S.E.N.T. - Tara Bannister

Day 10

1/30/2017

Our last day here at the school, my how the time has flown! It just seems like yesterday that we were arriving. We have a lot to do today between all the classes and packing. Today is a good day to keep myself busy; I do not want a whole lot of free time to think about leaving the girls. This trip has done so much for me, it's hard to think that it's all over now.
After packing up some I decided it would be best to go and sit in on a couple of classes. I may not be able to talk with the students but I would be with them. It's kind of hard to learn when the teachers are speaking Ilecono. I enjoy going to the classes, it's interesting to see and compare to my classes as FGBI. The students at FBI are just like sponges, soaking it all in. In between one of the classes, one of the girls came and hugged me and started crying. This was incredibly hard, she said that she just wanted a hug and that she loved me. Of course, I started bawling. The day I met them I had a natural love for all the girls, they are truly special. My heart breaks in having to leave them later today. If you knew their testimonies and knew just where God had brought them from, then you might understand why they encourage me so much. If I could only be half as strong, and determined as they are.

Before we left we exchanged our "remembrance" letters and took pictures. It was so sweet to read the letters from the students. Dave wrote to us about the messages we spoke in chapel and how what we said affected him. Genita wrote me about how she never expected to get a best friend from America, and how she was going to miss our handshake. Reading the letters of course brought me to tears. I never thought that just being talking to the students would have an impact on them. I didn't think I could impact them like they had impacted me. Giving our last hugs and high fives bye was killer; I'm really going to miss them all! They are truly special young people.

Day 8

1/28/2017

Today hasn't been a very busy day according to our schedule. However, today has been a very fun day. Most of the students were gone to their outstations. An outstation is a church that the students will go to and help out. They could be helping clean, teach, or they could be helping temporarily pastoring. They do this occasionally through the week and then on weekends. We played volleyball and talked a lot with the students that were left. Around lunch time I went into the kitchen and talked some with one of the girls that was cooking. Just to look at this girl you wouldn't think much of her past, or what she has came out of. When she came to Bible school she was completely disowned from her family. It is the Filipino tradition that the oldest child of the family go to college, make a living, and then come and support the family. Her family often would pressure her in school, if she made lower than a 90 on anything that would slap her papers in her face. She loves learning, but they pushed her to hate school. When she came to Bible school her family told her that there would be no support for her, and that they would not have any communication. That if she wanted to go then she would have to find her own money. She is currently a junior at FBI, and loves studying Apologetics. The Lord has really brought her a long way. Just in this week she has really surrendered a lot to the Lord. She told me that she still held on to a lot of bitterness from her past. God has really been doing a work in her life. I can't wait to see all that God has in store for her! Pray that God would strengthen her in her faith, and help her to be a witness to her family!

Day 6

1/26/2017

Today has been a wonderful day, the altar services at chapel went very well. After Sis. Kendra and I got done speaking at chapel, Sis. Petit got up and gave the altar call. She talked about how we need to completely sell out to God. She had us a stand in a square tile and make a commitment to God, that everything in the tile was His. Church that evening was wonderful too! Bro. Cody was challenging the students to go and do the Will of the Father, and let His praises ring in all the nations. It's amazing to see how God is working through the students! They have such a sincerity, and a desire to serve the Lord. This is the generation that's going to change the Philippines.

The fellowship has been very wonderful. I feel like even though we had a burden to come here and help, that we are also being helped and encouraged. The Lord has really been shaping and molding us. Talking with the Petits and Bro. Pahlman has been awesome. You can just glean so much character building things from them! I believe it has been Sis. Petits mission to help each of us in an area that we are lacking in. Her boldness and straightforwardness is definitely something we've needed. There is always room to grow in the Lord, and build our character. This trip is really changing us.

Day 4

1/24/2017

"From Victim to Victor," this pretty much sums up the chapel service this morning. Sis. Hannah Morgan spoke to the students and gave her personal testimony. The Lord was really moving in the service and around the altars. It seemed that there was many students that could relate to what she had to say. When giving the altar call Sis. Petit asked us to close our eyes, and asked if there was any that felt like they were being a victim; apparently several raised their hands. After we opened our eyes Sis. Petit asked for those who had raised their hands to come to the altar for prayer; the majority of the people had went to the altars. They all begun to cry out to God, and was asking for their victory.

The SENT team had the opportunity to go with some of the FBI students to a Elementary school. This was very exciting, I have never done any type of public school ministry before.

When we all go out of the vans the kids huddled around us; they were giving us hugs and high-fives. I went with one of the Junior girls Leah, we taught a fourth grade class. Leah did most of the teaching because of the language barrier and short time frame. However, I got to speak some, sing, and play games with the kids. They were all very excited to learn the new songs and games. The FBI students to go to this school several days a week and get to minister to over a thousand children. God is certainly doing great things through the FBI students! When all of us was walking out to leave the school a bunch of kids started laughing and pointing. Leah turned to me and she said "they are laughing at Sir Lee's height. We do not have that size here." (Bro. Lee Coffey is very tall for those who do not know him) The kids loved giving him high-fives and fist bumps. Leah was telling us that he was probably the tallest person they had ever seen before. It was very fun to watch the kids faces as he walked by.

I sat in on a couple of the classes back at the school, one class in particular was very interesting. Bro. Timothy and Bro. Lee taught a class to the Juniors on Systematic Theology. They talked about a lot of what we had learned over this past semester. They were talking about the Atonement and all the pain that Christ went through on the Cross. While they were describing the crucifixion process, Sis. Petit chimed in and told us that during the Easter season in the Philippines they will have crucifixion ceremonies. It's typically those who hold the Catholicism view that participate; though the Catholic Church does not teach this, they do not teach against it either. She was saying that they would go and get crucified on the town square and that they would hang there for a couple of hours. There was a man who has done this at least 18 times. She said in their eyes it's them obtaining salvation. I had never heard of anything like that before. Sis. Petit said that she had never witnessed it herself but several of her students had. One of the young men in her class Gian, he begin telling us FGBI students a little bit about it. It is truly sad that there is so many people that are so confused about salvation. It makes my heart cry for these souls! Romans 10:1 "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." It is my hearts desire and prayer to God that the Philippine Islands would be saved!

Day 3

1/23/2017

I'm typically not a morning person, but it's very nice to be woken up by the sounds of laughter and the girls singing and playing the guitar in their dorm in the morning. They are all so much fun, and you can really tell that they love the Lord.

This morning’s chapel was preached by Bro. Timothy Hooks. Bro. Timothy was speaking to the students about persecution, and trusting in the Lord during the hard times. When giving the altar call Sis. Petit got up and exhorted some on what Timothy said. Sis. Petit took it a step farther and talked to them about the persecution they face in their minds; the persecution they create. Her words were very convicting in my own life! We tend to give too much credit to the devil, when a lot of times it's our own doings.

After the morning chapel we had a grief seminar taught by Bro. Charles Pahlman. He taught mainly about how to deal with grief and pain from a Biblical standpoint. The students definitely got help, but I feel this was more for the pastors that attended the Seminar. At the end of Bro. Pahlmans teaching we all gathered around the altar; this is where I believe some lives were really touched. There were pastors wives praying so sincerely and giving all their hurt of loss to Christ.

Once the classes were over for the FBI students we had a girl vs. guys volleyball game. It was the first time that the girls on the SENT team had an opportunity to interact with the guys. They were all very polite, even though they mocked and picked at our horrible attempts of playing volleyball. It was a very fun game and an awesome opportunity to interact and fellowship more with the students.

One of my major blessings of the day was sitting in on the schools choir practice. Everyone is very musically inclined and they all seem to love to sing. I was amazed at how well their choir sang, and just how much they got into the songs. It was very convicting; you could really tell that they were meaning what they sung.

Day 2

1/22/2017

Yesterday we finally made it to Laoag; it seemed like we was never going to make it! We arrived at a small airport and we were greeted by Sis. Petit and a pastor from one of the churches. After two days of traveling it was amazing to actually be in Laoag with the Petits! After months of prayer and preparation we were finally here. I cannot really describe all the different emotions I was having; I certainly was feeling peace in being there.

This morning I had the opportunity to go with Bro. Petit and Bro. Pahlman and two other SENT members to a church that is under the Petits. I'm not even going to try and spell the name of the church or pastor but this church was absolutely amazing. They had such a wonderful spirit of worship! The pastor’s wife especially loved to sing and praise the Lord; it was such a blessing watching her!

The youth group of the church was very welcoming and even taught us an elecono (a tongue twister in their language) We didn't necessarily pick up on it but they laughed a lot at us attempting to say it. We really enjoyed our time with them.

The service back at the Bible school was wonderful. The students were very receiving of what Bro. Pahlman preached, and they tarried in the altars. It was so wonderful to see their hearts desire to serve the Lord!