Unsung Hero's of San Roque

For my recent visit to a Manila Slum Community called San Roque 2, we as a team stayed with local families not only to walk alongside for a time, but also to learn from them. One such learning was what caring community and extreme love for one another can look like. The following are 4 people in the families we stayed with who showed us how to live a costly life for the love of neighbour :

Ati Mary who though she has her family that struggle to put food on the table sometimes, is always lending money and often knowing that they may not be able to pay her back. She has even borrowed money herself (put herself and family into debt (Has she not heard about good self-care and boundaries!)) to give to a neighbour who has a sick child because she believes this is the Christian thing to do.

Ati Fay had no power in the house when her guest arrive, it had been cut off after a few hours the power was back on and light bulbs were put in place. You see they had decided as a family to pay for the neighbours power as well as their own. As a result they were unable to pay their own bill that week and their power had been cut off. Ati Fay felt this was what she had been called to give as a good Neighbour.

Ati Linda with an extended family of 13 in the house still has let a 7 year old boy come and live with them. Money is very tite as her husband has a very low paid job but yet they manage, no CYF, no family support benefit just a faith that God will look after their needs. Beggars often come to the doors in her neighbourhood, if they can't find work they are left with no other option. Ati Linda even with a family to worry about on very little will still give what she can to help the other.

Then their is the Teacher at the Kindergarden with a class of 60+ pre-school kids, that's right only the one teacher and then she has 3 sessons of this in one day! Receiving funding for only 40 of them! See video of class below :

Their is often talk of the cost of following Christ to the marginalised communities of this world, yet I can't help but think that our cost are so small and we can always be challenged by the courage of others who already live there (showing us Christ).

Hungry for an answer

Ok so I have a soft spot for KitKats which lead me to buying one on a really hot day while I was in Manila, quite a different size kinda small and only 12 paso!

So I got out of the store not feeling so hungry as it was so hot, as I pealed the paper off the choc was all melting and wasn't tasting so good. Then right in front of me a little boy 6 or 7 years old looked up at me with big hungry eye's and made the International symbol for I'm hungry can you give me some food. So like a good International Tourist not wanting to be inundated by other street kids or do the wrong thing (& maybe I did the right thing in that instance) I walked away. Now weeks later I can still remember that boys face and the words he said with his eye's. Only now I can hear another voice a still small voice in my head which says 'I was hungry did you feeded me?'.

Matthew 25:37-40
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

It's not that I am feeling guilty BUT man I wish that I had just given the kid my kitkat! Coming back to normal New Zealand life I can't help but wonder as a rich westener that I have that choose everyday! Do I share the wealth and resources I have here or do I sit back and keep nice and comfortable? Just a simple kitkat here say $1.50 around 45 paso's could feed a family meal or help with transport costs for 3 days of schooling.

Their are no easy answers but the one thing I can be sure of is their is a question and it's a simple question 'I AM hungry will you feed me?'.

Fire update / Why? / Prayer

OK the question everyone is asking me when told am going to live in an Urban Slum for 2 weeks ...
WHY?!

[My answer was going to go here it was going to be long and detailed with much deep and moving explanation. Then it came to sitting down and typing that all out in short not enough time sorry :) soo will give you the good short answer which every Sunday School kid knows... JESUS. May just need to follow as my travel blogging unfolds and will see why am going on this trip now, here with these people]


San Roque Fire Update
Servants have 175 homeless families registered through local Churches and have provided some building supplies and basic household cooker for each family. Rebuilding is already under way with my friends also rebuilding their home. Of note too the slum is 3000 homes in size and our host families we're not affected so all goes ahead as planned.

And lastly before I get on the plane :
May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths, and
superficial relationships,
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression, and
exploitation of people,
so that you may work for justice,
freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those
who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
to turn their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
And the blessing of God who creates, redeems, and sanctifies be upon you
and all you love and pray for this day and forever more. Amen.

Written by Dave Andrews