Hi everyone, it's Sarah.
Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers, they are very much appreciated.
We've had a lovely day today taking 170 kids swimming. I have to admit I thought it was going to be a bit of a nightmare; but it was amazing! Everyone has had so much fun. The resort was absolutely perfect; and because we went on a friday, we were practically the only ones there. It was just fantastic to see the smiles on the children's faces; it will be the first time that some of them have been swimming.
I have to say that I have got quite sunburnt today, so having loads of kids climbing all over me was rather painful haha:) but I'll live.
Today we have also celebrated the 23rd anniversary of Kanlungan. It has been so nice that the two have coincided as we were able to have a devotion and celebration all together. I just find it so tearjerking every time I see the children worshiping and praising God. Despite all that they have been through, they are so reliant on God, it's so inspiring!
This evening we took all the staff out for a meal to a Japanese restaurant where one of the boys in Kanlungan works as the chef. We have had a lovely time and has been a wonderful opportunity to get to know the staff even more and also to thank them for their continuous hard work and dedication.
I literally can't believe how quickly these past two weeks have gone. Heidi and I will be very sad to see Mary, Mela, Jess and Alec leave tomorrow, but we are very excited (and a little nervous) about moving into the Malate centre and actually getting stuck in now. We would really appreciate your prayers as we move in tomorrow and that we will quickly settle in and find our places and where we fit there.
It means so much to know that you are all supporting us and keeping us in your prayers. I really feel that this is where God wants us right now and I am very excited to see what he has in store for us.
God bless
Sarah xxxx
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
More from Manila:-)
Hi everyone, just thought I would let you know how its going so far. Today I went with Sol to buy the coffee cups, saucers, plates and cutlery for "K sem" coffee shop!! It was great fun bartering at the wholesale market. Everything is nearly ready and there is great excitement here about the opening. All they need now is lots of customers so please pray for them after all their hard work to get it started.
Each time I come here I am struck by something new, although I have always known the staff work hard, this visit I have been aware of the extent of Sol and her team's dedication and commitment to the children, each child so loved and cared for. I just love hanging around the Malate centre playing with the children. We are really looking forward to taking everyone swimming on Friday. At the beginning of the week Jess was telling some of the more lively children at Malate they had to be good for four more sleeps !! It appears to be working:-).
We were in the malate centre last night joining the children with their evening devotions this normally reduces me to tears and last night was no exception!(Please pray for Micheal who has broken his coller bone and may need an operation to pin it.)
Tomorrow we go to Tunasan and Laguna (where Heidi and Sarah will spend the second month of their placement.) so it will be good for them to see the other centre. They are both doing really well and the children are loving all the extra attention.
Thats all for now God bless
Mary xx
psalm121
Each time I come here I am struck by something new, although I have always known the staff work hard, this visit I have been aware of the extent of Sol and her team's dedication and commitment to the children, each child so loved and cared for. I just love hanging around the Malate centre playing with the children. We are really looking forward to taking everyone swimming on Friday. At the beginning of the week Jess was telling some of the more lively children at Malate they had to be good for four more sleeps !! It appears to be working:-).
We were in the malate centre last night joining the children with their evening devotions this normally reduces me to tears and last night was no exception!(Please pray for Micheal who has broken his coller bone and may need an operation to pin it.)
Tomorrow we go to Tunasan and Laguna (where Heidi and Sarah will spend the second month of their placement.) so it will be good for them to see the other centre. They are both doing really well and the children are loving all the extra attention.
Thats all for now God bless
Mary xx
psalm121
Monday, January 10, 2011
Welcome to the Philippines!!!!!!!
Hey everyone- I finally have chance to sit and actually write a blog:)
So we tearfully left our family at Heathrow on Tuesday morning and started our epic journey to Manila. The flight was somewhat horrific in length, although I must say the airline is amazing and we went on the biggest airplane I've ever seen, somewhat 500 people on board!! after 13 hours of films and general boredem, we arrived in Singapore and took our last flight which was about 31/2 hours. It was lovely to be greeted by familiar faces in the airport and we spent the afternoon dozing before getting straight in with the children singing the holy washing machine at the malate centre.
Since then we have visited smokey mountain, which was incredible, so heart wrenching, It was surreal I felt as though i was walking round in a documentary not actually there. we went round giving sweets to the children and chatting to the families as they made charcoal (my clothes still smell even now:P). I was really glad that we got to spend a few hours there as apposed to a quick stop visit:) we also visited the Mall of Asia which was huuuuge and still very much in the Christmas spirit! then on Friday we split into 2 groups, Mary and Mela went to the ODC for half a day and the rest of us went to the malate, where we helped out in the kids classes, reading to them and helping them to write their names, which was lovely. Then in the afternoon we went to the ODC, which I loved! although they did keep trying to make me sing:P the kids were amazing, so loving and willing to chat to us, I was asked by teacher Bing, to teach one little girl how to read and speak the alphabet, so I was really pleased when about 30 mins later she was singing the alphabet song to me and able to recognize all the letters:)
On saturday morning we got up at 4am to go to Subic, a Holiday resort just outside Manila to visit Mela's family and enjoy the beach. It was a lovely weekend and we were spoiled no end by Mela's sisters, going on Jungle walks and swimming in the sea. And finally today we have been joining in with the staff devotions at the Malate centre which was a really blessing, their sense of worship and fellowship is so faithful, and then with the children this evening, we were very touched by the children as they prayed and sung desperately to God.
Please pray....
For the coffee shop as it gets near to finishing- me and Sarah will be very involved as it opens
For me and Sarah as we move into the Malate centre this weekend, that we will continue to settle in and get used to all the crazy traffic, rice and heat.
For Mary, Mela, Jess and Alec as they travel home on saturday, me and Sarah are really praising God for them as they have been such a blessing to us this week:)
All for now, speak soon. much love, Heidi xxxxxxxxxxxx
So we tearfully left our family at Heathrow on Tuesday morning and started our epic journey to Manila. The flight was somewhat horrific in length, although I must say the airline is amazing and we went on the biggest airplane I've ever seen, somewhat 500 people on board!! after 13 hours of films and general boredem, we arrived in Singapore and took our last flight which was about 31/2 hours. It was lovely to be greeted by familiar faces in the airport and we spent the afternoon dozing before getting straight in with the children singing the holy washing machine at the malate centre.
Since then we have visited smokey mountain, which was incredible, so heart wrenching, It was surreal I felt as though i was walking round in a documentary not actually there. we went round giving sweets to the children and chatting to the families as they made charcoal (my clothes still smell even now:P). I was really glad that we got to spend a few hours there as apposed to a quick stop visit:) we also visited the Mall of Asia which was huuuuge and still very much in the Christmas spirit! then on Friday we split into 2 groups, Mary and Mela went to the ODC for half a day and the rest of us went to the malate, where we helped out in the kids classes, reading to them and helping them to write their names, which was lovely. Then in the afternoon we went to the ODC, which I loved! although they did keep trying to make me sing:P the kids were amazing, so loving and willing to chat to us, I was asked by teacher Bing, to teach one little girl how to read and speak the alphabet, so I was really pleased when about 30 mins later she was singing the alphabet song to me and able to recognize all the letters:)
On saturday morning we got up at 4am to go to Subic, a Holiday resort just outside Manila to visit Mela's family and enjoy the beach. It was a lovely weekend and we were spoiled no end by Mela's sisters, going on Jungle walks and swimming in the sea. And finally today we have been joining in with the staff devotions at the Malate centre which was a really blessing, their sense of worship and fellowship is so faithful, and then with the children this evening, we were very touched by the children as they prayed and sung desperately to God.
Please pray....
For the coffee shop as it gets near to finishing- me and Sarah will be very involved as it opens
For me and Sarah as we move into the Malate centre this weekend, that we will continue to settle in and get used to all the crazy traffic, rice and heat.
For Mary, Mela, Jess and Alec as they travel home on saturday, me and Sarah are really praising God for them as they have been such a blessing to us this week:)
All for now, speak soon. much love, Heidi xxxxxxxxxxxx
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Hi everyone, well its great to be back in the Sunshine!! It feels like we have never been away. We picked Heidi and Sarah from the airport today it was great to see them both now our team is complete:-). Yesterday we visited the new ODC (open day centre) it is so much bigger and brighter than the old one and is really busy there were around 50 street children enjoying a craft session. Then we went to the coffee shop which is nearly finished it looks amazing I can't believe what they have done it such a short space of time. Sol and her team are really excited about this new venture for kanlungan. Today we went to look at coffee machines and learnt alot about what makes a good cup of coffee. Mela fell in love with the man who owns the coffee machines he is said to be the 'Einstein of coffee' Mela said she really likes coffee too!! anyway speak to you all soon. The children were asking where ice cream man. So Jess and Alec have taken on the role until you come again Malcolm.
Anyway must go now speak soon
God Bless Mary and Mela XX
Anyway must go now speak soon
God Bless Mary and Mela XX
Thursday, June 10, 2010
for the last time
today we went to my joint birthday party in the malate centre . i was sharing it with all the other people in the kanlungan projects who have birthdays in june. there were loads of kids there from the malate centre and the ODC and theymade a little program for us.
tomorrow we are going home at 11 and get back late on friday which is going to be wierd. ill se you all when i get back to the UK and the cold weather.
michael
tomorrow we are going home at 11 and get back late on friday which is going to be wierd. ill se you all when i get back to the UK and the cold weather.
michael
Final Day
Today has been our last day in Manila. we leave here for the airport at 7am tomorrow morning and will arrive back in London at about 10pm on Friday evening UK time. That's 24 hours from now but it will take 31 hours. I'm a time traveller!
Today we met at the Malate house for a joint birthday party for all the staff and children from Malate house and the ODC who have birthday's in June (8 in total plus our Michael) It was a fabulous celebration with each group singing and dancing and it was sucha joyous occasion. It is lovely to see the children, particulary the children from the ODC who still live on the streets, really having fun and being part of a loving close community.
The children at Malate had made us a fabulous scrapbook and the children from the ODC had made Michael a birthday card.
We will have plenty of stories to tell when we get back but tonight has been a highlight.
See you all on the other side.
Love Helen
Today we met at the Malate house for a joint birthday party for all the staff and children from Malate house and the ODC who have birthday's in June (8 in total plus our Michael) It was a fabulous celebration with each group singing and dancing and it was sucha joyous occasion. It is lovely to see the children, particulary the children from the ODC who still live on the streets, really having fun and being part of a loving close community.
The children at Malate had made us a fabulous scrapbook and the children from the ODC had made Michael a birthday card.
We will have plenty of stories to tell when we get back but tonight has been a highlight.
See you all on the other side.
Love Helen
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Icecreams and so much more.
To all of you who so kindly gave money for us to buy treats for the children while we are here I thought you'd like to know just what we have bought so far.
Apart from regular trips to the local icecream shop for bulk orders of icecreams we have also used your gifts to buy two electric fans for the girls bedrooms at Malate. A drum box for the residential house and a washing machine which was the request of the boys at the farm.
We also bought 16 sets of bedsheets for the new children who are about to be taken into the Malate House (Pink for the girls and manly stripes for the boys, chosen by Zac) it is exciting to think that another group of street children will soon be resident at the Malate House and sleeping in beds with their own sets fo bed linen.
Your money has gone a long way and everyone is very thankful for your help. If there is any money left over at the end of our visit we will leave it with Kanlungan to spend as they need.
Talk to you soon.
Helen
Apart from regular trips to the local icecream shop for bulk orders of icecreams we have also used your gifts to buy two electric fans for the girls bedrooms at Malate. A drum box for the residential house and a washing machine which was the request of the boys at the farm.
We also bought 16 sets of bedsheets for the new children who are about to be taken into the Malate House (Pink for the girls and manly stripes for the boys, chosen by Zac) it is exciting to think that another group of street children will soon be resident at the Malate House and sleeping in beds with their own sets fo bed linen.
Your money has gone a long way and everyone is very thankful for your help. If there is any money left over at the end of our visit we will leave it with Kanlungan to spend as they need.
Talk to you soon.
Helen
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