Aninuan Christian Church and its community

So, the church building we are living in is opposite from the huts I was telling you about in my last post. Here’s the view from the higher hut:

Up top it includes a full size basketball court, used for the kids and youth work and downstairs is the big hall where the services and meetings take place.

          

To the right of the hall is the living area of Kuya Al and his family, which we have taken over. In the centre of the area as you walk in is the living room / dining room / kitchen area, where Pete and I are staying (sleeping pads on the floor and our stuff all over the sofas. To the left is the bedroom, where the girls are staying, and to the right are the bathroom stalls. One has a big walk in shower and the three smaller toilets having a tap overhead which can be used as a shower. Ate Jojo lives in another hut just down from the church (the extensions on either side have been added since we got here, from the hut we demolished in the first week.

     
From one end                                                                           From the other

Bathrooms
     
Bedroom                                                                        Ate Jojo’s hut

There are over 700 people in the local community who make bracelets which they sell to threads of hope. It’s amazing to walk down the street and see people sat outside of their houses threading away – literally watching people earn their livelihood in front of us. Many kids are expected to make a certain number after school (one of their chores I suppose you could say) to help support the family. The simple round bracelets take about 10 minutes to put together each and are worth about 4 pesos (which at current conversions is about 6 pence), with the flat bracelets taking closer to 40 minutes and being worth 15 pesos. It doesn’t sound like much but it goes a long way here (locals have been known to use bracelets as currency around here) and the source of work has really up lifted this community.   

Every Wednesday evening there is a prayer meeting, including worship songs, a message, occasionally a skit/special number by us and, of course, time in prayer. Below is where I spoke last week on the Lord’s prayer and the many truths that are contained in it – encouraging us to focus our prayer first on God and then pray for the needs of those around us before we even think of ourselves.

The Sunday service had around 800 people attend it this week and starts with everyone together for some worship songs and prayer.

The kids and youth then head on upstairs and we have led games for the younger kids and activities (including a message) for the young people, whilst the adults gather in small groups downstairs.

Everyone then gathers together again for more worship and prayer, as well as taking an offering (included in it are usually a number of bracelets – told you they were currency), before a message from Pastor Al followed by communion. We have been blessed to be able to lead the singing a number of times now and we shared our testimonies this last Sunday.

In the next blog, I’ll tell you more about the kids / youthwork we have done.