We have been in the Philippines for 4 days now, and it has been an experience more like what I had expected from the beginning. We are here to do set up for future WR and AIM trips, so we are making contacts and checking out ministries. We have been at one for the last few days so we could really get a feel for it.
Mission Ministries Philippines (MMP) work within the slums of Metro Manila. Scott and Linnea, Leah, Lynette and Rusty, Josh, Amy and I, are split up into three locations, various slums. MMP partners with a local church in a chosen slum, and provides services, meets felt needs, and creates a community, planting more churces. After about 2 years, MMP pulls out and allows the community to grow on their own.
This is for sure the greatest poverty I have encountered in a city. I wouldn’t say that it is necessary the poorest people, because it’s really hard to compare totally different peoples, cultures and monetary value. The mountains of Peru are totally different than the city slums of Manila. But the poverty here is incredible, and overwhelming. When I signed up for the Race, I had thought I would see more stuff like this, and am glad I have finally, though it is certainly not easy.
All the MMP missionaries we are working with are local Filipinos who live in the slums, raising support that is not very significant, so they are as poor as those they work for. We eat what they eat, and travel like they travel, and are with them 24/7. We (Amy, Josh and I ) have had walking tours of two different slums, doing house visitations, meeting people. It is the hottest place we have been to date – hotter than Thailand, with very little relief.
And yet, it is good. The community that the local missionaries have developed is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ working together, caring for one another, and for others. We have already made a few good friends, with whom I will stay in touch when we part ways.
We have had fun riding in Jeepneys (colorful and creatively painted public transportation that looks a lot like a Jeep, but long, like a bus, low to the ground with benches facing eachother in the back). The drivers are crazy, traffics crazy. Jeepneys never really stop, they just weave like crazy – it was a bit scary the first time we went out. We have also fit 6 people on a tricycle (motorcycle with amusement park ride looking side car), and even more on the motorcycle with an open cart alongside. These are the things that remind us how much bigger God has made us Americans than the Filipinos!
We leave after tomorrow evening on to more contacts, and will be back together with our other team members. I look forward to hearing their stories of this last week. Thank you for your continued prayers for all of us!
