God is so amazing!!

Yesterday was our first day in the "field". We were divided into two large teams that will remain intact for the 3 weeks of Mega Outreach. Within our teams, we were divided again. This allows us to reach more areas and to visit them on a more frequent basis. My team visited one of the targeted areas...Marcos Bridge. This community is built on the edge of the sea and floods regularly...about every two weeks. The homes are raised so the tide doesn't flood inside. When the water recedes, the roads trap much of the water under the homes and this becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The people in this area have problems with Dengue fever from the mosquitoes and many of the children suffer from diarrhea and dehydration. We met a woman yesterday who lost her baby just four weeks ago from a simple case of diarrhea...she just wasn't able to get help quick enough. The pain and sadness was so heavy in her. A few of us prayed with her and we will continue to visit over the time we are here. Our health care team will do clinics in this area teaching the people basic ways to improve their health....they will also vaccinate and care for some of the immediate needs.
We spent several hours going door to door meeting the people in this community. There are about 140 families and toms of children. When we first arrived, a small girl of about 4 approached me and took hold of my hand...her name is Angelica. :) She walked with us most of the day...we met her mother and father and the family pig. As I stood talking to the interpreter, I felt a tug on the back of my sandal....much to my surprise a small black pig was trying to eat my TEVA!!! :) Hilarious..
We spent a lot of the afternoon in a central street area...we were in front of the home where a weekly bible study takes place. About 15 women attend regularly and they are able to bring their children with them. Vanessa and Rowana are two who usually attend....young teen mothers with beautiful smiles!!! We climbed the ladder into Rowana's home and sat on the bamboo floor...it was awesome to just visit and pray with them. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the street playing with children. They love any attention you can give.... I must have given 200 helicopter rides...just picking them up and spinning around. :) At times there must have been 20 children in front of me holding out their arms.
One of the local men climbed a coconut tree and retrieved a refreshing treat...he climbed in his bare feet and broke the coconut open for us to enjoy!!
There were many wonderful testimonies from the day but one stood out. The area where we had done our prayer walk...Tagaloan saw God work in a big way. One of the ladies from my class prayed with a man on Sunday...she was touched by his story and knew she wanted to visit again on Tuesday.....he had been paralyzed from a stroke four months ago and had been bed ridden since. When she and a few more returned on Tuesday to pray, God healed this man!!! He got out of his bed and he walked...and he jumped...and he ran!!! Afterwards, he and his wife gave their lives to Jesus!!! When she told us back at the base, the room exploded with JOY!!!
All I have time for now...keep praying and forgive my typos!!! :) LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!