Camp New Beginnings
San Mateo, Rizal, Manila
Pulling in to Camp New Beginnings, I had no idea what to expect. When we arrived it was pitch black and 11:30pm. We had just traveled for 45 hours around the world to get here and we were completely exhausted. We grabbed our packs and went down a large staircase made of rocks, through the kitchen with a blue tile floor and wood tables, up another staircase, and through an iron gate. We walked down a long balcony and into a room with 4 wooden bunk beds and I was so happy to just have a flat place to lay down. We quickly unloaded our packs to get our bedding out, and settled in for the night.
The next morning I woke up to the sound of animals stirring. I walked out on to our balcony to take in the view for the first time. What I saw was a series of gentle mountains covered in luscious trees and greenery, fog winding through them, and the sun shining through on the side of the mountain. I was in paradise. All around me was God’s creation in its finest. How lucky are we to wake up every morning with that view! As I walked around the grounds for the first time, I realized we were staying in a Church. Upstairs there are three dorm rooms full of wooden bunk beds, a boys bathroom/girls bathroom, and a large balcony with bamboo furniture. Downstairs there is a large auditorium that is used for the Church/Tuesday night community worship/pre-natal clinic waiting area/boys camp. Also downstairs is a kitchen with three wood tables, a sink for doing dishes, and two bathrooms for visitors.
Camp New Beginnings has been open for about a year. Rhayan and Michelle Lee are a local family from the community that live here and keep it up, they are our host family. Mike and Natalie Bucher (and their family) are our missionary contacts here. They are from the United States but have been in the Philippines doings ministry for a few years. We have several ministries here: Micro-farm with animals and a garden, camps for the street boys in Manila, pre-natal clinic, community outreach, and a new Church that will hold its first service on January 25th.
The micro farm is a work in progress. Right now they have pigs, chickens, and goats. They are working on a mushroom cellar that would allow them to produce and sell mushrooms to help supplement the costs of this ministry. Their goal is to have this be a self-sustaining farm for the host family and provide food for the street camps that are held here. Right now our group is working on building a new chicken coop with proper nests for the hens to lay their eggs. While we are here, there are plans for us to also plant a garden.
Twice a month Rhayan goes into Manila to pick up a group of street boys and bring them back here for a 3-day camp. There are two different groups that come, and they include boys from rival street gangs. The camp is like a sanctuary for these boys. They often come off the streets high from sniffing solvents, hungry, dirty, and desperate for attention. I will be writing a separate blog about a camp we just hosted, but I can attest to the positive impact this camp has on their lives. I could see how safe and loved they felt while they were here, and I watched them let their guards down and get poured into by the staff here. This ministry is amazing, and truly reflects Christ and his desires for his children.
The pre-natal clinic is run by Natalie, who is a midwife. It is a place where pregnant women in the surrounding communities can come to get check-ups for themselves and their babies. Natalie is able to give them pre-natal vitamins, some medications, and deliver their babies. The clinic is completely free and has helped to reduce the abortion rate and fatality rate of infants. The rate of women dying from pregnancy is decreased and complications are reduced. If there are complications with the pregnancy, Natalie is able to refer the women to clinics with doctors she trusts and helps them get a reduced rate. I had the opportunity to visit with mothers and children last week while they were waiting to be seen.
There are three young men who help at the camp and they go out into the community and do home visitations with people. I haven’t had the opportunity to do this yet, so I can’t tell you much about it. I do know that there is a strong presence in the community from this ministry. Rhayan and the boys are locals and know everyone. Rhayan and the boys will be ministering in the new Church that opens on January 25th. We have the privilege of helping them reach out to the community and invite them to worship with us. It’s a very exciting time for them, and we plan to make it as special as possible for our hosts and those who come.
I think that’s all I will write for now. I just wanted to share with you a little bit about where I am and what type of ministry we are doing. Wifi is hard to find here and we don’t get to go into the larger cities often, so I will blog next whenever I can. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we find ways to serve here!
