Last week my team left most of our squad at KIM’s (Kids International Ministries) headquarters in Manila and flew to a small island, settling in on the outskirts of Malaybalay City. We are here with one other team serving at FFCH (Faith Family Childrens Home), run by KIM. The home is located on Mt. Moriah campground and the two organizations work side by side to reach the youth of Mindanao Island.
This week we have been lending a hand to the Mt. Moriah staff as they put on their first week-long sports camp. They lit a torch and everything lol. The days have been a whirlwind of basketball, soccer, and volleyball, with breakout sessions to share the gospel and meet in small groups. The mix of kids has ranged from church youth to local gang members anywhere from 15-25 years of age. Most of my time has been spent keeping score for basketball (Filipino’s are obsessed with this sport), stepping in when they need a hand in soccer, and helping out in the canteen with meal preparation. The weather here is significantly cooler than Manila, and pours every afternoon like clockwork. Fortunately we’re in the mountains, so flooding isn’t as big of a concern as in many other areas in the Philippines.
Its super fun because the older kids from the home come down to the courts to hang out, helping us keep our ministry focus balanced. We also take shifts up in the nursery with the little ones to make sure they’re getting some lovin’ too! There are 25 kids ages one to fifteen here at FFCH, and I’ve already lost it over this little six year old boy named James. He helps keep b-ball score and likes to fist pump with me as we whoop and holler at teams from the sidelines.
There you have it, the big picture. On top of all that, there are feeding programs, church services, stay-in camps, and other outreach activities that go on. What I want most for both FFCH and Mt. Moriah is more exposure. They are doing such great things, but I am convinced not enough people know about it. Both Manila and Mindanao are great campuses to host volunteer teams if churches are looking for mission opportunities, and there are tons of different ways individuals and churches could get behind this place financially.
I decided this morning that my dream job would be visiting sites like this with a team of people that can capture the heart of what’s going on and broadcast that back to first world countries. With a little more presence I think many ministries could really flourish. There are people over here devoting their time – their entire lives actually – but need a little financial backing. On the flip side many of us back home are just itching to be a part of something great, but are pretty tied up with our time. Connecting the two groups creates a global network of people that allows for big things to happen for the Kingdom. Do jobs like that exist? Lol. If so have your people contact my people…we’ll talk 🙂
No internet out here at camp, so be patient on the updates! I should get to town again by next Friday(ish).
My blogsite won't let me upload pics so check them out HERE
