HYC Philippines: I Have Never Felt So Used By God!

Jenny Harkabus spent Christmas serving in the Philippines. She wrote this, and also made a short video:

I did not imagine that I would be spending Christmas in the Philippines for my first HOPE Youth Corps experience. This opportunity has deeply changed my perspective on the importance of service in my daily walk.

We are created in God's image, therefore we are meant to help and serve others. I know this to be true because I have never felt so used by God and fulfilled, than the times spent serving and pouring out my love in the Philippines.

James 1:27 says, " Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Some translations refer to this as true religion. The bible also stresses the importance of giving to the poor (1 John 3:17, Matt 9:21, Proverbs 14:31). God considers caring for the poor and orphans as true religion, yet this can be an area of faith that is overlooked.

I was privileged to spend time with girls who have experienced trauma and abuse at the HOPE worldwide center in Laguna. Many of these girls have been separated from their families, becoming orphans, as a result of the abuse they have experienced. I also received the opportunity to play with children within the community as we rebuilt their homes and provided them with medical care. I witnessed the children’s precious value for human relationships, as they clung to me emotionally and physically. They showed me instant love and respect, which I find to be rare in today’s society. Our focus should be about investing in others just as the children in the Philippines invested in me.

After these experiences, I now understand that caring for the less fortunate, orphans, and widows is important to God because He knows we benefit from it just as much those we are helping do. It is great for the soul and revealing for our heart. I believe as disciples, we need to be serving the less fortunate, because it humbles our hearts in ways that keep us from being corrupted by this world. It helps us to realize what really matters. It helps us to realize we are poor ourselves without God. I share this with you because I want to urge you to make serving the less fortunate a strong conviction in your life if you haven't already. I am thankful God gave me this experience to realize that people matter most.

Click here to watch Jenny's HYC video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwktDzCh8MY

We are going back to the Philippines (and other locations) this December! If you want to serve on HYC or HSC, apply here: https://www.hopeww.org/hyc