Looking to the future...

It has been a while since we last posted an entry about our adventures in Manila, Philippines. The Justice team returned to Tauranga, New Zealand last Sunday to complete their re-entry week.We had our graduation on Thursday evening and have officially completed the Justice DTS! Outreach has given us so many stories of how God has been present, active and faithful in the Philippines. He has gone before us and provided the opportunities for us to demonstrate his love and do justice to the variety of people we meet. As a team we have been awed at the grace God has given us, despite our weakness and failings our Almighty God has equipped and used us to bring hope and encouragement to those we met. We have received freedom in Christ and we have had countless of opportunities to reflect this in the ministries we have been involved in.

This will be our final blog post, we thank you for your support,for praying and thinking of us during the weeks we have been away. We thank you for taking time to read the blog and learn about what we have been doing. We are so excited to share more of our stories of God's greatness with you when we return home. We now look towards the future with nervous-excitement, but with confidence that God has a mind-blowing, joy-filled plan for our lives. We leave DTS with a growing knowledge and understanding of who God is and an increasing love for the amazing God we serve. We can't wait to see what he has in store for us.

Thanks again for supporting us.

Blessings,

Justice Team

 

Debrief week in Manila

The Pacific Hope, our home for the past few weeks



Graduation Night, Paul and our tough Justice girls



A Little Slice of the Kingdom

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4, ESV)

This is a continuation of the story of our time in Olongapo City, focusing on Friday night at the base. This is our leader Dan's response to our great experience from that night.

After a week of bar outreach, Friday night came as an amazing time of spiritual refreshment for us. Earlier that same day, we had led a Bible Study for girls and lady-boys that we had invited during the week and seen many of them decide to pursue a relationship with Jesus. That was the very start of a journey for them, and it was a great thing to see. However, on Friday night we got to see women (a whole little community really) much further along on that journey, having already experienced some of the healing and redemption that God offers us. And that was even more amazing to see.

After eating dinner together outside in the long “courtyard” within the YWAM base compound, everyone at the base gathered together for a big party consisting of testimonies, performances, LOTS of dancing, photos (of course, it’s the Philippines), and awesome fellowship. Officially, it was a party celebrating everyone there with a birthday in May. In reality, though, it was simply an all-out celebration of God’s goodness to us and an outpouring of the excessive joy that He gives us. It was so right that several times during the evening I had the profound impression that I was seeing a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven: people of all ages from all over the world were singing, dancing, and praising God in unity, filled with real joy.

It started with the children doing dances that they had learned, including the hit “Tootsie Wootsie” that our team had taught them. Their other dances were “choreographed” and incredibly cute – there was an innocence preserved in them that had been denied many of their parents. After that, though, came something even more beautiful and redemptive. First, the current disciples (all former prostitutes or bar girls) performed a “dance” (or a sign language interpretation) to accompany a worship song. It was so awesome to see these ladies express their love for God in such a beautiful form – ladies who had previously danced only for the pleasure of others now able to dance solely for their own pleasure and for God’s. That isn’t to say that those watching don’t get pleasure out of it anymore; on the contrary, the purity and goodness of their dancing draw out a deep spiritual pleasure for everyone looking on. There’s still pleasure, but it is of a very different kind than before and it is shared by both dancer and audience. That’s redemption!

The disciples interpreting a worship song

The dancing continued as another young woman visually interpreted “My Redeemer Lives.” The dancer was the daughter of one of the base’s staff members (and herself staff at a different base), so to me her performance was a picture of a new generation of women growing up with true dignity and confidence in God and who He made them to be.

Queeny performing "My Redeemer Lives"

Finally, one more group of ladies performed a dance to a version of “Lean on Me.” This further emphasized the joy of the Lord and His redemptive work in this base and these women’s lives. Although the discipleship process is a long and difficult one, the ladies here have such a loving, sisterly attitude toward one another, and God’s healing touch is so powerful. Watching them dance, you could tell they were just having a great time – I think Cathy (one of our leaders) was smiling the entire time. What made it even better was my Swiss friend Joshua, who from the beginning of the song sang and danced along so enthusiastically that one of the ladies came and pulled him into the group, where he picked up the moves there were doing amazingly well. It was hilarious, but also yet another redemptive picture: a man dancing with the ladies, complementing them, totally respecting them, and sharing the joy with them. Another thought struck me: this is what real fun is – everyone sharing joy together in fellowship. And not just an elusive, short-lived “joy,” but a joy founded solidly upon the everlasting hope we have in Christ. It’s so much better than Satan’s cheap imitation of fun – taking pleasure at another person’s (or even your own) expense – which we had seen in the bars all week long.

The party continued with everyone singing “Happy Birthday” to those with May birthdays. Then Virgie, the base director, and the staff that had been leading us gave us an awesome thank-you, and then we took more photos and had cake. But that wasn’t all! We kept on dancing together, now led by a very capable band made up of three of the young guys at the base. We sang and danced until they stopped playing, but then a CD picked up where they left off. When that was over, we thought we were done, but they assured us they had one more thing for us to do.

What was it? Of course, it was eating balut! For those who don't know, balut is a fertilized duck embryo that has developed for 16-25 days before being boiled and eaten - essentially a delicacy in the Philippines. Nearly all of us ended up eating it, but I’m not sure any of us would do it again willingly. To be honest, it wasn’t too awful – it tastes generally like a hard-boiled egg, just with a rather awful texture and appearance. Fortunately, it was pretty dark outside where we ate it, so I pretty much just put it in my mouth without looking and it was OK. Others were not so fortunate (see photo).

Anyway, this party was a pretty incredible way to end the week. After of walking straight into some of the darker corners of the world, God lifted our eyes back up and showed us how powerful his Light really is.

Redeemed,

Dan

A crown of beauty...

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. – Isaiah 61:1-3

We have just arrived back to the Pacific Hope after spending a very full week at YWAM Olongapo/Tamar Foundation in the city of Olongapo. The Tamar Foundation is based at YWAM Olongapo and “provides counseling, education and basic needs for women at risk and those who been prostituted.” The Tamar Foundation provides a live-in, two year discipleship program for up to twelve women (and their children) and seeks to restore value and dignity to women through sharing Jesus and equipping them with skills that will enable them to gain further qualifications and employment that does not involve prostitution.

Tribal Church Ministry

On Sunday we woke up early and travelled by jeepney and on foot to a church located in the tribal community. It took us about an hour and a half to walk to the church (fortunately through beautiful scenery) and when we arrived a group of us went to tell the villagers that church was starting. The majority of this church’s attendees are under 12 years old, so for much of the service the majority of our team was outside leading the 40-50 children in actions songs and games while Joshua preached the sermon.  After the service we helped with the feeding program, ladling chicken noodle soup into bowls, tin cans, cups and anything else that the children and adults could find to hold their meal. We finished the morning with lunch followed by swimming in a nearby river. It was so refreshing after the hot walk, the church service, and all the time in dirty, urban Manila.

Local children enjoying chicken soup

On our way to church

We then began the week with orientation on Monday morning and jumped straight into the first session of children’s ministry that afternoon. We were amazed at the energy of just 10-15 children (all from 1 to 12 years old), and we soon realized their love for dancing and music. This ministry was a great time for us to share stories of the Bible through skits, give teaching about what faith looks like and get to know the children through games and songs. Kyle, Joshua, Nicole, Edgar, Paul and Mishelle all took turns to organize and teach during the children’s ministry which continued each afternoon until Friday.

The amazing children in the kids ministry

Teenage Guys Bible Study and Mentoring

After dinner each evening (Monday through Thursday), the guys of the justice team had a chance to spend time with a small group of teenage guys who live at the base. Our guys used this time to get to know the teenagers, share testimonies, and teach them based on Scripture and their own life experience. This was a really great opportunity for these teens to be mentored by solid Christian men, something they can’t always get because most of them don’t have fathers in their lives.

Disciples Bible Study

Alongside this, our girls would get together with the disciples and lead a bible study. The disciples are women who have previously been involved in prostitution and bar work and are now part of the Tamar foundation’s two-year program. As the emphasis of this ministry is ‘one person at a time’, each young woman has started the program at a different time and is therefore at different stages of the healing and restoration process. A number of our justice girls led the bible studies with these beautiful women and taught on topics relating to identity, spiritual warfare, and seeking Jesus. Our ladies also shared powerful testimonies during the week, prompting questions from the disciples about forgiveness, pain and healing. This presented an amazing opportunity for our justice girls to speak truth into their lives, to share their own experiences in relation to the questions raised, and speak hope and freedom in Christ. We were able to pray and talk with each of the women after each bible study and minister to them individually. On the first night, one young woman in her early twenties (and 8 months pregnant) decided to give her life to Jesus Christ. Christie and Mishelle were invited to pray for her (and her unborn baby) and then lead her in prayer to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior! We are so thankful that God gave us this small but significant part to play in this woman’s journey of faith; it was a definite example of our Father partnering with us and inviting us to be involved in the incredible work that He is doing at YWAM Olongapo.

Bar Ministry

After the Disciples’ Bible Study each night we would spend some time in prayer as a group before heading to an area called Barretto which is a well known for bars and prostitution. Once there we separated into three groups of four. A YWAM Olongapo staff member also accompanied each group because they are familiar with the bar area and what bars we are allowed to enter. Our goal each night was to initiate conversations with the waitresses, dancers, and mamasans (the women who negotiates business between the customer and prostitutes), invite them to a Bible study on the coming Friday, and get their phone number so that the ministry can maintain contact with them. If we were not speaking with the girls, we were praying for change and transformation in the bar and the lives of those who enter it.

During this bar ministry time we learnt more of the nature of prostitution in the Olongapo and the Philippines as a whole. Many young women enter bar work due to poverty – they are either responsible for financially supporting their family back at home or must work to provide food for their own children. One girl told us that she came to work in the bars to support her family who in Manila. Her family is unaware of the nature of her work; she told them she is working in a restaurant knowing it would hurt them to know she was involved in prostitution. Many girls do not think that there are any other options for them: one 18 year old girl we spoke to had been working at the bar for 3 months, and when asked what she hoped to do in the future she looked confused and had no answer for what other job she could see herself doing. This mindset is understandable when the prostitution industry in the Philippines is the third largest in the world. Jobs in bars are more accessible for women who have not finished their high school education or who are desperate and feeling the pressure of supporting family and children.

But there is still hope and options for their future! This is the message we brought with us into the bars: the love, hope, and provision that is available from and in God. Through prayer we were prepared to go into the bars, observe the oppression, darkness and injustice, and seek to bring love and change to the people we met. This is true in one bar that Jules, Christie, Kyle, and Dan went into. One customer approached Jules and Christie commenting that something was different about them – they made him nervous. This led to conversation with him and another man about their personal stories, their view of God, the bars they were in, and the prostitution industry. This was a God-given opportunity as we learned more about the brokenness, pain, and guilt that is present in lives of the men who come into these bars and were able to bring truthful answers to the questions they asked about ourselves and God. 

We have so many more testimonies of how God provided opportunities for us to speak with young women and present another option for their futures. One group met two young women who had just begun working at a bar. They were not happy with their situation and were interested in leaving. During that night, these two women (at different times) packed up their belongings and came to the YWAM Olongapo base with the help of the base staff. After conversation with the base coordinator they decided that they wanted to return to their province, the justice girls and two staff members then spent some time praying for the two women before they left. It was great to see God at work in the situation, both young women accepted Jesus Christ.  Meeting and helping them was a reminder of the potential for the conversations we have with those working in the bars to lead to women making the decision to seek a better future and take action to leave bar work.

Community Orphanage Service

During the week, we spent a couple of afternoons in a Catholic orphanage and retirement home talking with the residents and singing with them. This was an enjoyable and sometimes amusing time for us as we learnt more about what life is like for the elderly who do not have family who can take care of them.

Bar Ministry Bible Study

On Friday we returned to the Barretto Street bar area to host a bible study for the women and lady-boys (young men who dress as women and find their identity as women) we had invited during the week. We had no idea how many men and women would turn up, but we arrived with expectation that God would prompt those who needed to come. God answered our prayers as we had a group of about 15 men and women who we had met during the week come and be part of the bible study. This time of ministry was a brilliant example of how we have a God-selected team. Each person of the justice team had a specific role to play during the bible study time: some were praying, others were spending time getting to know the girls and guys who attended, and still others led worship, gave testimonies or prepared and delivered the message. It is awesome to continue to see how God has used such a diverse group of people to share the gospel and minister to a broad range of people during this outreach.    

YWAM Olongapo’s guiding scripture is Isaiah 61:1-3 (see beginning). The reason why they chose it is evident because it encapsulates their purpose so well. This past week the justice team has got a taste of this mission in action. We saw that as Christians we have the authority of God to preach good news to the poor (financially and spiritually), to minister to the broken and hurting people we meet, to speak about the freedom we have in Christ, and play a part in helping men and women be released from the darkness of the profession they are involved in. God equips and strengthens us to comfort and provide for those who mourn and experience loss, to speak truth about the value God places on each individual and to demonstrate the love God has for us practically.

The Justice team and those who attended the Friday Bible study

Blessings,

The Justice Team 

Working in Us

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21, ESV)

One of the children at the dumpsite feeding program

Mishelle hard at work at the Nutritional Day Care

We have come to the end of our second and final week serving within the Smokey Mountain community. Our week started out slowly with cleaning on the ship for Monday morning to get it ready for a function the next day. In the afternoon we headed to a nearby mall, caught up on shopping and ended the day watching Iron Man 3 at the movies. On Tuesday we returned to Smokey Mountain and continued with the various ministries that YWAM is part of. We split into groups again with one group heading to the Malnutrition Day Care to help feed and play with the delightful babies. Each of the justice group have found their favorite little person and the time we spend with at the Day Care is a definite highlight of the day. A number of bible studies also took place with Jules, Amber and Christie teaching to various groups related to the YWAM Balut school sponsorship program and Tuberculosis Ministry. These bible studies were often spur of the moment and required us to rely on God to give us the right words and insight into what we were to teach. Through these bible studies we were able to share our testimonies and the hope we have in Christ; we were also able to listen to the stories of how God has provided for Christians living in Smokey Mountain over the years. One lady who has worked with YWAM Balut for twenty years shared how after nine years of marriage her husband died and she was widowed with four young children. She told how she prayed to God that He would help her and provide a way of getting all her children a high school education. God has answered her prayers as all her children have gained a high school qualification and now have steady jobs. This is an amazing outcome as it is not common in the Smokey Mountain community for all the children in a family to have received high school educations and be employed in regular work. This is definite evidence of God's faithfulness and providence in this family.

Singing and dancing with the kids at the feeding program

Amber and Lindsay at the feeding program

This week has been a time where we have seen God working in everyday situations and the lives of ordinary people. Amber, Dan, Joshua and Mishelle had the opportunity to visit a wonderful Christian lady named Noemi last week who was in need of reading glasses in order to read her Bible. The group of four returned to her and her husband on Tuesday to tell her that they would help her buy some glasses. Through donations by the justice team and crew of the Pacific Hope we were able to raise about 2000 pesos over a week! Part of these donations was used to buy ten Tagalog Bibles while the remainder was to be used to buy glasses for the Noemi. However, when they shared this with her, she told them that her husband had found a job the previous day and they would now be able to afford to purchase the glasses on their own. This was phenomenal news as the previous visit our YWAM group had prayed for employment for her husband, this prayer was answered within a week. Noemi encouraged the group to use the money to bless someone else who needed it so they prayed about who they should give the money to. Amber, Dan, Mishelle and Joshua continued with their visitations, expecting God to provide an opportunity to bless someone financially. This came during their final visitation when meeting with a blind lady who could not afford to pay for electricity and did not have any chairs for her visitors to sit on. Her next door neighbor, Lola (grandmother) Melly lent her some chairs and was sharing her electricity so that the blind woman’s room could be better lit. Lola Melly lives with her husband who suffers from arthritis and is being treated for TB, her 20 year old daughter and granddaughters in a nearby permanent housing unit. Lola Melly was eager to learn more about God and really wanted to start attending a church. The group of four shared the gospel with her, prayed for her and through conversation found out that she had a Bible but is also unable to read it due to poor eye sight and lack of glasses. This was really the same situation that sister Noemi was in, so we felt that God had answered our prayers and showed us who and what to use the money for. On Friday, Mishelle, Dan and their translator Kuya Lito went with Lola Melly to the optometrist to get her eye sight assessed and new glasses fitted. This trip was a success and Lola Melly planned to return to the optometrists on the next day to collect her new glasses. On the train ride back to Smokey Mountain Lola Melly shared with Mishelle and Dan that she had enjoyed spending time with them and felt hugely blessed by God. She explained how she knew that God was using our Justice team to help her and her family. We are so thankful to know that we can be used by God to help people through the little things that will make a significant impact on their daily lives even after we leave. God prepared the way for us to be in a position to bless others practically and demonstrate His love and care for them.

Lola Melly trying on new glasses

Melly wearing her new frames!

Another way we have seen God continue to work and answer prayer has been when we returned to an area of Karaoke bars where we first met a group of young women who were working in one establishment during our first day in Manila (refer to our first blog post for details on our first meeting with them). We really wanted to see them again and continue our conversations with them. The justice team has been praying for the group of five women during debrief time each night since we met them. We arrived at the Karaoke Bar mid afternoon on Wednesday and began praying for an opportunity to speak with the girls. After a few minutes of arriving Lindsay noticed a young woman walking near the bar entrance so she started a conversation with her to find out if she knew of the girls we had spoken with previously. She did and said that they would be arriving at the bar for work at 5:00pm; that meant a wait of an hour and a half for us. Lindsay got her phone number and we began to wait and pray along the street. Lindsay suggested that we buy the girls some cold drinks to share between them as a practical way to bless them and to show that we had actually stopped by to visit them. A handful of us went to buy drinks and the others continued to pray for opportunities to meet the girls again and for God to provide a way of delivering the drinks to them. We also wrote a quick message to them with the justice group's phone number on it in the event that they would like to contact us, we told them we had been praying and thinking of them and that we would love to meet up again. After the group returned with drinks and we had waited about an hour, Danny knocked on the bar's side door with the hope that someone would answer. It was opened by a man who knew of the girls and said he would pass the drinks and note on to the girls. We said good bye and prayed that he would actually deliver the message. During our ride back to the ship in the jeepney we received a text from one of the girls thanking us for the drinks and note. She and Amber have been texting each other, we are hoping this will lead to us arranging a time in the coming weeks to catch up with all the girls for coffee. We will trust that God will provide the opportunity for this to happen and put us in the right place at the right time.

Nicole and Edgar also had an interesting afternoon on Wednesday with the family they have been getting to know visiting the Pacific Hope. Nicole and Edgar presented them with one of the Tagalog Bibles that the Justice Donations Container had helped raise money for. As they were leaving the family was able to sort through the ship’s recycling rubbish and select the plastic and aluminum cans that they can sell for much needed money. It was interesting to observe that our rubbish and easily discarded waste was a central way this homeless family earned money to survive day to day.  

Edgar and Nicole with Alona's family and friends

This week came to a close with an evening of games on the ship with the YWAM Balut staff, this led to Kyle and Paul trying a special delicacy of the Philippines: balut. While it is also the name of the community where the YWAM base is located, balut more commonly refers a fertilized chicken egg that is boiled and eaten after 16 days of development (so that the embryo is already partially developed). There are many street stalls in Manila selling balut, they definitely offer a challenge for any eager person wanting to try something different.

On Saturday we left the Pacific Hope and Manila to begin the journey to the YWAM base in Olongapo to begin ministry with former prostitutes, their families, and local bar girls. We are excited about what this coming week will entail; we know God will definitely be at work in us and through us to plant seeds of hope, truth, and healing in others’ lives as well as our own.

Blessings,

Justice Team

P.S. Here are some more photos of the Smokey Mountain area, taken by the talented Danny Aviles.

Sermons on the (Smokey) Mount

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. -Galations 5:6b 

Our ministry time in Smokey Mountain has begun! Smokey Mountain is the site of Manila's former trash dump, which formed a huge mountain. Previously, many people lived on the trash heap scavenging for recyclables or anything of value, but now the government has built around a dozen 5-story permanent housing (apartment) buildings where thousands still live. This week the justice team has been working alongside YWAM Balut with its various ministries within the Smokey Mountain community. We started off with orientation at the Balut YWAM base where the coordinator shared with us a brief history and the central aims of the base. Initially, the focus has been on providing healthcare to the hundreds of people, young and old affected by TB (Tuberculosis) and other treatable health conditions and illnesses. Over the years this focus has expanded to meet the pressing issue of breaking the generational cycle of poverty through education. YWAM Balut strongly believe that along with the Gospel, education is the central way of bringing about lasting change in the lives of the families that live in Smokey Mountain. Through education, children will gain the necessary qualifications that will give them options for the future so that poverty  will not continue to define their daily lives.

Edgar, Nicole, Joshua, and Mishelle with a man they visited

After the orientation we caught a jeepney to the recently build ministry centre located at Smokey Mountain. This purpose built centre will be the location for a range of ministries, including bible studies and the high school ministry. Here we split into three groups of four and with a YWAM Balut staff member we conducted visitations. This involved speaking with mothers, some fathers and grandparents who have children who are part of the school sponsorship programme. We would arrive at a family's house, introduce ourselves with "Ako si [name] and speak with them,via translator about their living situation, the health and well-being of the members of their family. We heard about the challenges the families faced with regard to finding permanent employment, illnesses, schooling, food and finances. After asking questions and listening a couple of people within the group would pray, share Bible verses and encourage  the parents. Visitation was at times awkward but as we got used to thinking of and asking relevant questions we were able to establish a rapport with the individuals we met.  Meeting with the various families was not only a time of encouragement for them but also a time of learning for us as we observed the reality of poverty and living from day to day. We saw that it was not uncommon for multiple families to be living in a two roomed house, with one visit revealing 34 people living in one home. Many of the adults of this house slept in the outside with the children sleeping on mats or the floor  in the main room. 

In amongst visitation we also had the opportunity to spend time at the Malnutrition Day Care Unit. Our time here was a highlight for many of the people in our justice team, we were able to feed and play with a group of babies aged between one month and two years. It was fantastic to be able to cuddle and hold these beautiful children and learn more about their young lives and the nature of the work of the day care employees. From Monday to Friday this day care looks after about ten to fifteen young children and offers weekly bible studies for the mothers. We came to see that due to malnutrition these children were not reaching the developmental milestones a healthy baby should be achieving in their early years. We observed a stark contrast in size of the babies and toddlers we see back in our home countries and the little ones at this day care. Children who were nearly two years old were still learning to walk and even struggled to roll over from their tummy to the back. We learned that many of the babies had coughs because the days are so hot and at night they are sleeping outside in the cooler temperatures. Despite the developmental obstacles that these children face, we got to see their amazing personalities revealed during play with them, some were content just to watch the things happening around them while others were more adventurous and were climbing and crawling.

Nutritional day care center

Tricycle ride!

On Friday we had the opportunity to go to the newest trash site, a short tricycle ride from Smokey Mountain and help with the feeding program that YWAM Balut coordinates. We managed to fit 14 people between two tricycles and despite some near misses we arrived safely at the YWAM building. This new trash site differed significantly from the permanent housing at Smokey Mountain, whereas Smokey Mountain's roads and alley ways were cleared of rubbish the new trash site was dominated with discarded rubbish everywhere. We began the morning with introductions, actions songs and then Ate (respectful term for a woman who is older than you), Jovy, our YWAM staff leader prayed for the food. Danny and Jules helped wash the children's hands and then the meal of fish, rice and soup was served to 60-70 children. It was amazing to see how having a cup of water and a plate of food was so valuable to the kids, plastic cups of water were carried with extreme care so as not to drop any on the dirty ground.  It was mind-blowing to think how this small portion of water is an essential part to their daily survival and one that we often use so wastefully.

In the afternoon we returned to the ministry centre for the high school ministry, this entailed us leading a group young adults in games, worship, testimonies and a message. We took part in this ministry time again on Saturday morning with a different group of teenagers, many of which are sponsored by YWAM Balut to go to public high school and receive an education. For many children and teenagers in Smokey Mountain YWAM sponsorship is the only way they have access to schooling as their families do not have the finances to send their children to school.  Mishelle and Lindsay gave a short sermon and Paul, Joshua and Jules shared testimonies about how God has been active in their lives.  These ministry sessions have  been a time where God has challenged us by getting us out of our comfort zones and trying new things. 

High School Ministry

We also served in a second feeding program on Saturday morning as part of YWAM Balut's TB ministry. This was an interesting experience as there was the 12 members of the justice team, two YWAM staff and about 40 children aged between one year and 15 years crammed into a single room  no bigger than a the houses we had visited during our visitation time. We taught the children a number of action songs, then split up into two groups where Mishelle shared a devotion about identity with the older kids and Amber read a story to the younger ones. Kyle then helped Ate Jovy with serving the children tasty chicken soup and the rest of the justice team spent time talking and playing with the kids. We loved seeing the children's energy and eagerness to talk with us and join in with the singing.

Overall, we have been amazed at how God is working through the YWAM ministry in Smokey Mountain. We are thankful for the warm welcome and hospitality we have received by the YWAM staff and the families we have met. Despite their struggles they still greet us with a smile and are happy to share with us. We are learning more about how God is in the midst of people's lives,  familiar with their struggles and fully aware of the poverty that surrounds and swamps them. We see that we have been placed in this community to encourage and demonstrate the love of God through the various ministry activities we are involved in. We are relying on God to give us the strength, discernment, love and compassion  we need in order for us to actively show our faith to others and communicate the hope that we have found in Jesus Christ. 

If this past week has been any indicator we know that the upcoming one is going to be amazing! Until next time "Paalam" (goodbye).

Blessings, 
The Justice Team

Outreach on Land and Sea

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:8-10, ESV)

The justice team has had another week of hard work and sweat on board the Pacific Hope. The cleaning projects inside and out have continued with the paint chipping and scraping coming to an end and the first coat of paint being applied. The majority of the outside crew moved inside to help with renovating the mess hall and lounge/dining area. We stripped the wallpaper to reveal bare wooden walls pulled up the old carpet so it can be replaced. Many people have spent hours polishing brass portholes, a definite test of our patience as results are slow to appear.

Lindsay preparing the walls for painting

The funnel paint crew

During the week we have had many specialist work crews come aboard to do welding,  fix the air conditioning,  work on the plumbing, deliver fresh water and remove sewage. We are thankful and amazed at the way God provides for the practical needs of the ship - He has met our financial needs so far and has provided ways to lower expenses and still get tasks completed. We can't wait to see the Pacific Hope when it has been fully renovated. It will look amazing!

On Tuesday, the girls received the welcome news that the guys would be trading places with them for sleeping; the air-conditioned and spacious guys' cabin became the temporary home for the girls while the guys resorted to camping out in the dining area and upper deck. This was a definite blessing as a number of girls were not well and really needed a place of their own to rest and re-energize. Thankfully, the air-conditioning was up and running on Friday so the girls moved into their original cabins and the guys returned to theirs. We are all thankful to God for the cool rooms we can stay in and sleep in after a hot day's work. The justice, medical, and worship teams also got to relax and cool off at a nearby pool (part of the Manila Ocean Park) on Wednesday afternoon. This was a welcome break from the normal routine, and we enjoyed the refreshing swim and even got to watch a sea lion show in the neighboring pool.

This week a number of our group (Jules, Mishelle, and Amber)  had the opportunity to meet the family that Nicole and Edgar have been getting to know. We have been able to give them food and money for them to buy the initial school start-up kit (school books, uniform, certification, etc) for King David, their four year old son who will be beginning school in the upcoming months. His mother was excited to show Nicole and Edgar all the school supplies bought with our donations. We are so happy that we could help them in a practical way that will make a difference to the lives of their young children. Edgar and Nicole are also looking for ways to help them in even longer-lasting ways.


Dan and Edgar also had an adventure this week helping an elderly woman named Vyoleta whom Edgar and Nicole recently also found living on the street. A little while ago they noticed her sitting on the sidewalk with just a couple of plastic bags presumably containing all her worldly possessions. Each day after that, they noticed her in the same spot, seeming hardly to have moved. Feeling compassion for her, they began to bring her some food and get to know her as best they could to find out how she ended up the the situation she was in. They learned that she was actually from Mindanao, the large southernmost island in the Philippines, and had come to Manila to find her son, who was supposed to be living here. But once she arrived here she had no way to contact or find him, so she ended up on the street with nowhere to go. She seemed to be very depressed and without hope; it was difficult to even get her to eat. Edgar and Nicole talked to our ship's Filipino cooks, asking if there was some organization that could help her and at least get her off the street. They directed us to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a government agency, saying the organization could take her in, look for her family, and take care of her if no one could be found to take her.

So on Friday afternoon Edgar and Dan headed out with Evelyn, another Filipino crew member, to try and take Vyoleta to the DSWD at the nearby city hall. It proved easier said than done, as first Vyoleta refused to come with us despite her complete lack of other options, perhaps due to distrust, depression, or maybe even a spiritual attack. After nearly 45 minutes of coaxing and praying, however, she agreed to get in a cab with us. The cab driver didn't exactly know where the DSWD was, but we eventually found the right building. They let us in, and we wrote a letter telling how we met Vyoleta and what we knew about her. They assured us that they would give her food, a place to stay, and medical care, and they would try to find her family as well. So we prayed for her and left her in their care. We have continued to pray each night that she will receive all the care that she needs, along with the hope of the gospel.

The busy week ended with a relaxed weekend. Church was held on the ship and included thought-provoking sermon given by a medical DTS student and a time of prayer for the needs of the ship in the upcoming week.  Friday was our last day of work on the ship as we will begin our ministry this week. We are looking forward to learning about the range of ministries YWAM has in Manila and we are excited to see how God will use each of us to show His love to the many people we will meet. 

Until next time,
The Justice team


P.S. We're sorry this is so late - the internet isn't always the most reliable here in the Philippines.

Sanctifying a Rust Bucket

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5-6

This week we have transitioned from the comfort of the Kabayan Hotel to our next home on the M/V Pacific Hope, Marine Reach Ministry's "new" ship. Monday morning started strong with worship and group devotions led by Nicole, followed by a prayer walk around the streets that surrounded the hotel. For this we split up into three groups of four and prayed together and then set out into the hectic streets to walk, pray, and initiate conversations with the people we met on the way. This was challenging at the start - most of us aren't used to walking up to strangers in a foreign country - but it got easier, and we were able to talk and pray with lots of different people.

Waiting...and waiting...to be allowed to board the ship

After eating lunch at the hotel, we piled ourselves along with our baggage into two jeepneys and headed to the Manila Hotel. Rides in the jeepney are always interesting (and rather uncomfortable) with people sitting on each others laps and backpacks crammed in the aisle and stacked high to the ceiling. Upon arriving at the Manila Hotel we realized that we actually needed to be at the South Harbor which was relatively close but still a ways away. Unfortunately the jeepneys that brought us to the Manila Hotel had left in a hurry so we made this part of the journey on foot in the Manila heat with all our luggage - needless to say we were sweaty when we finally arrived. Similar to the Philippines Airport Customs, we waited for about four hours for the port authorities to process our passports and grant permission for the justice, medical and worship teams to travel by water taxi and board the Pacific Hope that was waiting for us in the Manila Harbour. This time of waiting provided a good opportunity for people to catch up on reading, worship, and relax with each other.

The view from the ship at anchor in Manila Harbor

Seeing the Pacific Hope for the first time was surreal, it is a long-awaited answer to countless prayers, patience, and the hard work of many people. Stepping onto the ship was an exciting, yet humbling experience. As we explored the corridors, mess hall, upper and lower decks we realized the enormity of the task that lay ahead of us for cleaning and renovating the ship, inside and out. While the rust and the lack of air conditioning in much of the ship (especially the girls dormitories) was daunting, we looked towards this mega cleaning project with enthusiasm. We are the first of future Marine Reach Training DTS (Discipleship Training School) students to be onboard the Pacific Hope. We have the opportunity to start at the beginning of its history with Marine Reach Ministries and see it transformed into an amazing tool for extending the gospel and the hope it brings to the islands in the Pacific. The potential and vision of the Pacific Hope is far-reaching and we as the justice team are excited that we are able to leave our mark on this ship (and the history of YWAM Marine Reach) literally as we have spent hours chipping layers of paint and rust from the ship's exterior, scrubbing toilets and floors, polishing brass and cleaning dishes.

The M/V Pacific Hope in Manila Harbor

As a group we are thankful to God that the Pacific Hope did not come to us brand new, but that it requires attention and investment toward its restoration. We are able to recognize how God desires us to be reliant on him and his provision and to trust that he will give all that we need. From Tuesday to Friday this week we have been amazed at God's provision for us. Working in the heat of the day we have been able to go about our work on the ship with God-given energy and endurance despite the lack of sleep, especially for many of the girls who have been sleeping outside on deck because their rooms have been reaching temperatures of 40 degrees celsius due to no air-conditioning. God has sustained us when we have been tired physically and mentally and has given us strength to continue in our work.

Nicole is ready to chip some paint!

What happens to you after chipping paint for several hours

Lindsay chipping away

Danny's hand, which had been busily polishing the portholes

The justice, medical and worship teams on the ship's bridge!

This week has also been a time of learning for the justice group, many of our group have been learning about what it takes to maintain unity within our group through sharing, questioning and praying during devotion and debrief times. We are learning that our attitude makes a big difference to how we go about our cleaning and maintenance tasks on the ship. We can bring glory to God by the effort we put into the unappealing jobs and the words we speak can be used to encourage and motivate others to build unity within the justice team.

Nicole with the young family she met during this week

While our main focus this week has been towards the ship, a number of our group have demonstrated "doing justice" in everyday life. While waiting for a jeepney, Nicole and Edgar noticed a little girl sleeping on a sheet of cardboard, covered in a small piece of material at a busy bus stop. They were concerned for her safety so Edgar questioned the people standing nearby about whether they knew where the child's mother was. He found out that the mother was working with organizing people into jeepneys. She is 22 years old and 8 months pregnant, with two young children. Edgar and Nicole briefly spoke with the mother and found out that the things they needed most were food and medicine. The next evening they returned with food and one of the leaders of the medical team to check the four year old boy who had a fever and the father who had a wound to the back of his head and hand due to a stabbing. For the remainder of the week Nicole and Edgar spent time speaking with the family about God and their faith and giving them some food and clothing. They found out that the young mother believes in God and the family are currently attending a Catholic church in the local area. While the mother is aware of some social service organizations, limited supported has been given to her and her family. This experience has raised numerous questions: Where is the long-term help for this family? There are people who come, stay for a little while and help but then leave again; how can we really help to change their lives?

We don't have all the answers to these questions, but we do know God has told us to serve the poor and love our neighbor sacrificially (see Luke 10:25-37), which is a central part of the justice God calls us to strive toward. Edgar and Nicole are exemplifying obedience to this command and trying their best to make a long term impact on this beautiful family. Even as our main efforts are going toward a ship which will do future ministry, God is still providing opportunities to make an impact right now in the present.

That's all for this week; we'll try to post again next weekend!

P.S. Here are some excellent glamour shots for your amusement. :)