Its finally feeling like home!

Its been two weeks and I find myself calling the orange house home! I still have much to learn about the Filipino culture and what it means to be an American living here, but I am finding comfort in knowing that this is where the Lord wants me.

I can say that yes I've been homesick, but as I spent time with the Lord I've found comfort in his words. I've had many times when all I wanted to do is walk out of my room and go onto the back porch and take in the quietness and beauty of the northwest. I don't want to take that for granted ever again! From the birds singing in the morning to the roar of the rushing creek during the winter time, to the quiet summer nights. So many times I've dwelt in silence and just listened to Creation sing of its maker.

Life is very busy in Davao, compared to Toledo. Here I find myself working at trying to find a quiet place, a place where I can just relax and reflect on what the Lord is doing. This has been one of the hardest parts so far, is finding that balance of quietness and interaction with people. I can't just go up into my room and expect it to be quiet when I'm sharing it with 5 other girls. Its a new adjustment for sure!

SUPER EXCITING NEWS!!

*Today I got my tourist visa extended! I am finally in the process of getting my missionary visa.

I know many people are wondering.....

what does my life here in Davao look like??

Here is an outline of what I'll be doing the next couple of weeks.

After this week all of the orientation stuff will be over! yay!

My first shift in the Birthroom is the 26th!! Thursday 2-10 (please be praying for Is Ver outreach, I can't go because of shift)

Friday 27th is first class going over our assignment. Its not due until Sept. 16th. First exam is the 16ths as well.

My first night shift is the 31st! Tuesday 10-6

I will have clinic which is prenatals on Friday's.

Every other Thursday I am hoping to be able to go on the Is Ver. outreach. First one that I can go on is Sept 2nd.

classes are scheduled thoughout the week. Mon and Thurs 3:30-5 is langauge class.

requirements for each week is 3-4 shifts per week, *1 night shift, *1 clinic (Friday's)

I know that it isn't all completely set in stone, but hey that is the lifestyle of a midwife!

* Foma-Hope! Hello Hope!

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Taste and See

psalm 34

1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

All morning I've been thinking about Psalm 34 and I wanted to share it with you.

Trusting the Lord in Midst of a Storm

Here is a video its not the best but I took it during a thunder storm last night from out balcony outside my room.







I've never heard thunder so loud, and lighting that just seemed to turn the sky into a blurry old TV screen with fuzzy grey dots every 30 sec. Then the loud crash from the thunder as the orange house seemed to crumble from the noise.

It was amazing!! As i stood under our covered balcony last night with the wind blowing the rain came onto our slick deck tile flooring. we roamed back and forth from our warm stuffy house to the chilly night air.The rain felt amazing and view was even better on the 2nd floor. Soon the song everything I need by Kutless came into my head. I spent most of the evening out on the deck, just loving the fact I was cold and the rain felt amazing on my skin as I just pondered on the word that the Lord gave me.

Kutless Everything I Need
When every step is so hard to take
And all of my hope is fading away
When life is a mountain that I can not climb
You carry me, Jesus carry me.

You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in me time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

When every moment is more than I can take
And all of my strength is slipping away
When every breath gets harder me
You carry me, Jesus carry me

You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seekYou are everything in me time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

I need You
You are everything I need
I love everything about You

You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in me time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need
Everything I Need,

It was a moment of reassuance that things will work out.

A couple days ago I spent the evening with Krys and Matt the directors of Newlife, and I found out that I needed 3,500 still. I knew that wasn't right, as I looked over the papers, I found that nothing after the 26th of July had been subtacted to the total due. So the last two days I have been trying to figure out where the money was and how much I was short. All the other support that I thought I had has been dropped. So I got two checks resent and are in the mail, so now I am praying for them to make it without any problems. However that only equals about $2000, I have about 200-300 with me ( my monthly support for (sept-oct)I could put to it however I would have to watch my spending money the next month or so, which i am willing to do.

I've sent out e-mails asking for prayer and support as the due date has passed and I am needed to get back to Matt about the money coming in. So I'm here trusting God that he will carry me though. Trusting that the Lord will put it on the hearts of his people so I may be able to stay he in the Philippines.

In Christ

Heidi McCully

The Orange house and Mercy Maternity

Above is a couple pictures of the Orange house

Today I got to go over and get a tour of the clinic. My first shift is swing shift on the 26th. Every Friday I will be during prenatals.On the 31st and sept 5th I have night shift.

*note the wall painting is in the prenatal waiting room upstairs in the clinic.

So thats the update on my schedule for now!

Prayer requests

Outreach opportunity

On Thursday's and Sunday's the clinic does outreach around Davao, doing prenatals. I am interested in the Thursday rotation to Is Ver, its a poor Muslim area in Davao. The Thursday outreaches don't go towards school credits the outreach is strictly if you want to and you can fit them in. The Saturday can be used for credit because there is more traveling involved and have been around for a while.

Many of you know that I want to work among Muslims and I really feel that this could be a possible outreach opportunity for me. Pray that I would have wisdom in making a commitment to going to Is Ver if that is where the Lord wants me, if its going each time (2-3 times a month), or once a month, or not at all.

Taken by love

So I'm setting outside my room and the sun has already set. Seems so weird to think that its only 6 o'clock in the evening. I'm trying to stay awake a little bit longer, hoping that I don't wake up really early in the morning, since my body is still thinking its 4 in the morning NW time.

Anyways I want to get back to col chapter 3. I feel so out of place here, its not like Africa, its not like the NW, we are in a Muslim area, but its not really safe to be going out into those areas. Its ramadan as of yesterday. So my whole world is a blur right now.

I've been thinking a lot about those verse the last 24 hours. to seek Christ, to not only seek him but hear his voice and follow. I know he has called me here. I know he has called me to be a midwife and use my skills to get into a Muslim country and share his love, share his word, and to share of the Hope we have in Christ. However right now I am here in the Philippines, getting ready to embark on a new life, and I'm super excited to see where that will lead.

may my prayer be the last portion of col chapter 4

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word,(D) to declare the mystery of Christ,on account of which I am in prison— 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Pete Bergman gave me a few weeks ago a small article Apostolic Passion by Flyod Mcclung and a prayer that he states is a prayer that I want to take seriously. Lord, be ruthless with me in revealing my selfish ambition and my lack of willingness to die to myself.


Please pray for me as i try and fit in within the culture and within the house. Right now all 13 girls are staying in the orange house until the summer interns leave and the green house is open. So the three rooms are full. I got to unpack because I am in orange house for the year, however those that are moving into the green house is a couple weeks are living out of their suitcases. So things are really crazy right now.

Pray for our orientation during the next two weeks. We start shadowing in a couple days in the clinic. We get our first assignment sometime later this week or early next week.


Pray for unity, for our class, the clinic staff. May we walk in the wisdom of the Lord. May we continue to grow in Him.

Pray that I will continue to but God first as I start into my busy schedules and classes.

Until the nations have heard
Heidi

Good morning to those in the Northwest, and I am off to finally get some sleep!

On the trip to Davao

As I boarded in Manila going to Davao I knew that my life was going to change! It didn’t really hit until then. With being sick on the flight across the Pacific I didn’t have much of a time to really reflect on what was happening. I wanted to share these verses with you because God really touched my heart as I sat on the plane to Davao. I’ll explain a little bit more in the next blog.

However here is the text that I was reading. I was reading though colossians and these verses really spoke to my heart.

Colossians 3

Put On the New Self

1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old selfwith its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14And above all these put on love, which binds everything together inperfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

continue onto chapter 4:2-6

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

5Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious,seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Orientation to Davao!

Well I’ve been in Davao for about a day now, within the last 48 hours I’ve maybe seen 5 hours of sleep with my flights and time changes. However I am thankful in the midst of being tired as I’ve come to start Newlife.

The class of 2012 is the largest Newlife class, Posted below is our group picture (- Maria because is already in Davao). Friday afternoon I went down to Oregon for Orientation until Monday where we got to stay with two former missionaries that worked with the ministries that krys and Matt McNeil have in Davao. Their love for us and their love for the Philippines really helped me understand some insights behind Newlife and the program I am now in.

The weekend came and went as we went to Cannon beach, climbed up Mt.Neahkanie at Oswald West State Park. ,It rained on us but oh well, it cleared up a little by the time we got to go back into cannon beach.



So Sunday we attended Church and finalized packing! Early Monday we got onto the plane with only about 10 min to take off because a couple girls got stopped at the security. With hardly any time to spare we boarded the flight to Seattle.

In Seattle I spent most of my time calling people before I got on the international flight. Internet was in and out in the terminal so calling ended up being the option during the 5 hour layover.

Korea, our first stop in Asia after 11.5 hours on the plane, we landed late afternoon with a cloudy grey sky with a huge brightly colored rainbow just outside our terminal gate. With only an hour to our next flight we found ourselves sprawled out on the floor trying to find a comfortable place to rest before the next flight. 5 or 6 of us didn’t feel very good after the flight so the floor seemed very inviting! With a little rest I finally got some sleep because I remember nothing of the flight to Manila because I slept right though!

thank you again for your prayers as I go on in the journey.

romans 15:13 May the God of hpe fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy spirit you may abound in hope.

May the Nations hear about HIM