The Ref Blessing

A number of months ago, Sarah and I moved into a wonderful house in Malaybalay and I came furnished. Included in that was a older small refrigerator, functional, but it needed to be defrosted a couple times a week. A friend was over one day as the defrosting process began, and they said we really needed a new ref, and they would be willing to help purchase it. So we were given 20,000 pesos toward new one. At that point, they also said why don't I pitch in 10K myself and make sure to get a good one. Although I had the 10,000, that's all of our "extra" money for the month of November. Spending it all at the beginning of the month and having nothing for just in case was a little hard. But, we figured it was worth it, how else could we get a 30K ref for 10k? A few days later another friend, Rory, and I went to CDO to go shopping. At the first mall we found a couple that were what we were shopping for, and almost went ahead and bought one for 32K. We then decided we should go ahead and go to the other mall just to be diligent in looking for all our options. Upon walking to the ref section there, a sales guys said come here, 50% off on this ref. We had a look, and it was a Panasonic 14 CF priced at 35,000. Half of made it 17,500. It was sitting next to the new model that had just come in and was at the same price point, but slightly larger, so they were selling off their last few at half off, and having just marked them down in the last few hours, now there was only one left. It more than met our needs, and with the "extra" few pesos, I also purchased a microwave and pressure cooker for Sarah, both things she had said she wanted whenever we had extra money. For me, it was just a blessing from God saying, don't worry about tomorrow, follow in faith and I will provide beyond what you could have imagined. So thanks guys for blessing us and helping me step into the windows of blessing from Him.

Be encouraged,

Jeremy

Rebuilding

Typhoons come and go…, international news headlines come and go…, the suffering continues. Kids International Ministries has never before been involved with extended relief work. In the past, in the aftermath of such storms, we were accustomed to the problems of flooding in a big city of congested canals, rivers, and streets: people need help, roads need cleaned off, the river banks that were hours before overflowing recede, and the ebb and flow of living in this country goes on. Normally we just help pick up the pieces and allow folks to move on with their lives. Not this time… The typhoons left a path of destruction that will not soon be forgotten. Why? The water remains and will for several more weeks; people, friends, strangers, kids, and old folks are left in stagnant, disease-ridden water that won't leave their homes, streets, and back yards. People are hurting, suffering, dying. This is not something you can turn your back on and hope they will come out ok. We are sharing devotions, food, supplies, vitamins, and medicines, and imploring people to continue to help. Help is coming…another food container is on its way as the one we received in August, which usually lasts our efforts for 9-10 months, will be depleted in a few weeks. Servers are coming. Some we know, some only God knows. One such case was a Filipina Christian nurse who, after seeing our province under water and the people in pain, Googled and found our website, emailed, and WOW—God gave us a volunteer nurse for the next 4 months! Other God-sent people have arrived from Canada, Taiwan, New Zealand, and of course Filipinos helping Filipinos. Old friends from the U.S., Hong Kong, and Korea are returning to lend additional help. God is good and is drawing people to His Son who suffered the most by dying for us on the cross. Our message of hope remains, and so we continue to bring God's restoring relief plan. Jeff for the countless people who are helping

Pastor Ray

A favorite word of mine for years in raising our kids was the idea of “balance.” Today my kids often hear me talk about “doing their part.” Short-term teams or missionaries who arrive in the Philippines typically hear the same theme as I joke with them about exploiting their God-given talents during their time of service. The truth is that all of us have passions and gifts God has given us to use for His kingdom.

While we have many friends around these islands, one of my favorite groups of people are the Provincial Pastors. These guys live on nothing. It’s flat out amazing to see their homes, churches, empty pockets, and empty cupboards. The people they serve usually have little "materially" as well, and yet they are very content, very happy people. I guess that’s why I love hanging with them.

As an example, Pastor Ray travels over 12 hours from the north to visit us each month. He comes to serve and share God's word with our construction guys, encourage me, go to my son Kirk's games, and teach our children's home kids how to garden. A few months ago our “Magnificent Seven” construction crew was able to bless Pastor Ray and his family by building them a new home in about seven days. It was our way of thanking him for what he does faithfully each month as he shares God’s word and disciples our men and our kids.

Pastor Ray is definitely doing his part and playing a key role.

World Compassion Network

Partnering with great people and organizations yields great results. Please help Joe, Josh, and Clark help more people around the world.

World Compassion Network

Typhoon Ondoy Stats

Many people have been asking about the people in our area that have been impacted by the recent typhoons to hit the Philippines.

Our organization, family and friends have established six feeding/medical stations for the purpose of on going relief work. Many experts are saying the water in the flooded areas will not recede until January. We are committed to helping these areas all the while working with local Pastors, churches and govt offices to insure they get the credit and God gets the glory... Even through suffering God can bring Jesus to the hearts of people...

Thanks for praying,

Jeff

Here are a few things I found from this article: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173548/ndcc-puts-ondoy-damage-at-p48-b-death-toll-at-277

Tropical storm "Ondoy" (international name Ketsana) caused an estimated P4.8 billion in damage across the Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Thursday.

In its latest report, the NDCC also pegged the number of fatalities to 277. The death toll is expected to rise pending reports from local government officials.

According to the NDCC, more than half a million people - or 686,699 persons to be exact - were affected and are now staying at 726 evacuation centers.

The extent of damage was broken down as follows: P1.59 billion for infrastructure and P3.216 billion for agriculture.

A total of 4,644 houses were damaged, more than half of them totally destroyed.

Last Saturday, Ondoy brought unprecedented rainfall in the metropolis of 341 millimeters in the first six hours alone, breaking the record for the highest 24-hour rainfall of 334 mm in Metro Manila in June 1967.









Missionaries Marilyn and Jessica are meeting the needs of lots of kids and adults.... Keep praying for their strength as they lead the charge.

Short Term Missions Matter!

It’s been over a week now since the typhoon hit and left unthinkable numbers of people flooded out, displaced or dead. These are not easy times for these people. These are not easy times for relief efforts either—not that we have anything to complain about. God saw fit months ago to line up a team from New Zealand to arrive a day after the storm, and as they transition on to help another ministry, a group from Taiwan has arrived for a week's worth of work.


Short-term teams continue to play a huge role in what Kids International Ministries is able to do in the Philippines. We see passionate people using their God-given abilities to impact our Children's Homes, schools, and the surrounding communities; now the circle of love has increased as we give out water, food, vitamins, clothes, etc. in Jesus’ name.

Had it not been for these two teams, our efforts would have been minimal. We simply did not have the human resources to sustain what these folks have accomplished and will yet accomplish. God's timing was perfect months ago as we planned the dates for these arrivals.



God's plans for your adventure to the Philippines is perfect also. If you have the time, we have the cause. People need help in Manila today and in the days and weeks to come.

Won't you join us?
Jeff

The Flood

As you may already know, last weekend brought one of the worst floods in the history of the Philippines. More rain fell in metro Manila and surrounding regions in nine hours on Saturday than the entire amount Hurricane Katrina dumped on New Orleans in 2005. In fact, the nine hours of rain exceeded Manila's usual rainfall in the entire month of September! In just NINE hours!

One of the worst hit areas in Manila was Cainta, where Kids International Ministries is located. Thankfully, no one at our organization was hurt or severely affected by the flood. We have been able to recover fairly quick and instead are focusing our time on helping those who were hit hard by the flooding. The Philippines is already one of the poorest countries in the world, making relief efforts even more difficult as hundreds of thousands of families have lost everything they own.



We at KIM have begun our relief efforts right in our community, which is called Cuatro Community (named for the golf course that borders it). Tuesday morning, over thirty people joined in at KIM to help those in need. A diverse group of people, foreign volunteers, some of our older kids from the home, the Long family, other local missionaries displaced from their homes, and several of our Filipino staff members all worked together with one goal: to help those who needed it most. To be the hands and the feet of Christ! What a beautiful picture it was, to see so many different people unified by a purpose: to feed the hungry.

We went out in groups, handing out 500 meal tickets to women and children around the community. Then we spent most of the morning preparing the food... cutting, peeling, and chopping vegetables, mixing, rolling, and baking meatballs, and cooking tons and tons of rice! Then between 12 noon and 1:30pm, we fed these people, gave vitamins out to all the kids, and along with the help of Marilyn, our nurse, offered medical help as well.



As with any major disaster, such as this, it will take time to rebuild. Hundreds of thousands of people need to rebuild their homes, cars have been completely filled with water and are not working, people's belongings have floated away and disappeared, trash and mud line the streets, and hundreds of people have lost their loved ones.

Please keep praying for the Philippines during this trying time! Pray for those who were severely affected by the floods and pray for opportunities for us to reach out and help our community! Also pray that the next 2 storms that are supposed to come in this weekend are SMALL and do not further damage people's homes.

To see pictures of the floods and our relief efforts, please check out the website!

1 John 3:17
But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

By land and by sea: The Road trip

It all started with a casual conversation with Jeff Long, the director of K.I.M. It went something like this; “Monday we’ve got a truckload of supplies headed down to Mindanao. It is a 3 day drive through beautiful countryside…”
“Really? 3 days through the Philippines?”
A nod.
“Is there any way I can get involved with that?”
Another nod.
“Alright, sign me up.”
58 hours, three major Islands, over 1,700 Kilometers, two ferry rides—all nonstop—altogether amount to the road trip of a lifetime.

Jun, Jesse and myself just spent 58 hours traveling from Manila to Malaybalay city. We transported a truckload of supplies from the YunJin Ministry center in Manila to the Children’s home in Malaybalay. We got off to a slow start Monday night, but once the alternator was fixed (it powers the lights) there was no looking back. We then spent the next three days venturing through beautiful countryside. Winding through village after village, jungle after jungle, I experienced the Philippines first hand. We only stopped a few times to eat in make shift restaurants, which were really people serving and selling food out of their homes. We would eat our “cinigan” or “adobo” with a plate of rice and a glass of coca-cola while we left the truck running. Besides that we did stop one morning to take a shower, or more like paid a woman to use her hose and bucket. However, amidst the mad-dash there were some enjoyable moments of pause. One night on our second ferry I stood on the top deck against the railing admiring a partly cloudy sky, bright stars, lightning in the distance and I remember thinking to myself “do you realize where you are?”—moments were all you can do is stand in awe (ps. 46:10).




58hrs later we arrived at 6am to Pal-ing, Malaybalay. The trip was one for the books.


(Continued series from Joe who spent the summer volunteering in Manila)

Isabella: Trip to the North of Luzon

I never intended to travel to the Northern Province of Isabella. I did not even know about Isabella. But when I met Pastor Rey at the YunJin Ministry Center in Manila, I could not turn down his invitation to see his Province. A plane ride later I found myself in the province of Isabella, the most rural place I had traveled to in the Philippines. I stayed with Pastor Rey in his home. During the four days I was there I traveled to four different churches speaking and sharing my testimony of how Christ came into my life. The four days in the rural farmlands can be summarized in one word: unforgettable. Here is a little bit from my experience....


I slept all night to the drizzle of rain on the sheet metal roof. The rain cooled the air down, making it fresh. I woke up early and had a quick breakfast. I drew water from the well for my shower and added boiled water to warm it up a bit. The service was not until 9am but left around 8am to be sure we had enough time to catch a ferry across the other river to Santa Maria, even though it is only 10 miles from the house to the church. The bridge we had crossed just 2 days earlier was no longer visible...the ferry was interesting. All 25 passengers loaded on, motor bikes and all into the 30ft motor boat. We chugged along about a foot above water. I learned firsthand why locals do not swim in the river during rainy season. I think the 5+ mile an hour current and slimy foam would make me second guess as well. The motor almost gave out a few times, which didn't seem to bother the man emptying out buckets of water that had leaked into the boat. We got to the bank, jumped out and jumped into the next mode of transportation--a trike. Rey, his family, myself, about three other people and the driver piled onto the scooter with re-bar side car then we arrived to the concrete chapel in Santa Maria 15 after 9. Worship was a mix of English and the local dialect. I shared what I had prepared; speaking as clearly as I possibly could. After the service we gathered behind the chapel at the Pastors make-shift living area and enjoyed lunch. We finished our lunch and then gathered back in the chapel to close for the day. The congregation of Living Springs Community Church demonstrated their appreciation for my visit when they asked to pray for me before I left. So, the pastor and his deacons gathered around me and we prayed. We embraced and said our farewells. Isabella how can I forget you!?

(Continued series from Joe who spent the summer volunteering in Manila)

The Boys: Daily Life in Manila

Meet the Boys. When I have not been spending time in the Provinces, or road trippin', I have been in Manila pulling 8-to-5's with the Boy's. I have become good friends with the construction workers in Manila. K.I.M. has done an excellent job in ministering to the needs of the local squatter community in many ways, and one has been to create jobs for some of the Filipino men in the area--the construction workers. Witnessing these 20+ men in action has been a privilege. They are skilled carpenters, electricians, and masons. Their work ethic is incredible. Every morning they arrive at 8am and leave at 5pm. They work Monday through Saturday. I have not seen one guy miss a day, and they all seemingly enjoy what they do.

Being able to work side-by-side with this group of guys has been an honor to me, and much fun. The day never goes without a joke and a laugh. We come together with humor. We usually admonish each other sarcastically yelling "Malupiton!" (This can mean champion or a kid who needs to be disciplined). We also pass time by singing. It starts with one guy softly singing a Beatles song or Michael Jackson then it builds into three to four guys belting out the chorus.

We laugh together, we work together, and we take time to read together. Beginning in the middle of July we began to have bible study everyday for a half an hour after lunch. Around 1pm we gather around, they read the selected verses in Tagalog and I use Tag-lish. After each trip upon my return they have always asked me, "Joe. Bible study today?" These are my boys.



(Continued series from Joe who spent the summer volunteering in Manila)

My Summer with K.I.M.

Hello, my name is Joe. I am a 22yr old college student in Southern California. I came to the Philippines to serve Kids International Ministries for a few weeks; little did I know I would get more than I bargained for. I just had an unforgettable summer in the Philippines. Originally I did not plan on spending my entire summer with K.I.M. but luckily I did. I arrived in Manila on the 22nd of June with my fellow teammates from my local church. We planned to spend 3 weeks working with K.I.M., but after 10 days of being impacted by Manila I realized 3 weeks was not enough. So, I decided to stay with K.I.M. for the rest of my summer vacation. The next two months (July-August) gave me memories and experiences I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I split my time between the Children’s Home in Manila and Malaybalay City. I spent a week in the northern province of Isabella. And I took a 58hr truck ride from the northern most island of the Philippines to the furthest island south. In the next week I will be sharing some highlights from my experience in my own words. Keep checking back for those posts!

Amazing Blessing

August has been a bit of a financially lean month for the Malaybalay children’s home. Last Wednesday we came to the point of having too much month at the end of the money. Our director, Belen, told me that on Thursday we needed to make a trip to Illigan to pick up two new kids, and that we needed money for fuel. I told her that the bank account was empty, but would work on finding it. I promptly texted Jeff in Manila, asking if he had any pesos for us for the rest of the month’s budget. He replied “I don’t, but God does.” We left if at that and spent the rest of the day going about normal business. About four in the afternoon, Belen asked if we had received any blessing yet. Since we had not, we made a plan to borrow some money for the trip. I started to leave for home but, thought I should probably go say goodbye for the afternoon to Glenn, Grace, and the other staff. That ended up taking 10-15 minutes, and as I was wrapping up the goodbyes an unfamiliar pickup truck arrived at the children’s home. When the door opened, a missionary friend, Trevor, got out. About a month before, he and his family had come by the home for a visit. After they left, his daughter, Deanna, gave him some money for us. He had made a few trips to Malaybalay since then, but had not yet had the chance to stop by and drop it off. After he handed me the envelope, I asked if he wanted to hear a really cool story and then let him know that we had been praying and waiting all day for provision, and had just a few minutes before decided we would have to figure out how to deal with it on our own. I also shared that I had planned on leaving 15-20 minutes before he arrived, but in hindsight now know I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to not leave yet. He was so blessed to be a blessing, and we were also just amazed at the timing God has. After Trevor left, I thought I should give Jeff a call and opened the conversation with “Did God answer you prayer yet?” He then proceeded to tell me that, yes, God had answered Jeff’s prayer, and that he did have money for us and it would be put in our bank account the next morning. We were so excited to share with each other the ways God had separately provided for us, and like Eph. 3:20-21 says “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Hope you are as encouraged and blessed by this as we were.
Jeremy

Blessed in Malaybalay

My week in Malaybalay has been a real blessing! The kids here have attached themselves to our team and we have attached ourselves as well. As the ministry is still developing, most of our work was physical labor. It is awesome, thought, to look across the soccer field and see what God has accomplished because we were willing.

Saturday’s children's ministry was an awesome opportunity to interact with the children of the community. We got to play with them, serve them lunch and dessert, and even share the gospel with them. I am excited as I watch things develop here, right before my eyes, and I can’t wait to return and see how it’s grown! Praise God for Kids International Ministries! He is surely using it for His glory!

Becca Ubrun

Unfamiliar Familiarity

It has been about a year and a half since I was here in the Philippines. Ever since leaving in January of 2008 I felt strongly that I would be back. So, when Colleen and I talked about where to go on our honeymoon, the choice seemed obvious. Beautiful Manila. Where the air is so polluted that just being here for two days has made my throat scratch again. Where sewage puddles in the streets making dinge fever a commonality among the people here, especially the poor. Where the traffic makes daily traffic in LA seem like a Sunday drive, and the dogs roam breeding all kinds of God knows what diseases. Where poverty is the norm, unclothed babies are everywhere, and squatter shacks are simply part of daily life.. it is to this industrial paradise that we chose to have our honeymoon.

To tell you the truth I couldn't be more excited to be here. Despite its inherent lack of beauty as a physical location, I can honestly say I have never visited a more beautiful place. Four years ago a missionary who taught at a local missionary boarding school was driving to his home in a condo right outside one of the few golf courses in Manila. As they were driving through an impoverished neighborhood, his youngest daughter asked the question "Daddy... why don't we do anything to help the poor?" The simple question would be the start what today, I would consider the most incredible ministry to the poor I have ever been a part of.


It has been four years since the question was asked. Last night around midnight, amongst a down pour of warm rain, a truck container loaded to the brim with food was unloaded by a dozen or so homeless Filipinos and a handful of missionaries from the surrounding squatter towns. The container will serve around 2,000 meals a week, to several hundreds of impoverished families for a whole year. This is only the surface. To go into depth of all that is going on here at the place we are honeymooning will take another blog for another day. The only thing I will say for now is it is simply incredible what a community of believers can do for a community, for a family, for an abandoned child. It is hard for me to find words to describe it.

I guess the words that comes to mind when we are here are words like:

redemption...
restoration....
transformation...

It is no wonder why we love it here so much, because really, I don't know of any words that are more beautiful and significant. They are the kind of words that move beyond simple physical descriptions to ones that suggest things that are new and different... things that heal and rebuild... things that bring new life. When all is said and done, I find that these words beat the sunny beaches of Tahiti any day. I would much rather be around new life. Life... where a simple question creating a spark of action can transform and inspire the lives of thousands. Life... where taking care of those who are forgotten is common place. Life... where the lives of those who have everything entangle with the lives of those who have hardly anything. Life... where the heart of God is seen in the actions of his followers like a light shining on a hill.

As I walk the familiar streets of where I was a year and a half ago... I am reminded that this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. When I think of my marriage to Colleen as the start of a new life, I truly believe that this place more than any other represents the kind of new life we want to live together. What a perfect place for a honeymoon... what a perfect place to inspire the hearts of our new life together.

Top Ten Reasons for Not Going to Church (in Manila)

Last Sunday I went to church – it was not like going to church in the US. In fact, it was a real experience. I’ve compiled some reasons why I shouldn’t go back next week.

10) It took too long to get there. It was at least 45 minute drive and that was by car. Many people had to take public transportation: bus, jeepney, trike or taxi -which even takes longer. This is unacceptable.


9) The church was difficult to find. (In fact, everything is difficult to find). This church is located on the 5th story of a high rise mall. If you didn’t happen to see the sign you’d never know there was a church in the vicinity.

8) Paid parking – who wants to pay for parking?

7) It was raining (again). We were soaked by the time we got from the parking garage to the front door. (Who thinks of taking an umbrella to church in Colorado?)

6) We were frisked as we entered. (All malls have security guards searching people and belongings.) Not exactly a holy hug.

5) 5 flights of stairs! We found escalators on the way down! (a little too late).

4) We had to fight our way through a crowded video arcade, food court and department store. – It was a sea of humanity.

3) Constant “invitations” from vendors. The word accosted is too strong but I was encouraged repeatedly to buy various items for my wife &/or girl friend.

2) Arrived at the sanctuary all hot, sweaty and sticky.

1) Too crowded – there were 5 services – all of which were packed. There are over 15,000 attenders every Sunday. It was an invasion of my personal space.

In fact, after all was said and done, there was only one reason to go to church at all – because our gracious Lord and Savior is worthy of our collective worship. I guess when you weigh the pros & cons, it’s really a no-brainer. I think I will go back next week. It’s funny to think that back in the US, we will use almost any excuse for not going to church. Studies have shown that if people can’t park within 100 feet of an entrance to the church building, it’s too much of a bother to go at all. I’m convinced we could learn a little from our Filipino brothers and sisters -that attending church may involve a bit of a sacrifice but still thousands are joyfully willing to make it every week.


Larry Chell, Pastor of Christian Family Fellowship in Canon City, Colorado
Larry and his wife, Joyce have been visiting their daughter Daisy who works in the nursery at New Faith Family Children’s Home

Thank you

two years ago when you visited pal ing it was a camp only during summer time.The place becomes alive for 2 weeks a year only.We never thought you & uncle Ted would cross our paths.This year has been so unbelievable for Mt. Moriah.we had the most number of campers. I still couldn't believe the number of kids that came.The evangelistic camp that we conducted last april even opened more doors of opportunities to serve God.When the kids asked " when do we come back?" it actually opened the door for the saturday fellowship.From 15 kids to more than 100 kids now.God in His wisdom & faithfulness has also provided counselors.He used the kids from intervarsity who later tapped student leaders of PSALM to help. We have an average of 30 counselors come & help.Bob Stauble has provided our leaders with training & materials so we didn't have to register with AWANA anymore . we don't only minister to kids but we also now provide training to leaders and it is all happening in our camp.Some of our kids on saturday have opened their homes for bible studies .(more doors are opening) . Our attendance on sunday has increased too. Some of the kids come back for sunday school and some of our leaders come back too to help in sunday school. We never planned for this to happen but obviously God is allowing it. May we be found faithful till the end. All these Jeff because you , uncle Ted, & the KIM board have been faithful to respond to God's calling.Thank you very much.

Grace Ayala

A Dream Comes True for Six Couples

Dear family and friends,

While six couples getting married at the same ceremony may seem like something from a movie, it was a real-life event that we were privileged to witness and be a part of this past month. Hopefully these pictures and those included on our blog will give a glimpse of the joy these couples experienced as they honored the Lord and He gave them a dream-come-true wedding.

Though not evident from the pictures here, each couple is extremely poor and lives in the squatter community where Kids International Ministries is involved. These couples have been living together ranging from five to eleven years and have established families. Last fall, the Tagumpay Evangelical Baptist Church, which serves this community, offered in a step of faith to help couples get married by assisting with legal and ceremony expenses.

Since deciding to get married, these six couples have bonded through many special experiences: meeting weekly for group marriage counseling and then enjoying a culminating restaurant meal, seeing God enable them to purchase their wedding attire at $16 per couple, enjoying a ladies’ day at a salon in preparation for their wedding, and seeing the church come together to contribute financially and serve with the wedding arrangements. Indeed, God’s blessings are beyond our dreams and imaginings.

Looking like a scene from Arabian Nights, the room for the ceremony was elegantly decorated with sweeping fabric, hanging beads, and beautiful flower arrangements. Our dim understanding of the depths of these couples’ poverty and all that had been invested to make this day possible seemed to enhance the beauty of the decor. Nevertheless, it was the joy on these couples’ faces, starting with each groom walking down the aisle to get his waiting bride and bringing her to the front to make their commitment before God and others, that made this all very moving.

The photos included here read “Maraming Salamat Po!” —a respectful way of saying “Many Thanks!” from the Project Blessing Couples. This was indeed a project of blessing to these six couples, of which you were a part. Visit our blog to see more pictures of the couples at the wedding and in their homes. Please join us in praying for these couples and their future lives together.

God bless you and yours.
Frank, Kaye, and Rebekah Cherry

The Terminal

In the movie, Terminal, Tom Hanks plays the role of a man who lives for a time in a busy metropolitan airport. What a noisy, chaotic experience it was for him. A week at the Yun Jin Lyso Ministry Center, isn’t quite as hectic and disjointed as an airport, but it is quite a stretch from life in Canon City, Colorado. Putting aside the cultural shock issues, which are significant and real in and of themselves, there are amazing stories to be seen and experienced. The YMC is a blessing that followed a tragic story. Twenty days after Yun Jin and Amos were married, she was killed in a car accident. Amos chose to us the funds from her death to make an investment for eternity. So the ministry center was purchased in conjunction with Kids International Ministry.
In the past 6 days, I met Bruce and his partner from Texas. They were just finishing up a 3 day tour of preaching and teaching in several public schools. Then there was a team of 6 or so who had also been sharing in the schools about HIV/aids, from a Christian perspective. In the states we insist on keeping God out of the schools, here it seems to be just the opposite. Then we met Nolan and his basketball team from the US, who have been playing 2-3 games a day with all kinds of Filipino teams. They share their testimonies, the gospel message and Christian literature. Ruth and Paul arrived from Australia about the same time that my wife and I did. They left their cattle ranch to serve for 2 years as the high school chaplain at Faith Academy, the nearby school for missionary kids. 3 Koreans then appeared one morning. One of them, Steve, brought several rebuilt computers for the lab for the community school next door. His mother and sister have been helping in the New Faith Family Children’s Home a block away. It was a real stretch out of their comfort zones. 5 nannies left for the states on Sunday. They had been here for 2 months to help in the Children’s Home nursery. They were a real blessing, to be sure. Pam and her daughters spent a month here helping out wherever they could. They were on break from their school in Korea. Check out the beautifully framed pictures Pam left all around the YMC. Tina and Nate left their 2 small boys with their parents for two weeks to help with computer matters and also in the Children’s Home. They call home everyday to check on their boys. 6 young people from Germany stopped in overnight on their way to Batangus, somewhere south of Manila. They had Bibles with them, but I didn’t get a chance to catch their mission. I met Bill and his daughter, Mary today. They converted part of the YMC into an office for their ministry to publish and distribute the first and only street magazine in Manila. Its purpose is to help those who are impoverished all over the city. Alex and his wife Chris stopped in for dinner the other night. Their ministry sells a hundred thousand thread bracelets every month to help keep the women and young girls out of prostitution on the island of Mindoro. Then Carmine showed up from Utah. He is an architect who is here to help with designs and plans for future expansions with the ministry. Building is a constant way of life here as they rush to keep up with the ever increasing people needs. Then there is Joe and Neil who pop in and out to help wherever there is a need. Christie and Amber who have been living at the YMC, teach classes at the school next door. Chris and Kim stop in for meals occasionally. Kim is the headmaster of the community school and Chris spends his time discipling several Filipinos among other ministries.
The ministry center is not exactly Grand Central Station, but you don’t want to sit still very long or you might find yourself being caught up in the swirl of genuine Christian ministry. It’s not just the name of a building - it’s the activity that takes place in and around this ” terminal” of life.

Larry and Joyce Chell
They serve at Christian Family Fellowship in Canon City, Colorado and are in the Philippines visiting their daughter Daisy.

Saying Goodbye

It has been an eventful and productive couple of months. Summer vacation has brought many great teams and individuals across our path. I can remember being kicked out of the YMC at the beginning of my stay here so that we could accommodate 70 students and teachers from Seoul Foreign School. Since then we’ve welcomed guests and volunteers from California, U.K., Korea, Colorado, Australia, Kansas and many places in-between.

Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to a very special team of 5 girls from Tennessee and Mississippi. Kimi, Rebecca, Jessica, Laine, and Amanda (aka the Nannies) who spent 2 months taking care of babies day and night. They also became very involved in the community helping with feeding programs, holding youth nights at the JCCV, and having Bible studies along the street that they did their daily runs. If any one word can describe that team it is "selfless". They jumped into life in Cainta full force and kept gaining speed the whole time. It’s hard to see them go, but their service here will not be soon forgotten.

I can hardly believe that my final week is here. After 12 weeks of life in the Philippines I can’t imagine being anywhere but here. But alas I will be embarking for the States on Friday whether I want to or not. I’d also like to copy those 5 girls and not slow down during my last week here. We didn’t have school today so instead I put on my work clothes and passed buckets of concrete for a couple hours.

This morning, many of the volunteers staying at the YMC got up and went to work. The weather looked promising and we had a floor of cement to pour, so everyone found their spot in line and passed buckets. More than 30 people helped pour cement from 7 am until 1 pm. A job that Jeff predicted would take 10 hours only took 6 because of all the willing workers here!!

I have 3 more days of teaching left with the kids at Cuatro Christian School, and then they will have to adjust to a new math teacher. Hopefully that transition will happen smoothly. I know for sure that a part of me will stay here when I leave. It’s funny how a place can capture your heart, and this place certainly has. As long as God doesn’t have other plans for me, I’ll be back here (soon, I hope!). Until then I guess this is goodbye K.I.M. I have been so blessed serving with you.

Amber

The Nanny Diaries

I am sitting here covered in porridge, rice, water, and soap. While you might think I’ve had a rough morning I am singing praises to God that I don’t have pee on me too like my partner in crime Kimi. One might ask their self what does the life of a Nanny look like? Well I will do my best to describe it leaving out no nasty details (who am I kidding the nasty details are probably the only ones you’re interested in right?)

Recipe for the perfect nanny...

Step 1:

Get up as the sun is rising around 5:30AM. Put your stuff up and take a few seconds for yourself. As the charges start to bang around it is time to get them immediately. Wait two seconds too long and you may end up with a variety of surprises when you open the door. Examples being clothes exploded out of drawers, water and milk dripping from the walls and covering the floor, beds piled on top of each other, or tooth paste covering beds and who knows what else.

Step 2:

Transform to Doctor mode and give out the daily meds. Make sure that you put the right dosages for seven different children all taking different amounts and different medications. DON’T MESS UP-- LIVES ARE ON THE LINE! Console kids to take the “purple stuff,” then strongly encourage them. Finally give up and force it down their throats.

Step 3:

Prepare a meal of mushy stuff for the baby. Feed it to her as she twists turns and wiggles everywhere the spoon is not. Find a lump of it on your shirt 30 minutes later. Stick the other children’s food in the freezer until cooled down. Block out screams from hunger pains coming from 3 highchairs. Continue feeding baby. Take out bowls and run for cover as the food goes everywhere… but in their mouths.

Step 4:

For shower time try to make it seem like it will be fun. Try and convince yourself of this too. Note for a novice: watch out for pee as the diaper is removed. Dump ice cold water onto the charge to start the extravaganza. Mix in a little bit of soap and then repeat the water. Be prepared to get soaked in the process. After dress the children, brush their teeth, and wipe sweat from your brow. Beware of small clothed children trying for a second round in the shower while finishing the washing process.

Step 5:

Play, read, play, scold, play, read, scold, scold, play.

Repeat as necessary.

Step 6:

NAP TIME!!!!!! Sleep if you can.

Step 7:

Repeat step 3, 4, and 5(x2).

Step 8:

For bed time clean up the mountain of toys sprawled all across the floor. Next make three bottles of milk and 4 sippy cups of milk. Do not forget the milk, or you will be sorry. Place screaming kids into bed and watch them run away. Try again. Watch them run a second time. Third time will be the charm if you can manage to close the door fast enough. Do not sit back and relax, the night is not over yet.

Step 9:

Make a pallet for yourself on the floor outside their room. Find many fans and make them all point directly into your face. Take a few minutes for yourself to recap the day and laugh at getting peed and spit up on. Pass out asleep.

Step 10:

Thirty minutes later wake up to a screaming baby and make a mad dash to find bottles. Try and get some rest after this. You have all this to look forward to again tomorrow!


Written by: The Nannies in Manila
(serving June & July 2009)

Medical Mission

It was a special day in the community of Cuatro, Philippines on July 2, when over 150 volunteers gathered at the JCCV to offer a free medical and dental clinic, as well as the opportunity to hear God’s Word, to the members of the village. The clinic, sponsored by the First Filipino Baptist Church out of Bayonne, NJ, in the United States, is a continuation of a ministry that was started in 1997 by Pastor Ulysses Marino, known as the ‘Blessed to Bless Medical Mission’. During the day, 460 adults and children of the Cuatro community were served and 218 made a decision to follow Christ.

The FFBC ‘B2B Medical Mission’, which served several Filipino communities from June 27- July 4, started with a vision. Pastor Uly, as he is known to his congregation, and a native-born Filipino, took a suitcase full of medical supplies up into the mountains of Mindanao in 1997 and came back home with a few stories to tell and plans for future visits. The subsequent trip, which occurred two years later, included 16 members of the church he serves in New Jersey. And today, nearly half of his church membership comes to the Philippines to offer medical supplies and care every other year. “We are part of a foundation of four organization and I am so encouraged every time I come back,’ said Medino. ‘We have already far surpassed any goal we set out for ourselves this trip. Our first day we served over 1000 people and over 600 were saved.”

“It has been a real blessing to work with Jeff Long and all the volunteers at the Kids International Ministry here in Cuatro,” said Pastor Uly. “I am always so moved to see people from all walks of life come together for a greater purpose – to reflect God’s love for all. And it has been such a blessing to witness first-hand God’s own hand in so many seemingly random coincidences, but are really no coincidences at all,” he said with a smile. “One day, I was sitting in the local mall waiting to meet Steve Mirpuri, the local pastor in Cuatro, when a young girl approached me asking if I would like to buy the street magazine, Jeepney. I told her I was very interested in the magazine, bought a copy and put it aside. When Steve joined me, he told me of all the amazing work that God was doing in and through the Kids International Ministry, including sponsoring and homing the Jeepney Magazine. The minute he said it, he looked over and saw the copy that I had purchased and hollered, that’s it, that’s the magazine I’m talking about. I love those kinds of ‘coincidences’ because you realize God’s reach is far and all-encompassing!”

Accompanied by a team of doctors, nurses, dentists, spiritual counselors and other volunteers, the medical mission goes into some of the most desperate of communities here in the Philippines. On July 1, they went into the slum known as Payatas, in Quezon City, a place where over 300,000 people live and fight over the trash that serves as the foundation for the shanties they have erected for their families. These shanties are built in and around the trash ‘mountain’ where nearly 6000 garbage trucks dump their haul each and every day. Eva Medalla, a registered nurse with the mission saw the reality of the last trip and her life was forever changed by what she saw. “I am burdened by the desperation around me here and I can no longer live without telling everyone I know what is happening. This is awful to recount, but I saw a little boy who, when he coughed, coughed up a worm. I couldn’t believe it. It broke my heart. This reality must change,” said Medalla. Nay Santa Ana, a first-time volunteer to this mission echoes Medalla, “After seeing the conditions in Payatas, I am convinced that if we do not give to missions, we are sinning. I can never again complain about anything. Whenever there is a chance to help, I will challenge others, with all my heart,” she added.

Melody Del Rosario, the church’s music director, came with her whole family. Even her youngest of her 3 children had roles to fulfill during the mission, helping out in the pharmacy. “Our church’s heartbeat is missions,” said Del Rosario, “everyone takes part. We have a membership of 90 and yet we serve over 100 missions and seminary students. More missions are supported than we have members.”

It takes 2 years for FFBC and its other partners to raise the funds for the mission, but everyone takes part in the fundraising and they organize many fundraising events such as the ‘Sacrificial Dinner’ where a dinner, accompanied by skits, music and a special program presented by the children of the church is offered.

The next mission is scheduled to take place in 2011 when they will again visit Cuatro with their offers of medicine, care, love and God’s Word. You can find out more by visiting the First Filipino Baptist Church website at http://www.ffbcnj.com/. There you will find a link with all the information pertaining to the “Blessed to Bless Medical Mission”, including how many were served as well as the number of people who came to know Christ’s love for them and made decisions to follow Him.
by: Pamela Arzel

Nannies in Manila

I am a 20 year old from Nashville, TN and I am living here at KIM for two months this summer, along with my team of four other girls. We are working at the orphanage in the nursery on daily shifts. At times I wondered if how I spend my summer would be effective at all, but when you are here and when you are with the kids, you realize that even just spending time with them does matter. A lot of times I feel like I am working a daycare or a kids camp, but when I am giving a child a shower, or staying up with them at night because they have a fever, I am then aware of the reality that these kids who are very young and very precious really don't have any parents that are coming to pick them up. It's times like those when all I really know to do is make them laugh or hold them real tight.

Last week a little 20 month old boy fell and cut his head open. We had to take him to the hospital which was very different from any hospital I have been to back home. Understandably so, this little boy did not want to cooperate with the x-ray technician or the surgeon who put 3 stitches in his head. After a lot of screaming and a lot of nurses holding him down, he was all put back together. He slept very well that night! This once again made me realize that there was a hole in this scene and that he should have a mother or a father there to help him through this long day. It also made me realize, however, how great of a staff and how great of a ministry KIM is putting out here in Manila. Even though these kids are truly missing out on a lot of things that I consider very common, like a family, I am very thankful that the staff here is loving and providing for these kids like they are. I don't really know where the children would be if they were not here.

To Know the Truth You Must Believe

I have been so blessed to be working with KIM for the last 3 weeks. I was very nervous 2 weeks ago about helping with 2 kids camps, but the camps turned out to be a huge blessing for me and for the older children in the home. The first camp was a two day camp that took place at the JCCV(Jesus Christ Church in the Valley) which is right next door to the Yun Jin Ministry Center. During the first day, about 90% of the teaching, talking, and instructions were in Tagalog and I couldn’t understand a word of it, but I could tell that all of the 62 children there were having a blast. So I pulled up my boot straps and bunkered down for a few more days of Filipino language and culture.

In those first 2 days, the children learned a memory verse, Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Each child was provided a journal and they were encouraged to write about what the Lord has been teaching them. They played soccer, basketball, and other fun games, had times of worship, and most importantly, they studied the word of God. I ended up being paired with a few of the 13 year old girls to discuss the Bible story which I was nervous about but turned out to be great fun.

At this point I was still nervous about going to the second camp in Zambales-the mango capital of the Philippines, until I found out that some of the other Filipino volunteers I had met would also be going. After a 6 hour bus ride, we arrived at the camp. The theme was X-Files “To know the Truth, You must Believe”. There were nearly 1,500 teen-age students at this camp and it was a little overwhelming but very high energy. There were 3 sessions(all in Taglish-a mixture of Tagalog and English) each with a different speaker. They addressed current issues faced by many teens in the Philippines with sermons and dramatic skits. The students enjoyed praise and worship time and the extreme games such as a giant water slide and a zip line challenge over the pond.

I had the blessing of explaining one of the skits and talking about salvation with Joi Ann, a girl from the community near the children’s home. The kids from the children’s home had a great time, but were very tired after 2 long bus rides and 2 camps filled with fun activities and Bible lessons. Praise God that I had the opportunity to share this experience with the kids and I even learned some Tagalog!

Amber