Home

Made it back to Dallas safe and sound.

Almost home

Just landed in Seattle.

Walking home from church...

Half the team went to a church literally 2 houses down from the YMC where we are staying. It was a vibrant multi-cultural service with about 10 "countries" represented (Texas, Alabama, England, Hong Kong, Kenya, Zimbabwae, Singapore, Vietnam, and a couple others.) Larry got to bring the message this morning. He spoke from the book of Philippians about the joy we have in Christ. After the service we were walking home and there was a crowd of about 20-30 men in the street. We soon found out why once we saw the two roosters fighting. Jeff Long explained how many of the men in this community spend their time betting on cock fights with money they don't have while the women are at home or at their shops working. Part of Kids International Ministries (KIM) is to share Christ and educate the youth of this culture to give them the opportunity to change their future so they don't end up repeating the cycle of their fathers and grandfathers. As the street cleared and I walked by I could see the blood from the rooster on the ground. It was a visual reminder for me of the blood that Christ shed for these men who desperately need Him to change their lives. -Jeff Edmunds

Kid's International Ministries

Our "home" here in Manila has been with Kid's International Ministries (KIM). Jeff Long,the director of the ministry is a long time friend of Vince Burke. After morning church service at a local church, Jeff Long took us on a tour of the many ministries occurring in this neighborhood of 5,000 people called Cuatro. In addition to the large guest house(YMC)where we are staying, there is a Children's Center (orphanage) for children from age 0 to at least 15, a Christian School, and a home for 29 at risk girls. The goal of Kid's International Ministries is to begin in the womb to change the cycle of poverty and to share The Cross with everyone they assist. Though it breaks our hearts to see the orphans and the girls who's lives have been nearly destroyed, it is also amazing to see how Christ is transforming lives in this community. At the orphanage we played with a happy, smiling baby girl named Desirae. Her mother did not have the resources to take care of her, but for the last month that Desirae was in the womb her mother lived at the YMC and was able to give birth to Desirae in a safe, healthy environment rather than on the muddy floor of a squatter home. Though she does not have a mother or father, Desirae has been loved since her birth. KIM is involved with international and domestic adoptions and they have placed over a dozen children into international homes. All the families that the children go into are Christian families. At the home for the girls at risk, we walked in expecting to see timid, fearful girls, broken by those who harmed them. While I know they still have many years of healing ahead of them, what we found were smiling faces, welcoming us into their home and lives. They proudly showed us their rooms, each painted a different color with encouraging scripture verses and phrases painted on the walls of their bedrooms and throughout the house. Some of the girls played the piano and sang a worship song for us. The love and truth of Christ shared with these girls ages 9 - 16 has brought them hope and life. - Jennifer Edmunds

Saturday - July 28

Today was another full day in the Philippines! Instead of a relaxing day of shopping and sight seeing, the team chose to return to the church we visited on Tuesday. This was the church located on "Trash Mountain". When we visited on Tuesday, all we did was a medical clinic. Today we went back for the purpose of doing our Kids Club presentation. When we first arrived there were already several kids in the church, but after a walk through the village with some balloons we were able to fill the church with kids. We did coloring, skits, puppets, crafts, singing and the gospel. It was a great time with the kids. After the kids club, we met with the pastor's wife and presented her with money so that the church could replace their current tarp roof with a much needed new tin roof. We also left that church with a bunch of VBS supplies and a few medical items. The pastor's wife was brought to tears with her gratitude. Praise God for allowing us to be used by Him to bring His blessings to others. -Jeff

More Pictures

Picture Post