Philippines

We have a variety of ministry opportunities, much of it focused on caring for families living in substantial poverty. We’ll be partnering with local churches putting on kids programs, a language learning curriculum, feeding toddlers, and local youth outreaches. There will even be some sports ministry opportunities – we said ministry would be diverse! In every setting, we’ll be talking about Jesus and his love for these people.

Royal Servants takes the safety and health of each participant seriously. We go to great lengths to ensure that participants remain healthy and safe throughout the trip. Therefore, no participant is allowed to be alone in any city; Royal Servants always travel in groups of three or more, and when possible, with either a male or Summer Staff in each group. The Trip Leaders also continually monitor conditions within the host country both before and during the trip. If a situation arises that threatens the security of the team, either politically or from environmental conditions, the team will be moved to a stable location.

This is going to be a team on the move. Many days we will be venturing to new locations to do our outreach. You’ll get to explore the sprawling city of Manila as well as surrounding mountain villages. You will travel primarily by Jeepneys (a vehicle that looks like a Jeep Wrangler and a school bus got married and had a baby), eat the local food, shop the local markets, and make local friends.

The culture of the Philippines is a blend of east and west and draws heavily from Spanish influence, having been colonized by Spain. Filipinos themselves are adaptable, highly relational, and super competitive. They excel at hospitality and will welcome you in with great conversation and curiosity.

Like all Royal Servants mission trips, we’ll be taking time each day to study the Bible, pray and worship together, and, in the evenings, process our experiences. But you’ll also be spending lots of time fellowshipping with Filipino believers, so expect to see God grow you and stretch you in all sorts of new, unexpected, and wonderful ways.

If you love working with children and youth, you are going to especially connect with the ministry in the Philippines. The trip is well suited for people who are willing to jump into just about any kind of ministry opportunity, especially if it means getting to make new friends. Know that conditions may be a bit rugged at times, you’ll do a lot of walking, and the weather will be hot and quite humid.

We’ll be lodging in a dorm style facility, and many of our meals will be made for us by local cooks, even though we’ll have oatmeal and PB&J just to keep it interesting. Expect a lot of local Filipino food with rice based dishes and lots of pork, chicken, and fish. But if you need a break, it’s not hard to find some good pizza, and if you have time to head to the mall, Taco Bell is always waiting.

Before we head home, we’ll be taking time as a team to debrief this awesome experience and prepare for what's next. To do this, we will be slowing down the pace of the day, remaining in the Philippines but likely relocating to a different spot, and spend time as a team discussing, reminiscing, planning, and thinking ahead. A lot of personal growth and life change can and will happen on a trip like this, so the challenge will be to answer the question, “What is my life going to look like from here on out?”

We have the awesome opportunity to work alongside Banaba House Ministries and their affiliates. This ministry has been working in the Philippines for decades and has developed a strong reputation for bringing help and resources to Filipinos living in deep poverty and empowering them to stand tall and walk in the truth of the Gospel. Their team, mostly made up of local Filipino believers, will be working with us every step of the way.