We're Taking This Show on the Road

Hi family and friends!

Thanks again for checking in on me! I pray that you're doing well. In my last post, I mentioned some exciting events that were taking place in March. The 3-day summer camp for our street youth from Alabang and Sucat was a great success, and I know the youth won't soon forget the abundance of food, fun, and inspiring messages they enjoyed. Unfortunately, I was only able to enjoy the testimonies of the youth after they returned, because a foot infection kept me from going to the camp. Not to worry though - the infection is already completely healed. Also, in having no choice but to stay at home, I was forced to actually take a rest and accomplish some planning for my other ministries. It's fairly easy to contract infections in the very polluted and dirty areas that we're reaching out to, but I'll be taking every necessary precaution in the future to avoid infection.

On Saturday March, 20th, I was the guest speaker at a youth concert in Cavite City (not far from Manila). Even though my Tagalog leaves much to be desired, I shared some of the messsage in Tagalog. However, I brought along my friend Che Che to translate from English the more difficult parts of the message. I am continually amazed by the unexpected things I've been asked to do, the places I've been able to go, and the opportunities God presents me with each day...all of these began simply with stepping out in faith (despite a lack of experience!) and being open to the places and the people that I might serve. I am thankful to have met so many youth from numerous churches and cities at the concert. In the message, I encouraged the youth with regards to such topics as peer pressure and influence. I know that many of the youth here are not only susceptible to countless mixed-messages in the media, but they also face such real and prevalent influences as gang violence, substance abuse, and rape.

Pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming, or if I'm really standing
before of a multitude of youth at a concert in the Philippines.

Just this last Thursday, on March 25th, we threw a huge celebration for the students in our small but very inspired daycare/school. Ten students graduated from the first year of our program, and we couldn't be more proud of them...neither could the community and the family members of the students who attended the ceremony. The celebration included games, a song and dance number from the students, a message from Pastor Joshua (my team leader), plenty of food (spaghetti, fried chicken, and cake), and the giving of the certificates and awards. Each student received some sort of award - whether it was for the "most helpful" or the "most positive". Since our students vary widely in age and ability, there were no direct comparisons made with regards to academics. All of our students made great strides in the last few months both socially and academically, and I'm at a loss for words when I attempt to express my joy in witnessing their growth and accomplishments.

Some of our students (in their finest outfits!) proudly show off their certificates.

The students perform a special number for their parents.

So much delicious food!

The main teachers - Toph (on my left), Tin Tin (on my right), and I - have
become very close with the daycare students. We'll miss seeing them each day!

Now you're probably wondering what I'll be up to for the next while in the absence of daycare during the Filipino summer holiday (April and May). The reason why we can't run our daycare throughout the summer is because our team will be travelling around Metro Manila and even to some rural areas to run a DVBS (Daily Vacation Bible School) program for the kids - sort of like a summer camp program, but we'll be bringing it directly to the community. From next week until mid-May, we'll be travelling to a different place almost every week on trips lasting between 3-5 days each. I'm actually most excited for our first destination - the rural tribe in Kanawan. If that name sounds at all familiar, it's because we threw our first Christmas party in December for the kids there, and I still cherish many incredible memories of bonding with the Kanawan kids.

There's one last thing I want to mention and really thank God for. The children's ministry that we run every Thursday in an extremely impoverished community in Sucat has experienced lots of new provisions this month! Thanks to a partnership with two other humanitarian organizations ("Action International" and "Feed My Starving Children"), we've been given enough food and vitamins to feed the children three days a week (every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) for at least the next 6 months. We'll be monitoring the weight and nutrition of the children each week as they improve in health, thanks in part to the nutrious meal and the vitamins we are giving them. Last Thursday, over 80 street children came out! Each child was fed.

Thanks for reading! Take care and keep the pananampalataya ("faith" - in Tagalog).

I can shout "Ako din!" too...

Hello again family and friends!

How's the weather at home? Here in Manila, it's only getting hotter! The hot season has arrived earlier than usual, and the country's been suffering from a drought. I truly cannot recall the last time we had any precipitation - it feels like it's been months! Temperatures have been in the 30's (Celsius), although with the humidity it feels like the 40's...but many are saying "just wait, it'll get much hotter."

Recently, my good friend and roommate from university came to visit and help out, and I was so encouraged by his support! John Lee stayed for one week, and he assisted us in bringing several street children from Alabang to the "Museo Pambata" (Children's Museum) for a day. The kids (along with myself...the biggest kid) had an incredible time. They experienced many things they never get to experience from their life on the streets. The museum offers countless exhibits on science, health, history and culture. My fondest memory is of the kids learning Native Filipino dances from a world-renowned Filipino dance troupe. After leaving the museum, we provided a picnic lunch for the kids in Manila's famous Rizal Park (named after their national hero Jose Rizal). I know the street children will never forget this rare and special experience. Everytime I see them at our Nightlife ministry, they beam as they show me the souvenir bracelets we bought them from the museum.




The daycare/school run by Toph, Tin Tin, and myself continues to be a blessing not only in our community, but in my life as well. I'm learning daily lessons in leadership, humility, and compassion. Sometimes my "efficiency-oriented" mindset as a Westerner conflicts with the more relaxed and relationship-oriented mindset of Filipino culture, and I need to humbly adapt my priorities. While I might base the success of our daycare on how much the children are learning, I notice that Toph and Tin Tin are already reveling in the strong relationships we've built with the children and the great lengths we've come in providing them for the first time with a safe and warm environment. Another aspect of Filipino culture, at least in urban society, is the importance of graduations and celebrating accomplishments. After just about any course, seminar, or program, there is a graduation ceremony and a certificate for each participant. The certificate is promptly and proudly hung amongst many others in that person's living room. Therefore, in accordance with tradition, we'll be having a graduation ceremony even for our daycare kids are the end of the school year. All the mother's will be invited that morning (...many of our children either don't have fathers, or their fathers have work in the day), and we'll have a celebration with certificates, awards, and a big lunch. Please pray for the preparations for the ceremony, which will occur on March 25th. After that, our students will enjoy a 2-month summer holiday, although our other weekly programs for them will still resume. This holiday will give us time to plan, re-organize, and enhance our daycare/school for the following school year. We will also be traveling around and doing several DVBS's (Daily Vacation Bible Schools) in various squatter communities throughout the summer holiday (April-May). This allows us to reach out and to bring provisions to children outside of our immediate community as well.

Take a peek into our daycare center.

The daycare teachers have sweet, new uniforms!

Toph (left) first envisioned the daycare so kids could learn
and play in a safe environment away from the streets.

Nicole exemplifies the adorableness of our daycare students.

We also recently celebrated the second anniversary of our church - Jesus King of Kings Community Church. I was astounded with how much work and passion our community put into the event! We actually held the celebration in the parking garage at the bottom of our building, and the congregation spread out from the garage and into the streets to enjoy the festivities. Our children and youth presented numerous song and dance performances, our pastors shared encouraging messages, and the mothers in the community prepared and served a great feast. Please pray for the future of our church as we're considering our options for moving to a new location in the next few months.


In other news, we had some new street kids at our Nightlife ministry in Alabang. I was moved by how desperately they craved attention. They gave tight hugs and much affection when I showed any kindness. As I was eating, they would continually ask if they could get me more water or take away my dishes when I was finished. Sometimes, the roles of who's actually serving who get blurred when genuine compassion and kindness guides the interaction. On a more humorous note, I have a brief story about our new kids. The street children always love it when I pick them up high in the air, and I often have more than one child on my shoulders or in my arms. The children shout "Ako din! Ako din!" (which means "Me too!") when they see me picking someone up. When I get far too exhausted to carry the children anymore, sometimes I'll shout "Ako din! Ako din!", and the kids will all laugh as I jokingly try to climb onto their shoulders. However, the new kids at Nightlife were so brave that they decided to rally together and actually pick me up. Around each leg, about five children attached their arms, and together they lifted me into the air! I don't think I stopped laughing for about ten minutes.

Finally, I want to mention a few other prayer requests. Next week, we're taking 25 street youth from Sucat and Alabang to a summer camp for three days. I'm excited to be one of the camp counselors. Also, pray for me as I prepare for a youth conference on March 20th in Cavite City. I spent a week in November helping organize a feeding program for the street children there, and the community has asked me to return as the guest speaker at a youth concert. And finally, pray for my friends Brett and Grace in preparing for their wedding on March 13th! Brett has come such a long way as a missionary and a pastor serving in the Philippines, and I'm overjoyed that he's found such a compassionate and loving partner with the same priorities he has in serving others. Take care, and thank you again for your prayers!

The Kalinga Tribe - A Beautiful Reflection of God's Grace

Hi family and friends!

I've just returned to Manila after spending the last week in the northern province of Kalinga. Jared and I were accompanied by my mentor Hart Wiens. Hart spent 20 years in the Philippines with SIL - a non-profit, Christian organization that studies, develops, and documents languages (especially lesser known ones). He invested much of his life and work to a Kalinga tribe located in a remote village called Asibanglan. Not only did he contribute to the translation of the Bible in their own dialect, but his team also translated and printed many of the tribes' own stories, various agricultural practices, and medical guides for the tribe. The tribe proudly proclaims Hart as both a hero and an adopted son into their village.

Before we arrived in Kalinga on a 12-hour bus ride into the mountains, we made a stop in Banaue to marvel at what many Filipinos call "the eighth wonder of the world." The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces carved into the mountains by ancestors of the indigenous people. Here are some photos I took, though they hardly do the rice terraces justice...





When we arrived in Kalinga, we stayed in the capital city of Tabuk for three days. Our timing couldn't have been any better, because we were able to take part in a huge, two-day festival celebrating the rich cultures of the eight different Kalinga tribes. All of the tribes came together
and each presented either a song, dance, or drama that expressed their values, practices, and history. This is a huge deal, because for many years (and even today) one of the common practices between Kalinga tribes is revenge killing. If someone from another tribe kills a member of your own tribe, it's seen as both honourable and expected that you would kill a member of the opposing tribe and bring back their head. The most significant factor in preventing more revenge killings has been the introduction of the gospel to these tribes (...which Hart had a hand in doing). The concept of forgiveness has radically altered previous beliefs regarding revenge. In fact, the message that one of the tribes presented at the cultural festival was "Peace through God's love."




After the festival, we rode a jeepney for several hours up the mountains to stay for three days with the Kalinga tribe Hart once lived with. Around 30 people squeezed inside the jeep, 10 more sat on the roof, and another 5 stood on the back bumper and held on for dear life. The road (if you could call it a road) was almost vertical at times, and it was so rugged that we got stuck multiple times. We also had to ensure that the giant, live pig we brought was tied securely to the roof (...the tribe believes you shouldn't have a celebration without first spilling blood and feasting together). On our first night with the tribe, the arrival celebration lasted almost until the next morning. For hours, we danced their tribal dances and played the drums. Many of the tribe members sang songs, including songs of thanks to Hart for the sacrifices he made in bringing the gospel to their community. In the following two days, countless Natives invited us into their homes to drink coffee with them (...coffee that was picked directly from the coffee trees in their village). They also gave us the best accommodations they had and served us excessive amounts of food, despite the current drought affecting their rice production. We hiked through mountains and between rice fields, went hunting in the jungle, and ate red rice, sugar cane, and even bat.

Hoisting the pig onto the jeepney.

Signifying the end of the tribal dance, the man chooses
a woman in which he'll place a piece of cloth in her arms.

Hart Wiens shows Jared and I his years of experience at tribal dancing.

Our shower consisted of a bamboo stick with a
continuous stream of water, and not a lot of privacy.

Wild Kalinga flowers.

Our new friend Alex takes Jared and I on a hunting expedition.

The part of this experience that affects me the most is how much Hart has accomplished in this community. The tribe continually stressed how Hart's sacrifice in dedicating his life to serving and loving them truly meant the world. To me, the most significant of his accomplishments was the immeasurably strong relationships he developed and nurtured with the people. I can only hope to make a sliver of a difference in my investments with the street children and the squatters in Manila.

ps. The newborn baby Rhianna (who I mentioned in my last post) is alive and well, and now out of the hospital, thanks to all of your prayers.

Rainbow Fish, Basketballs, and a friend named Love

Hi there!

Thanks for checking in on me! I pray that you're doing well, wherever you happen to be - whether in chilly Ontario, sweltering Manila, or anywhere in the world. I also hope you're encouraged and moved by the ways in which God has blessed the ministries of my team here. Amidst all the joys and the challenges that come with serving the poor, I'm thankful simply for the opportunity to serve. And in particular, I'm thankful for you, because without your encouragement, support, and prayer, I wouldn't be here in the Philippines.

Here's another quick update of what I've been up to lately...

1) "The Sucat Community"
Visiting the squatter community in Sucat is the highlight of my week. Ironically, my energy and strength are renewed each week through the joy of 50 street children climbing all over me. One of the elders in this community went to the hospital after suffering from a stroke and from tuberculosis. I was able to visit and encourage him, and help with some of his immediate needs.

Feeding the street children in Sucat.

2) "The Nightlife Program in Alabang"
We're so thankful that we always seem to have enough food and helpers to feed the families that come to our evening program in Alabang. Despite my limited Tagalog, I'm fostering great relationships with the children and youth. I'm so proud to see some of the youth now helping clean up and wash dishes at the end of the evening. They also like to remind me that I'm their brother in Christ, and they are thankful for my friendship and my support. Despite coming from broken homes, they know that our team welcomes them as part of our own big family. On Thursday, one of our youth approached us and asked for help. Through signing and non-verbal communication (he is deaf and mute), he explained that he had fallen on his wrist when playing with friends, and the bone in his forearm was noticeably moved out of place. On his own, he has no access or financial means to get proper medical attention. However, two members of our team took him to a hospital to get treatment.

One big family.

Taking Nightlife to new heights.

3) "Daycare"
Tin Tin and I have started picking up and walking home the daycare care children ourselves each morning from their squatter community. This allows us to ensure they are safely accompanied to and from the church, to help them arrive on time, and to daily meet with their parents (many of whom are single mothers). I'm exceedingly proud of my students, and I'd love to showcase some of their recent art projects...

The students apply their knowledge and vocabulary on colours.

Instilling confidence and self-esteem through projects
that express how special and unique each student is.

4) "Sportsfest"
Basketball is the most popular sport for urban youth in the Philippines. For this reason, Pastor John decided to rent a gym, host a basketball tournament, and invite various street youth and youth groups to join in on the action. Every Thursday afternoon for the month of February, we play a few games in a round-robin tournament for the four teams we've put together. The purpose of the tournament - which Pastor John has entitled "Sportsfest" - is not for competitive rivalry, but for fellowship and comradery. After each game, we enjoy a meal with the youth, and at the end of the tournament each team will receive a trophy.

The JKKCC ("Jesus King of Kings Community Church") Knights
(aka. the youth from our small Filipino church)
vs.
The ALS ("Alternative Learning System") Slashers
(aka. street youth in Alabang who are studying
to pass their high school equivalency test)

5) Prayer request
Please pray for my friend Love (...it's true, I have a friend named Love), her husband, and her new daughter Rhianna who was born yesterday. Rhianna is in very poor condition with a weak immune system and potentially with pneumonia. The doctor told us her chances of survival are 50/50. I believe God has a purpose for Rhianna's life, no matter how short or long her life is. I'm also honoured to call her my Goddaughter.

Thanks again for reading! On Wednesday I'll be leaving the city for a week and taking a 9-hour bus ride to visit a rural community called the Kalinga tribe. My mentor and friend Hart Wiens (...it's true, I have a friend named Love and a friend named Hart) is coming from my church at home to visit and introduce me to the Kalinga community that he lived in for many years as a missionary. I'll be sure to update you on that adventure when I return. Take care and God bless!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

"Magandang umaga/hapon/gabi! Kumusta po kayo? Ito ang blog ko."
(in English..."Good morning/afternoon/evening! How are you? This is my blog.")

I'm so grateful to share that we've just finished our second week teaching academics and literacy in our daycare center. Just before I arrived in the Philippines, Toph (23 yrs old) started the daycare as a way to reach out to his community and to provide role models and a basic education for impoverished children. Tin Tin (18 yrs old) and I quickly caught the vision and the potential for this ministry, and we joined alongside Toph as the teachers of the daycare. Although we have big dreams, we're starting small with the daycare. We're focusing on teaching and really investing in just a handful of kids to begin with. Despite our limited resources and experience, and despite the fact that the only teacher with a teaching degree is only just beginning to learn the native language, culture, and school curriculum (...referring to myself, of course), we are amazed with how far our students have come already. We also thank God for the relationships we've built with the children and their families, and we pray that the community will be encouraged by our efforts to support them.

To summarize the events of the daycare this week, we learned the letter "b", basic counting, printing our names, and the primary/secondary colours. Two of our students had birthdays this week (Ja Ja & Sophia), and they were elated when we surprised them with a big birthday cake.

Our youngest student Ally learns to write the letter "b".

Tin Tin (left) and I teach the lesson.

Chel Ann practices her printing.

Tin Tin assists Nunoy in learning to print his name.

After daycare on Tuesday, I took one bus and one jeepney to Sucat for our weekly ministry with the street children there. We provided a healthy meal, my Filipino teammates Gabby and Cecile taught a bible lesson, and I led a game with the kids. After the ministry was over, Gela (who I mentioned in my last post) and I visited some members of the community in the shanties where they live. We were heartbroken to witness two of the adults in a paralytic state who weren't receiving any medical care. We prayed with them, bought groceries for them and their families (from a nearby shop), and discussed ways in which we might be able to get them some proper care.

Street children in Sucat eagerly await our weekly program for them.

Playing in the street.

Mike (left) and I gather the kids for a game.

We never get tired of seeing these big smiles.

Finally, on Saturday we took over 40 kids from the squatter communities near our home to the park. These are the children that regularly attend our Saturday morning program. As usual, we fed the children, shared a story, played some games, and sang some songs. I was able to help lead a children's song in Tagalog (the second Tagalog song I've committed to memory!). Here's a sample from the chorus: "Sumayaw at umindak indak, kumaway paa 'ay ipadyak padyak. Sumayaw at umindak indak, kumaway paay padyak." ...which roughly translates to "Dance and groove, wave your hands, step with your feet, and repeat" (along with actions).

We rented a jeepney to transport the kids to the park.

So many excited kids packed into one jeepney.

Singing my new favourite song, "Sumayaw".

Role Models in My Life

Hi everyone!

Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog! The last couple weeks have been very exciting for me. The students in our daycare center have been very receptive to my lessons, and they're already making some progress in their literacy and numeracy skills. They're also teaching me how to read and write - in Tagalog, that is. Tomorrow we'll be learning how to print our names and learning about colours (with some hands-on paint activities). Jared and I also enjoyed our first formal Tagalog lesson, and we're very impressed with the professionalism and teaching philosophies of our teachers.

While I could share more about what I've been up to, I hope you don't mind if for this entry I share some stories of others who have made much greater sacrifices in their work - and who inspire me immensely.

The first is a woman from my church named Yvonne. This week she travelled to Haiti to assist in a medical mission. However, when the big earthquake went off, the Guest House were she was staying collapsed and trapped her within. She lost her life. As we pray for her family, we also admire her for the incredible sacrifice she gave in serving others in need.

Another inspiration of mine is a Filipino whom I serve alongside on my team here. His name is Pastor John Basiwa, but I call him "kuya" - or brother, in English. When he was in his early 20's, he left his job to serve the poor full-time (which primarily meant feeding street children and sharing his faith). He believed that serving the poor was God's call for his life. However, particularly in this culture, a young man is expected to earn an income and provide for his parents and family. As a result of his decision to answer God's call by providing for the poor, his parents kicked him out of their home and disowned him for "loving his God more than his family" - as they claimed. Nevertheless, Kuya John continued to spend each day feeding street children whose only previous role models were likely entrenched in gambling, alcoholism, and violence. Kuya John also provided a drop-in center for youth and adults who were addicted to sniffing solvents. At one point, after Kuya John had made a family and a home of his own, he was so dedicated to providing for others first that he sold his own house and lived in the drop-in center with no electricity with his wife and two kids. However, God has been faithful to Kuya John, and today his family has a house, his two children go to school, and his ministries with the urban poor are thriving. Also, Kuya John's parents have come to believe they were wrong in disowning him before, and they are very proud of his character and daily sacrifices. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, I have the honour of assisting Kuya John with his evening program for a squatter community...(on a side note, I mentioned before that this community was living under an overpass, but last week they were forced to move to a new location because the police were physically harassing them and pressuring them to leave).

Below is a picture of Kuya John and his wife - Ate (sister) Gela.

Gela and John Basiwa

Getting Down to Business in 2010...at times that includes Monkey Business

Hello family and friends, and Happy New Year!

I hope you've enjoyed your holiday! I truly missed home this Christmas season. However, my Filipino friends made me feel like family as they included me in their many holiday celebrations and traditions. I also owe a big "thank you" to my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law for the Christmas gift they gave me - a vacation to another island in the Philippines called Palawan. My friend Jared and I enjoyed many adventures and some much appreciated rest on the trip. We arrived back in Metro Manila yesterday with renewed energy to serve the poor and devote ourselves to the community here and now in 2010.

One of the monkeys I met on a trek through the jungles of Palawan, Philippines.

For me, 2010 is looking to be a busy but exciting year. I've decided to focus my efforts in three main areas...

1) The first is the new day care centre which runs out of our church. For now, I'm preparing the daily curriculum for the kids and teaching the lessons along with the help of two young Filipinos (named Toph and Tin Tin). Toph is the one who envisioned and created the day care center. Our main curriculum goals include teaching basic literacy and numeracy. I'm hoping and praying that in the future, we might be able to hire a Filipino teacher and one day have the day care accredited as an actual school. In the meantime, we'll provide these children with the best care and schooling we can offer - which of course is significantly better than what they'd learn in the streets if they didn't have the day care.

2) Tuesday and Thursday nights I'll be helping with an evening ministry for squatter communities living under an overpass and in the slums of Alabang (a bus ride away from my apartment). I've discussed this ministry in earlier posts - the program includes providing a meal, a shower, and enjoying some fun and fellowship together.

3) Starting this week, Jared and I will be taking Tagalog language lessons every Monday and Friday morning in a place called Quezon City. It's a bit of a commute (we'll have to ride a combination of transportations to get there, including a train, bus, and "jeepney"). However, this school came highly recommended, and the Filipino teachers are trained specifically to equip missionaries with the necessary language and cultural knowledge for working with the communities we'll be helping.

Please pray for strength and wisdom for my team and myself as we eagerly await what God has in store for our ministries this year!

High five for investing and growing in relationship with the urban poor in 2010.