Capital Life in the Philippines

And now, this

When I was in high-school or college, I read a book or article called something like “And now, this.” (you can tell I have an excellent memory) It was about how television journalism uses that phrase to quickly move us from one story to the next. We go instantly from a story on crime or corruption to the weather or sports, like the information we receive is nothing we really need to do anything about. Just tell us what’s next and we can remain feeling good about being informed, with no real connection to the possible serious implications the previous story could mean for us. {I can’t find the book or article despite a lengthy google search, so you’re just going to have to take my word for it.}

Anyway, that phrase has been rattling around in my head since we left the Philippines. It just so happens that there’s a Winston Churchill quote that also uses the phrase and helps me express what I want to in this blog.

He said, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

For our team, the trip to the Philippines was just the beginning, and though we are home, getting back to our lives, the work is just starting.

Yes, we had an amazing time, we were part of a great team and even accomplished some tasks that will have eternal impact. But if we leave it at that, we have only done part of what we’re called to and do a disservice to those we served with.

I asked Nate Shuck, one of the American staffers at the Sonshine Center who has been there for 7 years, what we could do as a team to give the SC team the biggest bang for their buck. What would be the best way to leave things after our two weeks there? What would be the biggest payout on the investment of their time and energy into us?

His answer was — the maintaining of relationships. Yes, we were going to go home and get back to the lives we lead here. Yes, we’ll post our pictures and tell our stories and soon be thinking about the holidays and our plans for 2010. But the challenge to us, one we have accepted, was to not let the relationships we formed get swept into the memory folder.

The internet, especially Facebook, helps immensely with this, making it easy to stay in touch. But we must also purpose to continue praying, giving and going. Maybe we’ll never go back to the Philippines, though most of us want to, but maybe we’ll influence others to go or give or pray and then we become what the military calls “force multipliers.”

So what will become of this blog? Well, I plan to keep linked into what the Sonshine Center is doing and provide the readers here with updates on projects such as the feeding project at the dump, and other community development projects the Center  is working on. One of the staffers, Rodney, is starting a Bible school at the Center next year, so I expect to be able to let you know about that and how to be involved.

The posts won’t be as frequent as they were during our trip, but will you accept part of our challenge and stay tuned in? Consider enlarging your investment of reading the blog and praying for us to connecting with the staff at the Sonshine Center and praying for and supporting them.

Let’s not move on so quickly to the traffic or entertainment news this time. Let’s expand what 13 people did and saw in two weeks to a lifetime of relationship and community that doesn’t stop here.

Are you in?

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