Our ministry in the Philippines is varied, productive, and Spirit-led–just the way we like it! Our entire squad is staying together this month in Manila and able to participate in a myriad of ministries. We have partnered with Jeff Long and his family and are helping with quite a few projects.
Each of us is able to plug into a ministry that touches our hearts; whether it is kids, prisons, hospitals, orphans, the homeless, painting projects, community development projects, tutoring, women’s bible studies, the list goes on…I was praying through how I should spend my time this month and God put the perfect opportunity in my lap. Two missionaries from Michigan are living down the street and have been feverishly working to publish a Street Paper. 
The philosophy behind street papers are to provide alternative income sources for homeless people. Most large cities in America and all over the World publish street papers and Manila is not far behind. The paper lobbies for social justice and provides much needed income for the homeless. The paper will employ homeless as their main distribution channel and hopes that the added awareness of the plight of the homeless will move the upper class to action in Manila.
The Jeepney Magazine hopes to publish it’s first issue in February, unfortunately we are a bit behind on advertising, stories, and pictures, so that is where I come in. We have been traversing Manila looking for potential advertisers as well as stories on how the lower class in Manila deals with the problem of obtaining clean drinking water.
It has been fun for me to jump into the business world for a bit and have an obtainable goal to work towards this month. Of course, with all “real jobs” come deadlines–so we are under the gun the next few weeks to get things to press. I am working with 2 amazing Filipino women who are social workers and advocates for the homeless here in Manila. I have enjoyed returning to my old passion, homeless people, and look forward to making an impact here. Please pray that through all of our journeys in Manila this month that the LOVE of Christ will shine through us.
As a sideline to the magazine I have been visiting here in the local village and have made some awesome new friends in the local ladies. There is a squatter village right 
outside our doorstep and they are just so precious. They love to show us off and introduce us to all their friends; in turn we pray with each family and invite them to a Bible study we have twice a week at the local church.
I have also done a little baby-sitting in the orphanage that we share a house with and have been so blessed to hold babies! One other sideline has been the Homeless World Cup. The Philippines hopes to send a team this year and we are working out some legwork to get that project off the ground. I am looking forward to learning more about this organization and seeing what they do back at home as well. Changing lives through soccer seems like a great plan to me!
Staying busy is the name of the game here in Manila–more updates to come. Please pray as we go out all over this city and re-claim it for Christ!
