The 2 months my team and I have had the privilege of working with Children’s Garden of the Philippines, a safe home for former street boys. I have absolutely fallen in love with this organization, and want to share more about what I’ve been up to.
Street boys. Before I talk about what the organization does, I want to clarify who “street boys” really are. In the Philippines boys/girls can end up on the street a bunch of different ways. A lot of them have families, maybe their step dad was abusive, and drank too much, their mom forced them to steal each day to bring money home, they had too many siblings to feed & there just wasn’t space for them in the house, so they ran away from home, and ended up homeless on the street. Some of them were abandoned by their families, left on the street as a baby, or their parents passed away and there was no one else to take them in. Some boys got in trouble at school and wanted freedom, so they decided to live on the street. Life on the street looks like living under bridges, or sneaking into markets at night, staying up late and waking up early so the police don’t make you move. Its pick-pocketing strangers all day in order to buy drugs for that night. It’s getting drunk at 6 years old. Praying hard that you’ll find food that day, but never knowing where your next meal will come from. Its gangs, tattoos/piercings, fighting and getting in trouble with the law. This is the life these young boys were stuck in before Children’s Garden took them in.
Not all the boys at CG came from the street, a few of them aged out of their orphanage, or transferred from a government boy’s homes. They life these boys lived isn’t much better than the street, they have seen and experienced more in their childhoods than I could have ever imagined. Abused. Mentally, emotionally, physically and sexually. There are no rules against the use of drugs or alcohol, pornography is freely played in the house, with house dads bringing girls in every night. Boys try and run away, but if they are caught they might be in solitary confinement, if not severely beat. Men will pay these boys, as young as 4 years old, for sexual favors. These homes are their only option, it’s their only family and sense of community.
((I want to clarify that not every boy has a story like this. Some come from great families, or healthy orphanages, circumstances just have them at Children’s Garden for a short period of time, or for better opportunities.))
These boys are normal teenage boys, they have crazy stories to share, and tattoos to prove what gang they used to be in, but they really are the normal teenage boys. They laugh at dumb jokes, and think farts are funny, they play basketball every afternoon and beg us to take them to get McDonalds ice cream. Girl obsessed. They know every word to the popular Filipino rap songs, and will probably show off how well they can twerk. They dream to be in the NBA, to be in the army, architects and doctors. They break rules and talk back to the house parents, which usually end in extra chores for the week. They get angry and frustrated, sad, and upset. These boys love Jesus with all their heart, and care about people. They are kind and gentle, caring, sweet & generous.
Children’s Garden started more than 10 years ago when a few church members started reaching out to the local street kids. They would go out once a week and share about Jesus, hear their stories and simply be their friend. After creating real relationships with these boys, they knew they needed to do something to get the boys off the street, they eventually created this safe house. The safe home currently has 18 boys in their care, either coming from the street, unsafe families, or different orphanages. CG is a place where everything is provided for them, meals, beds, education, a community that supports their relationship with the Lord. 15 of these boys are ages 12-18, and 3 of them are 18-22 years old, apart of their second phase program as they finish school.
Coming into these 2 months knowing I would be working with teenage boys for the end of my race, I was honestly discouraged. I was wishing to work with babies, or little kids, door to door evangelism, or even manual labor, but working with teenage boys was not a passion of mine. The Lord humbled me big time, and I cannot be more grateful for this ministry and the opportunities that have come from it. These have been my favorite 2 months on the Race as far as ministry goes. I have a passion for these boys, and my desire is for them is to find the Lord more and more each day. Never in my life have I wanted brothers, but I find the most joy in now having 18 brothers who have trusted me enough to let me into every part of their life. This season has been a real treat.
Next blog will be sharing a day in the life, giving you all a better idea of what it looks like day to day, living in the Philippines, working at this boy’s home. ((Also, a chance to brag on these boys and share more about them!!!))
15 short days until I’ll be back on American soil, crazy. Let’s make plans when I’m home, I want to hear about your last 9 months of life too, send me a text!!
