Difficult to know where to start, so much has happened in this first month, impossible to keep it brief so please persevere to the end.
Sorry no more photos, we have loads but just no time to put them on. Usually out of the door by 6.30am (to avoid the horrendous Manila traffic) and often home late if we have meetings.
Those of you who are friends on Facebook, have just put a link on to a video taken on the dump-site, in the school, the PCF church (under water) and the cemetery at Navotas where the children live amongst the tombs. Sorry can't put the link on here but ask someone who has Facebook, it's worth watching and you can see the challenges for yourselves.
- We mentioned Navotas in last blog and said it couldn't be worse than the dump site here - it was. The houses are built on top of the tombs, which are piled on top of each other like filing cabinets, relatives are slid out so a new one can go in. Some of the tombs are broken and a child was seen recently playing with a human thigh bone. Not only that, this area is overlooking the sea and 88 of the shanties, including some families, were lost in the last typhoon. The community is incredibly supportive of each other though, they take families in and there are often 30 sheltering under a couple of sheets of wood with a tarpaulin (if they are lucky) on top. A lot of work went on here when the last typhoon was raging, hundreds of emergency relief packs of shelter, clothing and food were made up and delivered by PCF.
- We are still talking finance, which is very depressing, but when you see what is happening here and how it must continue it spurs you on. Fortunately the board both here and in the UK are very supportive and have come up with some 'rescue packages', we pray for more funding to come in then all will be well. The ironic thing is, there is money in the bank that is reserved for specific projects so can't be used to pay the wages. Apparently in fund-raising speak wages aren't attractive, so no one wants to fund them, but the reality is without the teachers, social workers, nurses, sponsorship team, drivers, cleaners etc etc we wouldn't be able to operate. Anyway the staff are all sure God has his hand on it, so we are not to worry! When we look at the children at the school who are well nourished (they have breakfast and lunch here and take a pack home for the family), innoculated, flourishing and their mum is working upstairs in Livelihood making bags and jewellery and supporting her family you know how worthwhile it is. However we at the moment are serving 1000 families regularly, and a few more when we can and there are 15000 families on the dump-site you see there is still work to be done.
- Stan preached the sermon at the dump site church last Sunday (complete with wellies - it is permanently flooded). It was a packed 'churches together' service and I have to say he did pretty well. To be fair though, part of it was 'borrowed' from Jon Hills - so thanks Jon!). I was asked to preach today and I was competing with Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao, for the ignorant amongst you he is a world class boxer who was from a very poor Filipino family, so is a real hero here. He is also a congressman, and is loved by all. He was fighting this morning, so wasn't expecting a big congregation - had 87 women and children and no men! (Usually hundreds!). I was quite happy about that as nervous enough anyway! (Manny won by the way).
- It is interesting how our jobs are splitting, whilst I was on the dump-site today Stan was invited to a Remembrance service at HTM (that's Holy Trinity Manila!), the Anglican church in Makati, the area that many of the ex-pats live and work. The high rises are a bit like New York and the area is wealthy - if I tell you the church is between the golf club and the polo club you will get the idea. After the service he was invited for drinks with the British Ambassador and then to watch the boxing. Not sure this division of labour is going the way I thought. The positive thing is, when he told the guests where his wife was they were keen to support PCF, so that's very positive (and they do have plenty of money!).
- The Manila throats have cleared up - must be getting used to the smog.
- All Saints Day big here - the evening before (All Hallows Eve) people go to the tombs and scrub them, and then on the following day they all visit their dead relatives and have parties. According to the Manila Tribune over 1million people visited Manila Cemetery that day.
- Interesting newspaper headlines this week (all our solicitor friends take note), "solicitors and con artists banned from Manila park". (As we read on we realised they were talking about people asking for money).
- Good news this week - we did manage to get into the Mall last night and Stan has found a perfect substitute for the Chosen coffee shop - he started with 'Gloria Jeans' and then found an even cheaper one 'The Coffee Bean', they even have a little card they stamp for a free one every 7th! Sadly may take Stan a long time to get the free one, much less free time! (Only 65 pesos though - under £1)
- We met a Canadian property developer who wants to buy land and build (legal) houses near to the dump-site. He sells top range properties and has asked the buyers to pay another $1500 on top so he can build a house in a deprived area - and they are doing it! He is finishing a project in Cambodia and then coming here - and he bought us dinner at the Intercontinental (where all the American/Canadian visitors stay) so not all bad news!
- More good news - we have just spent a day showing reps from an Australian charity - Emagine Education Everywhere - round the school and dump-site. They want to kit out a computer room for us (we just happen to have an empty room that would be perfect) and send a trainer over to train people in IT skills (probably as evening classes). IT skills are sought after here, so another way of getting off the dump-site.
- Employee of the month - we don't really have one but maybe we should. One of the social workers, Christopher, who is usually the one who comes with us round the dump site, is the nearest thing to a saint I have ever seen. As he walks round the dump-site the kids fling their arms around him, adults want to shake his hand. He is paid a pittance, most of which he gives away to them as he is walking around. He has damaged lungs due to the time he spends on the dump (there is always stuff burning) but just loves the people and says God has sent him here to help, so he must. He just loves them all. He was interviewed recently by a university doing a project here, do watch it. We are thinking of starting a 'sponsor a member of staff' scheme to run along the child sponsorship scheme and I think people will be fighting to sponsor Chris.
- Bad news this week - Sue bought a shirt - she is XL in Asian sizing - had to go out the back to find one big enough - she won't be buying any more (and she has lost weight on the diet of rice and beans!).
- Best sign of the week - in the red light district (don't ask!) - a strip club called 'Play and Display'
PRAYER POINTS THIS WEEK
- Finance miracles
- The TB positive nurses - now suspended with full pay until we can get them tested - trying to source funding for that
- Coca Cola - yes a funny one I know - but Stan is meeting with them tomorrow. They want to support us so he's going to show them some our ring-pull handbags and bracelets so they can see they do already! Hopefully they will give us money as well
- For the amazing staff and volunteers here
- For Jane returning to the UK on Wednesday that she knows her 'baby' is in safe hands
