Sunday and a bit of Monday

Hey all, Tim B here! Just to keep you up to date with our movements: we went to Cathedral of Praise church yesterday, a very big pentecostal church. The pastor was Ian's long lost brother, with a funky shirt, and you know, was a man of 'substance'. Great worship, but Ian's brother started to wind us up a bit, by asking us to repeat everything he said, to the person sat next to us. Can't see it catching on at St Mary's!
We then went out for lunch, and then to a handicrafts shop. The team swarmed all over it like locusts, buying presents for lots of you lovely people! A few of us went out walking with Ruel the street educator, and some went to visit BMS, a school run by Sol's Sister. This morning we had 'devotions' with the staff at the Malate centre, with a word from Pastor Flipflop. We loved worshipping together, and had a really precious time. On a quick lunch break now, before we head off to the court, and detention centre. (Its OK, just a visit, not a permanent stay.) Love to all, Pastor Flipflop

TIM'S UPDATE

Hi everyone

Its Tim May, just giving you my perspective on the trip so far. Well, this has got to have been the most moving experience in my life to date !! The Kanlungan team are are the most dedicated and servant-hearted people I have ever met. What they give to these children is basically their whole life and more, and it shows in the kids.

The children are amazing, so loving and thankful to everyone they meet. Each one of them melts your heart and makes you feel so proud to have met and interacted with them, even if only for a short time. Its so easy to get tied up in the emotions of whats going on, yet very hard not to.

Today was so uplifting, to see all the kids come together and have loads of fun and a great day out. Near the end of the day we had some great worship time, during a couple of the songs I just stood and watched the kids worshiping. Boy do they know how to lose themselves in worship !! Looking around at them and watching the expressions on their faces as they lost themselves in worshiping god was so moving.

This day has been one of the most heart warming days so far. Not to mention head warming as I got sunburn on my head after spending about 4 hours in the pool without a hat on. I might regret that tomorrow lol.

Anyway will bring plenty more stories back along with some amazing pics !

Bye for now

Tim

Graduation and swimming

Hi everyone
I'll fill you in on the last couple of days. Yesterday we had a visit to a beautiful training centre to art camp graduation. 15 boys from the centres attended an art camp and received certificates and displayed their art work. We had a tedious journey (nearly 2 hours there and 2 hours back) in a jeepney and the pollution was very bad.
Today over 100 children from all the centres and those literally living on the street had their annual trip to the swimming 'park'. It was very special. Over 30 inflatables were purchased at a nearby shop and the kids had a fab time using these and having water fights with some water guns we also bought. If you look closely at the picture you can see Lito, the driver, fixing the lilos on the roof of the vehicle owned by the Malate centre. Can you see Malcolm through the back window? Pastor Tim is now known as Pastor Flipflop. Ask him why when you next see him!
Hope you are all well.
Kath and the gang

The Farm/Jungle/Plantation...

Hi beautiful people! It's Katy here. Yesterday we visited the plantation owned by Kanlungan (2 hours away from Manila). There was much debate amongst the group as to whether it is a farm or a jungle. When you see the photos you can decide for yourself! It's run by the teenage boys too old to stay in the Malate centre. It's the most amazing place! They harvest coconuts, pineapples, pepper, coffee, bananas, mangoes and Jack fruit. The boys used to have to stay in tents but now have a small building to sleep in. Simon was brave enough to spend the night there with them. I'm happy to say he survived his night in the wilderness and rejoined the rest of us today in one piece. When we'd finished sampling the farm's fruit we found a waterfall deep in the 'jungle' and some of us jumped in for a dip! Nigel wound me and Becca up for ages by telling us that we'll probably get dissentry from the water...we seem okay today though!

I am proud to take full credit for inventing a successful Jeepney time-passing game on the way home. It involves a mexian wave of our hands grabbing the handrail then being released in sequence - hours of fun!! Chris also created Banana Man and two talking Mafia Pineapples to keep us all entertained. I'll try and get some photos so you can experience the fruit people too! ;)

If you want to know more about Angeles City:

I've just found an interesting artice about a British bloke who is one of the bar owners in Angeles city. It makes pretty grim reading...
Click on this:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040628/ai_n12793921/pg_1

Trip to Angeles City

Dear all, Tim B here! I thought I'd write as bit to tell you about the trip that myself, Ian and Sol took to Angeles City a couple of days ago. We went to Angeles City, (1 and a 1/2 hours north of Manila) to visit the Renew Foundation. It was set up by 2 English guys, including a friend of mine from theological college. The foundation works with women in the sex industry. The R of Renew stands for ' recover', the E, for 'empower', the N for 'network', and the EW stands for 'employment for women'. There was a massive US airforce base in the city until a few years ago, meaning a thriving prostitution industry. Renew told us that there are at least 12, 000 registered sex workers in the city and many more who are unregistered. There is a 3 KM strip of bars and clubs, called Fields avenue which is just a horrific place. I mean absolutely horrible. The whole city is based upon the industry. There were lots of middle aged white men walking round the city either on their own, or looking for sex. It was SO overt... In the picture we see Paulo, one of the founders, talking with Sol from Kanlungan.

There were boys walking the streets selling viagra. The police and local mayor are in on the act, even though they deny anything is wrong. The chief of police has been seen frequenting brothels.

Many of the girls are trafficked from villages in the south of the Philippines. Renew have done research, asking the prostitutes here they came from: A very large number came from only 3 small villages, many trafficked by the police, at a very young age. Some girls are 'bonded' and have to pay off debts, sometimes their own, sometimes their families. Renew have recently bought one girl who was attending the foundation out from her debt, which was only 35 pounds. Incredible.

They had a great new centre staffed by social workers and health workers. Classes are given there to offer the women a skill, that they make some money, on coming out of prostitution. There are dormitaries for the women and their children (they are often single Mums). The social workers walk the streets at night making contact with the sex workers.

To finish: In the context of a huge, deceitful and exploitative industry, this quote I saw in the centre speaks very powerfully:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

It was a really helpful day for all. Renew and Kanlungan are networking, and discussing the possibility of referal's between centres.

If you want to know more, let me know. Love to you all!

They saw us coming!

Can you spot the tourists? Lovely hats, don't you think? - only 50 pounds, no sorry 50 pesos each - worth every penny. And do you know what? We will bring them home for you!
We were on the way to the Kanlungan farm which was about 2 hours away from the middle of Manila.
We all send our love.
Bye for now
Kath and everyone xx