Four-Wheel Musings

Today, my husband, two of our own children and five of our Mercy House kids went on an errand, a very mundane errand to the water district to drop off a sample of our home water supply.   We need a "water safety certificate" to complete the requirements to register Mercy House as an official "Social Work Development Agency".

In any case, as we were driving along in a light and VERY welcome rain (it has been so hot here), a thought occurred to me.

Most of my friends, family, blog readers and followers have never been to The Philippines.  Most have never seen the regular homes of the average citizen or the way the streets look inside of a barangay (neighborhood)  so, I grabbed my husband's iphone and took a
few pictures that I believe are very typical of the province where we live.


These are not the beautiful pictures of the beaches, fruit stands and outdoor restaurants that you can find all over the internet.  Those are also true depictions. The Philippines is a breathtakingly gorgeous country with places that rival Hawaii or Thailand as vacation-worthy.

These pictures are not those.

They are the "everyday".  These are the sights I pass as I go to the market, the dentist, church or the mall.

I think I had grown immune to how different these places are than those where I used to live. 

But today, I was reminded.

So, here it is.  A peek into the everyday, faraway:

Somebody's covered garage

A look down the street of what is considered "middle class"

A sari sari store. This is the place my kids run to when they have a few extra pesos!

A typical "middle class" home with a wall around it. No breeze gets in but for privacy, many forsake fresh air.

A patron getting off the jeepney,  the cheapest and most readily-available form of transportation here.

Folks hanging out in the barangay, chatting

And now, you've seen a snippet of what I see out my passenger-side window every day.  And as I sit here now, typing these last few words, I wonder "will they catch the beauty in the ordinary here?".   I hope you do. For me, it is inescapable.  People living lives, trying to provide for families, facing difficult decisions and carrying down these streets the same desires we all have: safety, happiness, good health. 
Walking these roads with the same pressing, inherent, undeniable need as every other soul:  the need to commune with his creator but the complete inability to do that without first coming face-to-face with His son Jesus.   
In a mansion on a hill or a cinder-block home in a barangay, we were all  created for RELATIONSHIP with Jesus.  Only He can truly satisfy. 

The deepest need and the loudest cry of our souls are answered in Him. 

If you are reading this post, from wherever you are, and simply do not "get" how anyone can believe that Jesus really is who He claimed to be, I urge you to send me an email.  Ask your hard questions.  I may not have all the answers but I will try to point you to the truth.  If you want to know more about what a relationship with the creator of the universe really means for YOU, message me.
He loves you.  He longs to meet your needs, clean your heart and give you an abundant and vibrant new life.    
Please let me tell you how!

For His Fame,
Nikki
mercyhousepi@gmail.com