This posting may have some duplication but will send it on anyway. We are back in Manila and will have our last day with the children tomorrow and be off for Minnesota early Sunday morning.-Mack,
MT MORIAH , MALABALY, Mindanao DAYS 9-12
Mack We are into our fourth day on Mindanao working at the developing Mt Moriah children’s home and camp. The heat and humidity has been tough but not nearly as oppressive as in Manila. Daily rains have cooled us and given us respite from our primitive labors. We have labored at less than exciting jobs such as screening sand, digging water channels, pulling nails, hauling wood for scaffolding, moving a pile of huge boulders and today Kevin, Dave and Mack worked down in a wet, muddy, pit to dig a big footing for a rock retaining wall which will be formed from the boulders we moved earlier. We were a sight to behold. Mud, mud, mud. This afternoon we took a brief ride to a pineapple plantation on the way to a VBS which the team put on at a civic center in Malaybalay. Mack had to stay back from this session as a result of a back strain incurred yesterday and aggravated by today’s digging. We also did a VBS yesterday for 26 children at the Children’s Home and some neighborhood children . They were very attentive and cooperative. Mack had an adventure as he was left behind at our dorm by the van and had to catch a ride on the back of a small motorcycle through the bumpy mud roads , out to the main road for a wild ride into Malaybalay thence on another rutted mud road to the home. After the VBS it was back to Moriah for a great barbecue followed by a wonderfully inspiring worship service with the Racers. Kelly, a young girl, played the guitar and led the praise, sharing and prayer service. This was followed by a less reverent but still fun session of Karaoke.
As I write this I sit on a balcony looking at mountains, fields being worked by oxen pulled plow and a primitive road down which an ox drawn cart just passed. A curious mix as behind me more modern construction methods are proceeding though they are primitive by our standards.
Thursday, Day 12
Mack-Arising at 2 am we prepared to leave Moriah to make the long sojourn to Camiguin , an island off the coast of Mindanao. It was a long and arduous journey with 12 persons and much luggage packed into a truck like van. At Cagayan de Oro we met with another van to continue the 7 hour trek through the early morning hours on the primitive Philippine roads. Along the way we questioned the wisdom of this segment of our sojourn but after our arrival at the ferry port, a long wait and an hour and a half boat ride followed by yet another van ride around the island we arrived at the Golden Sunset Resort for a 24 hour respite. Not a fancy place by some standards it is still a place of beauty and rest for us. A huge free form pool overlooking the Philippine sea provided a much appreciated recovery experience. At 10:30 this morning we leave again for a two hour ride to the airport and a flight back to Manilla where we will spend our last couple of days with the children at the home. Many of us will be saying our last farewell to the children until we meet again at the feet of Jesus.
Brigitte, Good morning, today is Friday and I can’t believe that we only have 2 days left before we come home. One of the hardest things to do was leaving the camp in Malaybaly. The vision that Grace and Glen have for the children’s camp is sooooooooooooooo amazing. They have amazing stories about what the Lord has done for them and the work that they are doing for him. I feel privileged to have been there and be just a little part of it. I know that we will be sharing with you all that we heard. I pray that many of you will be able to experience the mission trip with us in 2 years. Lots of times we say you just have to have been here and we truly mean that, words just can’t describe the experience.
Today we will be on our way back to Manila after having an R&R day at an Ocean retreat where some of us enjoyed a very drenching ride to the only sandy beach that we can see. The best thing was the ride.
Tonight we will be back to the children’s home. We will be saying our goodbyes on Saturday night to all and will be on our journey back home. We will be looking forward to that as well as we will be leaving here with a heavy heart praying to be back here in 2 years.
Annette - I have not been feeling well the past couple of days, so would appreciate your prayers. It seems to be a heavy cold with severe coughing, but I have started some antibiotics in case it is something more than just a cold. I have been able to enjoy some of the R&R.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Malaybalay, Bukidnon, Mindanao -- October 22
Hey everyone -
We were able to get internet access at Bethel Baptist Christian Academy in Malaybalay City....so I am going to post an update about what we've been doing here the past few days before we leave early tomorrow morning (3:30AM our time, 2:30PM your time) for a day and a half of relaxation on Camiguin Island before catching our Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila late Friday.
As I mentioned before, this area is completely different than Manila....much more agricultural and rural, and the air is clean and fresh (except for the smells of Durian, which incidentally we can't stop eating -- honest we've tried, but we were sitting in the Barangay Captain's office and he offered us plates of Durian (we knew it was there before it even arrived at the table ;-) A Barangay Captain is kind of a local magistrate for the municipality, and Captain Jun Antiposado is a believer and has been very instrumental in the founding of the Children's Home down here in Mindanao.
Something else I found interesting is that he is Captain of 1 of 46 Barangays in Malaybalay, and his particular Barangay has the largest concentration of Muslims of any of them. We held a VBS today and there were 4 or 5 Muslim women who came and brought their children. They were very reluctant to participate at first, but after observing for awhile, they decided to let their children do the coloring of a sheep from Psalm 23. They reviewed the material afterward, and at least initially let their children keep the papers, but not sure what happened after that.
Other than the VBS sessions we've had (one at the Barangay hall today, and one for the Children's home and their local neighbors yesterday), we've been working very hard on digging a deep (deeper than Mack is tall) trench from the mud to pour footings for a retaining wall that will be used to protect from land erosion around the area of the new camp housing being constructed, sifting sand, and loading rock by hand into a dump truck for hauling across the campsite.
There is so much to write about, I feel like I am picking and choosing what I can include here, but I will say....PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE post Comments to our Blogs, we are hoping that you find them interesting and give you an idea of how to pray for us. At this point, I would say that we need prayer for continued health and strength as we've been working very hard with very physical labor, sloshing around in mud up to the knees and doing other things that remind me of the movie Bridge over the River Kwai (without the beatings and torture of course ;-)....you can also pray for our emotional strength as we near the time to say good-bye again.
That's it for now....our next posting will likely be from Manila sometime on Friday your time.
We miss you all and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Kevin for all of us.
We were able to get internet access at Bethel Baptist Christian Academy in Malaybalay City....so I am going to post an update about what we've been doing here the past few days before we leave early tomorrow morning (3:30AM our time, 2:30PM your time) for a day and a half of relaxation on Camiguin Island before catching our Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila late Friday.
As I mentioned before, this area is completely different than Manila....much more agricultural and rural, and the air is clean and fresh (except for the smells of Durian, which incidentally we can't stop eating -- honest we've tried, but we were sitting in the Barangay Captain's office and he offered us plates of Durian (we knew it was there before it even arrived at the table ;-) A Barangay Captain is kind of a local magistrate for the municipality, and Captain Jun Antiposado is a believer and has been very instrumental in the founding of the Children's Home down here in Mindanao.
Something else I found interesting is that he is Captain of 1 of 46 Barangays in Malaybalay, and his particular Barangay has the largest concentration of Muslims of any of them. We held a VBS today and there were 4 or 5 Muslim women who came and brought their children. They were very reluctant to participate at first, but after observing for awhile, they decided to let their children do the coloring of a sheep from Psalm 23. They reviewed the material afterward, and at least initially let their children keep the papers, but not sure what happened after that.
Other than the VBS sessions we've had (one at the Barangay hall today, and one for the Children's home and their local neighbors yesterday), we've been working very hard on digging a deep (deeper than Mack is tall) trench from the mud to pour footings for a retaining wall that will be used to protect from land erosion around the area of the new camp housing being constructed, sifting sand, and loading rock by hand into a dump truck for hauling across the campsite.
There is so much to write about, I feel like I am picking and choosing what I can include here, but I will say....PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE post Comments to our Blogs, we are hoping that you find them interesting and give you an idea of how to pray for us. At this point, I would say that we need prayer for continued health and strength as we've been working very hard with very physical labor, sloshing around in mud up to the knees and doing other things that remind me of the movie Bridge over the River Kwai (without the beatings and torture of course ;-)....you can also pray for our emotional strength as we near the time to say good-bye again.
That's it for now....our next posting will likely be from Manila sometime on Friday your time.
We miss you all and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Kevin for all of us.
Monday, October 20, 2008
We're not in Manila Anymore! - Day 9 Oct 20, 2008
Mack - Morning has broken over the beautiful mountains near Malabalay. Sunday morning found us packed and ready for our next adventure. First to church in Manila for a beautiful worship service in a very large church at the top of a shopping center in down town Manila. After church we headed for the Green Hills shopping mart. A huge complex which is a cross between one of our malls and a flea market. Before going to Green Hills we stopped at Chile's so we could order our lunch to be enjoyed at 11:30 before making our way to the airport. The lunch was great, tasty and voluminous. Then back into our van and off to the newly opened terminal. We had seen the terminal on our last visit. It was completed several years ago but due to political problems it just opened for business recently.
After a brief 90 minute flight we landed at Mindanao and after picking up our considerable luggage we loaded it and boarded a truck like van for the long ride through the mountains to Malabalay. We made one stop in the town of Cagayan de Oro at a McDonalds and then made the long trek with much singing and laughing. We arrived long after dark to loud singing as the "Racers" group ,who are also working here, were doing Karaoke and greeted us warmly. After getting acquainted we moved into the partially completed dormitory and prepared for a night's sleep and a day of construction work to be started in the morning. The beauty here and the magnitude of the project is amazing. The land for the project is owned by Grace and Glen Ayala. Grace has run a Christian camp here and has now partnered with Jeff Long and his organization to develop a complex which will include a huge soccer field, basketball court, camp dorms to house up to 250 campers and a children's home to permanently house 96 children in eight 12 person units. Grace is a remarkable and committed Christian lady.
Kevin - We've been dropped into a beautiful new (but definitely more rustic) environment. Gone are warm/hot showers -- here are ice cold showers, and friendly spiders that keep the mosquitoes and flies down and fight off other non-friendly spiders. We are situated in the middle of banana plantations that spread up the mountainside - it reminds me in various spots of Maui, and others of Kauai (we had a sunny day interspersed with 2 or 3 torrential downpours). This morning I went to meet some of the construction workers that we expect to work with and in broken English/Tagalog/Visayan/Cebuano we tried to piece together an introductory conversation.
Everyone is very friendly and we were just welcomed by the owner of the next plantation over who brought us some new fresh bananas that he tells us are much sweeter than those grown in Costa Rica or Panama because of the elevation at which they are grown. Also, we have a Durian tree on the premises and a few of us more adventurous types braved the pure stink that accompanies this strange fruit to experience the flavor which is I guess best described as a gooey sweet onion. Similar in texture to durian is the marang, but it does not carry the smell and the flavor is kind of like a sweet custard. Having a great time with the World Racers -- what a great group of energetic and committed young Christians with a heart for the world! After touring the camp facilities and hearing of the plans for the current building effort for the Children's home here in Mindanao, we began the work of sifting sand for plastering cement walls and removing and straightening nails from old scaffolding and moving it to where it is needed for expansion of the dorm/sleeping quarters that we are staying in. Tonight we head to town for some supplies, internet access (hopefully), and possibly the great dessert treat of the Philippines called Halo/Halo - a mix of Ice Cream, Jello, Crushed Ice, Beans, and who know what else into one of the best dessert concoctions ever created..
After a brief 90 minute flight we landed at Mindanao and after picking up our considerable luggage we loaded it and boarded a truck like van for the long ride through the mountains to Malabalay. We made one stop in the town of Cagayan de Oro at a McDonalds and then made the long trek with much singing and laughing. We arrived long after dark to loud singing as the "Racers" group ,who are also working here, were doing Karaoke and greeted us warmly. After getting acquainted we moved into the partially completed dormitory and prepared for a night's sleep and a day of construction work to be started in the morning. The beauty here and the magnitude of the project is amazing. The land for the project is owned by Grace and Glen Ayala. Grace has run a Christian camp here and has now partnered with Jeff Long and his organization to develop a complex which will include a huge soccer field, basketball court, camp dorms to house up to 250 campers and a children's home to permanently house 96 children in eight 12 person units. Grace is a remarkable and committed Christian lady.
Kevin - We've been dropped into a beautiful new (but definitely more rustic) environment. Gone are warm/hot showers -- here are ice cold showers, and friendly spiders that keep the mosquitoes and flies down and fight off other non-friendly spiders. We are situated in the middle of banana plantations that spread up the mountainside - it reminds me in various spots of Maui, and others of Kauai (we had a sunny day interspersed with 2 or 3 torrential downpours). This morning I went to meet some of the construction workers that we expect to work with and in broken English/Tagalog/Visayan/Cebuano we tried to piece together an introductory conversation.
Everyone is very friendly and we were just welcomed by the owner of the next plantation over who brought us some new fresh bananas that he tells us are much sweeter than those grown in Costa Rica or Panama because of the elevation at which they are grown. Also, we have a Durian tree on the premises and a few of us more adventurous types braved the pure stink that accompanies this strange fruit to experience the flavor which is I guess best described as a gooey sweet onion. Similar in texture to durian is the marang, but it does not carry the smell and the flavor is kind of like a sweet custard. Having a great time with the World Racers -- what a great group of energetic and committed young Christians with a heart for the world! After touring the camp facilities and hearing of the plans for the current building effort for the Children's home here in Mindanao, we began the work of sifting sand for plastering cement walls and removing and straightening nails from old scaffolding and moving it to where it is needed for expansion of the dorm/sleeping quarters that we are staying in. Tonight we head to town for some supplies, internet access (hopefully), and possibly the great dessert treat of the Philippines called Halo/Halo - a mix of Ice Cream, Jello, Crushed Ice, Beans, and who know what else into one of the best dessert concoctions ever created..
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Saturday - October 18 (What a Day!)
Before we tell you about yesterday (Saturday), I wanted to let you know that we will be traveling to Mindanao later today and we're not sure of the availability of internet access there. So it may be as many as 5 days until we are able to write another blog (but we hope not!)
Kevin - Saturday was one of those highlight days that you always remember from trips like this. We started the morning as a team in prayer and singing some songs together as each felt led. We moved over to the Children's Home and along with members of the local church, the home and some kids from the World Race team (you can learn more about them at www.adventuresinmissions.org) we packed up the food and bible packages that are one of the major initiatives for our trip. Following that, we set up for the block party and opened the gates of NFFCH and just watched a flood of people pour through! In the first 30 minutes, we had given food packages to over 600 families and all told, delivered well over 800 packages. The rest of the time was full of kids playing in the lawn, getting their faces painted, coloring with crayons or chalk, dousing each other with water balloons, playing basketball or soccer and then getting an apple and a little gift (stickers, hotwheels, pens, hairbands, etc.) as they left. It was wonderful to see the expectant crowd and to know that we were offering something to meet their hunger (physical and spiritual)
Mack-The afternoon and evening was dominated by an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new addition to the children's home. Two influential and wealthy Chinese ladies who are native to the Philippines sponsored the day. The ladies invited many people and it was a very festive occasion. Food, entertainment and fun prevailed. The children were dressed up in traditional and beautiful garb. You must see the pictures when we get home. We are leaving within moments for church, then lunch and a little shopping for the ladies then off to Malaybalay for the next five days and hopefully rewarding service.
God bless.
Kevin - Saturday was one of those highlight days that you always remember from trips like this. We started the morning as a team in prayer and singing some songs together as each felt led. We moved over to the Children's Home and along with members of the local church, the home and some kids from the World Race team (you can learn more about them at www.adventuresinmissions.org) we packed up the food and bible packages that are one of the major initiatives for our trip. Following that, we set up for the block party and opened the gates of NFFCH and just watched a flood of people pour through! In the first 30 minutes, we had given food packages to over 600 families and all told, delivered well over 800 packages. The rest of the time was full of kids playing in the lawn, getting their faces painted, coloring with crayons or chalk, dousing each other with water balloons, playing basketball or soccer and then getting an apple and a little gift (stickers, hotwheels, pens, hairbands, etc.) as they left. It was wonderful to see the expectant crowd and to know that we were offering something to meet their hunger (physical and spiritual)
Mack-The afternoon and evening was dominated by an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new addition to the children's home. Two influential and wealthy Chinese ladies who are native to the Philippines sponsored the day. The ladies invited many people and it was a very festive occasion. Food, entertainment and fun prevailed. The children were dressed up in traditional and beautiful garb. You must see the pictures when we get home. We are leaving within moments for church, then lunch and a little shopping for the ladies then off to Malaybalay for the next five days and hopefully rewarding service.
God bless.
Friday, October 17, 2008
FRIDAY DAY 6
Mack-Another busy and eventful day. We started the work day painting the old dining room and after nearly completing the first color coat we learned that the decision had been made to do a lighter color so two more coats would be needed. After lunch, Dave, Kevin and Mack joined Jeff on a sojourn to the Lola center a few miles away. The center is a new ministry of Kids International. They have built a three story center which serves the people of the surrounding area as the Cuatro and Arthur centers do. We loaded a Jeep wagon with all kinds of food stuffs, drove through the hustle of the area traffic and carried the food stuffs up the stairs. Bags of rice, pasta, protein meat substitute and other needed supplies. Meanwhile, "back at the ranch" the ladies were working on other projects.
When we returned Jeff and Rollie took us on a tour of the water stations in Cuatro which resulted from our efforts after our last trip. Many of you had a part in this project and I wish you could see the impact on the lives of the people.
At four in the afternoon we put on a VBS for the neighborhood kids. Seventy lively kids ranging from toddlers to teens. A real challenge to keep them organized, learning and having fun. Mission accomplished.
We had received a gracious invitation to dinner from Steve and Rhonda Schwarze, Rachel's parents and Rhonda is Mary Ann's sister. Mary Ann was missed and they felt badly that on our last trip they were on furlough so they missed Mary Ann and Megan when the were here. We had a wonderful dinner and returned to our residence full, tired and ready for a good night's sleep, interrupted only by the "night sounds" of dogs barking, roosters crowing, people shouting and laughing, motor cycles roaring, bad karaoke and so on.
Brooke enjoyed visiting Faith Academy and will be contacting her school to arrange credit transfer. She's also working on a job for her dad at school.
Mack-Another busy and eventful day. We started the work day painting the old dining room and after nearly completing the first color coat we learned that the decision had been made to do a lighter color so two more coats would be needed. After lunch, Dave, Kevin and Mack joined Jeff on a sojourn to the Lola center a few miles away. The center is a new ministry of Kids International. They have built a three story center which serves the people of the surrounding area as the Cuatro and Arthur centers do. We loaded a Jeep wagon with all kinds of food stuffs, drove through the hustle of the area traffic and carried the food stuffs up the stairs. Bags of rice, pasta, protein meat substitute and other needed supplies. Meanwhile, "back at the ranch" the ladies were working on other projects.
When we returned Jeff and Rollie took us on a tour of the water stations in Cuatro which resulted from our efforts after our last trip. Many of you had a part in this project and I wish you could see the impact on the lives of the people.
At four in the afternoon we put on a VBS for the neighborhood kids. Seventy lively kids ranging from toddlers to teens. A real challenge to keep them organized, learning and having fun. Mission accomplished.
We had received a gracious invitation to dinner from Steve and Rhonda Schwarze, Rachel's parents and Rhonda is Mary Ann's sister. Mary Ann was missed and they felt badly that on our last trip they were on furlough so they missed Mary Ann and Megan when the were here. We had a wonderful dinner and returned to our residence full, tired and ready for a good night's sleep, interrupted only by the "night sounds" of dogs barking, roosters crowing, people shouting and laughing, motor cycles roaring, bad karaoke and so on.
Brooke enjoyed visiting Faith Academy and will be contacting her school to arrange credit transfer. She's also working on a job for her dad at school.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Day 5 Thursday
Mack-A "typical" day of physical work like painting etc and the rewarding work with children. Morning was finishing the painting projects on the building and the trash bin. In the afternoon we conducted a VBS with the children at the new Quatro community center. Great times with our focus on the truth that "in as much as you do for the least of these you have done it unto me". Evening devotions with the children at the home focused on showing the greeting video again which the children loved. Annette began filming a return video with greetings for the North Haven children from the New Faith kids. It will be finished on Friday.
Some of the unique experiences have centered about food. Exotic and delicious fruits such as Kalamansi, Pomelo, Mangosteen, Longan, Guava, Rambutan, Lanzones, Dragon fruit, as well as fruits more common to us such as pineapple, banana,Mango and chesnuts.
Cindy and Brigitte were not feeling well on Thursday and are feeling some better now but still covet your prayers for improved health.
Brigitte - Feeling much better today. Looking forward to going up and painting. Today we have another VBS with the street kids. Jeff Long goes out and gathers up the kids for us and we try to communicate with them. I've enjoyed eating all the fruit that I possibly can eat and have tried some that I have no clue what they were, and I even had some dried fish and I'll leave that for Carylyn to eat, and she's been doing a great job of that. Please keep praying for good health and cooler weather. Every day has been hotter, so you guys are not doing a good job of praying, so get with the program, chop, chop!
Kevin - I did more painting on the scaffolding with my new friend Boyet. He teaches me Tagalog, tells me about his family, and I've arranged to give him my basketball shoes before I leave next week.
Cindy - I was able to speak with Maria Fe, Diana and Armie. Armie and Maria Fe were telling me about their sad histories and how there is enough food and clothing at the Children's Home. Armie hopes to be adopted by American parents. Brooke went to Faith Academy with Janell Long Friday morning.
Carylyn - Getting confused with my language, speaking English to the Filipinos and Tagalog to the Americans. I need to work more on my translation/interpretation skills. Bill, be patient, hopefully be home soon.
Annette - It has been so exciting to see how the kids sing out in their devotions time before they go to bed. I am always brought to tears.
Some of the unique experiences have centered about food. Exotic and delicious fruits such as Kalamansi, Pomelo, Mangosteen, Longan, Guava, Rambutan, Lanzones, Dragon fruit, as well as fruits more common to us such as pineapple, banana,Mango and chesnuts.
Cindy and Brigitte were not feeling well on Thursday and are feeling some better now but still covet your prayers for improved health.
Brigitte - Feeling much better today. Looking forward to going up and painting. Today we have another VBS with the street kids. Jeff Long goes out and gathers up the kids for us and we try to communicate with them. I've enjoyed eating all the fruit that I possibly can eat and have tried some that I have no clue what they were, and I even had some dried fish and I'll leave that for Carylyn to eat, and she's been doing a great job of that. Please keep praying for good health and cooler weather. Every day has been hotter, so you guys are not doing a good job of praying, so get with the program, chop, chop!
Kevin - I did more painting on the scaffolding with my new friend Boyet. He teaches me Tagalog, tells me about his family, and I've arranged to give him my basketball shoes before I leave next week.
Cindy - I was able to speak with Maria Fe, Diana and Armie. Armie and Maria Fe were telling me about their sad histories and how there is enough food and clothing at the Children's Home. Armie hopes to be adopted by American parents. Brooke went to Faith Academy with Janell Long Friday morning.
Carylyn - Getting confused with my language, speaking English to the Filipinos and Tagalog to the Americans. I need to work more on my translation/interpretation skills. Bill, be patient, hopefully be home soon.
Annette - It has been so exciting to see how the kids sing out in their devotions time before they go to bed. I am always brought to tears.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Day 4 - October 15, 2008
Our time today was devoted to several activities at the Children's Home. Mack and Dave worked on sanding a rusty gated storage area, and priming it in preparation for painting on Thursday. Kevin was on scaffolding doing painting up under the eaves. Cindy and Brigitte helped direct some new vegetable plantings. Annette, Carylyn and Brooke did a combination of interior painting prep (scraping walls) and then spent time with the children.
In the afternoon, the girls of the Children's home were given dresses made by Annette's mom (Ruth Jaeger) and after they had time getting hair done, etc. they had a promenade to show off their new dresses and then had a "ladies tea".
After supper we had devotions with the kids and shared a video of North Haven Sunday School kids greeting the kids of the home by name -- they really got a kick out of that and are looking forward to making a video to return greetings back to the NHC kids.
Something you can be praying for - we learned last night that 2 of the children who have been there for a long time (Diana and Jeric) may be asked to return to some extended family in a very unstable environment that would expose them to potential violence, crime and lack of a godly influence. The home is working very hard to make that not happen, please pray that the Lord sways the Department of Social Welfare to not go forward with moving Diana and Jeric.
A good day -- busy and tiring, but the joy seen on the faces of the kids throughout the day was a constant encouragement.
In the afternoon, the girls of the Children's home were given dresses made by Annette's mom (Ruth Jaeger) and after they had time getting hair done, etc. they had a promenade to show off their new dresses and then had a "ladies tea".
After supper we had devotions with the kids and shared a video of North Haven Sunday School kids greeting the kids of the home by name -- they really got a kick out of that and are looking forward to making a video to return greetings back to the NHC kids.
Something you can be praying for - we learned last night that 2 of the children who have been there for a long time (Diana and Jeric) may be asked to return to some extended family in a very unstable environment that would expose them to potential violence, crime and lack of a godly influence. The home is working very hard to make that not happen, please pray that the Lord sways the Department of Social Welfare to not go forward with moving Diana and Jeric.
A good day -- busy and tiring, but the joy seen on the faces of the kids throughout the day was a constant encouragement.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Day 3 - Tuesday, October 14
Thought it would be good for you to get a chance to hear from individual team members today - so here goes:
Kevin - I started the day with a sledgehammer doing tear down of old cabinets and counters in preparation for converting a kitchen area into a dedicated infirmary/sick bay at the children's home. From there, I got a driver "Rudy" to take me over to the Arthur Ministry Center (where we did our major construction project in 2006)....fortunately, I had a good memory for how to get there, because my driver had no idea ;-) Once I got to the Arthur Center, one of the highlights of my trip was in store as Daniel Bucher took me to visit Jimuel and his family. Jimuel was the little boy who we put in contact with surgeons to do a major facial reconstructive surgery. What a joy to see him smile and laugh and to hold him and meet his young 20 year old mother. Despite the absolute squalor and human waste all around, the joy on the face of Helen, his mother, as she told me what a difference it would make in their lives!
Brigitte - Yesterday we went to the Arthur Center, that was the place that we helped build on last time we were here. It was amazing to see the finished place and how God is using the ministry. I also got to see Andrea whose father two years ago was dying of cancer and since has passed away. She is a young lady who was 16 and she was taking care of her dad, her mom, and her siblings. She is almost 19 and her goal is to study nursing and become a nurse. Her outlook and attitude of her life gives me great inspiration for my life. Her attitude is always the best and she is excited about life. Today I get to do something I love to do with Cindy, which is planting vegetables and flowers.
Carylyn - I'm thankful for the kitchen staff who have a great smile every morning and the joy in their face, making meals, baking cookies and the like. What a wonderful example of a servant attitude and a humble spirit that reflects Christ's love. I would love to echo that attitude.
Cindy - While we were at the Arthur Center, we handed out glowing bracelets. I accidentally wore one of the glowing bracelets up to the Children's Home before supper time last night. The kids remembered that we brought them here two years ago. It caused quite a commotion and some kids got out of line for supper to ask about them. I told them that it was a surprise.
Annette - We packed so much into yesterday. We did destruction in the morning, scraping paint, taking apart a kitchen. After that we needed showers before going to the Arthur Center, where we had an impromptu VBS. We came up with a quick story of the loaves and fish, did some coloring and face painting, and had games in the play yard. The highlight for me was a few of the girls made paper flowers and notes just for me, thanking me for coming and the pictures the kids drew saying that Jesus loves us.
Dave - You know how sometimes we are working with a group and start thinking that some of the others are not doing as much as you or not working as hard as you, this trip has opened my eyes to the shortcomings of my own soul. I tend to do that but this group has made me realize how much God has endowed each of us with our own gifts and to use them to the fullest is the most important thing. We need your continued prayers and you love of the Lord will be spread. We are becoming a group I am proud to be serving with. God Bless.
Mack-We began the day with team devotions and were reminded from Romans 8:28 that God will work through all things if we love Him. As others have said we began with destruction and ended with building up as we met for devotions at the end of the day with the children at the home. I showed them pictures on my computer from our last trip and they were really excited by that. Earlier as others have said we visited the Arthur center where we worked so hard on construction last time and were thrilled to see the physical completion and the quality of the facility. More importantly to see what Dan Bucher and his staff are doing to reach out to that community confirmed in our hearts how God does work through all things. Whether those things are swinging a sledge hammer or holding a child, He works!!!
God bless you all.
Kevin - I started the day with a sledgehammer doing tear down of old cabinets and counters in preparation for converting a kitchen area into a dedicated infirmary/sick bay at the children's home. From there, I got a driver "Rudy" to take me over to the Arthur Ministry Center (where we did our major construction project in 2006)....fortunately, I had a good memory for how to get there, because my driver had no idea ;-) Once I got to the Arthur Center, one of the highlights of my trip was in store as Daniel Bucher took me to visit Jimuel and his family. Jimuel was the little boy who we put in contact with surgeons to do a major facial reconstructive surgery. What a joy to see him smile and laugh and to hold him and meet his young 20 year old mother. Despite the absolute squalor and human waste all around, the joy on the face of Helen, his mother, as she told me what a difference it would make in their lives!
Brigitte - Yesterday we went to the Arthur Center, that was the place that we helped build on last time we were here. It was amazing to see the finished place and how God is using the ministry. I also got to see Andrea whose father two years ago was dying of cancer and since has passed away. She is a young lady who was 16 and she was taking care of her dad, her mom, and her siblings. She is almost 19 and her goal is to study nursing and become a nurse. Her outlook and attitude of her life gives me great inspiration for my life. Her attitude is always the best and she is excited about life. Today I get to do something I love to do with Cindy, which is planting vegetables and flowers.
Carylyn - I'm thankful for the kitchen staff who have a great smile every morning and the joy in their face, making meals, baking cookies and the like. What a wonderful example of a servant attitude and a humble spirit that reflects Christ's love. I would love to echo that attitude.
Cindy - While we were at the Arthur Center, we handed out glowing bracelets. I accidentally wore one of the glowing bracelets up to the Children's Home before supper time last night. The kids remembered that we brought them here two years ago. It caused quite a commotion and some kids got out of line for supper to ask about them. I told them that it was a surprise.
Annette - We packed so much into yesterday. We did destruction in the morning, scraping paint, taking apart a kitchen. After that we needed showers before going to the Arthur Center, where we had an impromptu VBS. We came up with a quick story of the loaves and fish, did some coloring and face painting, and had games in the play yard. The highlight for me was a few of the girls made paper flowers and notes just for me, thanking me for coming and the pictures the kids drew saying that Jesus loves us.
Dave - You know how sometimes we are working with a group and start thinking that some of the others are not doing as much as you or not working as hard as you, this trip has opened my eyes to the shortcomings of my own soul. I tend to do that but this group has made me realize how much God has endowed each of us with our own gifts and to use them to the fullest is the most important thing. We need your continued prayers and you love of the Lord will be spread. We are becoming a group I am proud to be serving with. God Bless.
Mack-We began the day with team devotions and were reminded from Romans 8:28 that God will work through all things if we love Him. As others have said we began with destruction and ended with building up as we met for devotions at the end of the day with the children at the home. I showed them pictures on my computer from our last trip and they were really excited by that. Earlier as others have said we visited the Arthur center where we worked so hard on construction last time and were thrilled to see the physical completion and the quality of the facility. More importantly to see what Dan Bucher and his staff are doing to reach out to that community confirmed in our hearts how God does work through all things. Whether those things are swinging a sledge hammer or holding a child, He works!!!
God bless you all.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Day 2 - Monday, October 13th
Today the group split in a few directions to accomplish various tasks.
Brigitte, Carylyn, Annette and Kevin headed to the Divisoria to purchase supplies for VBS and block party activities, a chaotic market where you can get many things cheap if you are willing to brave a maze of claustrophobic aisles and potential pick-pockets, haggle and do constant exchange rate calculations. When you're done, it is a slow ride back through exhaust filled traffic. Through this chaos we found time for conversation about the spiritual, the trivial and the comical. And Annette got to experience full cultural immersion in the non-stop commotion that is Manila.
Dave, Nellie, Cindy, Brooke and Mack worked in the Children's home -- the sheer quantity of babies in the nursery has gotten quite large, and a few hours of baby-care was as exhausting as it sounds. It has been a great thing to see the older kids in the Children's home step in to help though - and a testament to the way they are being raised by DJ and Rachel and the other full-time staffers of the home. Dave and Mack worked on the Manger Scene that will be further decorated by the kids in the home and then moved on to scraping paint in the former dining area of the Children's home to prepare that room for repurposing.
We returned to share stories of the day and begin to set a more concrete schedule for the rest of the trip. We will try to publish that schedule shortly so you have an idea of what is coming up for us.
Brigitte, Carylyn, Annette and Kevin headed to the Divisoria to purchase supplies for VBS and block party activities, a chaotic market where you can get many things cheap if you are willing to brave a maze of claustrophobic aisles and potential pick-pockets, haggle and do constant exchange rate calculations. When you're done, it is a slow ride back through exhaust filled traffic. Through this chaos we found time for conversation about the spiritual, the trivial and the comical. And Annette got to experience full cultural immersion in the non-stop commotion that is Manila.
Dave, Nellie, Cindy, Brooke and Mack worked in the Children's home -- the sheer quantity of babies in the nursery has gotten quite large, and a few hours of baby-care was as exhausting as it sounds. It has been a great thing to see the older kids in the Children's home step in to help though - and a testament to the way they are being raised by DJ and Rachel and the other full-time staffers of the home. Dave and Mack worked on the Manger Scene that will be further decorated by the kids in the home and then moved on to scraping paint in the former dining area of the Children's home to prepare that room for repurposing.
We returned to share stories of the day and begin to set a more concrete schedule for the rest of the trip. We will try to publish that schedule shortly so you have an idea of what is coming up for us.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Day 1.5 -- Staying Awake and Getting Re-acclimated
Kevin - We each arrived with expectations and some of us with memories from the previous trip, wondering what has changed and what's different. The first day has been full of activity and coming to terms with feelings about where and how God would use us this time. The last day has brought confirmation, encouragement and the refreshment of the Holy Spirit. I'm excited for what the next 2 weeks will bring and taking each day, each relationship, and each opportunity to share the love of Jesus.
Mack - We were all thrilled to see the kids. More than twenty still here and we were happy that they remembered us and seemed as happy to see us as we were to see them . Things here are so much the same and yet in many ways very different.
Brigitte - hi from Manila. It was great seeing all the kids, most of them that we send time with 2 years ago are still there. It was very moving to know that they remembered us from 2 years ago. It is very humid and hot, please pray for coolness and comfort for us. It is great to be here and to make a small difference in the lives of people and tho see how God has worked in their lives.
Cindy-I'm so thankful I'm here with the kids and I ask for prayer that God would do a miracle with our small loaves and fishes.
Annette- We woke up to rain this morning but now the sky is bright. We have our first full day of ministry today. Yesterday we experienced an awesome praise and worship service in the new auditorium at Faith Academy.
Carylyn-Grateful for Jeff and Coleen,D.J. and Rachel and others who have poured out their lives to come to the Philippines. Thank God for their commitment and dedication.
Nellie (Kevin entering on her behalf) -- Much like the babies in the nursery, still not sleeping through the night - but thankfully no diapers and she can tell us what she needs rather than just crying. ;-)
Dave - The adventure has begun. The Word of the Lord to teach all nations is in motion. God's glory will shine through us and your support and prayers will increase ten fold. Thank You.
Mack - We were all thrilled to see the kids. More than twenty still here and we were happy that they remembered us and seemed as happy to see us as we were to see them . Things here are so much the same and yet in many ways very different.
Brigitte - hi from Manila. It was great seeing all the kids, most of them that we send time with 2 years ago are still there. It was very moving to know that they remembered us from 2 years ago. It is very humid and hot, please pray for coolness and comfort for us. It is great to be here and to make a small difference in the lives of people and tho see how God has worked in their lives.
Cindy-I'm so thankful I'm here with the kids and I ask for prayer that God would do a miracle with our small loaves and fishes.
Annette- We woke up to rain this morning but now the sky is bright. We have our first full day of ministry today. Yesterday we experienced an awesome praise and worship service in the new auditorium at Faith Academy.
Carylyn-Grateful for Jeff and Coleen,D.J. and Rachel and others who have poured out their lives to come to the Philippines. Thank God for their commitment and dedication.
Nellie (Kevin entering on her behalf) -- Much like the babies in the nursery, still not sleeping through the night - but thankfully no diapers and she can tell us what she needs rather than just crying. ;-)
Dave - The adventure has begun. The Word of the Lord to teach all nations is in motion. God's glory will shine through us and your support and prayers will increase ten fold. Thank You.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Sunday Oct 12
Manila, October 11.
The team:
Kevin Mattson, Annette Peterson, Dave and Nellie Paray, Cindy and Brooke Johnson, Brigitte McConnel, Carylyn Fetalvo and Mack Nettleton.
We’re here!! Arriving by diverse flights we come again to minister to the children of New Faith Children’s home, the children of the streets and the residents of the surrounding squatters villages.
Dave and Carylyn first, followed several days later by Mack and then Annette, Cindy, Nellie, Kevin, Brigitte, and Brooke. A long tense wait at the airport for the arrival of the team since their plane was late and then a joyful reunion with D.J. and Rachel followed by a long ride through the streets of Manila to Cainta, Rizal and our home for the next couple of weeks. We are greeted by Colleen and Kirk Long in the early morning hours.
It is 1 AM before we get to our rooms and the memories flood back as we drift into sleep to the sounds of the street outside our rooms. Sounds of a wake, children playing basketball on the new hoop on the street throughout the night, the sounds of roosters crowing and the ever present hum of motor scooters. All the “sounds of the night”. “A beautiful noise” in the words of a Neal Diamond song.
We are up at 5:30 to get ready for the “All for Jesus” rally at Faith Academy. Creature comforts are better this time around since our toilet has a seat the shower has warm water and we have wireless internet as we begin our adventure in service.
More later.
Mack
The team:
Kevin Mattson, Annette Peterson, Dave and Nellie Paray, Cindy and Brooke Johnson, Brigitte McConnel, Carylyn Fetalvo and Mack Nettleton.
We’re here!! Arriving by diverse flights we come again to minister to the children of New Faith Children’s home, the children of the streets and the residents of the surrounding squatters villages.
Dave and Carylyn first, followed several days later by Mack and then Annette, Cindy, Nellie, Kevin, Brigitte, and Brooke. A long tense wait at the airport for the arrival of the team since their plane was late and then a joyful reunion with D.J. and Rachel followed by a long ride through the streets of Manila to Cainta, Rizal and our home for the next couple of weeks. We are greeted by Colleen and Kirk Long in the early morning hours.
It is 1 AM before we get to our rooms and the memories flood back as we drift into sleep to the sounds of the street outside our rooms. Sounds of a wake, children playing basketball on the new hoop on the street throughout the night, the sounds of roosters crowing and the ever present hum of motor scooters. All the “sounds of the night”. “A beautiful noise” in the words of a Neal Diamond song.
We are up at 5:30 to get ready for the “All for Jesus” rally at Faith Academy. Creature comforts are better this time around since our toilet has a seat the shower has warm water and we have wireless internet as we begin our adventure in service.
More later.
Mack
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