From the Field Friday: PH-630

Let's start off March with a trip the Philippines!

Apparently the city where project PH-630 is located is a newer city with a fast growing population. It sounds like things change quickly around there. I'm so glad that Compassion put a project here to instill some consistency and sense of community to the people there.

My girl Rebecca attends this project.

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Dear Kayla, 

Greetings in the name of the Lord! I am Jorge Japsay Subiera, the pastor of Assembly of God Church, San Francisco, Philippines. We host the Assembly of God Assistance for Kids Child Development Center attended by Rebecca. 

I would like to express my thanks and gratitude for the sponsorship, support, and never failing guidance and compassion you have shared with Rebecca. 

San Francisco is a fast growing community with a huge population. People have varied ways of earning a living and have a common culture of being hardworking. There is a love for entrepreneurial skills and a sense of ownership and achievement. 

Due to the newness of the municipality, most of the inhabitants are from other places of different cultures, so the church finds it challenging to instill Christian values to the members. However, for now, we have not yet met any opposing or negative sentiments. Instead, all interactions lead to a deepened faith and stronger ties among new members. 

The vision of our church is to see our registered children and their families become God-fearing servants, acting as agents of change within the community and beyond. We hope that the values we are imparting to them will guide them. 

The Center implements classes for the children, to teach them the Bible and develop the physical, socio-emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of their lives. We also provide enrichment activities and intervene when there is a gap in a child's needs. Our church also conducts parent meetings and home visits to help the parents better bring up their children and there is now an increase of sponsored children's families who attend the church. 

Letter writing allows the children to develop a closer relationship with their sponsors. One of our registered children told us she wrote a letter to her sponsor just to express the joy she felt. She appreciated the fact that someone from a faraway place had taken the effort to write and send her a gift. Letter writing enables the children to share their feelings and emotions, which they are not always able to express to their parents. However, not all children receive letters from their sponsors and they feel sad. Please write to Rebecca as much as you can. 

Please pray for the strength of the Center workers, for the wisdom of the church leaders and for the teachable spirits of the sponsored children and parents. 

Thank you so much for sponsoring Rebecca and may God richly bless you. 

In Christ, 

Rev. Jorge J. Subiera

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