We have a pet monkey!! His name is MoyMoy, which in the
Philippines, means “monkey.” He loves to cuddle, eat our leftover fruit, take
our sunglasses, and he even comes to work with us sometimes! Just had to share
that to kick of the news of life in the Philippines!
We boated over last week from Manila to the island of Puerto
Galera where our ministry site is for the month. We are partnering with an
incredible organization call “Threads of Hope” started my a man named Alex on
vacation with his family 7 years ago who bought a bracelet and began a
friendship with some venders on he beach. When he realized one of the ladies
wasn’t there selling her crafts, he asked a friend where she was her friend
told him how she had turned to prostitution because she wasn’t making enough
money. With that he bought a bundle of bracelets with what he had in his
pocket, sold them back in the states at a camp almost instantly, and sought the
Lord for direction- and the Lord lead him to begin “Threads of Hope” to employ
women on the island with a steady job via bracelet making – they make them in their
own time and sell them on the beach or fill orders for people to sell them in
the states at events, churches, fundraisers, and camps- this organization
allows the women to provide for and be with their family and keep them from
turning to the sex trafficking industry.
Here on the island, we are working with a pastor that
partners the organization. Alex wanted the women in the area to hear the gospel
in their own language, so Pastor or “Kuya” Al, a native, joined the crew and
has been serving this community and leading a growing church of 500-600 people.
My team, along with another, live with Pastor Al and his
family. We work in the mornings clearing land near by to help expand the church,
prepare and teach Sunday school lessons for the children, help with Wednesday
evening prayer meetings, and spend our afternoons on the beach, getting to know
the women selling bracelets along with other venders, and workers in the area.
Our hearts have been touched by what our eyes have seen as we walk down the
beautiful coast of the island and see first hand the sex trafficking industry
alive and working. God had provided opportunities in our first week of being
here to talk to and encourage both the men and women involved in this through
what can be counted as nothing less than divine appointments. Check out www.bethsaidaportalatin.theworldrace.org
and www.leahmorigh.theworldrace.org
for some awesome stories of redemption.
