I just want to take some time and fill all you in on what’s been happening here. We arrived in Manilla at ~11AM Monday morning after a incredible 16 hour flight (1 stop in Hong Kong). I say incredible because the plane was brand new, and since we took the red eye it was only about half full. In Manilla we were picked up by some staff of K.I.M., the organization we are working with here in Manilla.
As soon as we got off the bus at the KIM facilities we were mobbed by kids. We played with the kids as best we could while we unloaded the luggage. I tried convincing the kids to carry some of the luggage which I was occasionally successful in doing. The kids love “back back” (a ride on our shoulders) which they continually yell as they climb all over us. These kids are adorable even if they wear me out in about 15 sec.
KIM ministers to the “Cuatro” community. It is called Cuatro because there is an incredible expensive golf course nearby and the fourth hole runs along side the community. The land has about 800 families (~5000 people), and only 100 families own the property they are on. The rest are squatters. Many have shops along the streets where they sell grain, rice, and other necessities along with candy and soda. Ive met a couple of families just by walking around. One man, Jason, lives deep in the Tunnel (see www.lindsayheston.theworldrace.org). He showed me back there to meet his family. His mother and he spends his day making Carnival masks which they sell for 30P a piece(45P to $1). He said he can make about 100 masks a month. This provides his family with enough money to send their daughter to school and to eat.
KIM has three buildings spread about a block apart. The first is the children’s house. They are justing finishing up an addition to the house, which will provide room for 50+ children and with much more living space. They currently have about 35+ kids at the house. They also have a school for all the children. The kids are on a self-paced education program since so many of them are behind in school. The last building is the director’s home and the place where all traveling help stays. It is incredible what KIM has been able to do. Jeff Long, the founder, has labored here for a long time but its only been within the last couple of years that KIM has taken off the ground. All the buildings have been built or renovated in the last 3 years. Our lodging and these facilities are nicer than I could have ever expected while on the World Race. We have showers and fans (rare on the WR) and a staff that cooks us breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We have spent the last week going through Launch. Launch is just a week of preparation before we are sent out on the World Race. Our
coaches , Gary & Lisa Black, flew from Colorado to lead us in some good teaching and to prepare us for the Race. On Friday, we learned more about what we will be doing at KIM this month. The answer: pretty much whatever we feel God calling us to do. We can tutor at the school, live at the children’s home, build a playground, do a jail ministry, medical missions (there is a team flying in Monday with doctors and nurses), etc. etc. Jeff told us that he doesnt have an agenda for us because he believes God each equiped us differently and he wants us to walk in our passions.
There are 4 teams staying at KIM this month and we have taken on a project to clean up and pave a foot path that cuts through the middle of the Quatro. It is completely full of trash and is dangerous. This is the path that the kids at the house take to get to the school. I am going to continue to pray before I pick out exactly what I will be doing this month. Our work “officially” begins Monday, but I spent today (our first day post Launch) at the children’s home playing and loving on the kids.
On a final note. I got to try the local Philippino favorite: Balut. Balut is a fertilizied duck egg that is hard boiled after 26 days of fertilization. It tastes just like a normal hard boiled egg, but there is a partially developed baby duck. It wasnt half bad, except I almost threw up when I had to chew up all the ducks feathers and beak.
Jeepney: the local transportation
