Street kids and Squatter areas - James 1:27

Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Since my first trip here in 2005 it has been a burden on my heart to minister to the vast population of street kids here in Manila. Partly because I am a father, partly because it is hard in general to see kids in such harsh conditions and partly because of the passion that God has for these dear children and the burden to see them reached for His glory and their deliverance.

Before I ever saw a vast group of street kids I was introduced to their situation by the testimony of a man that was a street kid. In '05 I preached at Liberty Baptist Mission in Antipolo where Pastor De La Cruz shared his testimony to myself and the Perkins over lunch. To get to the point, he and his two brothers lived on the streets and it was there that a Christian man (not a pastor or missionary) showed them the love of Christ and invested in them. The result of that investment is that he and both his brothers are in full time ministry and have impacted hundreds of souls for Christ! This should remind us of the potential of everyone, the fact that you never know what God can do with seeds you plant and that there is a great need to minister to these great areas of need and not just within our comfort zones and daily travels.

With that being said, my burden for this trip almost as soon as I heard I would be going was to invest in these kids (and adults) on the streets and in the squatter areas. So being equipped with Tagalog tracts, gospel bracelets and homemade Christmas ornaments with scriptures, Brother Jun and I have been hitting the streets in the afternoons. The areas we have been to so far have not been the most impoverished of squatter areas but certainly have a tremendous need for the gospel. What I have learned quickly is that audiences are widely available for gospel teaching but we much use caution in how we go about giving anything to these kids.

These kids see that you have something and they literally mob you, pull on your clothes, try to climb on you, try to take the bag from your hands and there is no courtesy between the kids, the bigger will certainly take from the small as much as possible. While we have had some good audiences and attentiveness we will definitely employ a different approach next week as we use the rest of our bracelets and ornaments. The key will be to let them know we have something for them but they must listen to the teaching and they must promise to be orderly in the recieving of the gift and allow everyone to get one. What will happen later I dont know but this should ensure the most attentive and largest audiences. One thing that has been disappointing to me is that these kids have no grasp on english at all so my limited tagalog has been a real hangup. Both Jun and the rest of the Rock of ages staff will be available next week so we will be sure to have the gospel be presented in a way they can best comprehend. I have found success teaching from the bracelets as well as the Evangecube and next week I would like to employ our Abeka flash card series on creation and salvation that i brought with me. Please pray that we would see souls saved. We are encouraged that we have distributed more than 500 tracts, 200 bracelets and almost 200 ornaments. As we will be more organized next week we will also implement some candy and snacks etc.

The areas themselves sit off of the main road and are hidden by storefronts and various mga tindera (vendors). You really dont know where the people are coming from or until you look at the very narrow corridors between the shops. When you walk through the narrow dark area it just seems to go forever, turns to the left and right, paths everywhere to hundreds and hundreds of little rooms where entire families live. It would be very easy to get lost in there. The sanitation is horrible and the smells reflect that. Many of the people and children are very dirty and so by the time they got done grabbing and pulling at me trying to get a Pasko (Christmas) present (the bracelets and ornaments) - my clothes were filthy. The Philippine government reports more than 375,000 prostitutes across the country and and more than 250,000 streek kids in Manila alone. The density of children in this area is mouthstopping, once our bags were opened, what we had (three bags of materials) was gone in just minutes. It is clear there are some hungry kids and it has a survival of the fittest feel to it with the smallest of kids getting shoved and knocked over. Many of the kids and teens would call out, "Daddy, dont you recognize me, I'm your son/daughter, Daddy bring me home." As you can imagine, while there was some appreciation for the gifts, there was a lot of asking for money and there was quite a bit of hardness with the adults. They all took tracts for the most part but many of them we would see cast by the wayside on our trip back through. Unlike the states, the people usually will give you an audience. They are too polite to send you away and that is what is encouraging about the possibilities. I dont anticipate an immediate response in these areas that are wanting for many of the things we take for granted, with mixed perceptions of our true intent and not to mention that we are speaking against the idols and religious traditions that they hold so dear. I firmly believe that these areas will not be won until you win the battle of "they dont care what you know until they know that you care" and this will take repeated investment of time and energy to impact them. Step one though is certainly to give them the gospel and this is what we will continue to do. It has been a truly rewarding time, to not care about a smell or dirt or what they could offer a congregation were they to join one, to not think about demographics and target groups, to not be apathetic to teh value of their souls. As I leave a five star hotel - from the 13th floor where there is likely more wasted food from their breakfast buffet than would be needed to feed these kids daily to this area, it truly feels more like home, and I wouldnt want it any other way.

I have included the following link to view some of the pictures that I have taken so far. Honestly, taking a couple quick snapshots is about all I have cared to do, the pictures are not great and they cant tell the story by any means but there are a few faces there to give you a feel for the area.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=6m9eb6f.2mjwx2k3&x=0&y=-f16ur8&localeid=en_US

I also wanted to provide some education on the situation with street kids, both in manila and around the world.

The Following Statistics are taken from International Street Kids Ministry website

(I have substituted King James Scripture in this article so we know what God really said)

http://www.internationalstreetkids.com/statistics.php

Statistics on Abandoned Children
Over 400,000,000 abandoned children live on their own on the streets of hundreds of cities around the world. They subsist hand to mouth. They struggle to just survive the day.
UNICEF defines an abandoned child as one who:
Does not know where his or her next meal is coming from.
Does not know where he or she is spending the night.
He or she does not live with either the mother or the father.

This definition does not apply to every child that "lives" on the streets - in the next article on Manila there is a further desription of the different groups involved.
While defining a problem is helpful, no definition illustrates the plight of abandoned children as clearly as the following set of statistics:
Every 2 seconds, a child becomes an orphan.
Every 14 seconds, a child is orphaned by AIDS.
1,000,000,000 of the world's families live on less than a dollar a day.
Authorities estimate that child pornography is a $20 billion a year industry; too many abandoned children end up as victims of this deviant activity.
UNICEF estimates that nearly 1,000,000 children enter the sex trade every year.
Experts also estimate that nearly 10,000,000 children are working as prostitutes, with nearly 90% of them girls.
According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition is the single biggest contributor to child mortality rates worldwide.
Many street children use a number of inhalants (glue, gasoline, lighter fluid) and illegal drugs (marijuana, cocaine and heroin).
Street children are routinely detained illegally, beaten and tortured and sometimes killed by police in some countries.
Tragically, less than 1/10 of 1% of Evangelical resources go to reaching, rescuing and making disciples of these children. And yet, it was Jesus Himself who said,
Mat 19:14 Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Dozens of times, the Bible commands us to care for the orphan and care for the fatherless. If we don't reach out to them, who will? Instead of asking, "Why me?" try asking this instead: "Why not me?"
"A Father of the fatherless...is God in His holy habitation." - Psalm 68:5

The end of this post will be the following article. I appreciate your continued prayer. Please lift up the trip to Baguio today for the weekend, that God would be glorified and I would learn many things about this region and its needs.

Below is the URL and the article on Street Kids of Metro Manila - I just found this yesterday and it was quite informative. One thing to note is the date of the article - from 1992. This is one of the main reasons why the statistics that it reports about the number of street kids and the number that the government reports and that other missionaries suspect vary so widely.

Also, for sake of time, I have cut out a number of portions of this three page document that I did not feel needed to be read to emphasize the situation on the streets

https://www.strategicnetwork.org/index.php?loc=kb&view=v&id=15778&fct=PHL&

In John 13:34 we are given what seems to be an unattainable command: A new commandment I give unto you: that ye love one another. Centuries later, God challenges us to obey this command amid the instability of Metro Manila. This is an instability not simply due to killer earthquakes (July 1990), volcanic eruptions (June 1991), typhoons, communist insurgencies, or frequent coup attempts. It is also seen in the 50,000 or more "undesirables" who roam the squalid streets of Metro Manila.
Statistics of Admonition
The nation's problems are most glaring in its sprawling slums, home to more than 15 million people-one-fifth of the total population. Here, amid squalor and disease, are the ugly realities behind the statistic that more than half of all Filipinos live below the poverty line, defined most recently as $730 per year for a family of six.
Manila's birth rate outside the slum is 33 per 1,000 persons, twice that of the United States. Inside the slums, the rate is 177 per 1,000.
Although juvenile delinquency and vagrancy among minors are not new, the number of teenagers and pre-teenagers actually working or living on Manila streets began to rise noticeably in the 1970s. By the 1980s, street children had increased to such an alarming level that they became a national concern. Not coincidentally, the growth of this group occurred during a period of rapid population growth, increased urban migration, intermittent economic crises, and increased poverty nationwide.
Street Children of Manila
Street children of Metro Manila can be classified into four groups.
1. The real street children. These are the children who actually survive on the street. They are out of school with an average educational attainment of grade three. They are orphaned or abandoned; some are runaways and others were driven from their homes.
2. The working children in the street. These children work to pay their school expenses or to help their parents. Most of these children are in school. Although most of them are very young girls, their average educational level is grade six.
3. The children of the slums and squatter families. They have nothing to do in their homes so they frequently roam the streets, returning home at night or at mealtime.
4. The children of poor families. These families work the street or engage in the underground economy as peanut, food, or cigarette vendors. They often have mobile stalls or pushcarts. These parents bring their children with them. This group also includes beggars.
Ministry to Street Children
A major Street Children Research survey was launched by ACTION in October 1990. We will examine three aspects of this research project and review methods used by three different Christian ministries that are reaching these children with the love of Christ.
Christ for Greater Manila (CGM): The research project began with questionnaires answered by street boys at the Christ for Greater Manila's Provincial Home Rehabilitation Center in Cavite.
Action International Ministries (ACTION): Using the information gathered from the pretest study, ACTION conducted a larger scale study among street children in two Manila locations.
Sampaloc Bible Church: In addition to surveying street kids, ACTION's Research Project located evangelical churches and agencies currently ministering to street children.

46% of the kids interviewed have separated parents. 48% left home due to problems with their parents. 66% preferred to stay on the streets rather than go home. Their length of time on the streets varied from one day to ten years.
Here are the results of the survey, listed by category.
Lifestyle
Large public buildings were the most common places to eat and sleep on the street. Two-thirds said that they used cardboard or newspaper for sleeping mats. When the weather was bad, only a few were able to return home. About two-thirds of the respondents ate at least twice daily. Most of the boys bought their food.
Their daily incomes ranged from P10 to P200 (40¢ to $8). Common sicknesses included coughs, colds, fever, and headaches. Most bought their medicines. Cigarette smoking was common. Their primary activities were begging and getting high on drugs.
Solvent paint thinner was used by over half of the respondents, obtained from hardware and drug stores. Sniffing solvent is a cheap but a potentially lethal way of getting high. When one young lad was asked why he did it, he said, "It's like being in heaven!"
Educational Attainment
Two-thirds of the boys were not attending school at the time of the survey, but almost all indicated that they wanted to resume their studies. Most of the respondents had dropped out of school. The professions they most desired to attain included the military, police, engineering, and even the Christian ministry.

Spiritual Issues
Approximately 94 percent of all Filipinos are considered Roman Catholic. Only 3 or 4 percent are estimated to be truly "born again." The provincial home boys gave some encouraging answers. All the boys said they thought about God, and believed that he cared for them and was active in their lives. The majority believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or divine in nature. Almost all desired to study the Bible. They would study in a church, park, or on the sidewalk.
About a third indicated that they were aware of unexplainable demonic activities.

Gangs and Peer Groupings

Three-fourths of the respondents did not join a gang. They had a low view of them and did not envision themselves becoming drug-pushers, etc. However, when kids from other areas entered their turf, the majority of them became entangled in fights. The reasons given for these fights were that they were picking on each other, joking, sniffing solvent or rugby glue, or helping their friends.
Almost all said that they experienced fear. They were mainly afraid of beatings from their parents, police, and street and security guards. There are some police who scare them with their weapons and incarcerate them. However, the street kids themselves said that some police will help them because they don't want to see them on the street.
Needs and Aspirations
Most of the boys' needs and aspirations were for basic things like a home and a loving family. Necessities like clothing, food, schooling, work, care and a place to belong were frequently mentioned. The difficulty of life on the street with no hope for the future filled the overwhelming majority with discontent. With no alternative in sight, most felt they are conscripted to a lifetime of mere survival.
Our purpose in surveying street children was to give us an overview of the street children's plight in Metro Manila from a Christian perspective; to establish a profile of these children; to identify their basic needs, problems and characteristics; and to discover what appropriate ministries could be developed for them.
Surveys were taken at Araneta Center in Cubao and Monumento, Grand Central, and Light Rail Transit areas in Kalookan City. A two-page questionnaire in the national Tagalog language was administered to fifty-seven randomly selected boys and girls, ages 10 to 23, at these locations. The resulting data was categorized under the following headings. It gives us a glimpse of life among Manila's street kids.
The Family Situation
The majority preferred to live at home. Most in this group were boys, while some of the girls preferred the streets. The reasons given by those who preferred to live at home were: they would be with their parents; they would have a comfortable and safe life at home; and they would have regular food and guidance. Those who preferred the streets had many playmates; they were earning money; and no one was hurting them.
Most of the girls said that they were on the streets to work to sell things like sampaguite (fragrant Philippine flowers strung together on a string), sweepstakes tickets and plastic bags. Most of the boys said, however, that they had run away from home or had been driven away by their parents.
The sizes of respondents' families were relatively small by Filipino standards. Most of the girls reported that they had five siblings; most of the boys said they had only two or three. The majority also have siblings on the street.
The Lifestyles of Respondents
Their eating habits are somewhat normal. Half ate three times a day, while a considerable number ate twice a day. The majority buy their food, although some boys acquire their food by begging or finding leftovers or scraps. Most of the girls from Kalookan ate at home.
Half of the respondents pass the night at home. The rest said that they sleep under the monorail transit terminal, in parking lots, or on the streets. The reasons included, "We are living there"; "Our mother told us not to come home"; and "No other place to go." Those who sleep outside the home used cardboard boxes for mats or bedding. During bad weather, they took shelter in nearby buildings.
The majority derived their income from vending or working in the street. A number of boys earn by begging and one girl respondent said she was a prostitute. Most earn a daily income of between P25 to P50 ($1 to $2) while about one fourth of the respondents (mostly girls) earn daily between P50 to P100 ($2 to $4). Most respondents said they had no vices. A few of the boys sniff solvent. Some use drugs, sniff glue and smoke marijuana. They did this, they said, to ease headaches, to have a trip and to feel good.
Educational Attainment
The educational level of street children is very low. Most of the boys have only reached third grade, while the majority of the girls have reached sixth grade. Poor attendance was generally attributed to their parents' "refusal" for one reason or another.
About half of the respondents (mostly boys) wanted to pursue their education. The boys sought law enforcement positions. The girls wanted to take up nursing or teaching. The reasons given for refusing to pursue their studies included: "I don't want any more"; "I am lazy"; "I find it hard"; "I have children"; or "I am already married."
The Spiritual Encounter
The response regarding spiritual encounters was limited. However, the following is significant. They said that they had seen or heard about such things as "the white lady," ghosts, dwarves, evil spirits, and demons. Some of them are aware of the existence of a witch, quack doctor or fortuneteller. They also mentioned the rituals of occult practitioners who practice witchcraft, tell fortunes, get the hearts of children, chant, and imitate or copy people's faces.
Almost all said they "think about God." Some think about God when they are depressed, sick, or lonely. Other respondents said that he is the sustainer and supplier of their needs and that he is kind and helpful. Almost all believe that God cares for them. They said that the fact that they have survived is reason to believe that God cares.
Gangs or Peer Grouping
Peer grouping, or barkada, is the way to survive on the street. They hang around in groups, but three-fourths of the respondents maintain that they are not members of a gang or fraternity. The reasons given included, "It's bad"; "It's forbidden"; "I don't like them." Those who joined groups or fraternities said that they did so for protection and camaraderie.
Needs and Aspirations of the Respondents
Most of their felt needs are material. There is, however, a significant number who said they need parents, jobs, studies, health and the love of a brother or sister. Their needs included clothing, education and help to change their life.
When asked about their ambitions, the respondents said that they wanted a simple but comfortable life. They wanted to get a degree or profession and to have a family or be reconciled to their families.
Sampaloc Bible Church Street Kid Ministry
Various groups have rallied to offer physical and spiritual help to the despised street urchins. Part of ACTION's research goal was to locate these evangelical groups and begin to network with them. Sampaloc Bible Church, based in the center of Manila's University Belt, is quickly becoming known for its successful center-based ministry among street children. Beginning in 1974 under Far Eastern Crusade (now SEND International) as a Student Life Center, it evolved quickly. Under the competent leadership of Pastor Bob Sanchez, it is now a thriving church that ministers to street kids, as well as foreign and national students. With the help of various financial grants, a vision to help Manila's young people, and many man-hours, it has made significant progress in ministry. It now has a drop-in center for street kids eight to fifteen years old, which can serve a maximum of forty-five kids. It also has a temporary shelter which can accommodate fifteen kids.

Street Kid Outreach
Each week, a special team is sent out to needy areas in Manila where they offer food and fellowship, music and a gospel message to destitute street kids. When children express a desire to enroll in Sampaloc's program, they are required to sign a contract before admittance. For most of Manila's street-hardened kids, issues like stealing, quarreling, and stubbornness need to be dealt with. Despite a return to the streets by the "untouchables" or "hard-headed," Pastor Sanchez reports that over the years, the church has been blessed to see a fair number of reconciliations between street kids and their families.
A Call to Service
The Philippines was once known for its high, godly standards for family unity, especially between husbands and wives. Pakikisama, or smooth interpersonal relationships, was once a high priority.
Now, tempted by the Western world's materialistic pride, these qualities are toppling. Family unity is taking a severe beating. All this is compounded by political and economic crises and natural disasters. Coupled with the corruption in the government ranks, funds for relief and street kid organizations sometimes fail to materialize. It is no wonder that the street kid situation is becoming bleaker.
What is needed here, more than anything, is a turning away of "every man for himself." We need to go back to the Word of God, realize the corruptness of the inner self and reorder our priorities. As it says in Php 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Then these kids will get the help they need to escape from the bondage of their situation and to enter into abundant grace and freedom found in and through Christ Jesus.

I pray that some will take the time to read this and pray for these kids. Lord bless

New Year Tradition and Superstition in the Philippines

Knowing that this trip would include spending the New Year here I started to ask upon arrival what to expect as far as celebrations and traditions and was educated quickly. The first respons was a three word statement - many, many fireworks.

As I read the papers I read the history of 470 firework or stray bullet related hospitalizations in '08 - down from previous years. I read about a boy who was blinded yesterday because of a firecracker accident etc.
As we went to the squatter areas to witness and minister to kids and adults alike (will write of this soon), there were many firecrackers going off - sounding more like bombs than firecrackers

While it is a tradition that is held with fondness among the people along with midnight feasts with family supposed to insure plenty of food in the coming year, wearing circles on clothing for hope of wealth, jumping up and down for hopes of growing taller in the next year etc - it is steeped in superstition - being taken from the Chinese beliefs that the loud noises will drive away evil spirits. Just another sign of the spiritual blindness that these people are held captive in by satan according to his will (2 Tim. 2:26). All the more reason more labourers are needed to "in meekness instruct those that oppose themselves" that God might deliever them through repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth. Perhaps the following articles may be of interest to some regarding this culture and its celebration of the New Year. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray. We had a great, yet humbling day in the squatter area today that I will write of anotehr time followed by a service at La Loma Baptist church.

The new year has now been rung in here while I am at the call center. The booms from outside almost rattle the windows, the smoke in the city is causing slow going on the roads - taking about 3 times as long to navigate through all the smoke. The agents whoe are here are all enjoying a wonderful Lechon (pig roast) as they work through the night. Lord bless you all and happy New Year - May Christ be Magnified in it.

The following article is taken from this website http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/31/asia/AS-Philippines-New-Year.php

Philippines braces for bloody New Year's
The Associated Press
Published: December 31, 2008

MANILA, Philippines: Brandishing a surgical saw on national TV, the health chief warned revelers that amputations often result from firecracker accidents as the Philippines braced Wednesday for a violent New Year's Eve celebration.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque resorted to scare tactics to discourage the use of banned — but popular — powerful firecrackers. His department's Web site displays videos of mangled hands and other firecracker-related injuries.
"I have to be aggressive to really show what awaits the hard-headed," Duque told The Associated Press.
Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that noisy New Year's celebrations drive away evil and misfortune. But they have carried that superstition to extremes, exploding huge firecrackers and firing guns to welcome the new year despite threats of arrest.
Last year, 869 people were hurt, including 14 hit by stray bullets on and before New Year's Eve.
Firecrackers and celebratory gunfire wounded 165 people between Dec. 21 to Dec. 30, including eight victims who lost fingers. Doctors plan to amputate the right hand of a man after it was mangled by a firecracker in central Iloilo province, health officials said.
Duque said he hoped a forecast of rain later Wednesday off the country's east coast and the economic crunch would discourage the sale and use of powerful firecrackers.
Duque ordered 78 government hospitals nationwide to get ready for the expected injuries and toured hospital emergency rooms in Manila to check on preparations.
Sen. Richard Gordon, who heads the local Red Cross, said 2,400 blood bags were ready in case hospitals run out of supplies.

Wikipedia definition of New Years in the Philippines
New Year's Day, or Araw ng Bagong Taon is celebrated with the family in or outside the house. The year is greeted on the Bisperas ng Bagong Taon (New Year's Eve) with a lavish feast, called media noche (literally, "middle of the night"). Round shaped foods, sticky or glutinous rice based foods, and various 12 round shaped fruits for each of the months of the year are served. Traditionally, Filipinos, Chinese, and Spaniards stay at home, the latter serving parties lavishly, which almost always includes a lechon (suckling roasted pig). However, more and more of the younger generation and the recent immigrants such as Americans have popularized the celebration of the New Year in grand hotels, restaurants, in parks, and in streets. Children light firecrackers such as watusi or the sinturon ni Hudas (Judas' belt), while adults spend the night recollecting the year, and, in many families, involves a Bible reading..

One last article with some details on various superstitions and traditions here from the following site - http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-customs/new-year-customs-philippines.html

New Year Customs in Phillippines

In Philippines the families gather together at midnight on New Year and eat a midnight meal. This is believed by the people in Philippines would ensure plenty of food in the coming year. The children in Philippines follow a custom of jumping up and down 10 times to grow tall in the coming year. This custom is believed would make the children taller for the coming year. Fireworks are an important part of the New Year celebrations in Philippines. The people in Philippines set off fireworks as a symbol of happiness on New Year. The fireworks are seen as a traditional way to greet the New Year with joy. The preparations for the New Year in Philippines begin a few days ahead of New Year. Although the customs of celebrating New Year in Philippines may have changed a little but the spirit of the New Year celebrations remains the same among the people of Philippines on New Year. The custom of wishing everyone luck and happiness and seeing off the old year and welcoming the New Year is still prevalent in Philippines. Dance music and other amusements are the other customs that the people in Philippines follow on New Year.
Media Noche or midnight is an important custom that is followed. On New Year's Eve families in Philippines gather to have this midnight mass. This midnight mass is believed by the people in Philippines to symbolize their hopes for a prosperous New Year. The custom of making noise and merrymaking is not only meant to have all the fun on New Year but also to drive away evil spirits. The people in Philippines believe banging on pots and pans and blowing on car horns to be the safer methods of merrymaking on New Year. The wide populaces in Philippines believe displaying colorful fruit and wearing clothes with dots and other circular designs would be lucky as they symbolize money. Just like the New Year custom of other countries the people in Philippines believe in following the custom of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year. This would bring them good luck for the coming year. Opening the doors during the first day of the New Year is a custom that is followed to bring good luck for the New Year.

Update from Manila - Day 2

Greetings from Manila,
I wanted to praise the Lord for being so good to me over the past two days. I have had some great time of fellowship with my Brother Jun and his wife, been able to distribute a wealth of gospel tracts and bracelets on the streets and see God answer the prayers of His people. My last update spoke of my lost luggage. I spent alot of time on Monday making calls to the airline and airport to get status updates and understand when I would see it. At about 8:30 pm (an hour before work) I was informed that 2 bags were delivered! Only one drawback, one of the bags was not mine and that left the airline perplexed about the status of my bag as well as who this other bag belonged to. While I was incredibly grateful to see my clothes arrive, I was not surprised when the one bag that did not arrive was the very one that was filled to the brim with tracts, bracelets, NT's, John/Romans and Christmas ornaments with Scripture. Lest we forget, we have an enemy that would not have the truth of our God who saves by grace through faith to be disseminated in this city. Spritual warfare then became the theme of the day as my flesh crept up on me while dealing with the airport for the second straight day when I would rather have been sleeping. When I did get out, I had my first runin with the Pulis (police) over here about tracts/preaching. I have always been in clear view of the many guards and police around the mall, hotel district called Ortigas center as I pass tracts, witness and preach but this day I had an officer on a motorcycle tell me that it was forbidden for me to pass out anything or interrupt the daily lives of the passersby in this 20+ acre district. I was respectful in stating my past experience here and also that I am staying on the sidewalks and streets. He told me that the whole area was private property and therefore it was all off limits. I asked if he could verify this considering the city was doing work on the street and sidewalk less than 100 yards from where we were standing. I told him I was not selling or asking for anything but proclaiming the truth of God's word and I offered to let him review the material for himself :). He agreed to check with his superior and would get back to me, He drove around the block and then let me know that he hadnt heard anything. I politely inferred that I was going to continue until he could demonstrate to me how it was illegal since so many other officers have observed this before without saying a word. Praise the Lord - He agreed. I stayed there for a few more minutes and then moved on. It was great to see how God wrought the victory. Just a few hours later, just before returning to work Tuesday night (day for you), my other bag arrived with all the tracts etc! Glory!
Tomorrow Brother Jun and I will be going to the poorest of squatter areas in the city to minister to the kids, preach and try to be a blessing with the ornaments etc. Pray the Lord would offer discernment and boldness with compassion as we talk to these people. New Years day I will join Bro. Jun in New Bilbid Max security prison to preach again and see our brothers that God has saved within this population of nearly 30,000 inmates. I sincerely appreciate your continued prayer.
Lord bless,
Bro Aaron Putney

Trip update ! - Arrived Safely

Magandang Umaga - that's good morning and since it is 1:48am I guess that works. I just got in not long ago, called my wife and girls on Skype and not am headed for some rest. The trip was long which is to be expected but this was the longest. Showed up at Roch airport at 4:15 in hopes of catching the 6am or 7am flight to Chicago (booked for 10am). 6 was questionable but when calling friday night, 7 was a done deal...until United substituted a much smaller plane because of difficulties and three ticketholders ended up not getting on...
So I go at 10am which did not take off on time and got to Chicago in time to to the big guy making a mad dash across a really big airport routine. I get to the gate and it says the flight is delayed until 12:50 (about 40 min late). Now if the flight status board I looked when I got off my plane at first said that I wouldnt have been running but that's ok I needed to stretch my legs.
So we board to Chicago. (Let me stop here and count my blessings - I am now in my hotel in Manila safe and I sat in an exit row seat all the way!) In Chicago we have a 747 full to the brim of people and find repairmen on it. It took them about an hour to get their work done on the PA system before we could take off. But then it was raining very hard and we found out that everyone was using the same runway and we were 20th in the queue! So we took off about 2.5 hours later than we were supposed to for Hong Kong - we spent more than 18hours on the plane when all was said and done - good times! By the time we got to Hong Kong - yep, I missed the connection to manila. However, a nice man was at the gate and had already worked out for me and another man going to manila to catch a later flight and assured us that our luggage would be moved to the new plane. Well, we made it to Manila but not our luggage.
So, as I lay my head for some highly anticipated sleep, I ask for you to praise God for getting me here safely, having his hand on my family and pray that my luggage would arrive. I checked 2 bags - one is clothes, my big Bible, etc and the other is filled with 300 Christmas ornaments with Tagalog scripture on them, close to 1000 tracts in tagalog and about 500+ gospel bracelets donated by Little Red Book. I pray these arrive early tomorrow. Lord bless and thanks for praying.
Bro Aaron

Only One Reliable Navigator

Yep, Only One Reliable Navigator - that would be the KJV and not GPS!
As we left for Deposit NY on saturday (on the Delaware River near PA) we had our trusty GPS plugged in and telling us when and where to turn. I cant say enough good things about the GPS for all the driving we do. The hours it saves in not getting lost, not plotting everything into mapquest as well as having it recalculate how to get yourself unlost after you dont follow its command is a big help.
No, I'm not going to parralel the Bible with a GPS system into a little devotion although it does work quite well, I simply want to say that as of now I can say that the GPS has let me down but my King James Bible still has never been wrong.
As we drove all the way to the road that Pastor Dewey Stewart lives on we had no problem, but when going to the house, the GPS took us to a farmhouse. I didnt expect that but still, no worries, until we found out that it wasnt Pastor Stewart's home - the GPS was wrong. Since it was dark, house numbers were not easy to see but fortunately a woman walking her dog immediately recognized the name of the Pastor and pointed us to the right house.
I would say that while the fellowship with the pastor was sweet, the food was delicious and the accommodations for our family were outstanding - things didnt go all that smoothly on our end. Despite our blunders, the Lord saw fit to give us a great time of fellowship and good services on Sunday. We praise the Lord that West Branch Bible Baptist Church has committed to pray for us and they will be deciding this Sunday on whether they will partner with us financially. To God be the glory!

As we arrived home we received great news that the dear sister I wrote about on thursday got her initial tests back and there was no cancer found! Not only that but her son showed some initial signs of progress over the weekend. Keep praying!

Prodigals and those that fast for them

Luk 15:17 -24 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Yesterday morning I communicated with a dear sister in the Lord about her wayward son. This is a woman that only days ago had a procedure done and is awaiting the results of whether what they removed is benign or malignent. Yet it is not anxiety over test results or the desire for relief of pain for her faithful husband who is recovering from joint replacement that is heavy on her heart - she is rejoicing with confidence in her God to give them the grace to get through whatever they face. Her burden is for her son, a young man that has made wrong decisions that have taken him down a dark path of sin. She calls out to God with fervency and frequency to do whatever it may take to break this young man that he might humble himsef before God and return to the fold. She beseeches others to lift him up as well.
I praise the Lord that my testimony is one of God's abundant mercy, in pulling me out of the mire of sin, reconciling me with the Lord Jesus and restoring me into the fellowship of the family of God. I know that there is hope for her and all parents out there praying for their children that are in sin because God answered the prayers of those that were beseeching Him on my behalf about 6 years ago. For me it was about 12 years that it took but praise God, he is longsuffering that loves the lost sheep far more than even their physical parents do. As I shared with her my testimony and some of the things the Lord did to get my attention, how He brought scripture learned in my youth to mind at moments of decision, put circumstances in place to make me consider my ways, put people in my path that encouraged me that I would be accepted back with open arms and so much more I really had no idea that this would be a theme of the day that only the Spirit of God could orchestrate.
Last night as we went to a meeting at Old Paths Bible Baptist Church, (a wonderful church that we have been to many times in the past for various special meetings, conferences, graduations etc.), I was invited to pray with a brother in the church. This brother informed me how many people in the church pray and fast every wednesday for their prodigals that are in the world right now. They know their names, they share this burden as a church family and beseech God in prayer and fasting (even many of the children in the church) that they would in fact turn from their sin and back to the Lord. As he prayed this list of names from memory and with such sincerity, I was moved with compassion just thinking of the many times that people had done just the same on my behalf. I rejoiced in the goodness of God in my life and look forward expectantly to the thought of many of these parents being able to rejoice when God does the work on these children so He may be glorified all the more in their return. During the service I shared a bit of my testimony as the Lord made it clear that this was the pressing issue on hearts. I praise the Lord that God was able to use the message in some small way to refresh and encourage the people to wait on the Lord and trust in His goodness and care for their lost sheep. Nothing causes a preacher to rejoice more than to know that what you may not have known about or intended to address in your prayer, study and preparation - God can put together and use for just such a purpose - it is wonderful as it is so blatently obvious that it was so far from being me and so much the Spirit of God in answer to some prayers that made any difference. Now I eagerly await to hear of God getting ahold of these dear children. We also are grateful to the family at Old Paths for their warmth and hospitality they showed us and are rejoicing to know that they are partnering with us in bringing the gospel to the Philippine Islands. If you are reading this, would you spend some time praying today for some of the names that had been shared with me - Nick, Angela, Jeff and Nathan and generally for others that have been lured away by the enemy. May the goodness of God lead them to repentance and would God receive the Glory that is due His Name.
Lord bless