A small part of me has always been in denial that I’d find myself in The Philippines writing this blog. Tomorrow is my last full day before I fly back to the U.S., step out of this season and into the new one that The Lord has placed ahead of me. I am at my final debrief with my squad mentor, coaches, and squad mates and I am preparing to say goodbye to the people that I’ve spent this indescribable year with. My least favorite part of each season is the end because I’m not too fond of the “goodbyes” that are involved, but I am so thankful for the beginning, the end, and more importantly, everything in-between.
I am especially thankful for where I am now. My final month of The World Race has been spent at Kid’s International Ministries- a mission base near Manila, Philippines. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end this journey than to partner with KIM. Their desire is to help the Filipino children they serve honor God in their everyday lives, creating an environment that cares for their spiritual, educational, physical, and emotional needs. Below, I’ve put some of the ministries within KIM that we’ve been able to help out with.
Local Feedings
KIM is a ministry that is actively feeding the hungry children in some of the most impoverished parts of Manila, providing healthy, hot meals twice a day for the children of neighboring communities near and far. Every morning and afternoon, they go into these areas with two large plastic storage bins filed with porridge that is made by the amazing women that wake up before the sun rises just to prepare the meals each morning. When they arrive at the different villages where feedings are held, their teams typically begin with a bible lesson, songs, games, and/or some kind of hands on activity that enhances the children’s understanding of God. All of this not only allows them to nourish their physical bodies, but also their lives. This has been one of my favorite ministries so far. I’ve loved getting to join in on the feedings and see the different communities that the Lord is using KIM to feed thousands of children while sharing the love of Jesus. I feel so much joy every time that I see a child’s eyes light up after they recognize me from the week before and they, alongside nine of their friends, line up to take turns for us to throw them in the air over and over and over again.
Children’s Home
Children come into their care come for all sorts of reasons; some are abandoned, others found lost in markets, others have been found by their social workers due to neglect and/or abuse. Their mission is simple: to provide for the various needs of each and every child essential to their healing and development for a brighter future by enhancing their total well-being. They maintain 50 children in our home at all times with the goal of giving each child the absolute best life possible. If that means finding adoptive families, they joyfully unite their children with new forever families to love them and live alongside them, but if that means keeping them in their care and provide them with a Christ-centered haven with a family environment, then they joyfully do that, as well. The New Faith Family Children’s Home strives to promote an atmosphere of trust, health and safety for the children God brings their way. They hope that all of their children will live Christ-centered lives, as they give their God-given talents and abilities back to Him. I had the opportunity to help the Children’s Home through photography by having a photo shoot with the staff and children that they can present in their future projects.
Sports Ministry
Every afternoon, you’ll hear street kids lining KIM’s front gate asking to swim at the base’s pool with eager smiles and a ton of energy. During swimming ministry, about thirty kids will run through the gate and have the time of their lives. The ministry’s prayer is that they will remember the afternoons when they went down the water slide, smiling cheek to cheek, safe and loved at Kids International Ministry. They pray that they remember joy and God’s love. It’s been such a joy to be apart of this ministry, teaching little ones how to swim and finally meeting people just as excited about the waterslide as I am.. Even if they’re all half my age! Haha. I’m going to miss hearing the sounds of cannonballs accompanied by laughs and the feeling of the cold water as it first hits my skin.
Construction
Construction ministry is an opportunity that teams have the choice of doing when they visit KIDS. Construction consists of everything from mixing cement to building houses for families in the community, from plastering walls to helping begin building their new school. They have had teams come to construct the swimming pool, build extensions in their children’s home and paint beautiful murals at the Hope Alive clinic, Children’s Home, each of the schools, and the KIDS base itself! I’ve spent a lot of my time with this ministry, helping prepare for the upcoming soccer field by removing all of the rocks and trash in the dirt and working on the foundations of the field.
Hope Alive Clinic
The Hope Alive Clinic is a birthing clinic ran by KIM to provide medical assistance for upcoming mothers and their children in the community while sharing the love of Christ. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, volunteers can come to the Hope Alive Clinic from 9 am til 12 pm. As the mothers to be arrive, they have the opportunity to befriend the women and lead a bible study in the waiting room before their appointments. Their patients come to Hope Alive once a week for check-ups and volunteers can help them by taking their blood pressure, weight, and heart rate as well as helping the mid-wives with basic office work such as organizing vitamins and supplies and/or filing documents. Volunteers can also feel for the growth of the little one to come by measuring the baby, taking the ultrasound, asking the mother how she’s feeling, and assisting the doctors in guiding her on how to keep both herself and the baby safe and healthy. One of the most exciting opportunities that the ministry offers to volunteers is allowing them to witness or assist mid-wives in the miracle of birth by catching the baby, cutting the umbilical cord, and/or cleaning and giving shots to the baby. Though I haven’t spent much time with this ministry, some of my teammates have spent a majority of their time at the birthing clinic and come back with the sweetest stories of their times with the mid-wives and babies.
Cuatro Christian School
In 2006, KIM saw an evident need for a good school system for the neighbors the Cuatro community. They saw it and could not ignore, so Cuatro Christian School was founded to meet the schooling needs of children at the Children’s Home, the New Faith Family Children’s Home, as well as in the Cuatro community as a whole. The school serves the purpose of providing a quality education for children who otherwise not be able to receive an education due to the cycle of poverty that has its grip on many families around us. I’ve loved getting to know the teachers that pour all that they have into the education of their students and attend the Friday morning chapel, where the students are empowered to lead worship and coordinate the morning. It’s encouraging to see the younger generation step up and into leadership.
Medical Missions
During the feedings, the front of the car always has at least one medical box full of things from band-aids to burn treatment equipment to supplies for stitching open wounds and so on. Their cars are full of ways to not only feed families, but to love them through meeting their medical needs as well.
If you’d like to learn more about Kid’s International Ministries, click here.
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be used as a vessel in all that the Lord is doing in The Philippines and though I’m not too fond of goodbyes, I am so excited to return home to my family for the next few weeks and start this new chapter of my life in Indonesia. A great transition gives off a feeling of both nostalgia and adrenaline, and that’s the only way I can describe what I’m feeling right now. I will be writing more in the next week about The Race and transition, but for now, I’m thankful to be where I am right at this moment.. And I’m going to spend these last two days soaking it all in. 🙂
