Thank you to my NGT PCs!

Dumaguete, Philippines; Sunday, November 8

The week before I left, my NGT PCs gave me a total of $115 to take with me to the Philippines in order to use it towards a great need. During my week there, I realized that the needs were endless. But I still kept my eye out for the one. There were two young girls named Cristina and Judilyn, who live at ICM's orphanage, who traveled with us throughout the week. On Sunday night we were invited to the orphanage for dinner. A young woman named Annie and her parents have taken in eighteen children, including Cristina and Judilyn and their younger siblings. The children sleep on mattresses on the floor because they cannot afford anything extra. Annie told us each child's story about how they lost their parents and how they got to the shelter. These children have endured more pain in their short lives than many adults. Yet, they have formed a bond so close that they have become family, just quite a large one. After hearing their stories and seeing their needs, I felt that this was right. So thank you, PCs for your generosity. Before we left, the children surprised us with a dance. They told us how much the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire' meant to them as orphans, so they learned the dance at the end to the song, Jai Ho by Rahman and Gulzar. It was quite a production! Here are their beautiful faces:

Riverside Slums in Banago

Bacolod, Philippines; Friday, November 6

Our vans slowly pulled up as we looked out our windows in awe at the heartbreaking scene before us and parked on the side of the dusty gravel road. We got out of the air conditioned vans and walked down the driveway as the sun beat down on our backs. We crossed over a rickety bamboo bridge with missing planks and entered the Riverside neighborhood slums. We saw a huge pig trapped inside a pin oozing with debris filled mud and some stray chickens running around the piles of trash. We turned the corner, only to see another long row of bamboo shanties hovering above the waste. Clothes are hung everywhere to dry in the sun. There are no dryers here. We followed the sidewalks, running alongside a river of slum sewage, and waved to the naked children sitting on their bamboo floors. We passed by a group of people {a father, daughter, and a grandmother, with no mother in sight} walking to their decaying house and a depressing snack shop where a boy in tattered clothing stood. There was a scrappy house with a tattered bamboo fence defining its boarders, trying to keeping out a lake of raw sewage. I stood there for a while taking it all in, in total disbelief. This neighborhood was terrifyingly different from my home in Virginia.

Red Rope Project

Bacolod, Philippines; Friday, November 6

A hand sown masterpiece was revealed as they unfolded their joy across the table; every stitch from the fingers of the women of Bacolod. Their eyes were bright and their smiles crept across their faces. This was more than a quilt, and their labor more than a job. Just as a pattern immerges over time, so does community. These women come to the table with their own difficult life stories, but leave a finished work with an even bigger story; one of friendship and new opportunities and love. Their stories are woven into their work, from cushion covers and quilts to Christmas cards and table runners. Their handiwork is exquisite and has become their livelihood, helping them out of pain and poverty.

TB Shelter & The Bacolod Slums

Bacolod, Philippines; Thursday, November 5

As we pulled up to the enclosed compound, the big iron gates opened. "Care Recovery Shelter" was spelled out in thin wire over the doorway. We drove underneath and into the Tuberculous Shelter. {Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs but can also affect the central nervous system, lymphatic system and much more} There, in the screened-in porch, were 35 beautiful faces. They welcomed us into their home with several songs they had prepared. I was deeply moved by their words as they sang, "Though I'm weak and poor, all I have is yours, every single breath." I have heard that song a million times, but never like this. Never with these people in mind. The tears burned in my eyes. These people were found in the slums, weak and poor, on the brink of death, and have been rescued and given a second chance at life. Their once damaged lungs have healed and their breath is now used to sing praises to God. Their despair has subsided...their hope is now in Jesus.

"Tuberculosis is the number one medical problem in the Philippines. For those with critical cases, medication must be coupled with adequate nutrition. Patients who reside at ICM's Care Recovery Shelter are provided three meals a day, monitored medication and counseling support. They also receive education in health care, values and livelihood opportunities to prepare them for success when they return to their families." -ICM

It costs $1,000USD to support one TB Patient, which will literally save their life. Since the economic crisis, ICM has had to cut down on the number of TB patients in the shelter. Last year there were 50 patients and this year they could only take 35. They have a capacity of 50 beds, but lack the monetary support to fill them.

Most TB patients arrive to the shelter just skin and bones.

We spent the morning listening to their stories, as they explained what their lives were like before TB, their thoughts in their darkest moments of their illness and their road to recovery. As they all stood in the doorway, waving their farewells, a million thoughts were running through my head. As I looked back, I saw miracles standing there, for that is what they are...


Bacolod Slums, Philippines; Thursday, November 5

When I think of my childhood, it is filled with trees to climb, hay fields to roam, and woods to explore. Not for these children. As I walked through the maze of shanties in the Bacolod Slums, I just kept thinking how there is no privacy in this place. Clothes are hung out to dry, doors are left open, cracks are in the wood, roofs have holes, floors are weak, and there are no locks. We were dodging dripping laundry, jumping over sewage run-off and piles of trash. It was a maze of streets jutting around shanties and trees and big puddles of sewage. And all of the people living within.

We soon had a following of children. We were apparently the main attraction for the afternoon. We all laughed and giggled together as we walked through the streets and made our house visits. They are all so beautiful...

ICM began a program called "Container Farming" which has now multiplied exponentially and has become the livelihood of many families in the slums. The families grow and sell their produce, which brings in money for the family. We saw multiple shanties with these containers outside of their houses. This has been one of the most encouraging signs to the ICM staff, as poor families are taking steps to get themselves out of poverty.

This young girl lives in the slums with her mom and dad and is suffering from some type of meningitis. She has four seizures a day and is currently taking medicine for them. She will need brain surgery sometime in the near future, and to remove the growth on her face, but there is a lack of funding for it. It will probably cost a couple thousand dollars.

Crossing the River to Silay

Silay, Philippines; Wednesday, November 4

We made our way down a narrow path overgrown with vegetation. As we walked further from our vans, the mosquitoes started to bite. Children from a nearby village ran alone side us, until we disappeared into the woods. After a few minutes, we began to hear the sound of the river as we got closer to our destination: The Village of Silay. The trees stopped and we came to the clearing where the river rushed below. We made our way down the steep banks onto the small sandy beach. There is no bridge to Silay so we crossed on the bamboo raft made by the villagers. Two by two, we pulled ourselves across to the other side.

Danielle and Jess crossing the river

As we made our way up the bamboo hillside, we could hear the songs of the children getting louder. We finally made it to the Preschool and our hearts melted as they sang to us the songs they had prepared and recited all of Psalm 23. ICM currently has 38 operating Preschools. The students learn to ready, write and do simple addition and subtraction.

The Preschoolers singing and reciting Psalm 23

"Philippine statistics indicate that with each grade of education, the likelihood of living a life of poverty decreases. ICM's Preschool Plus program gives 25 vulnerable children a strong academic start. Two certified teachers prepare them for success in public school. Students receive a nutritious lunch and snack each day, a uniform and supplies. Parents also benefit from weekly classes in values, health care, and livelihood, and work together to prepare meals for the children." -ICM

It costs $5,000USD to sponsor one year-long Preschool in one of these poor neighborhoods.

Precious

Hong Kong

Hong Kong; Tuesday, November 3

View from Victoria Peak

Individual Faces of Poverty

Hong Kong; Monday, November 2

Poverty is a muddled thing. It is confusing and terrifying and imprisons at least 1 out of every 6 people from the 6.6 billion that live on earth today. It does not discriminate, but claims lives from every nation. These people, the ones who are entangled by life’s unruly circumstances, are often over looked and forgotten. It can be overwhelming when we sit with this reality. How can I help all of those people? The truth is, I can’t. The problem is too convoluted. But I can help one. And if I can help one, that is one life that will change forever…

When you start to see the individual faces of poverty is when you start to realize that defeating poverty actually is possible. A couple months ago I heard about the work International Care Ministries was doing in the Philippines and knew I had to be a part of it. Yesterday was pretty surreal when our plane touched down in Hong Kong. The waiting was over. We were here. Last night we attended ICM’s benefit banquet for the poor in the Philippines. When we sat down at our tables, we were asked to look in front of us. A tiny cracker lay bare in the middle of a white bread plate. I looked across the table. My friend had a huge basket of assorted bread. The speaker explained…I represented one of the 12,227,312 Filipinos that currently live below the poverty subsistence standard of USD0.54 per day {subsistence means only having enough income to pay for food, nothing else}. That tiny cracker has been my humble reminder this week…

The speaker went on to share the story of a 13-year-old boy, named Jude, from one of the slum communities that ICM works with. As a result of a previous ICM fundraiser, a family from Hong Kong “adopted” Jude’s family. Because of this, Jude was able to attend school for the first time. Upon his graduation, he entered his school's singing contest and won. From there, he ended up participating in one of the Philippine's national children’s contest, Birit Baby, and won! His story has been broadcast all over the Philippines, and is now making its way into homes all over the world. Jude’s story shows how a family helping another family rise out of poverty makes a difference. The reality of Jude’s story carries me past the impossibilities of poverty as a whole and pushes me to spend my life walking beside individuals…

Click here: Jude's Story

We made it!

Just wanted to let everyone know we made it safely to Hong Kong! The flight was crazy...15 hours!

The Green House Orphanage

Kampala, Uganda; Saturday, May 30





I have to tell you about a brother and sister named Kevin and Catherine. He is 24. She is 21. Their parents died and left them as orphans. Kevin received a full scholarship to attend Liberty University in Virginia and has just graduated and is coming back to Uganda on Monday. Three years ago, Kevin looked around and realized that there were other orphans that needed care, so he and his sister began to take them in. At age 18, Catherine had become a mother to these children and their head caretaker, as Kevin returned to Liberty to study. Over the past three years, the number of orphans has reached a total of 68. The ages range from 3 months up to the lower teens. Catherine, a child herself, is now mother to 68! The only income they receive is from the part time job that Kevin has at school, which he balances with being a fulltime student. This brother and sister decided together that they would give their lives to these 68 children until they are grown and can provide for themselves. Their courage is a great challenge to me…

The children only get to eat once a day, around 3 or 4pm. She serves them tea in the morning to hold them over until then. And then lets them play in the afternoon until bed, in hopes that they will fall asleep before they realize their hunger pains and ask her for more.

For $100USD we were able to buy a wide variety of food for all of the children and give them a meal that would nourish their little bodies. Catherine, knowing each child intimately, cried throughout the meal because she couldn’t remember the last time she saw them enjoy eating so much…

When we first arrived, I was standing in the courtyard and a little girl in pink & white waddled up to me from across the way and hugged both of my legs. My heart melted! I scooped her up and held her until lunch was served. Her name is Shakira. At lunch, I watched as she ate three platefuls of food. When I picked her up again, her little belly was so full. And she held tightly onto a sippy cup full of orange soda, another rare treat. She wouldn’t let me take it from her little hands. So she fell asleep in my arms, gripping her prized possession.

Julie has a friend back home named Susan who hand designed special teddy bears with the wordless book sewn onto them for these orphans. We were blessed as we passed out the bears and watched the children…they were elated! When those teddy bears were in their arms, they all slipped into their imaginary worlds as they began to talk to the bears like any child would.

Before we left, Dale asked Catherine to share her story with us. Through her tears, she described what it has been like for her, day in and day out. She doesn’t know where the next bar of soap will come from. She washes all their clothes by hand. She makes all their food. She is mom to 68! But they all respect her. They love her. She is their stability. Catherine gets her strength from the Lord. But her situation is desperate. She needs help. She is carrying a burden that is far too great for such a young girl. We were able to pray for her and encourage her as best we could. And as we left, we hugged her and the children good-bye. With the needs so great, our few hours there seems like nothing. But to have her smile for one day, to lift her spirits for one day, to encourage her on one more day, is what God called us to Africa to do.

As I watched Shakira and the others, I wondered who they would become. Maybe the next Catherine, maybe the next President of Uganda, maybe the next great missionary… So Kevin and Catherine’s commitment to these children does matter. Our few hours with them does matter. When we do what God has called us to do, we have to trust that He has the rest under his sovereign control…

The Acholi Tribe

Gulu, Uganda; Thursday, May 28



We drove a few miles outside of Gulu to an Acholi Village that had just returned to claim its land after being forced to leave one of the IDP Camps. They are in the process of starting over. Nothing was left, so all of their huts had to be rebuilt. A temporary wood schoolroom was built so the children could begin their education. The villagers were taught to make bricks, so a small schoolhouse is being built in order to promote the education of the tribe’s children. Education is the pivotal point for survival.

World Help has donated 1 pig to this particular village in order for it to give birth to piglets. One piglet can be sold for 100,000 shillings, which will provide the funds to send one child from the tribe to school for one year.

This village had a lot of children. And one thing I have discovered about these trips is that the children love to see themselves on the LCD screen on my camera. So I joined them in the shade of the mango trees and began photographing their beautiful little faces. But I noticed with these children that they didn’t recognize their faces, which leads me to believe that they probably have never seen themselves. So as I photographed, they began to understand. It was them! And then the laughter broke out. I will never forget this moment, as their shrieks filled the air for those fifteen minutes. If just for that short time, I could bring joy into their lives, then my purpose is complete.

Good Shepherd Vocational School

Gulu, Uganda; Wednesday, May 27



Our five-hour drive from Kampala landed us in the heart of Gulu at the Good Shepherd Vocational School. Alex, the Head Master of Destiny and the visionary for Good Shepherd, gave us a tour of the grounds. The students who attend this school have been affected by AIDS or rescued from Kony’s army. Since the students have either been too poor/sick or trapped in the Bush with the LRA, they have not received an education. This school gives them an opportunity to live. It gives them a second chance. They are taught one vocation for six months in order to equip them for a job in welding, sewing, or hairdressing. Most of the students live in distant villages and walk several hours to get to the school each day. Their determination has developed in them a hope that cannot be crushed by their diseases, painful memories, or current monetary situation.

How can that be? How can a widowed woman with AIDS, who has several children, no job and no money have hope? How can she sing and dance and smile the way she does? I have seen these people’s reason for despair. If there was ever a dark moment on this trip, it was in the stories of these Gulu people. Unfair tragedy has ruined their lives and left deep scares. What do they have to hope for?

But I saw a light in them that shone brighter than the sun, where fear was not welcomed. As I sat in a stuffy wooden meetinghouse, my chest tightened and I could not hold back the tears as I watched these men and women praise God with all of their being. Their songs were filled with hope and grace and mercy. Their feet kicked up dust that filled the small house as they danced and jumped and lifted up their hands. Their smiles grew as tears fell from their eyes. These people have found their hope in Jesus, the very thing that I myself have done. It is through this one relationship that life is sustained and redeemed. If anyone would have a reason to reject Jesus, it would be these people. But they have seen Jesus for what he truly is, the Savior of the World.

IDP Camps

Gulu, Uganda; Wednesday, May 27






We woke up early to travel up country to Northern Uganda. We traded in our van for two Land Rovers. This stretch of road, from Kampala to Gulu, is one of the most dangerous. To give you an accurate picture, take away the pavement, yellow lines and all of the rules and add in people/biking on both sides of the road along with motorcycles seating two/three people and loaded down with merchandise and about a million crazy drivers. BUT we had the best driver in all of Uganda. His name is Hassan. He has been driving these roads for over 26 years, leading tour groups for people from all over the world.

I spent most of my time during that drive looking out the window, soaking in this country. As we got closer to Gulu, I began to notice a change. The villages on the sides of the road looked different. Hasan told me why…

When the war broke out in Northern Uganda, the villages in the Bush became extremely vulnerable because there was no protection from Kony. The LRA began attacking villages at night, killing the parents with machetes and forcing the children into the Bush, claming them as child soldiers. Once captured in the Bush, the children would be terrified into completing many horrendous acts against each other in order to break them. If they did not comply, they would be killed. But once they were broken, they were turned into killing machines. This is the tragic history of Northern Uganda that has received so much attention, explained further in the Documentary, Invisible Children.

In response to these night attacks, the government constructed camps for villagers to take refuge in that were protected by the UN. Terrified villagers flooded into these camps, known as IDP Camps {Internally Displaced People Camps}, and they soon became over crowded and poverty stricken. Diseases spread and hunger reigned. Looking back, the number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million.

Now, the government is forcing the camps to be evacuated. Court rulings are determining where the people groups are to go. Some villages are receiving their old land back if there are still relatives from that tribe that can identify the location and prove its heritage. The villagers are hesitant to return to their demolished villages, because they are still embedded with the fear that the war will return.

What I saw out of my window was the remains of the IDP Camps, with the last of its displaced people, waiting for their verdict…

Cutway Slums

Kampala, Uganda; Tuesday, May 26






In the valley, on the outskirts of Kampala, lies Cutway. Neither words nor photographs can paint a just picture. The smells are what define these slums. Just imagine over 1 million people living in extreme poverty, with houses jammed together, and endless trash piles along the open sewage ditches. I have traveled to a lot of poverty stricken communities, but this was something else. We arrived in the late afternoon, after the rainstorm. Since Cutway lies in the valley, all of the runoff from the rain mixes with the sewage and garbage and settles in the alleys.

Before I knew it, we were walking through the slums, jumping over trash piles and lakes of runoff water. We had arrangements to deliver food to six women there and to visit their houses. As these women led us through the maze-like slums, they walked proudly. They considered it a blessing for us to be in their home and didn’t mind our mud caked shoes on their floor. “It can be washed!” they insisted, beckoning us into the darkness of their home. I still felt bad. Washed? How can anything here be washed? One woman lived in a tiny two-room house with her husband and their six children, two of which live at Destiny.

I was humbled, standing there with my muddy shoes on her dirty floor, in her cramped house, being treated as an honored guest. The room was really dark, except for the daylight leaking in through a small window. There was no electricity. She smiled up at Kristen, Dale and I. We smiled back, and my heart hurt for her. But her faith still stands. We prayed for her and her family and encouraged her to draw close to Jesus. We delivered the food we bought and she sent us away with a kiss. It is easy to be discouraged after leaving a place like Cutway. Because the fact is that I am now here, sitting in a clean hotel room, and they are still there, in a dirty house in complete darkness. But God is sovereign still…and what we cannot do for her, He has already done.

Destiny Children’s Home

Kampala, Uganda; Tuesday, May 26







We drove up into the mountains to Destiny Children’s Home where 1,200 children have taken refuge from the dangerous city slums and the grasp of the LRA {Lord’s Resistance Army}. The LRA, led by a wicked man named Joseph Kony, is a guerilla army based in Northern Uganda who engaged in armed rebellion against the Ugandan government. They have killed thousands and displaced millions. Kony and his rebels are now hiding in the Bush between the Congo and Sudan, continually crossing the boarder to escape capture.

Originally, Destiny Children’s Home was to be built in Gulu for the hundreds of children displaced/orphaned by the LRA. But after assessing the situation, World Help believed that the Home would be a prime target for Kony and his rebels. They did not want to put the children in such close proximity to him in fear that they would be killed/abducted. So 700 of these children from Gulu were placed at Destiny, some six hours away from Kony’s reach.

The Head Master of Destiny, John Michael, partnered with World Help and the Rock to continue to build the necessary facilities from the money that our students raised. John Michael invited us to Uganda to dedicate the finished building, which was a dorm facility to house 200 boys. He informed us that from the 1,200 children, 20% have parents that don’t have enough money to take care of them, 20% are half orphans, and 60% are complete orphans.

As our vans pulled up to the protected community tucked away in the lush mountains, the iron gates opened. We walked under the terrace and before us, lining the long driveway, were hundreds of children in uniforms waving and welcoming us in. We were led to the front of the boys’ dorm, where all of the children waited patiently on the hillside. To our surprise, they had prepared a welcome ceremony that included tribal song/dance. It really takes your breath away when you think about all of the tragedy and pain they’ve experienced in their short little lives, and how in light of it all they sing to the Lord with everything they have left. And if their courage doesn’t bring you to tears, the words that they sing will.

We finished the ceremony, opened the new dorms, and stood back as 200 boys flooded into the facility. Shrieks, shrills and laughter filled the air as I made my way into one of the rooms. Little smiling faces surrounded me as I scanned the area, packed with bunk beds. I asked one of the boys if he wanted a photo with his bed…in which I immediately had twenty new requests. They all wanted a photo on their bed. And as I was photographing them striking poses, giggling and jumping around, I realized that this was the only property they “owned.” This little space, this little mattress, this little pile of sheets was theirs. It was in this moment, photographing orphans, that demonstrated for me the weight of what our students at the Rock had done and the impact that one person can have in the life of another. And it reaffirmed for me that I serve a loving God who cares about the 200 so much that he would send people from the other side of the world to share this moment and provide for these needs.

Before we left, we surprised the children with ice cream. John Michael told us they only get ice cream once a year so this was a really big treat. I have never seen such smiles! Their eyes lit up with excitement and the classrooms broke out in cheers. These children were beyond ecstatic. We passed out all 1,200 ice cream containers and watched in amazement as some shoveled it down, some savored it as long as they could, some put it in their book bags for later and some just held it. Some even washed out the plastic container when they were done just to keep it…

The Good Samaritan Center

Kampala, Uganda; Monday, May 25








We spent yesterday in Buddo, a rural community right outside of Kampala, at a home stay for students whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS called, The Good Samaritan Center. This center offers education and medical care to the poorest of families in six communities. A total of 1,600 children were admitted to the Good Samaritan School who were either affected by HIV/AIDS, domestic problems exposing the children to danger, or the war torn region of Northern Uganda.

The school currently lacks piped water, textbooks, chalk, lab equipment, pens/pencils, exam papers, registration fees for final exams, extra curricular training, and several other academic concerns. The school Head Master took us on a tour of the half finished facility, which provides dorm rooms for girls. In Africa, girls at 15 years old are expected to get married, which can lead to neglect, abuse and HIV/AIDS. This school is taking a stand against this practice. They are giving these girls a hope and a future through solid education, proper care and Biblical teaching that shows them their true worth. Raising up these beautiful young girls and protecting them from the dangers of being on their own in the city is revolutionary.

We were able to meet these children {about 1,200 of them!} face to face, and it was incredible. They welcomed us to their country with traditional song and dance and greetings from the Head Master and all of the School Teachers. Our team brought new school paper and pens/pencils. Since they lack paper most of the year, the school walls are lined with paintings/diagrams/learning material so the children can sit in front of it to learn. Children will often be seen sitting there, studying the information, unable to write it down to take home to study.

The school is continuing its construction as new dorms for the boys are being built, along with a dining hall and kitchen. All of the construction work is done by hand {hand made bricks, hand made/poured cement} by a small number of men, which is why it is taking so long to build. But every day the staff and children pray, and God keeps answering their prayers. The stories of God's provision in the lives of the school staff in order to provide this safe place for these orphaned children continues to amaze me…

Inspiration

Saturday, May 23

I am so excited to share with you the incredible opportunity I have to travel to Uganda, Africa this week. The youth group I volunteer with at McLean Bible Church, called the Rock, raised money during a New Years Eve event called ‘New Years AID 2008.’ The students at the Rock raised a total of $151,000 dollars to build five orphanages for children orphaned by HIV.

Our small team from the Rock Student Ministries has been preparing to go to Kampala, Uganda to dedicate the orphanages that we raised money for and to work with the children who live there. We fly out tonight. We will be in Africa from May 23rd-June 1st, working with a Christian organization called World Help International. We expect to spend time in several orphanages and visit a refugee camp along the Sudan-Uganda border. This year is the fifteenth anniversary since the mass genocide took place and we hope to lend a hand to our partners from World Help as they continue to be God’s light in Africa.

{what lies ahead in Africa}

-Every 10 seconds one person dies of AIDS and another 2 are infected.

-Every 15 seconds, another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa.

-Every year, 2,102,400 more children are orphaned in Africa alone.

-More than 1/4 of the developing world’s people live in poverty, 1/3 of which live less than $1/day.

{recommended movies to watch}

-Invisible Children

-Hotel Rwanda

-Blood Diamond