Yesterday, we had to leave New Faith Family Children's Home in Malaybalay and head back to Cagayan De Oro where we'll spend our last week in the Philippines. During our two weeks at the Children's Home, we didn't help that much with the children because we spent most of our days doing house visits and manual labor. However, Team JC D'MAN lived in the same building that the kids do, so we had plenty of opportunities to hang out with them when we weren't busy with our scheduled ministry.
The children call anyone older than them "Kuya (insert name)". For instance, I was Kuya Clay! Kuya means "big brother" in the native language. It was such a privilege to be these kids' big brother for two weeks. I, especially, had more time with them since I couldn't do a lot of the manual labor that the rest of my Team did due to spraining my ankle. One day, I decided to watch a movie with them. All of the kids gathered around my small MacBook Air and watched "Space Jam". I forgot how outstanding that movie is. That's for you, Bergey.
Before we left yesterday, I received some notes from the kids. They folded them up perfectly and wrote "To: Kuya Clay" on all of them. Here is what a few of them said:
Dear Kuya Clay
Thank you for being my friend, and thank you for allowing us to play with your phone and thank you for letting us watch the space jam and I really like it, I will miss you and I hope that you could come back here again and I hope that we will be friends forever! God bless you
– John Lloyd
Dear kuya Clay
I love you kuya Clay and Thank you for comeing her and I hope you will comeback her.
– John Mark
Dear kuya clay
I hope you will still comback lin Pilippines and God love's you if every ware you go and I love all so you and and I now that you love us all so very much and God love's you. I will cip on praying on you.
– Hanalyn
And now…for the one that touched my heart the most. This one is from a 13 year old boy named Roldan. We bonded rather quickly. He'd come out to greet us when we got back from ministry, he insisted on helping me around when I sprained my ankle, and he encouraged me so much just by being in his presence. The way that he took care of the younger kids was beautiful. His future is bright because at the age of thirteen, he already knows the importance of a relationship with Jesus is. The day before we left, he gave me a bracelet with his name on it to remember him by. Here is what he wrote:
Brother Clay
Thank you for the days that past you have a great day. I want to thank you for all the days you have spent at the Philipines. I hope you injoy your day here thank you for the movie. You brought joy here even tho your foot hurts you are the best man i like. You show patient, love, kindness, faithfull, mercefull and nice. You can do the things you want to do but you gave your best to God and your whole life you choice the right way and not your way i like to remember the days that i help you. Thats the time that I know you. Befor I thouhgt that are a man that gets angry fast but when I know that you are a frienfull man. I started to make friend at you and we become the closest friend thank you miss you body.
– Roldan
What a blessing children are.
