In my seventh month of the race, I had the privilege of inviting my parents to join me for a week, and they actually came! We spent the first week of April in the Philippines, in bars talking to trafficked women. Not something I ever thought I’d do with my parents, truthfully, but so grateful I did. I asked them to write about their experience with visiting me and partnering with the ministry, Wipe Every Tear, and I wasn’t prepared for their response. It was incredible. My parents are gifted writers, I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
Bobbie Kerr: “Traffic”
Nothing prepares you for the traffic in the Philippines. Cars and buses and motorcycles and “Jeepneys” (Jeep in the front and bus in the back) and trikes (motorbikes with egg shaped side cars meant for one or two people but we saw them loaded down with four!).
Every vehicle was so close together on the road and changing lanes at such breakneck speeds that you dared not open your window to stick out your arm or else. Just when you thought your bus and the bus next to you were much too close, a motorcycle came roaring BETWEEN the buses! At first when we were driven through Manila by Uber drivers and bus drivers, we were fearing for our safety. By the end of the week we came to admire these brave drivers who never seemed to wreck and who got us safely to our destination. I hope to never be asked to drive in Manila.
From the middle of mind-boggling highway traffic, we were transported through a city of beautiful Filipino people living in either riches or poverty, to a quiet oasis where the rescued girls lived. We stopped at their modest neighborhood house where the rescued girls were a family to one another– doing the housekeeping and the cooking and going to college each day but returning at the end of the day to a true home. That’s where we started our ministry experience, seeing the peaceful place of living without fear or shame. These gentle girls greeted us warmly, gave us a tour of their home, giggled like any teenagers, shared their home-cooked meal and sweet worship songs. Our ministry host explained how the girls had been lied to so that they would leave their family in the country for a “job” in the city, only to find the “job” was not in a restaurant or store, but dancing in a bar, trapped. The ministry, Wipe Every Tear, sent believers into the bars to offer freedom in the form of a safe house, food, and free college and Jesus. Seeing the transformation was Hope personified.
Then in complete contrast, we put on our spiritual armor and entered the very place these girls had been rescued from. With the dignity that comes from being daughters of the King, the rescued-girls-now-college-students-living-in-freedom joined us as we went back to the very bars where the girls had been trafficked. Hope personified. We went to seek the lost and let them know the gift of freedom being offered. We spoke to the bar girls and told of the safe houses and the new way they could live. We spoke of the Savior. We spoke of their secret hopes for a better life and college and a career that did not involve dancing in a bar and being trafficked. When the girls could hardly believe us— after all they had already been lied to which had brought them to this place—it was the simple dignity of the already- rescued girls who convinced the bar girls.
Nothing prepares you for the traffic in the Philippines. There are 15,000 girls caught in this prison of being trafficked in this area of one long street, full of nothing but bars. Our group of World Racers, parents , ministry hosts, and rescued girls visited bar after bar, and on the third day, 22 bar girls took us at our word and left for the day to see freedom for themselves. They visited the safe houses and asked their questions. Talk about Hope personified!
It was an honor to serve our Savior in this ministry. It was beyond joy to hug our Kara again after nearly 8 months of separation. Kara is thriving and we stand in awe of the way God has quietly given her the ability to reach out to people and engage them in conversations that give the people hope. It was life-changing to go on this trip.
Dave Kerr: “Dad Jokes”
I Thought I Was Going to South Africa
Seriously! When this whole thing started, before we even went to sendoff in Atlanta, I was thinking we would meet up with the kids in South Africa since that was half way through their race. I was pumped. South Africa has Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, wineries, caves, game reserves, diamond mines, beautiful coastal scenery and I thought they mostly spoke English. I even started looking at airfare. Plan ahead, that’s what Dad’s do, right?
Then came sendoff weekend. That is when we heard that we were probably going to the Philippines. What does the Philippines have? Poverty, earthquakes, tsunamis? I even heard that ISIS was building their presence there and this thing called human trafficking was a problem. Doesn’t sound like vacation land to me. On top of all that, we were told we would probably be participating in the “Bar Ministry”.
Well, the Philippines does have poverty and earthquakes and tsunamis, but that is not what I took away from the Philippines. What I remember are the people I met. The racers, their parents, the Wipe Every Tear staff, the Filipino girls, visiting with the other parents on the pool level of Pan Pacifica, new and interesting food, the Walking Street, being emotionally and spiritually stretched, the many smells walking to the Walking street, talking about the traffic and so much more.
Lord, thank you for who you are, for allowing us to be part of your work and for giving us the strength and desire to participate in PVT.
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father
“Three Baptists Walk Into a Bar…”
Did you hear this one? Three Baptists walk into a bar. The 1st one says, “Let’s go to that bar over there, where they play loud music, everyone is drinking alcohol and girls are dancing with next to nothing on “hoping” to get picked up.” The 2nd one said, “Sure, what are we going to do?” Number 1 says, “I don’t know, you have any ideas?” Then the 3rd Baptist jumps in, “I heard of this place where girls in this situation can go and live, and be fed, where they will be safe, and they can go to college and get real jobs, its great!” Number 2 said, “No one would believe us. How we gonna convince them?” Number 3 says, “I know some girls that have escaped this life and would love to go talk to them. All we need to do is buy the drinks, smile and not look too creepy.”
You know I literally cried on multiple levels during our participation with Wipe Every Tear. I cried tears of sadness when I saw the lovely young ladies stuck in this trap. How they were the age my own daughters, how they were lied to and how they were being abused. I cried tears of pride to see the racers jump in there and just love on these girls, telling them about a way to escape, of hope. I cried happy tears for the Wipe Every Tear ministry and how the Filipina girls, once caught in the same trap, were so willing to go back and tell their sisters that there is a better way, a way out. To know that 22 girls took the steps to go and see if what they heard was real was so encouraging. To read that there are 12 new residents at the WET houses is tremendous.
Lord, thank you for your faithfulness, in reaching these girls and providing for WET so they can minister to these girls.
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father
Praise, Praise, Praise
I was raised in the Presbyterian Church. If you didn’t have a hymnal and organ playing it wasn’t worshiping. Even today, going to a Baptist Church for 20 years, worship is reading the words on the screen and singing badly for 20 minutes on a Sunday morning. After PVT I have a new appreciation and LOVE of worship. I must say I felt a bit lost. All these races (and parents) singing all the lyrics. I honestly didn’t know many of the songs. A long time ago I was told if you don’t know the words to just keep on repeating the word watermelon over and over and it looks like you know what you are doing. Well watermelon was my favorite fruit on PVT. But something happened to me a few days into PVT. I stopped singing and started WORSHIPPING! Sometimes I sang (if I knew the words), sometimes prayed, and sometimes just enjoyed watching the racers truly worship. One afternoon during our free time I said, “Kara, I need your help. Can you set me up a playlist of your bestest, most favoritest praise and worship songs?” Kara did and I listen and sing along with them every day on my way to work. No one can hear me, so I sound pretty good. Thank you, Kara, for getting me started (I’ve added a few since then) and thank you racers, for helping me out of my worship rut.
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
You’re a good good father
It’s hard to explain the emotions and thoughts I have been processing since the PVT. To participate in what God is doing for those sweet Filipina girls, to observe our Kara and her team mates engage with each other and everyone around them was just a joy.
Final short story. We were at the mall in Manila waiting on a Grab. We had to try to find the driver, you know how bad traffic is, we walked by a street vendor selling bootleg DVD’s. While I was taking charge and getting us transportation, protecting these women (that’s what Dad’s do, right), Kara and Paige started having a dialog with the street vendor. Are you married? How many kids do you have? It may seem small but THAT is what Jesus did. We all need to do more of THAT. Especially me.
I love you Kara. See you June 5th!
