Compassion Trip #4 (Philippines 2013): Reflections

I want to start this blog by saying that for whatever reason, I have been, and am incredibly blessed by God. I take no credit for whatever encouragement or inspiration you get out of the following stories – that goes to the Almighty. I am humbled and privileged to be used by God to impact other people.

In September 2012, I travelled to Brazil, to meet ten of my Compassion-sponsored kids and their families. It was an incredible, profound experience with so much joy, and set off a chain of events that I couldn’t imagine.

I’ve always loved to travel. I first travelled overseas in 2002 and have now visited 13 countries. I actually sit on an aeroplane and think “How blessed am I to be able to do this?” But my travel has to have a purpose. I can’t just go to some island and sit on a beach for a couple of weeks. To me that’s such a waste. When I came back from Brazil, I couldn’t wait to see where I could organize to go next. So, in a moment of madness I made arrangements to visit 14 more of my Compassion-sponsored kids in 7 countries in Central/South America in January 2013.

Around the same time in November 2012, I received an email about a Compassion Insight trip to the Philippines in April 2013, which just happened to fall in the school holidays between Term 1 and 2. It also just so happened that I sponsored 3 kids in the Philippines, so I thought “Why the heck not?” God had given me both health and $$$$. This trip was a group tour, visiting several Compassion Projects, churches and homes to get a “behind-the-scenes” look at what Compassion does and the impact that it has. We would also get to meet our sponsored kids. I have now visited 29 of my Compassion kids in 11 countries, but before this trip I had never done a group tour. I knew it would be very different to what I had experienced previously. I was right.

To be devastatingly honest, I didn’t think a whole lot about the Philippines trip until two days before I was to get on the plane. I read what I needed to read and I paid what I needed to pay, but there were other things going on. What I saw and experienced during the 3-week Central/South America trip in January really messed me up, and consumed me for quite a few weeks afterward. Add to that the fact I started a job at a new school two days after I returned, and moved house four days before the trip. We had parent-teacher interviews in the previous two weeks and I had lost my voice and wasn’t feeling that crash-hot.

So it was with a suitably reserved and subdued sense of anticipation that I boarded a plane at 1am on a Saturday morning, and headed off to meet my teammates. Our team consisted of 12 people and 2 leaders, from 5 different states of Australia, very few of whom had actually met face-to-face before. We had three online teleconferences before we left, and I was only able to get on one of them, because I was either in the Dominican Republic or in Parent-Teacher interviews. Surely it would take a miracle for this thing to work?

My original plan was to visit my 3 sponsored kids (Cashofia (7), John Dave (8) and Princess Joy (12), who live on three different islands) at their homes and Projects in the first week of the holidays, then join the rest of the team in Manila for the group tour in the second week. However, as the Central America trip went on, with the amount of dosh I was spending, and the fact I was officially unemployed during this time, it was apparent that this would not work. So I figured it would be better instead to fly them up to Manila for the child-sponsor visit day. Princess Joy, in particular, often referred in her letters to the fact they were very poor and couldn’t afford or do basic things, so I figured this would be a life-changing experience for her.

Because I was the only team member from Victoria, I flew to Singapore separately to the others, which gave me a nice little 11-hour stopover at Singapore airport to wait for the others. A bit annoying, you might think, but with the gift of perspective I tell you the truth, there are many worse places you could be stuck in transit. Finally met up with the team and made our way to Manila.

We were a motley crew, and at first glance a combination unlikely to jell. Strangers, really. Fourteen people from five states of Australia. A 60-40 advantage to those aged over 50. Nine women, five men. Two couples, one mother-son combo, one pregnant woman and the rest of us had come alone, whether single or married. What we had in common: We sponsor kids in the Philippines, we love Compassion and wanted to see God do something amazing. What united us proved to be bigger than our differences.

This trip presented a number of challenges for me. I’ll come right out and say it: I am essentially not a people-person. I am not really social, and I am more task-oriented. I relate to people better when we’re doing stuff together, instead of sitting together at a café and just chatting. I’m the sort of person at an eat-and-chat gathering who ends up playing with the kids rather than engaging with adults. Conversation is not one of my favourite things.

I guess I could also be considered a “seasoned traveller.” An early source of frustration for me was in the fact that a fair number of this team were first time international travellers. When you’re in a group of 14, it is impossible to stay out of the way of others, but it is exacerbated when people are just standing there, looking around and unaware of their surroundings. God gave me grace and patience, and I bit my tongue and resisted saying potentially harmful things to team members several times.

One thing that was highlighted for me was the difference between group and individual travel. Before this trip I had been on three individual trips with Compassion to visit my sponsored children: Bolivia/Colombia/El Salvador (2009), Brazil (2012) and Central America (2013). I was under no illusions that this group tour was going to be very, very different in so many ways.

I have to say that on this occasion I enjoyed being a “sheep.” Having someone else in charge of the itinerary, telling me where I needed to be and what I needed to do. Someone else having the responsibility of guiding and leading. Karl and Lil did this very well, I might add, and I couldn’t do their job for quids.

Overall, I concluded that, when travelling, I still like to be in control. In sync with my “lone ranger” personality, I like to know where I’m going and when I’m going to get there, which I can do much better on an individual trip, rather than travelling in a group.

It was also very different for me visiting Compassion Projects and homes with which I had no personal connection. In which I wasn’t the “centre of attention.” While that may sound egotistical, it’s not meant to. Before this trip I had visited 26 kids I sponsored through Compassion. from 19 Compassion Projects. At each one, because it was an individual visit, my presence was the main focus. I enjoyed this, and basically had the floor. I have either sung, played guitar, drums or piano at every Project I have been to, whereas on these trips I took on more of a background role, as part of a team. I still had an amazing time and I was still able to engage with many people during the Project visits on this trip. I’m not saying they were better or worse experiences, just different to what I was used to.

During the trip, the team were also privileged to visit four homes of Compassion-supported families. Previously, the visits I had done were to the homes of my Compassion-sponsored kids, so there was that extra level of significance and personal connection. Having said that, I know that the rest of the team and I were always incredibly impacted by these home visits. Despite the circumstances many of them lived in, they always displayed such joy, contentment, gratitude, generosity and hospitality that came from their faith in God, and the assistance that Compassion was giving their family.

With all the travel I have done with Compassion, and all the experiences and knowledge I have gained, it would have been very easy for me to go into this trip with an attitude of superiority and “know-it-all-ism”. I know it was there at the start, at least internally. Whether it seeped out, you would have to ask one of my team members.

I have to say that I have been so inspired and encouraged by my fellow team members, however “inexperienced” they may be compared to me in terms of Compassion trips or experiences. One couple have been sponsoring a girl for 12 years since she was very young, and got to meet the now-18-year-old on this trip. They have recently sold a property, and plan to use the freed-up money to sponsor more kids and go on more trips. Now that they have seen first-hand what an impact we can have as sponsors, and Compassion has, they are so well-equipped to inspire and encourage others to make a difference.

Another couple’s young adult son severely injured his ankle and had to have surgery in the week before the trip. They had arranged to meet their sponsored girl in the week before the tour, but this had thrown their plans into disarray. Fortunately for all the team, God made a way, and they were able to do the visit and then come on the tour, which was a blessing for all of us.

There was also a young 20-year-old guy who came with his mum and stepped massively out of his comfort zone to experience a different world, engage with people he might not usually have a bar of and impress everyone with his gift of photography.

I loved being with people who are as passionate about Compassion as I am, and this was the main reason I wanted to go on the trip. There were so many inspiring and encouraging moments, and we all concluded that only God could bring together 14 strangers from different parts of the country and create such a cohesive group. While I don’t know whether I will have gained any life-long friends from the group (once again, more to do with me rather than them), the experiences we shared were God-sent, and will always connect us.

One thing was clear, and was confirmed by our trip leader Lil. Every person on this team loved and effectively engaged with every person we met. We showed them the love of God, if only for a painfully short time. With my experience of what I call the “little pockets of heaven” a.k.a Compassion Projects, I personally can’t imagine going to one and not engaging, but according to Lil she’s led groups where the members have intially stood back and struggled to get involved. No such problems on this trip. In many cases we were also the first group or the first people to visit the Project, which was quite significant, and a privilege.

Two guys I have to mention are Ian and Cromwell. Ian is the Tour and Visit Specialist for Compassion Philippines. He basically organises every detail of the group tours. He was with us the whole time, and went out of his way to accommodate us and make sure we had everything we need. In his “spare time” he was also organising a trip that was to happen the next week. Ian was an amazing blessing from God, and we were all thankful to have him.

Cromwell has been working for Compassion Philippines for 25 years, and loves his job. He is the Partnership Facilitator (PF) for the region that we were visiting, which included the island of Bohol. The PF is in charge of coordinating a number of Projects, and visiting them, making sure everything is running as it should. Cromwell travelled with us for most of the trip, and was an absolute delight. His insight into the area and the way Compassion works was invaluable, and at each Project you could tell the respect he commanded, as well as his heart for the children and staff. He and I connected and enjoyed a couple of late night walks in the stifling heat to local coffee establishments.

Still to come: more specific details of our visits.

Compassion Trip #4 (Philippines 2013): Child-Sponsor Visit Day at Manila Ocean Park and Jolibees

So finally, Friday came around. If we were all honest, the moment the twelve people who came on this trip were anticipating the most was this day. Today was the long-awaited, much-anticipated sponsor-child visit day here in the Philippines. This week, myself and 13 other adventurous Australians have witnessed incredible and heartbreaking stuff. Such joy, love, gratitude and generosity in the midst of circumstances we can’t even imagine. We talked with mums and dads, and visited the places they call home. We played and sang songs with kids and babies. We witnessed the difference that God and Compassion are making in the lives of so many people.

However, today it got personal. We welcomed our 12 sponsored children (3 of them were mine) plus one parent and Project worker, to Manilafor a day of fun at Manila Ocean Park and Jollibee’s restaurant. For most, if not all the kids, it was their first time on a plane, and their first time in Manila. It was like another universe for them.

I have now visited 29 of my sponsored kids in 11 Compassion countries, and I have to say, it never gets old, predictable or boring. There are always certain feelings and emotions that are ever-present. There is the anticipation and excitement of seeing these kids face-to-face. Finally the investment of letters, money, encouragement, love and prayer will pay off in a meeting where I can hold, touch, talk to and interact with this precious life that God has entrusted to me. There is the anxiety of how they’ll respond to me: will they be affectionate or give me nothing at all? (I’ve had both extremes) How will the language barrier affect our interaction? Will I remember everything I planned to say? (Sometimes even the best-intentioned list of questions goes out the window when you see their home environment and learn more about their circumstances).

For me, this visit was going to be monumentally different to anything I had experienced previously. There would be no visiting their home environment, community, house or Project, which were the areas they felt some sort of comfort and security. By flying my three kids to Manila, I was essentially uprooting them from everything they had ever known. Culture shock on a major scale.

As good as today was, for me it was another occasion God had to teach me a lesson. One that I have had to learn repeatedly. Sometimes things don’t go the way I want them to, and sometimes my expectations will not be met. Mine weren’t today. But for crying out loud, it’s not about me. The kids were experiencing a day where their dreams were coming true, or even beyond that. My oldest Princess Joy said she didn’t even imagine that I would come to visit. It wasn’t even in her sphere of imagination or dreaming. That’s how significant a sponsor visit is.

For me, today was about Cashofia (7), John Dave (8) and Princess Joy (12). The younger two didn’t cope well on the bus, but once we arrived, they were yapping away and warmed to me immediately. I had one sweaty little hand on either side of me the whole time. I gave them a soft toy kangaroo at the start as an ice-breaker, and they took them everywhere for the whole day.

We visited the Oceanarium, the sea-lion show and went on a small glass-bottomed boat looking at sea creatures. Things seemed rushed, and we didn’t really get the chance to enjoy each other, talk to or play with each other much. Lunch was at Jollibee’s restaurant, with spaghetti and rice replacing the usual burger and chips. I was the “centrepiece” on our table of ten, eight of whom were female. Miraculously, I managed not to spill any of the spaghetti, which is my worst food in terms of eating in public. I also got to strut my stuff by teaching the whole group our “theme song” for the week, which was an action song I learned during my time at Camp Tecumseh in 2004 called Baking a Cake. It has now been sung in 13 countries :)

The end came far too soon (though not for my two youngest, who fell asleep on the bus). Our gift-giving, final conversations and family prayers had to be done on the bus, which was not ideal and made things seemed rushed, but the few minutes I had with each mother and child were still special. I never got the opportunity to talk with the mothers in any sort of detail about the positives and challenges they face in their home lives.

In our final minutes, I took each mother, child and Project worker/translator up the front of the bus, and this was their final opportunity to ask any questions, or share anything they wanted me to know, or wanted prayer for. I encouraged them to be honest.

Two of them didn’t give much away, but one of the mothers broke down as she shared about a situation with her husband. They are still together, but he has been accused of committing a terrible crime against one of his employees, and has been forced into hiding due to the vengeance of the alleged victim’s family. His wife knows where he is, and is in contact with him by phone. She and the three children have not seen their husband and father for three years. He is obviously missed, but maybe God has me in there in the meantime as a “stand-in” father? Who knows. I appreciated her honesty and the trust she showed by telling me that story.

Once again, being able to pray with and for the families was humbling and a privilege. These kids have a hard life, but because of Compassion they have dreams (I have two teachers and a policeman) and a realistic opportunity to achieve them.

One thing I appreciated about being on a group tour as opposed to an individual trip was the chance to hear stories about the other sponsors relationships with their sponsored children. As much as I like to think so, I’m not the only sponsor who loves their kids so much that I would sacrifice lots to go and meet them face-to face. I was with 11 other people who thought exactly the same way.

One couple were meeting the 18-year-old girl they had sponsored for 12 years. It was heartbreakingly precious to see the photos of them together on this special day. On this trip they discovered just how significant the letters are to the kids, and pledged to write more often. Another couple had been blessed to visit their child’s home the previous week, and met her again on the child-sponsor visit day.

There were stories of hardship and sacrifice among my fellow sponsors on their journey to visit their sponsored kids, but on this day there was also an overwhelming sense of peace and joy that our God had orchestrated this trip from the very start, details were His specialty and this day of meeting face-to-face was His reward.

Compassion Trip #4 (Philippines 2013): Day 3,4,5 - PH959, Compassion Office, Meeting LDP Students, Rest Day

Day 3 (Tuesday April 9): PH959, Lift Up a Child Student Centre, Bugang UCCP Church.
Today was a very similar day to yesterday. We visited a Project, and witnessed so much joy, gratitude and generosity. We sang, played, engaged and loved. We met another batch of very young registered-but-unsponsored children. Who knows what they must have been thinking, confronted by these big white strangers, bringing smiles, bubbles, balls, chalk and big colourful parachutes.

The footy was a big hit, once again with the 3-5 year olds. My favourite moment of all involved a 4-year-old girl who wouldn’t have anything to do with the bubbles that were being blown, but as soon as I put the football in her hands, her eyes lit up like it was  Christmas and she was at peace with the world. It was a good feeling having one of the mothers I had never met coming and asking me to be in a photo, rather than me having to cajole a smile out of these bewildered kids.

Our home visit today was special, profound and as an added bonus we got fed! The mama’s rice cakes were delish (and washed down with Coke). I certainly wasn’t going to refuse that hospitality. The house was very well put together, which we learned was the result of several family gifts from the young fella’s very generous sponsor. We were so impressed with this kid. He was “bright as a button” and has dreams of being an engineer. You could taste the family’s pride and expectation of a brighter future thanks to the help of Compassion.

The prayer time with the staff of this Project was very impacting and emotional, for everyone involved. We got a tangible sense of God’s hand on that place and felt excited at what He would do with this place in the future. We left confident in the knowledge that these kids and their families are being amazingly well looked after by the heroes that work for Compassion.

On the way back, we stopped at a tourist attraction, a group of mountains called the Chocolate Hills. Apparently it’s a “must-see” in Bohol. So we saw the hills. On the bus afterward we learned about four of the myths or legends about how they came to be. Much to our amusement, two of the stories involved Giants pooping, and the resulting excrement turned out to be the Chocolate Hills. Lovely.

On Wednesday, we had a “day off.” Bohol is a tourist island, and this was our opportunity to just relax, which I’ve mentioned previously I don’t do that well. In all honesty, if I had the option I probably would have visited another Compassion Project. There was a bit of debate and discussion about what we would do. We ended up going to the Bohol Bee Farm. Problem was, when we got there we discovered that the bees had died. All of them. They had conveniently neglected to mention this on the phone the previous night. So we wandered around for a couple of hours before lunch. There was also a dartboard with no darts, and for lunch I had a chicken sandwich with lots of salad but very minimal chicken.

In the afternoon we went to another beach resort where we had the opportunity to go snorkelling, or just relax on the beach. This land-lubber chose the second option. I spent the whole time thinking about the child-sponsor visit day, which was edging ever-closer.

On Thursday we said goodbye to Boholand flew back to Manila. Our first stop was the Compassion Office, where we were able to talk to staff, see the different departments and get a really good behind-the-scenes look at the “engine room”, where the action happens. What I loved was the number of Compassion staff who used to be sponsored kids. The more stories I hear like that, the more I am affirmed and encouraged that this thing WORKS! One guy in particular went from sponsored child, to LDP graduate (college aged kids), to Pastor, to Project Director, to working in the Compassion Office. The lady who registered him all those years ago also works in the Office.

In the evening we had dinner with six students of the Leadership Development Program, which is Compassion’s other main program. After sponsored kids graduate from high school, they have the opportunity to be sponsored through college. There is a very stringent selection process. Since the ultimate aim is to raise up Christian leaders, the applicants have to be professing Christians, have outstanding grades and show definite leadership potential. The kids we met on this night were nothing short of magnificent and inspiring as they shared some of their stories with us.

I connected with a beautiful little 17-year-old called Angie. She is the youngest of four kids, and was the only one sponsored in her family. She is currently studying accounting, and leading a Bible study group for ten girls aged 13-15 years old. She is truly a shining light and an example for these girls to look up to. Her Dad died when she was 3, and her mum is actually a Compassion Project worker. Her sister has a baby and hopes to be registered in the Child Survival Program. God is so clearly moving in Angie’s life, and it was such a privilege to able to pray with and for her at the end of the night.

We said goodbye and the thoughts of every team member turned to the next few hours when we would meet our sponsored children…

Compassion Trip #4 (Philippines 2013): Day 2, PH961 Bohol

Day 2 (Monday April 8): PH961, Word of Hope Church, Cogtong Candijay, Bohol
After the awkwardness of Day 1, struggling to relate to and connect with mums and bubs, I was in my element today. We were visiting a Child Development Sponsorship Program (CDSP), which are school-aged kids. The Project we visited today, PH961, is relatively new. It started in 2006, and the oldest kids are around 12-13 years old. We learned that the area has a low crime rate, and is not really affected by natural disasters.

We learned that the three people in charge of this church and Project have high influence in the community. One is a Dean of a local University, and another is in local government. The kids at this Project were on vacation at this time, but they put on a special day to accommodate our visit. We learned that we were the first group of sponsors to visit the Project. They also had 30 children recently registered, but not sponsored. We would get the opportunity to meet, play with and hopefully find these kids a sponsor.

We also learned that this Project has a special Australian connection. Last year PH961 was visited by an Australian sponsor and her friend, who was not a sponsor. The friend was so moved by what she experienced, when she got back to Australiashe arranged a substantial four-figure monetary gift for the Project, which they used to build more classrooms.

Once again we were welcomed by a sea of smiling, friendly faces wearing yellow shirts. There was a song and a couple of testimonies. We performed our songs.

After this we split into three groups to tour the Project and see the classrooms. The kids were busy drawing and writing letters to their sponsors. I took the Australian football around and tried to engage. I pulled out my usual engagement tools: thumb wrestling, paper/scissors/rock, finger trick. Many of the kids were very shy because of the language barrier. The group I was with just before lunch were a bit more open, so I taught them a couple more songs.

Lunch was a fine spread; a feast of local seafood among other things. We were definitely left satisfied. After lunch the Project Director shared with us details of the way Compassion works and what’s required of them. We saw financial records and children’s files, which included health and medical records, school grades, details of letters and gifts received from sponsors. I switched off at this point because I’d seen it all before on my previous travels. I need no convincing of Compassion’s integrity.

After lunch we had free time with the kids. My Australian football (red and egg-shaped) was a huge success, particularly with the 3-5 year olds, whose throwing and catching skills astounded me. At one stage I had to share the footy between three groups – older boys who were competing for it, 3-5 year olds who simply wanted to throw and catch, and a bunch of girls off to the side. Other team members engaged the kids with things they brought, such as bubbles, beach balls, parachutes and chalk.

Once again we ventured out on a home visit. We met a family with mum, dad and four kids. The sponsored child of the family was Jessa Mae, who is 12 or 13ish and dreams of being a nurse. The parents are very proud of their kids, and their medals of achievement are prominently displayed in the family home – a bamboo hut with separate rooms and an ordinary roof. The area is susceptible to flooding, so they have a room built in that is slightly higher than the others. There have been occasions where they had to move all the family’s possessions into this higher room. What I love is that the Compassion-assisted kids actually have dreams, and realistically believe they can achieve them with God’s help.

Compassion Trip #4 (Philippines 2013): Day 1, PH954 Bohol

Our first day, Sunday April 7, was a non-stop day, from start to finish. Looking back, if this had been my first overseas adventure, I don’t know how I would have gone, so I salute my travelling companions for making it through. Having spent the night in Manila, we began the day with another flight to an island 800km south east, called Bohol, where we would spend the next four days.

Bohol was a massive contrast to the hustle and bustle of Manila. There was less traffic and less crime, which made two big ticks in my book. Once we got off the plane, we headed straight for a Compassion Project. This is the name given to the place where sponsored children (and often parents) go, anywhere from once a week to five days a week to receive food, education, medical care, love, encouragement and, most importantly, the opportunity for a relationship with Jesus. Each Project has a unique identification code, based on its location and when it is registered.

During our trip, we were privileged to visit four Compassion Projects, in a combination of urban and rural areas. We were also able to visit the homes of four families connected with the Projects, visit the Compassion Office in Manila, and meet 6 LDP (Leadership Development Program) students and hear their stories.

This was our itinerary:
Day 1 (Sunday April 7): PH954 (CSP) Pagluam Sa Kabataan, Tagbilaran City, Bohol
Day 2 (Monday April 8): PH961, Word of Hope Church, Cogtong Candijay, Bohol
Day 3 (Tuesday April 9): PH959, Lift Up a Child Student Centre, Bugang UCCP Church
Day 4 (Wednesday April 10): Rest day – Bohol Bee Farm, beach/snorkelling
Day 5 (Thursday April 11): Fly back to Manila; Compassion Office visit; LDP Dinner
Day 6 (Friday April 12): Sponsor/child visit day at Manila Ocean Park
Day 7 (Saturday April 13): PH208 Marikina Foursquare Gospel Student Centre; Greenhills Market Visit (arvo), debrief

The Project we visited on Day 1 was called PH954, and we were here to observe the Child Survival Program (CSP) in action. Traditional child sponsorship programs have focused on supporting school-aged children. At some point, the good people at Compassion became aware of the need to address child mortality, and the importance of good health in the first five years of life in developing countries. Thus the CSP was born.

The CSP assists pregnant women and their babies up to 3 years of age with, among other things, health care, nutrition and hygiene. It is mainly home-based, where a staff member visits and assists the woman in her home. The mother is also taught income-generating skills, to help her lift herself out of poverty and give her children an opportunity at making a future for themselves. The CSP provides the “stepping-stone” to the CDSP (sponsorship program). Compassion knows if the child has spent the first three years of their life being cared for in the CSP, they are healthy and ready to enter the CDSP.

During the week, the procedure for when we arrived at each was pretty much standard.
- We arrived to a sea of beautiful, happy faces.
- Handshakes, hugs and high-fives followed, as we made our way into the church.
- There were a couple of testimonies from a parent and a child,
- The Project director and Pastor spoke
- There were some songs and performances from the kids and/or parents
- We finished with a performance from our group, which was led by me.

I made it clear from the start that I was happy to take a leading role in this area, having spent years as a music teacher. Also, a summer at Camp Tecumseh in Indiana in 2004 had given me an impressive repertoire of fun kids songs, some of which transcended language barriers. We had our first practise on the bus 10 minutes before arriving at the Project. Fortunately, this group was quite willing to abandon their inhibitions and make it fun for kids and adults alike. We performed “My God is So Big”, but the centrepiece and our unofficial “theme song” was an action song called “Baking a Cake”, which I have now taught to children in 13 countries.

At this project, a group of mothers performed a dance to the song “One Way, Jesus”. The toddler son of one of the mums came up on stage, trying to get her attention. He then brought a plastic chair on stage, and somehow got it stuck around his neck. He was taken care of by one of the Project workers, while the mum continued the dance, so keen was she to preserve her dignity and not disrupt the performance. ‘Twas quite funny.

The parent testimony at this Project was truly staggering and astonishing, not least by the fact it was given by a father. As is becoming more well-known and almost accepted, fathers are becoming more extinct and endangered, particularly in developing countries when it becomes apparent they cannot provide for their families. This father plucked up all the courage he could muster, stood in a church filled with mothers, babies, kids and foreign guests and shared his testimony. He was a factory worker, and used to beat and abuse his wife and kids (3 boys and a little girl). He contracted tuberculosis of the bowel, and became so sick he had to give his family to his brother, who was a Christian. During his illness, the father gave his life to God. He admitted it was initially an insurance policy, since he thought he was going to die. However, over time God healed him completely, and he stood in this church, completely vulnerable and open, and declared that he was a new creation, that God had set him free. This will stay with me for a long time.

After the official proceedings were over, it was now time to mingle (my favourite). The team was divided into three groups to enable us to interact with the mothers of the CSP and their babies. We were able to see them doing a cooking class, as well as making bags from cereal boxes, which they are able to sell to earn some money for themselves to provide for their family. Normally they use a sewing machine to put the bags together, but at the moment the machine is broken, so they were sewing by hand.

I’ll be honest and say that this session was way out of my comfort zone, and I took a long time to engage. I’m a single guy, and although I have nieces and nephews, engaging with women and very little kids of a different language and culture just seemed beyond my capabilities. I just didn’t feel like I could go up and start a conversation with them. Fortunately, and I’m sure it’s not sexist to say this, but the women of our group did a fantastic job of engaging and connecting with the mums and babies. I was in awe.

Eventually I got over myself and sat down next to a mum making a recycled-cereal-box-bag. We started a conversation with her and her shy friend, and it turned out I had chosen the cheekiest delight of a woman to engage with. Of course we ended up playing a guessing game about my age and then I faced the inevitable questions as to why I wasn’t married. I have become used to this by now, but my singleness at age 31 was greeted with particular surprise in the Philippinesmore than any other country I have visited.

After this it was time for a home visit, and we were once again divided into three groups. My group visited the home of the father who had shared his testimony at the church. I continue to shake my head at the courage of this man. The family, whose oldest son is sponsored, live in an elevated bamboo hut. I was invited inside the house. I didn’t stay inside for long. The floor was also made of bamboo, and in my running shoes I felt like I would fall through the floor. I know Filipinos are generally smaller, but I can’t imagine the logistics of six people living in that house. This family was so friendly, gracious at our presence, and so thankful for the difference God was using Compassion to make in their lives.

My group was also blessed to visit another family who lived two doors away. The incredibly young mum-of-four is part of the CSP. What struck me was her joy. They don’t have running water or walls on their house, but our hosts were cheerful and friendly, and our conversation was punctuated by giggles and cackles of laughter. This is purely the result of the hope that the help of Compassion gives.

That night we were able to attend the evening service of the church connected with the Project we had visited that day. One thing that was hard for me to get used to was people just chatting away during the service, and during the ceremony at the Project. We consider it a lack of respect, but that’s just the way they do things. The music was great, led by an all-female team of five, and the instruments were all up the back, high on the balcony. I had never seen that before. The message was hard to sit through, with the speaker effortlessly switching between English and his local dialect.

After church we enjoyed a dinner with some of the Compassion staff from PH954. I didn’t really connect with the staff on my table, but it wasn’t through lack of trying.

Thus endeth a very full and tiring Day 1.