Cavite City, A day at the Dump Site

Monday November 26, 2007

Today we got to visit the Dump Site ministry, called "JCOBS House". This ministry is amazing. They minister to people who have built their shanty houses on top of a garbage dump site. Many of the children can't afford to go to school. They teach these children the basics so that they can one day enter into the public school stream. Education is the only hope for these children to get out of poverty and get some kind of employment.

This ministry also feeds the children once a week, and gives the parents a weekly bible study. This bible study has been instrumental to give the parents hope. Many have stopped doing drugs and gambling as a result of their transformation. JCOBS house also teaches the parents new types of livelihood, like learning how to make and sell soap, and starting a fishing boat making business.

In the pictures you can see us walking on the dump site and playing with the kids on the dumpsite. All of the colourful and white looking objects on the ground are actually garbage. These children run around and play in these dumps, and many do so without shoes, despite the broken glass, feces and garbage laying around. Nancy even saw a child with an infected foot, probably from what they walk on no doubt.

The children here were lovely and brought us to shelter when it started to pour rain. Once the torrential downpour started, they all started to scream, grabbed our hands and took us under one of the overhanging tarps attached to their homes. They were all laughing and happy. Frank almost started playing cards with one of the men there, but the rain stopped.

Here we got to play with the kids, play tag and sing songs with them. It was a great experience to see such innocence and joy despite their circumstances.

Batang Krayola (City Kidz Filipino style)

Saturday November 24, 2007

We had the privilege of holding two BK programs today. Gregor and Nancy organized them, and Gregor led them. The programs were held on the street in the neighbourhoods of poor children. The kids were excited to see the van arrive on the street. We played 4 interactive games with the kids, gave them a message about having the life of Jesus and His Word in their hearts to grow big and strong, they got a meal, and then we handed out treats and toys. Oh my gosh! The mayhem of the toys! The kids went crazy, ran up to the bag and tried to just grab and get toys! We had to push them back, and some would just keep coming back! Craziness!

These kids are so beautiful and appreciated everything. Filipino children are the cutest! They listened to everything intently, and when we prayed with them, they prayed with intensity, it was quite the site to see! Different from what we see in the West, where kids just want to play, throw things on the ground they don't like, and reluctantly pray, annoyed and waiting for the prayer to end. It was so much fun interacting, singing, and playing with these precious kids.

It was hard not to notice the many skin infections on their scalps. Patches of festering wounds. Many of them had piles of scabs all down their legs, probably from bug bites. Most had rotting teeth, and tattered clothes, but they were still happy, laughing, playing, having fun and full of sweet innocence.

In the afternoon session, the kids invited us to see their houses. A complex of government housing. The houses were a disturbing site. When we got to the complex, it was a huge alley way 3 feet wide, with houses on each side. The alley way was a city block long, and laundry hung outside everywhere. Stray dogs and cats were also everywhere. The houses were 2 floors, with units of 10 ft by 10 ft rooms for a family of 6! Each unit/room is a home, with a kitchen, maybe mats to sleep on, clothes piled in the corner, and each house would have a common bathroom for 6 families. Electricity would only be illegally provided for a few set hours each night. Often times they are in the dark in these cramped up homes, with no electricity for fans to provide relief from the heat. The homes are very damp. After seeing these homes we understood why those children have so many skin infections and bug bites.

We got to go inside one of these houses. The people treated their crowded homes with pride. They kept their surroundings as clean as possible, and they constantly do laundry. Many of these parents actually work as construction workers full-time, and this is all they can afford due to unfair labour here. At night, it is not uncommon for children to be bit by rats the size of cats, and cockroaches often enter their homes. Horrible conditions for anyone. This area is known for drugs and gambling. Often times rapes happen and are swept under the rug.

The poverty here is unbearable. What will be the future for these beautiful children? Will they get out of the viscious cycle of poverty, addiction, and gambling?

The BK ministry here also holds a bible study for the parents in their homes, so that they can learn about the hope of Jesus, have their lives changed which will spread to how they treat their children. There is hope for these kids. The people who minister here have seen parents and children change. Parents have stopped gambling and drugs, and have started to learn how to have a better living. Through Jesus, they have hope. Despite their hell surroundings.

An Introduction to Poverty

Friday November 23, 2007

Today we had a first real intense exposure to the poverty here in Manila. We drove through the highways, and all along the sides were fields of shanty houses, some nice homes, and then more fields of shanty houses. Then further down the road were huge malls that took up acres of land and exuded an air of extravagance. The extent of poverty was overwhelming! Especially the huge contrast of rich and poor here, in very short distances.

We arrived at a jeepnie station along the side of the highway. (A jeepnie is a type of decorative and cheap fare city bus). Here is where the rugby boys live. These boys spend their days sniffing contact cement solvent to numb out the feeling of hunger and to cope with the daily hopelessness of being homeless and without food and money. We got introduced to these boys by Gabby, one of the young men that ministers to these boys under the Mercy Ministry. This ministry brings the message of hope of Jesus Christ to them, so that they can realize they have value and that they can get out of the pit of addiction and poverty they are in.

Today was just a visitation. Next week, we will minister to them along with Mercy Ministry. We got to talk with them and take pictures with them, which they absolutely loved! They kept asking us to take another picture, and then got extremely excited to see the playback of their pictures on our cameras. It was pretty funny to see how excited they are to see themselves in pictures!

We then left and drove further along the highway to meet a couple which lives by a bus stop. We were upset to find that their child, who was about 14 months, was sitting on the filthy ground, naked and being looked after by a friend of the couple. The mother had left to visit her husband in prison. The child was malnourished and without any hair. Seeing where they live (in the dirt with a tin roof), and how the child was dirty and left there really broke our hearts. His four-year old brother soon came by after having had a bike ride by another sitter. He too had no hair and was malnourished. He looked as if he was 2 years old. He had ridden the bike naked, and sat on the metal rail of the bike during the ride.

Nancy held the baby for a while, we spoke with the people there and left money so that Gabby could feed them. We had to go.

We were so upset by this scene, we prayed for these kids once we got back in the van.

God is really moving here...

Thursday, November 22, 2007

We were privileged to see a powerpoint presentation here at the IT office about the many missionaries that have been sent out of the Philippines to many countries here in the East. Truly amazing stories of God's call on their lives and His faithfulness to fulfill that call.

One lady felt God was calling her to Israel, to go there and spread the Gospel. She makes $6 a month, so the task was impossible. God gave her a vision of a man who would bring her the money for her flight. Sure enough, within a few days, a man comes crying to the IT office saying God told him to bring this money to the office. It was just the money that women needed to leave. Now she is in Israel and serving the Lord there. There are countless other stories of men and women here who have very little money, so that it is impossible to go on mission trips, but they hear the call of God on their lives, so they just obey. And it is not to easy countries where Christianity is commonplace. It is to places like Aceh, Indonesia, the Muslim mecca of Asia, China, Thailand, Japan, Africa. These people do not have money to support themselves or their pastor, but God provides their funds so that they can fulfill the call that He has on their lives. They take off by boat or plane to these countries, and then they arrive with just dollars in their pockets. Once there, locals feel compelled to give them cars and homes because God had told them to do so! How amazing is God's faithfulness! Money is not a hindrance! These people just stepped out in obedience, they are doing His work in these countries, and He is providing for all their needs miraculously! These missionaries see amazing changes in the people that they work with, and many locals come to know the love of Christ and a knowledge of Christ through their work.

Today was a real encouragement of how God has amazing plans in store for us. All we need to do is obey His call, have faith, and prepare to see Him move in amazing ways!

We have arrived!

The Frandy boys and us gals are now in Manila, hanging out at the Youth Mobilization office with the team over here. We have been given our schedules and are undergoing orientation.

Driving here is a very interesting experience. Lanes are just "suggestive" and everyone uses their horns. The roads are crowded with cars, "jeepnies" (a type of very decorative city bus), scooters, bicycles, and goats and roosters at the sides of the road. The taxis, which basically cut into any lane they can, all have signs on the back of their car saying "how is my driving?". It's pretty funny.

We got our first experience of how the roads get flooded after a rain storm. Sometimes the rain will cover the sidewalks with water as well as the road, and the kids will play in the water (very unhealthy, but it's common). We got to see some shanty houses while driving to the Youth Mobilization office. They are little homes built with tin, and any material that the poor people can get their hands on. They are supposed to be illegal, but of course, with the population here in the Philippines of 89 million, that can not be controlled.

One good way to describe the streets here are busy and full of people doing things outside, all the time.

We also had our first experience eating Philippino-style. We ate a lovely chicken, peas and rice meal with our hands.

The weather here is cloud-covered, very humid (yes, the ladies' hair have taken a wild turn of their own!), but comfortable.

We are adjusting well, having a great time, and really enjoying interacting with the people here. Thank you for all of your prayers. WE all arrived safely, without any problems. All of our luggage was intact, and where we are staying is awesome.

We will talk to you soon, with more.

First Leg of Trip...

Well we completed our first leg of the trip. 15 hours and 40 min just to get to Hong Kong. Some are enjoying a $10 coffee (and free internet access) while others are trying to get some sleep. We leave here in about an hour for another 2 hour flight to Manila. everyone is doing fine and looking forward to an actual bed. I believe the time change is 13 hours.

About to leave...

Well, here we are! Your Crossfire's Philppines Mission Team. Soon we will be packing up and taking off. We are all getting ready and excited to go!

We would like to keep everyone updated with pictures and stories about our travels while we are away with this blog site. We will post pictures as much as possible while we are away, depending on the time constraints imposed by our schedule. Feel free to follow along, and to post up messages about any pictures or stories.