Back to Base

I've been back in Cebu for just over 2 months now and the time has really flown by! My time at home was so good and refreshing and fun! I got to spend, not only Christmas with my family, but also New Years and my birthday (which hasn't happened since high school)!

As soon as I got back to Cebu, I jumped right in. We hosted the annual YWAM Philippines Leaders Consultation just days after I arrived and were busy with multiple teams throughout all of February. My favorite team (if that's allowed...lol) was a team of young adults from different churches in Singappre that came here for 10 days. They really went above and beyond to bless our ministries and us staff. They taught our kids that they are special and precious in God's eyes but also gave them toothbrushes and taught them how to brush their teeth. They also treated all of us staff to Starbucks and ice skating! I thoroughly enjoyed watching many of my Filipino co-staff and even some of the team members try ice skating for the first time! My favorite times though, were some of the deep heart-to-heart talks (or HTHTs as the Singaporeans call them) that I got to have with the young girls. We talked about boys and the future, life ands God and I was able to invest in several of their lives, pray for them, give them advice and encourage them in their faith. I look forward to hopefully continuing many of their relationships in the future! 

March was a quieter month, but also a nice breather after all the craziness. A couple weeks ago, I helped put on a big fundraiser for the base. We're currently at the very end of our big building project. It's almost done and we're at the last push for the final payment. So another girl on staff here and I led a food and craft bazaar fundraiser. We all spent 2 weeks putting our different skills and talents together to make all different kinds of treats and craft items to sell. As one of the few crafty, creative types here, I crocheted hats and cell phone cases, made homemade cards and bookmarks and even experimented making jewelry! The other staff made all kinds of baked goods and Filipino snacks, made malunggay tea and capsules, went through our storage space to find things we could sell, and pitched in in whatever else they could help with.  I had so much fun and it was a very bonding experience for us all as we worked together in our different giftings. In the end, we raised almost $500, which is a significant amount of money here. 

So it's been a great season back here! Thank you for all of your love and support! I'd love to hear back from you as well, to know what's new in all of your lives! 

Blessings,
Cassandra