As I journey throughout the world, I am learning more about what the Church really looks like. For much of my life I struggled with the idea of church really being about the building and the meetings that took place there. But this year – this experience – has destroyed that image to reveal a whole new view of God’s people. 
In the Philippines, on the island of Luzon, just outside the capitol city of Manila is a community of followers who are mastering the art of living. A ministry called Kids International Ministry has set up a base to care for orphans.
There is a beautiful Children’s home that any child would be blessed to grow up in, but it is not just the physical building, but its people who live and work there as well. The place is crawling with men and women from all over the world loving these children. They are people who have made Manila home, and are pouring their lives out to in this neighborhood. 
In addition to the children’s home, there is a community center that is home to an elementary school, a church, a dental clinic and a community chicken project. The church in this neighborhood is striving to meet the needs of the people from every angle. Yes, they are sharing the message of Jesus Christ, but it is not just through a Sunday morning sermon, instead, the pastor a Filipino, has lived in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years. He sees to it that the children have a good education at the school, mothers are asked to come and help prepare lunch for all the school children and themselves to provide a good meal each day. The dental clinic on site and medical clinic just minuets away are helping to bring health and healing.
Since we have been here, 200 chickens were purchased to start a business raising chickens for food and income. Other similar ideas are in the works to help this poverty stricken community meet their daily needs.
But that is the greatest part of the whole thing; it’s not just about giving people food, or sharing the gospel message or even ending poverty. It is about being the Church of God in this place. It is about reaching out to our neighbors with the love that is overflowing from our lives, watching them be filled with God and then living this abundant life together. I have seen that community – the Body of Christ – here in this place.
