In the evening we participated in the Sunday youth
service. It was inspiring to see approximately 70 young people come together
and pour out their love and adoration for The Lord. Our college students, from
Malaysia, served on a panel to discuss purity and provided great insights and
encouragement to the youth.
Day 2 - we are beginning our VBS program an hour earlier
this year, at 8 a.m.! It is a little early, especially for our four young team
members, but the street children are always waiting no matter what time you
start. They are always so excited to participate in the program and pour out their
love and appreciation without inhibitions. What a joy to see such unbridled
enthusiasm and energy! Each day ends with feeding the children a wonderful
meal. One young boy was asked if he had enough food and he responded, "no,
but it was the best meal I have ever had!"
Day 3 - another great day of VBS and the numbers keep
increasing. Due to space limitations, the church strives to keep the daily
number of children to about 125 - 130. No child is denied an opportunity to
participate but it makes it a significant challenge to accommodate more
children in tight spaces. With temperatures in the high 90's and high humidity,
the team doesn't have a lot of energy at the end of each VBS session but team
members have been greatly encouraged by the children, the Pastor, and all the
volunteers!
We had plans to go to a local squatter village late
afternoon but torrential rains prevented us from going. It is one of the most
flood-prone areas in Metro Manila. We will try again tomorrow.Curt had an opportunity to visit a clinic under construction and run by an amazing young woman from Romania. She attends New Hope and we are part of her prayer team and exploring ways we can assist her in this endeavor, to care of the physical and spiritual needs of this community. It is going to be a wonderful center, when it is finished, and needs a roof before the real monsoon season begins. Please join this dear sister, Alina Voda, in praying for a divine blessing to provide a roof in the near future.
Day 4 - another great day of VBS in the morning as the
children began to look at the life of Jesus. Children were very engaged in the
stories, crafts, music and games planned for the day. The children were fed and
sent home happy and prepared to share with their families all the things they
experienced. The combined efforts of the
pastor's family, the church volunteers, and the First Baptist team were a
blessing and appreciated by the children.
In the afternoon, we visited a nearby, squatter village
where some of the children lived in very impoverished conditions. We provided a
group mime, a Bible story, and a women's program. The families were then
provided a meal.
Day 5 - this was the final day of VBS and was filled with
mixed emotions. It was a joy to see the attentiveness, by the older children,
to the Gospel presentation as well as the amazing response at the invitation.
We are thankful, that in the midst of challenging lives,
these children experienced a happy and joyful time for the week. We believe
they will remember our time together and understand the real reason for our
being with them - Jesus our Savior!As always, the children blessed us far more that we feel we blessed them. We will never forget the smiles, the hugs, and the games we shared together.
Day 6 - on Saturdays, New Hope provides a program called
Super Kids. It was designed to increase their Bible knowledge, strengthen their
academics, and provide a safe haven for the children. It was our pleasure to
join them on our last morning in the Philippines and we were thankful to see
many of the children from the week's VBS.
Approximately 300 children joined in the music, Bible
stories, and games. This continues to be a wonderful outreach ministry by this
local church. They are making a significant impact in the lives of these
children many would consider throw-aways. We know, of course, that no one is a
throw-away in the Father's eyes.