This morning we ran the Sunday service at Shine. Ps Jon lead worship alongside Jed, with Kimmy and Linda. We performed a skit as a team. Harold shared his testimony. Jasmine, Sarah and Kimmy ran Sunday school. We were readily accepted by Shine’s congregation.

We had lunch and paid a short visit to the orphanage. The girls were delighted to see us. We dropped off a few photos we took with them in the previous visit. And they were embracing us refusing to let us leave.

The dance competition was held at a basketball court right beside the orphanage. Shaun and Harold MC-ed the event with Jhan (Shine’s youth). Ruth, Harold and Jasmine represented us in performing. What happened next was just mind blowing and unlike any dance we’ve ever seen on tv. They put “So you think you can dance” to shame. Keep checking this space for videos when we return.

Shaun did exceptionally well despite being unwell. He is ok now.

We shook hands and exchanged smiles with the dancers. They were fierce on stage but very shy when off stage.

Ps Quentin shared a message. Almost the whole place responded and prayed along with Gentelle to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

We then had dinner with Shine’s youth. We exchanged tearful goodbyes. Today marks the last day of our mission trip and the beginning of a good relationship with Shine. We will be on holiday tomorrow and then having dinner with Pastora Gee and family.

Today we spent the day with the youth of Shine FGA Manila preparing for the dance competition tomorrow. The dance competition will be held at at a basketball court. All 20 groups participating are non-Christians. Contestants are not allowed to dance to music with coarse language or sexual reference.

The youth at FGA Shine are a cheerful easy going bunch. Happy is one word that describes them very well.

I’d like to take this moment to share about two of Pastora Gee’s children. Their sacrifice for us during our time really set a whole new mark to going the extra mile. Ate (big sister) Gentelle, Pastora Gee’s eldest daughter, has been coming straight after work each day to spend time with us, having to wake up at 4am the next day for a 5am start, travelling two hours and 40kms (one way) to work each day (this is a norm here in Manila), and never once complaining about tiredness, but practiced grace the entire time. John David (Jet) Pastora Gee’s son has been an absolute blessing an addition to our team. He has been staying here at Dreamland with us the days that he doesn’t go to Bible College. Ensuring our travel safety and comfort. They are both real troopers.

We had a few minor bumps today but we are still in good spirits. Please do keep us in prayers that we will be protected from any spiritual attacks as we lead up to a major evangelistic event here in Manila.

Jamie

Today we visited the inner parts of Bagong Silang. It is a squatters area that is very much like a tiny village. There were no roads in. So after taking a very narrow turn in the van that brought us there, we travelled by foot into the inner parts. We were brought around by the youth of Shine who live in that area. They also translated for us. We visited the houses in pairs and prayed for them. Each pair was accompanied by a youth from Shine. Most of them were in their early teens. Everywhere we walked, we met siblings of theirs.

We visited the dance group that will be participating in our sponsored dance competition on Sunday that we will be running together with Shine. Their moves were very dangerous. They flipped their bodies around vigorously. They practice inside a creek when it rains to minimize injuries.

Bagong Silang left a very deep impression on me as everyone there knew each other and played with each other. There were many houses, but they were one big family. The children were all gathered together in the same area playing with each other. No one seemed lonely at that place. They were very poor, but very rich in contentment, joy and love.

Pastora Gee (Virginia) expressed her shock when she reflected to us about how in Melbourne, we didn’t even know our neighbors.

Tomorrow, we will be spending the day with the members of Shine. Preparing for the youth rally and dance competition on Sunday. Uncle Donalto and Aunty Yolanda parents, Ruth’s grandparents will be joining us at the dancing competition!

Our team is fasting and praying for these two events tonight. Please pray alongside us.

Jamie

Yesterday we visited an orphanage of 16 girls and 18 boys age ranging from 6 months to 20 year old. The first little boy that we met was 6 month old. He is half Japanese. His mum left him and his sister Victoria in a taxi claiming that she will be back shortly but never went back for them. Ps Quentin was seen holding on to Victoria the entire time we were there.

The younger children clicked to Harold very quickly and was soon found climbing up him clinging on to his neck begging for hugs.

Kimmy has been shown to be a gifted evangelist from the first day at Philippines. She shared her life testimony and the girls instantly related to it.

Sarah’s testimony was delivered with great power. God was evidently working through her.

There’s a seventeen year old girl who was sexually abused when she was seven and has stopped growing physically since. Due to that, she has difficulties walking without support.

The oldest child there Carme 20 year old who has been at the orphanage since she was ten witnessed her older sister sexually abused by her dad. Her three other siblings reside in three different orphanages and they only see each other on their birthdays. Carme is a born again Christian who came to Christ through Shine’s weekly bible study. She is currently in her final year of high school and is the only one in the orphanage that goes to school. The others had given up on going to school. She dreams to study computer science and to work in Australia one day. She could not take her eyes off the little koala that we brought over and was very grateful to receive one. Their eyes when they found out that we were leaving our soccer ball behind was as though they were given a precious jewel.

Hannah cried when we were leaving. She said that she is going to miss us and was clinging on when hugged. She said our departure felt like when her mum left her.

The other girl who seemed very distant from the crowd, when approached asked with plea-ing eyes if we were returning next December.

Each child there had a heart wrenching story of their own and desperately reached out for love.

We prayed for each child individually, had lunch with them and took lots of photos promising we will post it to them soon.

Tomorrow we will be ministering at Bagong Silang, an inner slum area. There are orphans there as young as ten that attempts to survive alone refusing to go to the orphanage.

Please pray for our travel safety especially tomorrow at Bagong Silang, our belongings, our team unity, and that we are able to love as God loves us and loves them.

Jamie

Last night, Ruth’s cousins brought us balut. It is a Phillipino delicacy of an egg with a chick fetus in it. Most of the team took up the challenge. I must admit that bones, beaks and feathers aside. It was quite tasty.

Today we spent the day with Compassion. We visited the private school where they ran the compassion program. They currently have 338 students on the program. The children were evidently in their Sunday best, and most of them warmed up to us in no time.

Sarah, Franny and Ruth ran an Aussie cultural class with them teaching, playing games and giving them tokens representing Australia.

We were privileged to have lunch with four of the children sponsored by our church, three from within fungus and one of Uncle Patrick and Aunty Jessica. After that, we walked about 2kms with our sponsored children to their houses. Our youth were extremely excited being able to bring presents for the children and the presents with received with great appreciation and joy.

Most of our team grew up in developed countries and were greatly affected by the poor conditions that the children and their families live in. Even the journey to take home is a dangerous one for a four year old. The team agreed that a single house housing a family of up to seven people was as big as our single bedroom. We were able to pray for the children and their families. The parents were touched to tears just by the hugs we were giving them. Looking at their conditions, we felt like giving them everything we could. Check this space for photos and more detailed testimonies when we return.

Jed, Jamay, Lasie and Alliyah will definitely remain in our hearts and prayers for a very long time.

Jasmine has recovered from her mouth ulcer. Ruth’s cold however has gotten worse. We would appreciate your continuous prayers. Especially in terms of our health, travel safety and most importantly that we are able to share as much of God’s love as we could.

Jamie

We are currently having lunch at SM with 5 compassion workers. I’m just having a chat with Sheryl, a compassion volunteer that is the same age as myself. She had just taken a month off from her nursing career to help out. Her boyfriend is a volunteer doctor at compassion.

We have just came from Bagong Silang a reclaimation area where the government relocate the city squatters. We took the van and tricycle to some home visits and met Jak Jak and his mum. Jak Jak is a six month old little boy with liver sickness and jauntice. They are under the compassion program for help with medication. Rut prayed for Jak Jak. He is developing in social skills like a regular boy. We left him with a koala toy of which he tried to bite it’s backside off.

We were also privileged to meet the 38 mums and 34 children at the compassion church. They had a presentation of how they were taught to make detergent. Michael a little boy was noticeably the extrovert of the group running around us demanding for high 5s and hugs. He stole all our hearts.

We will be doing more home visits during the next few days.

Jasmine is currently struggling with a painful mouth ulcer and Rut woke up with a sore throat this morning. Do keep us in prayers.

Jamie

We are currently having our first dinner in the Philippines while sucking up their data download updating you on our well-being here Pastora Gee is having a great time chatting with Pastora “Quinton” and Ruth’s cousins are treating us like kings and queens.

In my first hour in Philippines, I have learned a few things:
• whenever leaving a door, ensure that you are willing to be scanned and padded down if you decide that you want to return through the same door
• zebra crossing might mean the world to pedestrians but mean nothing to drivers
• when over-taking a car, honk three times
• when refusing to let a car over take you, honk three times too
• you are allowed to over take a car unconditionally
• to drive safely on roads, have your hazard lights on, because you are a hazard to all hazardous drivers (all drivers are hazardous)
• when you are following another car and you are reliant on each other, also have your hazard lights on, because together you are a hazard to everyone else
• perhaps their youth should be on a mission trip at our church instead (quoting Jan an 18yo “we are all very poor but rich in Christ…. I’m very happy to be able to serve God”)

The first day of our mission trip was like living and watching the movie “step up”. We shook hands with the stars. They were all very shy. Except they when they dance, they put all reality tv show to shame. We are very proud of Harold our fungus representative, who fought till his very end.

I shall now put my iPhone away so that our family here in Philippines still remain hopeful that there is still at least a young lady that does not play with her phone during dinner.

Continue keeping us in prayers. It’s been pouring since we arrived. May God’s favor pour on us too.