This month we are doing ministry in Tondo (dumpsite) & Navotas (cemetery) both places being were many people live.
Tondo has been a great experience. everytime we go back I am more amazed by the people there. They live in a dumpsite- amongst piles and piles of garbage. It smells bad, it's dirty, yet somehow seem so joyful & they welcome us every single time we come. I really leave Tondo feeling like just our presence there made their day, they really are wonderful people.
Navotas on the other hand was a little more difficult for me to experience. We got a tour of Navotas, and Brenda the pastors daughter who lives there took us to see where her family used to live. It was a very difficult experience, it was like walking through dark thin tunnels and as we were passing through people would be greeting us. We were walking on wooden boards that sounded like they were going to snap at any moment, and you could hear the ocean underneath them. The people were very welcoming & nice, it was just the atmosphere that was hard to grasp. As piles of tomb stones – piled on top of one another were like giant brick walls, it was almost a creepy feeling knowing that people live amongst tombs. We haven't had as much ministry time at Navotas as we have had at Tondo, so the more time we spend there, the more I hope to get to know the people and hopefully I will feel more comfortable being there. It's really something you have to experience to fully understand the exact emotions & thoughts that go through your mind as your walking amongst a cemetery that many people call home.
Navotas- This is how the cemetery looks
This is an overview from the top of the church in the center of Navotas where the pastor & his family now live
Maggie holding my hand as we were walking through the cemetery amongst the homes & people
who live there. Such an overwhelming experience, but glad I got the opportunity to see it.
The Pastor & his family who live in Navotas & who are doing an amazing job reaching
out to the people of Tondo & Navotas. They are truly the nicest family.
The children waiting to get in to the feeding to eat-there were so many of them. We
started singing with them to make the waiting go by faster.
The church in Tondo we do alot of our ministry at. Everytime it rains the church floods &
they have to cancel programs & church. Thankfully, it didn't rain too much.
The Ladies of Light doing dishes after the feeding in Tondo
The children are so precious. It is common to see children caring for babies & holding them
when they themselves are only about 6-8 years old.
Please pray for my team as we continue to minister to the people of Tondo & Navotas & for good health over us ! Thanks for reading, I look forward to sharing more of my experiences soon !
