They get up early, these people. At 3am the roosters start to crow nonstop. At 5am precisely someone sings into a loud speaker, a chant that naws nonstop and disturbs my sweet slumber. At 6am everyone is awake and about regular business in San Buena Squatters Village, the ducks and chickens wobbling and picking around, the babies crying and running around naked, the young couple discussing what to do for the day, and the momma of the house squats and starts her endless buckets of laundry by hand.
As I journal this, I'm starting day 3 here (journal backlogged Dec 5th), we're staying at the humble home of Momma Thelma and her daughter Marie Rose, son-in-law Carlo, her 19 yr old son Joy, and 2 grandkids, Stephanie and Jeremiah. When I say humble home, it's made with cardboard, wooden planks, brick and metal scraps. I had my first bucket shower yesterday and we had made enough rice and chayote with chicken for the entire household for 1 meal only because they don't own a fridge so everything is shopped for that day and cooked and eaten the same day.
There is spiritual darkness here. Momma Thelma, who I woke up next to in the inner room squished on the floor , says the loud chanting comes from the Muslims in the next neighborhood, they chant 5 times a day, worshipping Allah, facing Mecca and making sure the whole neighborhood knows it.
We have at least two Bible studies day outside in the alleyways and doorways of the shacks that are people's homes. The Ates (elder women) around the neighborhood came and Ate Tess, the missionary to this slum neighborhood that we are working with led the study by asking them what is their definition of the church. The Filippinos are shy by nature, their answers came slowly and quietly.
"It's a building." "It's people caring for each other." "It's followers of Christ." "It's Christ's followers caring for each other." "It's us."
Meanwhile a large ruckus sound got our attention immediately to our left. We see a large stocky man, whom I recall at the feeding station yesterday. He is still dressed in the same gypsy like outfit, his eyes blazing red, he is entangled with a skinny man, who appeared to be stumbling drunk. The gypsy man grabs the tall guy by the head and again and again crashed his head against the pavement. Then he put one foot on the guy and steps on him hard and leaves. The skinny guy lay motionless on the ground. People start to come from all directions at this point. One guy is now doing CPR on him.
Ate Tess stops the Bible study and we all look on. More than anything I want to run over with Ate Tess to see what's going on with the man and pray for him, but I was stopped by Meg. Why did she stop me from going? Isn't it what I came across the world for? To lay hands on the sick, and pray for them and watch God do miracles. Instead, we pray in our seats for the unconscious man, for God to have mercy on him and revive him, heal him and save him. A few minutes later, he gets up and stumples over, his forehead is bloody, but he seems okay. Praise God!
We proceeded to Bible study #2, where most of the attendees are first timers. As we talk about the topic of personal values and how to show others you are a good citizen and contributing part of society, the gypsy man appears and listens along. Clearly, he wants to be a part of the Bible study. I fidget and get closer to my teammate next to me, why is this guy here? Why doesn't anyone arrest him for nearly beating a man to death?
Meanwhile, Ate Tess asks him questions and he answers coherently. His name is Jun, He knows who Jesus Christ is, she says. Further confusion sets in. Lord, give us the discernment for what's going on in this area, give us the spiritual eyes to see beyond the physical, give us the wisdom to know what to do.
Ate Tess told us Jun is on drugs who lives nearby but hangs out here all day. "Do you think he may be demon possessed?" "It is likely. " She answers. "Have your church prayed for hi by laying of hands?" "No, we haven't but we are trying to figure out what is the wisest thing to do."
*This month Team Shiloh (Yes, we changed teams to a team of 6 women) is assigned to the slums of San Buena area, in Cainta, a city right outside of Manila. We are working with Ate Tess, a missionary dubbed by an Australian pastor as the "Mother Teresa" of Manila to come along side the people of squatter village, people that are the poorest of the poor living in the garbage dumps in this area. Please pray for our work in preaching and telling our testimonies to the men, women and kids at Bible studies, church services and in the villages. Please pray against any spiritual darkness that may be present here. There has previously been spirit of death as many people had incurable sicknesses and plagues in the past. Thank you. p.s. no internet here, so I'm updating very sporatically. Love you all, Jackie
