming home next week, I guess this is the blog were I talk about what God has done in my live the things hes has taught me etc. Well coming here I thought I would come home with clear direction on the next step of my life I thought I would be ready to be putting down routes here in the Philippines but after two months I am more clueless now then I was before. Two nights ago I was laying in bed and just could not sleep and like a ton of bricks God hit me with something he had dropped in my spirit during my time in Trinidad as I laid in bed he spoke the word "Haiti" to me I got up right away and went outside to pray. I had allot of questions because I really felt that this trip was going to be my last kinda shorter trip. Now I just have no Idea other then the fact that I wont be coming back here as soon as I had originally thought. What I do know is that I am not ready to make a career of this missionary thing it is allot harder then I would have guessed I have a ton to learn still. So maybe some more shorter trips is what I need maybe I need to work for a year and begin to establish myself in the real world I am not sure time and prayer are really the only things that will tell. What I do know is that when i go again it will be Haiti. I don't really know what else to say I have learned allot but its gonna take me some time to sort through it not to sure how to put it in words, so I love Y'all and I will see you soon.

God Bless

Cam

Where you going Joe...?

We are in Devoa city...right near the ocean, we are helping paint a church (House of Jubilee) and vactioning really. Its been really good, these last three weeks are very important to round this trip out. We went to a resort for three days...called paradise...right along the ocean , we went snorkling, beautiful coral and fish and all kinds of neat stuff...I touch everything... Ha i am so ignorant of the ocean... I am lible to get bitten. We are going back for the day 2morro and snorkeling some more and maybe scuba (likely we will do that later though)

Its been good getting time to sit down and just be with God. I am forcing my self to relex and sit back and read and just try to understand all that has went down in my heart. A lot of tears and prayers! But God is showing me some things and I find joy in just being able to meet with him and have him touch my heart. I felt the holy spirit which always cool. The other day I went for a bathroom break from painting and I fell to the floor in tears...it was crazy...the holy spirit just came upon me and I started praying and worshiping...Ha what a rush!

I just have had to to sit and be still and be open and he revealed himself. Things are making more sense here for me. As we walk down the street here people always yell "Where you going Joe?" (Joe because they think we are from the states... you know like GI. Joes?) I thought the other day..."I am not sure where I am going in life...but that is a good question". I am not sure what Canada has for me...but i am starting to see the reason for this trip...not the whole picture yet but if I countinue seeking God I trust he will give me more and more understanding. The lord is good!

Well thought I should give you all an update...I love you all very much...Thank you for your prayers! 10 days left here! Please keep in prayer for me...for i still have a lot to sort out and it seems I have just began... I have a lot of days and mornings that will be hard. ( got to start the process of giving everything to God everyday) Doing tons of bible reading and intense praying....but i am just glad I see hope again.

God Bless

Byron

Like A Rolling Stone...

Well keeping in true fashion to myself my plans have once again changed, let me give a quick recap here. So when I first was planning this trip out I made contact with an organization called Frontline I told them we would be coming to the Philippines and wondered if they needed any extra help they accepted. After roughly a month there we had really not done to much and I'm not complaining because the people there are awesome but an opportunity to help build a church came up and the same time a potential trip to China came on the scene. We declined the church building project to go to China but China fell through. So we were sitting there thinking about what to do we could of stayed with Frontline but we felt God had something else. The day after China fell through we ran into a fellow name Darrell who is the guy in charge of the church building project, he said he still needed help so we packed up and moved to Cainta. Which is where we have been for the last month helping to get a church building put up. The house we were living in we could only be there until the 26Th of March then we had to figure something else out. So we talked about going back to work with Frontline but it never played out. So then we were like lets go to Thailand and work with some people up there. The price we were told for the tickets was 3900 pesos (a little less the a hundred bucks). In reality because of the water festival going on in Thailand The price was actually $390 dollars we decided that it did not make sense but we still had no were to live. Through a random occurrence Byron's mother emailed a guy that lives here in the Philippines and so somehow we got in touch with him decided we would come see him down in Davao. So that is were we are know currently sleeping on a beach which pretty much rules.

Its funny during our time here we have had allot go on doors opening then closing other doors opening out of no where. It makes me think of something my Mom told me once, "just because it is a good thing does not mean it is a God thing." The doors we had closed on us were not bad things they were good things but they were not what God in store for us, I don't think it is happenstance that every time we have tried to leave the country it has fallen through God wants us here in the Philippines. In life opportunities arise and we are like OK lets do it because it seems like it is something that God would want us to do, when in reality he is pointing us somewhere else. Be sure that you are listening to the fathers voice even if it sounds good it may not be what he actually wants us to do. Get to know the Shepard's voice and you will never be led astray.

Much Love,

Cam

Here's To You

Well y'all can thank Greg Moore for this next blog as he sent me a request for a new one so here it goes. For the past two and a half weeks we have been helping to get a plot of land ready to build on although we have not started building yet due to a fair amount of red tape we have managed to keep fairly busy. Apart from the manual stuff we have gotten involved with the local church here as well. From kids club on Saturday mornings which doubles as a feeding program for impoverished children, to pray meetings and youth services. We are having constant opportunity to show the love of Christ. On the 26th of March we will be heading to Thailand until the 14th of February we were planing on staying in the Philippines the whole time but due to a door closing and our travel agent lying to us we decided to take a door the lord was opening in Thailand. We will be mainly in Chiang Mai, but I hope to do some exploring in other parts as well. This week the Lord began to challenge me to treat my body like the temple that it is. It's been three days since I have consumed junk food of any kind, no ice cream, chocolate bars no coke or candy. It has actually been relatively easy to reach for an apple instead of a Kit Kat, The Lord is gracious when he tells us to do something he is going to give us the strength to do it and will never give us something we can't handle. I feel really healthy these days healthier then I've felt in a while and its only been three days, the Lord rewards obedience and if we are faithful to do the things he puts in our path he will bless us for it. It is not always easy I have killer headaches from caffeine withdrawal but these to will pass. Anyways don't really have anything else to say other then the fact that I have an awesome tan and there is a good chance you don't Peace out.

Cameron

The lesson

Someone here told me they had a dream about me. In it God said I lost two important things from my life. That is the truth! I have lost somethings dear to me. Out of foolishness and pain. This trip is changing my life in so many ways. I can honestly say that life will be different when I get home. I am honestly not looking forward to April 15th. I am learning and taking one day at a time really. I have a great deal of pain to work through, so I am forced to turn to the Cross! I am in the word everyday getting my comfort from God. I have made so big mistake folks! I have misread my Lord, and I took action when I should have sat and waited. I was in pain and emotinal and I wanted to fix something that only God could fix. All I did was make things worse. More pain and long term affects.
I was confused! Maybe still am! But my God is faithful, I look to the cross. God has forgiven me. The lord understands I was trying to be obident, that I was doing all I could to be faithful. My human wisdom got the message cloudy. God rebuked me, but the damage was done.
So I searched the scriptures. Acts 16:6-10 talks about Paul having a hard time figuring out what God wanted him to do. Gods will is not clear even to the most spiritual. But through time God makes his will clear.
I look at Job. He was in a state of hurt and pain such as I. He said some words that he should not have uttered, but God was still happy with him.
"God does take into consideration the severity and intensity of the trials and afflictions, and all the relevant factors in operation in the given context. We need to bear this principle in mind for our own lives and those of others." -"understanding Job"- Lim Kou
God is restoring me, God is using me. I will be stronger through all the struggles. His forgiveness is good. He has taken all my pride from me, he has taken all human knowlege and has shown it to be no more then dust. No wise words do I have. I will preach the cross and speak only the words he has given. No add on's from me. My words have done enough damage. I sit in the consequences and wait for the Lords Mercy in my life. Every morning I will wake and praise the Lord, looking only to the cross for guidence.
"Lord keep me another day, teach me to trust and rely only on you. Bring back the two things I lost, bring blessings to those I love and keep them safe. Help me to walk in love. Let me not lean on my own understanding but speak only the words you give." AMen

Blessings

Byron

Love thats real!

"...though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved."-2 Corinthians 12:15

In this worlds view of love we expect something in return. But true love is a choice. Not that it does not involve feelings, it does! Its full of emotions and feelings. But love remembers the good and lets go of the bad. It's full of grace and forgiveness. It gives before it takes. It's understanding through the worst of times. Love does not fly off the handle and attack ones person-hood. Love always remembers the good in a person, always chooses to remember Christ has a purpose for that person.
When viewing someones character love never says "they have bad character." Instead love says "they have made bad choices."
People always have a choice, right or wrong. It's often harder to do right. Love understands people have a hard time in this messed up world. Sometimes people choose to walk outside of God's calling in there lives. Love does not Judge but waits and trusts that God will take them through all there junk to a bright future.
Love gives the benifit of the doubt.
Paul was saying in this scripture " My love will grow for you, regardless of what you do to me, regardless of how you treat me. You can hate me and I will still love you more."
Paul was a servant of Christ.
He was willing to be hurt and abused for the sake of people. Not suffer because of who they are. But suffer so they would see Christ.
Paul took joy in his suffering!
Because Jesus suffered for love too! (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Real love suffers for another!

I Was A Highway Man...

Well its been a few weeks since my lasts blog so I figure it is time to give you all a taste of what is going on in my life. Well for starters I have found a beautiful Filipino girlfriend just kidding or am I, who knows you don't because your not hear. In a snap decision we decided to move from the peace and tranquility of camp live in San Pablo. We will be spending the next 2-3 weeks in the Metro Manila area, living in the city of Cainta one of many cities that makes up Manila. Here once again I am reunited with old friends and again making new ones we met a couple other whiteys from Canada Lethbridge to be exact. Together with them we have started to clear a lot which is going to be used for the new church building of the New Hope fellowship. We started Monday cutting down trees moving piles and piles of rubble from the yard, breaking up existing concrete etc. This new work means we are outside most of the day which means we are finally tanning I of course have the best tan no surprise but Brandon's is coming along as well and Byron well he is still very much white. its funny because all the Filipinos want to be white and all we want is to be dark go figure. I've been dwelling on the Lords grace allot for the past week, I was reflecting on my life and as I looked back over all the crap that I've done and has happened to me. It is impossible to see myself as someone who can be used by God but the fact of the matter is that we are all new creations in Christ the old has passed away. This has really been motivating me to press on that realization that my wrong doings have been and will continue to be covered by the love of Christ. It encourages me to know that who I am is not defined by my short comings, but that I am defined by Christ in me and he sees me as a loving father sees his child. No matter how many times we fall down he will pick us up dust us off and give us exactly what we need to continue on. I pray for those of you who read this and have already made that choice to put Christ number one in your life, that you would be made stronger today and you would know the awesome power of the grace of our Lord. For those of you who read this and do not believe or have never heard the message of Jesus my prayer for you is that you begin to look at your live and ask yourself if your happy for real are you actually happy, if not I would like to talk to you more about my best friend Jesus.

God bless you all I love you and Christ loves you always remember Gods grace is bigger then you bigger then anything you have ever done or ever will do, and he is mighty to save he will pull you from the depths of despair and set you apart and you will soar with wings like eagles. Until we meet again.

Cam