My team and I are partnered up with Team PLJ (Peace, Love, Jesus) here in Malate (Part of Manila). We are right on the Coast here in Manila so there is Lots of tourists, traffic, skyscrapers, Shipping Ports, and More. There is a Starbucks coffee shop seriously a football throw away from our place of stay, ridiculous. Our place that we are staying is also in a populated area of brothels (Red Light District) type area. There’s even one right next door to us.
We’ve been here for a few days now, and I do apologize for not blogging yet. It’s just So Much I’m taking in Every Day that I have trouble just piecing thoughts together. Last Week before all the teams split up from our main Launch Site, there was an opportunity for a ridiculous thing that you just hear of back home. Yes, there was a lady at in the neighborhood we were in that had passed away a day or two before we heard. I did not go, but 50 World Racers headed up to the house with Faith, Power, & Knowing that with God We have the Ability to Raise the Dead.
However, she has not come back, yet I Feel, along with others, confident she is with Jesus and just doesn’t want to come back. While most people were gone, I was furiously praying for them. What I felt was that their Actions Showed the People in this Poor neighborhood what Real Faith Looked Like. I felt this story would spread like wildfire of “what the Americans tried to do”, and it would make all the people scratch their head and wonder why people they Didn’t Even Know Prayed for Healing and the UNTHINKABLE. Just Amazing that we as a group took a step of Faith, even though it sounds absolutely ridiculous. By the way, the area is the squatters, so very very poor neighborhood.
Our Place of Service is seriously in a Dump and Every Day since we’ve visited it just hits me that the people there is; That is Their Lifestyle and All they Know, No sanitation, 1 meal a day, and just so sad. When it rains (like it did today), the entire place is just a big water hole since there is No Place for the water to run off too. Describing it in words is almost impossible since I’ve never seen this type of environment and lifestyle. Trash is everywhere, people go through the dump nearby to collect certain things like plastic in order to sell. People earn about $3 a day for their work, they are very hard working, and take pride in what they do. HOWEVER, There is a Church in the MIDDLE of this.
Philippine Christian Foundation (PCF) is the name of the church, and it is just Absolutely a BEACON of HOPE in this Area. They offer education for K-6th grades, healthcare for the kids and their families, and best of all Teach them of God. We were able to come the first time this past Sunday, and those people are SO ON FIRE FOR GOD. Despite All the Hardships these people are living through, it’s Beyond Encouraging.
As for WHAT We Will be doing, Honestly I’m here to Serve these People in any way and our contacts here in Malati & PCF give an ok schedule. I DO KNOW we are working on their small playground since right now it looks like Jurassic Park, Speaking to their youth on Wed. Nights, Community Feedings, and Trust me I WILL Let YOU Know when I Find out more.
I am in the process of putting together a video of the area and the sites, but until the next update please continue to keep us in our prayers along with these Wonderful people we get to work with. If you’d Like to Read my Teammates Blogs (cuz they’re pretty good bloggers too click HERE! Thanks!!
This is a Panorama Pic from the Top of their NEW school they are building to hold 1000, which btw is made out of Shipping Containers!!!
