Our ministry this month has been to partner along with the International Care Ministry (ICM) here in Dumaguete.
The staff of ICM are all local Filipino people that have the hugest heart for God and sharing Him to their people.
There are 2 main components of ICM at work in this area:
-Uplift Program
and
-Transform Program
The mission of ICM is to go to the poorest of the poor peoples, which is determined by targeting families that make less than $.54 per day. A previous World Racer told us that the most poor places she has seen throughout the Philippines were here in the outskirts of Dumaguete. What we have seen so far is seriously heart breaking.
–Life Values- Example: teaches people Biblical values that relate to their personal lives.
–Health Care- Example: A UN approved curriculum program on healthy living is taught.
–Livelihood– Example: small business skills, production of organic soil, how to plant gardens and grow.
We travel either locally or up to 2 ¨ö hours away with the ICM staff in teams of two. ICM partners with a local pastor and church in the area for a designated 8-weeks. A lot of the families are not Christians so it is an amazing opportunity to share Christ. It is also a good program that teaches preventative measures for them to keep their families healthy. They distribute rice to the people as well as seeds for them to plant and build gardens of food so that they can continue to provide food for themselves. On top of that, they teach the people how to make organic soil that can be sold and earn money for the families. This is accomplished by special worms that multiply and make the soil organic which makes it easy to be continued and reproduced.
Speaking to the ICM staff, they have said how they have seen big progress in these communities. I got to observe it firsthand as we visited these villages. Their goal is to bring the poorest of the poor peoples to a level of just poor who are providing for themselves and bringing in stable incomes. It is a large task at hand, but they have huge faith to see God work through the efforts of their labor.
Besides working with the Uplift and Transform programs, there are countless opportunities that we have the chance to be apart of while here in Dumaguete:
streets until a man who owned this extra land allowed
these families to make homes for themselves.
There are 3 other homes like this just beyond.
This is a fishing village 2 1/2 hours south of Dumaguete.
They are so shy at first,
but before you know it they are posing
in front of the cameras and can’t get enough of your attention!!!
These kids are the most obedient and respectful children
you would ever meet in a classroom!
Congratulations!
