Merry Christmas from the Kids in the Philippines!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!

Here in the Philippines, our loved ones include the 1,500 kids that our team brought gifts and joy to from Dec 1-11. Every year we host Christmas parties in various rural and urban poor communities. We pack multiple vans with presents, hygiene materials, and volunteers, then we travel several hours in all directions from Manila to spread the compassion of the one who was born on Christmas day. At the end of the day, it's not even about the parties. The greatest gift of the season is not a new toy, a new shirt, or a banquet of delicious food. Some of the most joyful people this season, whether rich or poor, are those that recognize the original significance... That Christmas is all about God coming to live amongst us. When Christ was born people called him Immanuel - meaning "God with us." We admire the humility of Christ who spent most of his time on earth with the downtrodden, the sick, the fatherless, and the widows. We can only hope to imitate his compassion.

This season of traveling and running our Christmas parties is equally exhausting and rewarding. I want you to also share in the rewards of blessing these children. Please enjoy these joyful photos and know that I'm so grateful for all of your support that made it possible for me to be a helping hand in this. I also want to thank the team from Sunrise Community Church who came all the way from Sacramento, California just to volunteer for the parties. Many of them are elders in their 70's and 80's, and their high spirits and energy truly inspired me.

My most anticipated Christmas party was the one held in the remote, mountainous village of Kanawan. 

Rice from their fields are laid out in the hot sun to dry.

We held our Christmas party in their recently built church.

All the kids line up in eager anticipation of the party...some clothed, some not.

This boy loves to play with his collection of spiders that he keeps in a matchbox.

Tin Tin & I lead some opening songs and dances. 

Inspired by our love for the TV game show Minute To Win It,  Tin Tin prepared some simple, fun games.

Even the mothers in the community got in on the fun in the game "Face the Cookie."

David Crosson (right) from Sunrise Community Church in California shows how it's done.

Ate Loida (also on the California team) returns to her native Country to serve the poor.

Playing with one of the new toys from his Christmas bag

Before we returned to Manila, the children in Kanawan taught us their native dances.

Besides the party in Kanawan, we held parties in areas that we regularly reach out to in Metro Manila. One of our partner teams under International Teams Philippines regularly visits sick children in the hospital. This team is called Seed of Love Ministry led by Pastor Junie Antinero. We brought 100 gift bags and hygiene supplies to those children in the most critical, life-threatening conditions. To be sensitive to the patients and their families, I didn't bring a camera into the hospital. However, I'll never forget the smiles and the tears of the families who were encouraged by our physical presence and expressions of compassion this Christmas. We are continuing to pray for those families who are suffering due to illnesses and calamities right now.

Last Thursday, my team leader Pastor John Basiwa asked me to give the message at the Christmas party for our Nightlife Ministry. This ministry reaches out to street children in the most extreme cases - children who typically sleep in the street and don't have a home because they're either abandoned or runaways. Our drop-in center was packed that night, and we all enjoyed games, songs, gifts, and food. I enjoyed the challenge of sharing the story of Christ and meaning of Christmas in straight Tagalog, and the kids were delighted to share their own stories with a foreigner who could understand their language. We partied until almost 1 am (...which is normal for these kids, as they sleep during the day and scavenge or wander at night). My favourite part of the party was witnessing the youth from our ALS program running the show and even performing a special Christmas song for the kids. Each of these youth are in our tutoring program and are hoping to pass the high school equivalency exam that they recently wrote.

The theme of my message was "Hesu-Kristo, higit pa sa regalo", meaning "Jesus Christ, more than gifts" 

Thank you so much for keeping up with me here! May you be blessed this Christmas as you spend time with family and meditate on what Christmas means to you. And may you also find opportunities to be a blessing to someone who may not have a family to be with or who may not have much hope this time of year. God bless you!

John

Mom & Dad in the Heart of Our Community

Dear friends and family,

For the very first time, Wes & Linda Coffey (aka Mom & Dad) stepped foot on Philippine land. They travelled to the opposite end of the globe from our home in Ontario to my home-away-from-home here in Manila. However, this was no ordinary visit. This was truly a mission. By God's grace, they impacted so many lives here throughout the month of November, and they will not be forgotten by our community. Their compassion and loving kindness left an impression that would best describe them as "second parents" to my friends and to the children and youth. I'm also blessed, because my parents now have a much greater understanding of why I would chose this lifestyle of servitude to Christ and to the street children in Manila - as difficult as it is move far away your own family. However, "Tatay Wes" (Daddy Wes) and "Nanay Linda" (Mom Linda) have truly been embraced by the people here as part of a much larger family.

I want to share with you just a taste of what my parents experienced over the last three weeks. Since I've always believed that, like our actions, a simple photo can speak or reveal so much more than words, here is a number of photos from my parents experiences in Manila. I've included captions, but these pictures alone speak volumes about the love my parents shared and experienced, including the injustices and pains they felt in the communities here.

Mom & Dad arrive at our team's drop-in center and office

First ride in a Philippine "tricycle" - a motorbike with a sidecar

The harsh contrast from privilege to poverty quickly hits hard

Visiting Jace (the eldest boy in his family) with his siblings.
His family is homeless and lives under an overpass. Jace
is in our Sponsor-A-Child program in which someone is
sponsoring his education in elementary school.

Visiting the Napacor Community. In my arms is
Louie-Jay - one of our most charismatic daycare students.
Reymark (bottom right) is another of our students. 

Squeezing through tight walkways of squatter homes 

Visiting families we're reaching out to through our programs

Arriving at the Sucat community. Our involvement here started with
a simple feeding program. Now many of the children are recipients of our
educational programs, and we have a strong relationship with the families.

Typical homes in the Sucat community

You need to cross over a river by this tree trunk to reach some homes 

Mom & Dad helped with a fun children's program in various areas

Walking on coconut shells in a relay race

A tiny infant takes a nap on a bench outside

One night, my parents helped out with our Night Life program. Here
my team goes out into the streets to reach out to street kids & youth
(many of which are abandoned or runaways without a home). We invite
them to our drop-in center for some food, a bath, and games or stories.

Enjoying some food at the Night Life program

Mom & Dad read a story and also assist with the crafts at
the SLC (Simula Learning Center) - our daycare in Alabang. 

They also helped out at Educare - our daycare in Makati.

Mobbed by the kids as we arrive in the streets

Ate Cecile leads the street kids in a prayer before our program

Thoroughly entertaining games

My mom was so blessed to know Janine -  one of the youth we are
tutoring to help pass her high school equivalency exam. While riding
in a jeepney, a hand from outside reached through the window and
snatched my mom's necklace. However, Janine chased down the thief,
confronted him, and told him to hand it over!! He spit the necklace back
out of his mouth where he was hiding it. ...we'll never forget Janine's
incredible bravery and kindness to our family. She is truly a hero!

Dad's energy and fun personality was a delight for the kids

Mom hands out a snack

Perfect timing - Mom & Dad's trip coincided with our annual
camp for street kids and youth. Each of the campers are clients
in our Sponsor-A-Child program (sending them to elementary
and secondary school) or in ALS (high school equivalency exam).

Rizal Re-Creation Camp was founded by an American missionary

Counselor Linda and her cabin of giggling, fun-loving youth

Dad and his boys

I had the joy of being a counselor for the youngest boys

And of course, my parents had the opportunity to spend
time with Jam's parents and family.

I hope you enjoyed this brief photo tour of my parents wild and unforgettable adventure here in Metro Manila. As we send them back to Canada, I pray that you'll be moved and inspired by the stories that they will gladly share with you. And from us Filipinos (and Filipinos-at-heart), we can only say a big THANK YOU to Nanay Linda & Tatay Wes for everything you've done for the children and the families here. We are forever blessed by your compassion through His great grace and love.

John