After many mistakes on the way to successful community developmental projects,one thing looks good and that is a nice house. We have seen that if a family can have a house to stay in their attitude towards live can also change. We're still far from perfect but it sure is a privelege to help the severe indigent families. To some of you these stories are not new, we apologise, this is to give a overview of some of the different things that happened here.
To walk into a house and sink into rubbish up to your ankles , filled with urine and old food, is upsetting and not a good environment for children to stay in. An open fire inside the house with cocks tied up inside ,with almost no floor to sleep on is no good place for someone who is asthmatic. A shack, 10'x8'feet wide, standing just a half meter above the water makes it hard for a family of 9 to survive..
So many questions arise. How can we help ? Will our help be enough ? Will the neighbours not be jealous ? Do we first start by giving food or medicine or a new house? If all the basic things are not there ,where do we start.? How much are we allowed to help? Will the people get dependent on us ?
God gives us a heart of flesh so that we can have compassion with people,using the wisdom and guidance that His Holy Spirit provides for us. If there is no compassion, why do we do this work? We can just as well pack our backs and go home.We need to be careful, they do get dependent on us, but we can make a difference and God says we need to take every opportunity we can get to tell people of His love and saving grace. They can also see some of that through a house or a plate of food !! God opened so many doors into homes for us and we are fortunate to step into so many lives. As a foreigner its hard to imagine how to live in circumstances like them. We try to look through the eyes of God to these poor people and what they can become in the future.
Elma and children
February 1997 : We found Elma, a single mum with 5 children in Ipil Beach a day before we left for Africa. She is only a vendor thus very little money to care for her children. Her youngest ,April, was dying and the doctors gave her 3 days to live. I took Matt there and he took care of them in MMC and put April onto a feeding program. While she was there they rebuild her home. The home was only a framework dressed with a plastic cover. They put up some beautiful walls made of bamboo and a corrugated roof. They were so glad. From time to time we continued to do some repair work.
July 1998 : The family became part of our Study group under the watchful eyes of Cora and thanks to the encouragement the whole group she is doing good. Benjamin did some repair work on the structure of the house as the season for high seas is arriving. We also saw it fit to make a small extension on her house and now she has a very small kitchen and a little more space for everyone. Shegave birth to a boy last month(Sept.98):It was her birthday the other day and we went as a group, surprising Elma at 5am in the morning with singing. It was a wonderful experience and Cora told us Elma cried the whole day because of this simple act of love from everyone. Toinette took them out for a snack in the afternoon and we think that Elma will remember this year for many to come.
Mila and family
November 17,1997 : We met Christy, a severly malnourished 12 year old. The condition of the house was undescribable(if there is a word like that).When Toinette tried to step inside her foot got stuck in rubbish filled with urine and old food. There was no floor. The bottles of this "baby" was lying inside this rubbish. We were shocked. The story of Christy is in my previous newsletter. This was not a healthy environment. With the help of a Hong Kong team we set out one morning and constructed a new floor.
As you all know, Christy is improving and her family is opening up more and more for the seeds of the Word of God.
The Socias-family
November 1996 : With the help of one of my friends we set of to this house I believe was the worse I ever saw. The house was situated where the dirty water of the neighbourhood met the sea. If its high tide the water pushes up underneath the house. The roof consists of old rotten corrugated iron and the walls were old rotten wood. When it rains the water pours inside. You cannot stand up straight in the house. Delia ,the mother, delivered her 8th baby, 2 of her children already died, and now they are 8 in a 10'x8' feet shack. The father is a drunkard and gambler and there is no food in the house . The children was ill all the time and no one in school.
We repaired the roof by putting some plastic under the iron. We demolished the walls and in the proses we saw all the different types of insects in the Philippines, even scorpions, in the walls. Not a good place to raise your children.
May 18,1998 : The house was another year older and by now the floor was no good and it started to leak again. Another baby was on the way, thus 9 soon. We decided that we will demolish the whole house and start all over this time. With the help of the father and the boys ,Leo, Tony and Jako they started to build.
They had so many problems with the neighbour but we could sort it out with the Barangay people.The family was staying illegally in that space in the slum. the barangay captain gave them the space and we could continue.
The house is only 6'x5,5' feet at this point but it look nice and much higher above the water and clean. We even build a bunker in the roof for more sleeping space. The house is beautiful and the father is very proud to have such a nice house. Delia came to give birth in MMC. We are still reaching out to them with medicine and the love of God.
Melecio Hiyas
July 21,1998 : While I was drinking a Coke at a Sari-sari store I saw a small girl with a big boil on her head. I offered her some of my Coke and asked her where she lived.When we reached her house, there was no house. Only a couple of planks hold them away from the outside. The floor was just big enough for all of them to sleep on. Melecio has 4 children, none of them in school. His wife ran away and he has asthma and cannot work. He is a fisherman without a boat
I asked my friend Benjamin to help us rebuild Melecio's house. With the help of his brother Leo they demolished the old house because it was beyond repair and started to build a new one. I left them on their own so that they can build without the help of foreigners. The house is a masterpiece.
Benjamin are building on a friendship with Melecio and also educating the children on how to keep the house ckean. He asked them to wash their clothes with soap. Melecio answered by telling him that there is no money for food so how can he buy soap. Benjamin told him to come to his house and get some soap.
We are also helping him with some medicine. Meanwhile the group in Ipil Beach is reaching out to him through encouragement, advise and we halped them to start a small income generating project with Melicio.
Please pray
1. That all the people we help will come to know the Lord in a personal relationship.
2. For the neighbours not be jealous towards the people we help.
3. That His light will shine in these "dark"houses.
4. For God's blessing and protection over these families.
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