Rejoice in the Lord always

This week has been a week of rejoicing and encouragement! We started prayerwalking in the community around us and got to establish a few connections through that. The language barrier has been an issue but again God reminded me "they will know us by our love."
It would be extremely easy to fall into a routine here, but I am praying that routines don't lead to complacency. I work an eight hour shift everyday and due to night shifts I sometimes work 16 out of 24 hours. I have no complaints with my schedule since I do enjoy loving on the least of these (even if it is 7 hours of screaming babies) :)
One thing that really touched my heart this week is the children's prayer before bed. After thanking God for the day and all the people who love them they say "and God please help me to find a home of my own." The first time I heard that out of the mouth of an orphaned three year old I couldn't help but cry. Being here hands on with these little guys gives me a whole new perspective on life. I long to take every one of them home. One the kids, John Mark, will soon be adopted by a family in France. We are waiting on his visa, every night he looks at a photo album of his new family and kisses them good night. It is one of the most precious things I have ever seen. This week we found out one of the children is severely developmentally delayed. He is eleven months old but has only reached the 6 month old marker. He was taken to a neurologist and we are awaiting the official results. He has a 2 year old sister and the Philippines requires they are adopted together so this will make placement in a home tough. Despite the fact the children have no families they are so love here and are some of the toughest, most joyful children I have ever met.
Thanks to my family I am snacking on some yummy American snacks right now (Thank you Aunt Skip and Uncle Mike!!) and the package came just in time! This week our supervisor Andrea is here, along with our media girl Mallory. They are here to document our journey as well as check on us and encourage us. It has been so nice spending time with them and God has really used Andrea's wisdom to teach me. We will miss them when they leave but will see them again soon.
This coming week I am looking forward to more ministry opportunities within local churches as well as to the community around us. Please be in prayer for the following things:
-God to break through language barrier
-ministry and evangelism opportunities
-a Christian translator who can speak English and Tagalog well
-the caregivers at the orphanage and chances to witness to them
-breaking through the "surface" conversations with those around us
We have weekly memory verses and this week one in particular has stuck out to me
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold- which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Chirst is revealed" 1 Peter 1:6-7
Friends stay strong in Christ and stay faithful to his work. God has commanded us all to be missionaries wherever he puts us. Beware of the trap of depending on God's promises without following his commands. "I thank God everytime I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry in on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
Thank you for your prayers and encouraging words!
Brittani Clark

They will know us by our love

God has been teaching me and my team many lessons this week! Isn't it funny how when we say we are going to serve God and minister to others we up getting served and ministered to ourselves?
This adventure has been like a roller coaster so far! We had a slow start and a big hill to climb at first but I feel we are reaching the top of the hill. Thankfully God is controlling the speed and He knows ow much I can handle!
All four of us went through a day of sickness (all on the same day..) Since we had little to no explanation for it we believed it to be either spiritual warfare or God teaching us a lesson. Well, it could have been both. I am ashamed to say we whined and complained all day and were ready to go home but through this God revealed to us what perseverance really is. Never before have I had to rely solely on God and in this sickness I did! So, I rejoice in my sufferings. God led me to the verses Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-4 during this time.
God is working in hearts other than our own here in Calapan City! Seeds have been planted and roots are being established so please pray for softened hearts and open eyes. It is so exciting to be a part of God's army on a new battlefield this summer. God has also used various encounters with people this week to remind me of two of his sweet truths. The first being that when we ask ask God for the strength to glorify Him each day, do not think that means that you are asking to "feel well enough" to glorify him. We see Paul many times suffering for Christ but getting right back up, even after being stoned and left for dead to go preach the gospel. The other lesson God has showed me through talking to people with such a vast language barrier is boldness. In Acts 5 the apostes are persecuted and imprisoned. God sets them free from chains and they go back to the same place where they were arrested to teach. Peter uses bold words to his prosecuters in saying "we must obey God rather than men!" Later in v. 41 we see the apostles rejoicing that they had the chance to suffer. May we all be more like Peter and Paul.
I have 12 little ones to love on everyday, 4 babies and the rest "big kids" (all under 7). I love them all and we jokingly call it Mommy bootcamp. I have a whole city to show God's love to and a lot of God's love to go around!
So, prayer partners, I ask that in the coming week you would pray for:
-open eyes and open hearts
-outpouring of God's love from all of us
-rain (cools everything off)
-health for a couple of newborns
-wisdom and discernment
-a spirit of perserverance and strength
-MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
-unity among the team members
Until next time my friends,
Brittani Clark

Cock a doodle doo

Magandang Umaga, from the Philippines! Time is a strange thing here and seems to pass by slowly so far but that could be because we don't start work until tomorrow.
This will be a short post because my body is feeling weak today. I am a bit dehydrated but I am taking care of myself and have a great group of girls around me taking care of me as well.
I am very excited to report that on the airplane Meredith and I got to talk to Pavel, a man from Russia, about our faith and why we were going to the Philippines. It was very exciting to hear the Holy Spirit spitting words out of my mouth and giving me a confidence not of myself at all! Also, on the last night of orientation 21 people were baptized!! WOW God is awesome, that has never happened before for Nehemiah Teams so Praise the Lord for obedience and Holy Spirit's power.
A slogan I have adopted for the next couple months is "When the cross gets to heavy remember- WORTHY IS THE LAMB!" This has been especially helpful when I am not feeling well. God's word has been the best encouragement to me so far and I praise him for it!
I will write more next week hopefully, my body is weak today and I am trying not to over extend myself.
Prayer Needs:
- Focus
- Endurance
- Restoration
Thank you all,
Brittani Clark
p.s. I titled this cock a doodle doo because of the roosters who sing around the clock, I have a feeling after a few more days I will get used to them :)

Address in the Philippines

Hey all, I am leaving tomorrow bright and early for orientation and wanted to post my address before I left. Shipping takes about 14 days so keep that in mind if you choose to send anything.
Thanks for your prayers, and I cannot wait to tell about what God is doing in the Philippines!
Brittani Clark
c/o Ruel Foundation
Brgy. Masipit, Calapan City
5200 Oriental Mindoro
Philippines

In Christ,
Brittani Clark

"Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord"

In six short days I will board a bus to Alabama and a few days later a plane to the Philippines. I will be keeping all my brothers and sisters in Christ updated by using my poor, neglected blog. This summer God has given me the opportunity to serve Him in the Philippines. I will be working as a nanny at the Ruel Foundation Children's Home, I will also have the chance to minister to a group of high schoolers,volunteer at a maternity ward, and help out at a local church. I will be gone from June 3 to August 3, I will miss my family and friends but my pull to the mission field is far far stronger.
This summer will be a struggle with spiritual warfare as well as a spiritual growth experience. I am looking forward to sharing the love of Christ and giving sacrificially of my life. I need prayer. Prayer that God will deliver me from the snares and traps of the enemy, that God will remove scales and open hearts of the people group I will be working with, and prayer for strength each day for my team and I. I have the privilege of working with three other girls that God has hand selected to serve in the position and I ask that you keep them in your prayers as well- Meredith McMillan, Paula Fendley, and my team leader Sarah Wireman. I am looking forward to posting updates as much as possible and hope that you, as my prayer partners, will feel connected to the work of the Lord in the Philippines.
" You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4
Until next time,
Brittani

Being an Influence

In John 13 Jesus washes his disciples feet. Jesus teaches that to be an influence we have to apply four principles. 1. We have to humble ourselves and become a servant the same way he did when he washed the feet of his disciples. 2. We have to possess AGAPE (unconditional) love for all people. When Jesus was washing their feet he was well award that Judas had already turned him in to the Romans and in a few short hours Peter would deny knowing him; yet, he showed love even to the men who hurt him. 3. We have to know who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Knowing these things will inspire us to serve even when it is looked down upon by others. Our only concern should be to bring glory to God. 4. We have to be an example. After washing the disciples feet, Jesus said to them you call me teacher and master yet none of you offered to wash my feet first, so since I have done this you also should. Jesus tells us later on to be holy for I am holy. If christians desire to be an influence for God all we have to do is imitate the ultimate influence-Christ.

Beauty for Ashes

How broken should one be over his or her sin? How long should that process take? Does it depend on the sin? I know God can use me after I have sinned but does God ever draw the line and say ok I have had enough? Will he then remove me from the earth when I have brought such shame to his name time and time again? I feel forgiven. I am forgiven. But I feel like I should grieve more over my sin but at the same time I am so ready for God to renew me, meet me again, and continue to use me. I know God makes all things new and his mercies are new every morning but has he really forgotten about what happened last night? Can he really raise me up above that sin? What about the one/ones who witnessed or participated in my sin? My witness surely has been ruined with them but can God still use me to touch their lives? I want him to. I want to have the intimacy and fellowship with God I once knew. Everyday I have to refeul and start over again with God. I know I am growing but everytime I take one step forward I take three steps backwards. God Help me to break through this world. God I cannot fight it off on my own, for when I try to stand up against it alone the world always wins. LORD I need YOUR strength, your wisdom, your power, and most of all your love to make up for where it is missing. God I am sorry for how I have hurt you. God you can find glory even in my despair. Come and make beauty from my ashes and my pain Lord. I am abandoning my sinful ways God (Thank you for your patience with me..) and I want to live an unashamed life ONLY FOR YOU! Empty me of me Lord so I can be filled with you.