By Christian Winter
Ciara and my outreach team was somewhere between exhausted and bright-eyed and excited as we boarded the plane early in the morning on December 17. We were traveling with our new 88 best friends that we had the privilege of serving alongside of for the next 2 months. We landed and began bonding instantly with the YWAM Philippines staff, Genesis, Jaryl, and L3. We arrived to the base in the early hours of the morning and passed out full of excitement for the days to come.
The first week was pretty slow as we began to find our bearings and undergo the infamous "culture shock" that is so prevalent when traveling. New foods, new smells, new people, and entirely otherworldly ways of life. Many people serving had never left their suburb, let alone come to a country where 86.6% of the population makes less than $10,000 a year.
Somewhere between laying hands for prayer and talking to people we began to catch some unknown illness. At first it was the girls and the guys thought it was really funny, but eventually it reached us too and spread like wildfire. I won't go into detail, but it made ministry hard, unless there was a nearby toilet.
We pushed through and tried to get through the sickness to see God glorified. Innumerable cough drops were consumed and Imodium was being eaten like candy. In this time I realized how weak I was and how much I must rely on Jesus for everything. I had been relying on my own strength so much that I couldn't even bring myself to read Bible. There were many hard times and I came face-to-face with who I am without Jesus. Selfish, reserved, short with others, and the list goes on.
But, God in His infinite wisdom and compassion never took His eyes off of me. He knew that I'd come to this place and He knew that He'd be waiting for me, whether I acknowledged Him or not. I began taking leaps in the spiritual as my physical state began to steadily improve.
My favorite ministry during this time? Uber ministry, which you'll hear about tomorrow! Blessings, Christian Winter Have you ever put yourself in such a bind that you knew without a doubt Jesus was the only one that could help you? I'd love to hear about it! Or if it's something you're still wrestling through I'd love to pray along side you! Email me at christiantwinter@gmail.com and let me know!