Update: Family, Colorado, and the Philippines

March 13, 2017

I know I have been horribly inconsistent on updating people on both ministry, and our family. I'm sorry!

I am now 38 weeks pregnant, and if I'm being honest, I wouldn't be surprised if baby came any day now. Craziness- I don't think I'm ready, but we're super excited. And, I am super excited for Eden to have a friend/sibling to enjoy. I'm definitely praying for her to be a good big sister, and I don't doubt that she will be! God is good!

Michael is super busy with the children's center. They will be entering spring break in a few weeks so that is going to be a VERY busy time. That means two weeks of keeping over 150 kids busy ALL. DAY. LONG. Lets just hope baby cooperates and doesn't decide to come in the midst of that.

Some of you may know, but Jaden moved down here with us last month and is now helping Michael out at the center. He's been a blessing-as always!

We have dreams of planting a garden and getting some chickens this month. I'm just praying it happens! I can't wait for fresh eggs and vegetables.

The Philippines is constantly on my mind, but I am usually unsure as to how to keep everyone consistently updated. We have several kids aging out of the program and we are seriously praying about letting the rest age out as we start an orphanage that is self sustainable. We are not quite sure about the direction of the program, but please be keeping it in your prayers during this critical, decision-making time. We have had several sick and injured kids lately, but God is always good and He has healed them over and over again. It is such a huge blessing to see how He works in the lives of these kiddos and their families.

Many of you know that over 4 months ago we had a sibling group of 3 sisters left in our care. They learned so much and flourished while at the baby house. They were being taught how to read, write, and do everyday chores like cleaning and helping with laundry. They were all potty trained and really developed under the love and care of the baby house staff. A few weeks ago their mom and dad showed up and brought them home. It was a hard transition, but they are home with their mommy and daddy now and that is exciting. I may write more about that at a later time so that you guys can get a glimpse in to what our staff at the baby house do.

We really covet your guys' prayers. We are doing well, but both ministries (Colorado and the Philippines) are not without their challenges. Please be praying for the continued progress of our ministry here in Colorado, for a safe birth and easy transition to a family of 4 and for our ministry in the Philippines. Please pray for the spiritual health of our baby house staff, the impact everyone has on the baby house families and for financial stability.

You all are such a blessing and we are constantly encouraged by our relationships with all of you!
God bless!
-Sarah

Eden cuddling her Meow-Meow (Julius) 

Eden playing doctor with her stuffed teddy bear-bunny 

Ate Anna with one of our baby house kids and her daughter

Ate Anna and Ate Nancy, both work for the Philippines program

Ate Anna and Ate Nancy saying goodbye to the sibling group that stayed at the baby house

Update from Colorado!

January 4, 2017

It's been such a long time since I have had the time or ability to update! So here it goes!

3 months ago we bought a house! It's been super exciting to be in a place that is our own space. Watching how Eden's personality has flourished has been sweet. Since having our "own" space and having things such as a place for her to go to sleep in every night has really enabled her little personality to explode. She's become super silly and daring; which is definitely not always a good thing! She is constantly dancing around the house and teasing her daddy and I.

Come Sunday we will be 29 weeks pregnant. I can't believe how fast it is going by. Baby #2 is expected in late March or early April, and no, we do not know whether it's a boy or a girl! Michael is desperately hoping for a boy where as Eden (I'm sure she's on my side ;) ) and I vote for a girl! 

While we are currently living in Colorado, we are still heavily involved in mission work. In December Eden and I traveled back to the Philippines. We spent 3 days in Boise and then flew to the Philippines and spent a week on the ground. While there, we conducted 4 different Christmas parties for severely impoverished kids and I was able to catch up with some stuff on the Formula for the Philippines program. Formula for the Philippines is doing well, though we still have two children that are not sponsored. The unfortunate issue with that is we have a waiting list of SEVERELY malnourished babies that we have been unable to help due to finances. So please be praying for them and their families! 

It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with our Formula for the Philippines families and to see how excited the kids were for their parties. I know many of your donated to this specific trip, and I hope you understand how impactful your prayers and financial gifts were. These kids would not have had a Christmas without you, and we were also able to share about who Christ was in those parties! Overall, the whole trip was a huge blessing to others and a huge blessing to us!

It was so exciting for Eden to be back "home" in the Philippines. She had missed her Tita and Ate's SO much. She spent the entire week being spoiled and hardly ever leaving her Tita's arms. It was hard for both Eden and her Tita and Ates when we had to leave. They always look forward to video calling each other and we are definitely looking forward to our next trip.

Alright, to switch gears now: Our ministry in Colorado Springs had steadily progressed, we are super excited to be involved here. Michael is super busy with the Children's center and our ministry with the youth. In a week we have our first winter camp with the youth group and we are really looking forward it! We will be bringing our whole youth group up to the mountains and spending the weekend learning more about God and enjoying each others fellowship. 

So! All of that to say that we are busy, doing well, and so excited and blessed to continue to watch God move in our lives, our family, and the ministries that he has given us. 

Thank you all for your prayers! 

Worried about my babies.

10/5/2016

I've really been struggling lately. For us, the adjustment to our Colorado mission has been fine, but my concern for our program in the Philippines continues to grow. We have several children without sponsors and we seem to accumulate costs through illnesses and emergencies constantly. 

It's a constant struggle for missionaries like us to raise money for ministry needs. To us, the pictures you see online are real people that we desperately love.  There is only so much we can do without your help and support. 

I'm not worried about the lack of resources. I know God has blessed our entire country with wealth beyond measure. What concerns me is how those resources are used. Everyday we are short of sponsors, these kids don't eat. 

If we do not feed them, love them, care for them, and minister to them, who will? 

These sweet, smiling faces have stories. Stories that not many of us can comprehend. Desperate stories that stem from deep poverty. Stories of young girls forced into prostitution, beatings, starvation, wounds that won't heal. Girls that have been stabbed or their parents attempted to drown them. Adults that never finished third grade. Mothers who lost little ones to easily preventable  or treatable illnesses. And that is just the beginning!

Jo: Before and after treatment in our care. Jo came to us weighing 9LBS at over a year old. He left over a month later weighing 18LBS - parasite and illness free! PRAISE GOD!!

We have babies brought to us dying. Children passing fresh blood multiple times a day because their little bodies were shutting down. They come to our program with parasites, UTI's, boils, malnutrition, pneumonia, lice, scabies, burns, bruises, and anything else you can think of. We want to help them all!

God is SO good. He is using us to minister to these babies; to these families. We can't continue unless the body of Christ begins to reach out to these people. Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Christ adores these people, the least of the least,  the uneducated, the unwanted, the unloved by society. He loves them fiercely. Please love them with us! Pray for them! Get to know them, their hopes and dreams - probably not so different from your own. Come on trips with us! Donate $5.00 when you can - it literally would cover a hospital bill and could save a life. 

Contact me if you have questions, have an interest in an upcoming trip or would like to sponsor a child or project. You can email me at sehodgie@gmail.com or shoot me a call or text at (email or Facebook message me for my number) I would LOVE to chat with you! 

Of course, you can always go to www.worldfamilymissions.com and check us out. All donations are tax deductible and because f a corporate sponsor who covers PayPal fees, 100% of your donation goes straight to where you want it! 

URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS!

9/11/16

I'm hoping friends, you can help us share our urgent need for sponsors. Many have stories similar to little Natalie's, below.

Natalie's mom came to us a few weeks ago crying and begging for help. Little Natalie was vomiting blood and had a consistently high fever. This is a huge concern for her, because when she spikes a fever, her tiny body begins to seize. We immediately took her into a clinic where they prescribed some meds and conducted a urine sample to do further testing. They sent her home to await results. Later that evening, Natalie's mom brought her back to us. Her color began to darken and she struggled to breathe. After further testing, the doctors determined that she had a severe UTI. She was prescribed additional meds and sent home to be watched over. That is actually quite difficult for Natalie's family, because the three daughters are raised alone, by their single mom. Because mom must work so hard for such long hours, the eldest at around 6, stays home to care for her sisters while their mother is out working.  After being sent home, and her mother leaving for work, Natalie overdosed on her meds. She was now very susceptible to seizing and falling into a coma. At this point it was safest and wisest for her to be brought into the constant care of the baby house so that she would be in a clean and safe environment. So, the following day, Natalie came into our full time care until she was well.We helped administer the correct amount of meds at the right time, and monitored her in case the fever returned.

This is just one of the stories of our kids; the stories of how your prayers and donations help. Fortunately, Natalie had a sponsor step up. Without Formula for the Philippines, She would not have had the chance to heal in a safe environment, let alone receive the medicine that she needed.

We currently have 3 kids enrolled that do not have sponsors, and at some point, we will have to remove them from our program unless someone steps up to help. We NEED sponsors. One-time gifts are a HUGE blessing to us. Prayer, and letting us know you are praying, is also a huge encouragement to our staff in the challenging work they do. Monthly donations of any amount take a huge load off of our shoulders, by letting us know we have the regular income to care for these families. Not just physically, by giving them the tools they need to protect themselves from disease, but also spiritually, by sharing the love of Christ with them every day.

Please be in prayer for our families, our kids, our staff, and the impact the program is having. We never want to have to turn away kids like Natalie.

Please consider how you might be able to help. As little as $40 a month can provide a child with nourishing, life-saving food and medical attention. To donate you can go to the “give” page at: www.worldfamilymissions.com. To contact us, email me (Sarah) at contact@worldfamilymissions.com

Colorado!

8/25/16

Weeks of preparation, a 24 hour flight, 8 days of chaos - and I mean literal CHAOS - a wedding, 21 hours of driving, a baby that thinks her parents are insane, puking and pregnancy nausea (did we mention baby #2 is on the way!?), and yes, we are finally here. Four short days we have been here, and we hit the ground running. Michael started training the morning after we got here, I started unpacking our cute, new little house, and then started training the following day, we've attending our CPR class, and we are sifting through hundreds of pages of paper work and training material. I sometimes wonder if God is chuckling at me for all of the times I told my mother I was bored. 

God has been so gracious during this process. Each time we hit a bump, He tells us to breath and He provides. Philippians 4 -or using my ability to read; Philippines 4- It says to rejoice, not to worry, and His peace will cover us. So thankful for this reminder! 

Both Michael and I have enjoyed getting to know the center these past few days. Introductions to staff and fellow employees have been made and relationships with the kids have begun. Some have recognized us from previous summer camps, so that's been fun. Among all of these new things and learning curves I have had to keep up with the ministries in the Philippines. Please pray for them as we still have babies and families with sponsors! 

As always, you can read more about our program at www.worldfamilymissions.com or contact us at contact@worldfamilymissions.com  

Eden says, "hi!"

Our new little apartment.  

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

7/20/2016

Many of you have been on this journey with me since I was little. You heard 9 year old me talk about my big dreams to become a missionary. Not just a missionary anywhere, but a missionary to the Philippines. Many of you supported my dreams as 12 year old me sold cakes in order to earn the money to get here. You listened to me relentlessly talk about how I was going to make it to the Philippines and work with children on the streets. You probably laughed as I spent my summers taking lessons in Tagalog (Filipino language) and learned how to cook Filipino style. And then the day came. I graduated, turned 18, and a few days later I moved to the Philippines.

My first trip to the Philippines!

You prayed with me, watched me learn and grow, and you watched me achieve my dream. 3 years later, I'm still here-now with my husband and baby girl and God is still growing my dream to reach the Philippines.

This year we started a feeding program. We went from helping a family of 8 on the streets to reaching out and doing Bible studies with over 52 people weekly. God, unyielding in His will for my life, has placed a urgency in me to continue this work He has set before me. He has continued to bring families to us, He has continued to open the doors to reach out to them, and He has continued to supply the resources even when we were uncertain.

 One of our babies delivered while in the program.

One of our baby house kids.

He has used these three years and this program to train me, and to grow an ever changing passion for the Philippines in me.

With that being said, I can't wait to share with you our latest God-led adventure. At first it may contradict a lot of what I just said, but stick with me!

We're moving to Colorado! Over a year ago we got to lead a team of youth to Colorado with the purpose of working with inner city youth. In June we had the privilege of going for a second time, this time with Eden! We got to work alongside Springs of Life Church and take part in their ministry. Michael was offered a position to work mainly in their school-age ministry; along with worship ministry, youth ministry, and whatever else God works out. We accepted and are looking forward to this new chapter.

Our last team in Colorado up at camp. 

God, in His graciousness, managed to knit together two people's passions into one, crazy, adventurous life. He's taking Michael's talents and dreams and allowing him to work in an environment that will push him, train him, and fulfill his aspirations of ministering to families in the US. He's using me to continue the work He trained me for as a child, and he's using both of us to complement each other in both mission fields; the US and the Philippines. Yes! We are moving to Colorado. And, yes! We are continuing our work in the Philippines! We will continue to partner with WFM and I (Sarah) will specifically be traveling back and fourth a few times a year to continue growing the feeding program. We have a full time Filipina director that will be continuing the daily work here in the Philippines and Michael will get to join in on some of the trips once or twice a year. God has so meticulously began putting all of the details in place. Each step we have taken, He has opened another door. When we began praying about the ministry here, He put in place women to take over, whose hearts are so clearly evident for the Lord and for these babies. He pressed on our heart that this time in the Philippines was coming to a close and he began preparing us and those around us. Please rejoice and pray for us as we prepare to step into this next phase of life. Thank you for all of your support and your prayers for us throughout this exciting journey! 

-Sarah

Short video

7/21/2016

Hey guys! We wanted to share with you the living conditions of our families and some of the struggles they face on a daily basis. 

According to UNICEF, there are over 250,000 street children in the Philippines. 

An estimation of 12.8 million children under the age of 15 live under the poverty line. 

PSA reports that 1 out of every 10 Filipino children do not attend school.

We desperately want to help these families. To ease the load so that their children can attend school and someday get a job. To educate and guide them on basic hygiene to prevent disease and death. To minister to the families and introduce them to Jesus. We NEED your help.

We would love for you to watch this short video in order for you to see where and how our families live. Maybe God will place the same urgency on your heart as He has placed on ours. Our hearts ache for these little ones.

Currently, we have 3 little ones needing us to step in! We also have a waiting list of kids begging to become part of our program. Unfortunately we can't assist until this last group of kids has sponsors. We simply do not have the resources. 

A monthly commitment, a one time gift, simply letting us know you are praying. These things are always a huge encouragement and blessing. We KNOW God has sponsor families for these babies.

To meet kids needing sponsors: http://www.worldfamilymissions.com/

To read about our program: http://www.worldfamilymissions.com/

To donate: http://www.worldfamilymissions.com/

To contact us: Email Sarah Jones at conatct@worldfamilymissions.com