Some of the students from the public high school. The girl on the very left next to Mark is Rachel and she is magnifent and learning to speak and minister. She is such a blessing.

Speaking at a public High School

We went to a town about 6 hours away to speak on Saturday and Sunday at the Youth Christmas Party.  We were hot and tired when we got there and they said after they had fed us, "come on we are late" when I asked where we were going they said we were going to speak at a public high school.  We didn't have time to change our travel clothes. When we arrived there and walked into the classroom the teacher smiled and left and the ones who took us there said go ahead and speak.  We did and asked if they were saved, they sort of looked at us and Mark spoke first and then invited them to accept Jesus, which they all did and then we told them about Holy Spirit and they were filled and some went under the power of Holy Spirit.  We are mentoring a young girl so I had her speak next, she spoke about 15 minutes and then I spoke and the students were magnificent.  Here in this school as in most there are no glass windows only slats and students were pressing their faces against the "windows" to hear and see what was going on. They took Mark while I was speaking and introduced him to 3 more classroom.  This public school is willing to have us and the pastors speak in their class rooms. 

I had spent quite a while holding this girl as she sobbed and sobbed

over what she was going through, here you see the breakthrough as

she worships.  Amazing.

Youth giving their lives to Jesus

Mark and I and some of our people praying for them at the 2nd meeting. I couldn't get them all in the picture :(

Awesome Youth Meeting,  1st meeting ~Many lives changed

Below are a few pictures from the flood that hit this island 2 days ago. Some of the water has resided so there was more than this. Many of them lost their homes and everything and shops were flooded and schools flooded to the rooftops. They said this is the worst storm that had hit in many years.  We are blessed in that the Lord gave us an apartment  on the 2nd floor.  Many of the people are our dear friends who consider us family and go to help us speak.  Many do not have much, including indoor facilities and electric or running water so this is very hard for them.  I haven't had a chance to see the rice fields yet or the villages where they grow vegetables but with the contaminated high waters I am concerned on how they will eat or make a small living.  I have not heard about the cabayo  or the goats or chickens or pigs yet.  They chain them to trees a lot to keep people from stealing them or them wandering off.

The schools are flooded clear up to the roofs as are some of the homes , but most homes have been destroyed by the waters and everything in them.  Also the waste and garbage has gone into the waters making it very unhealthy. Many do not have bathrooms like in the U.S. 

Their way of making some sort of a small living and feeding their families.

They say this is the worst storm that has hit for many years.

These men are trying to get to land to get food and water for their families.

This grandmother with her grandbaby came and I saw the baby and asked if I could hold her,  The baby was so sick.  I prayed over it and then went and found this little dress in the clothes we brought because it had no clothes.  Grandma was so happy as you can see and the dress fit perfectly.  I love it when this happens. 

He is getting a new shirt and the others are waiting in line as they see new clean clothes for them.

 Here he is showing of his new clothes and some of the others have their new clothes on too.  They were so happy.  What beautiful children

This little boy the first time we saw him had on a big old men's shirt with big holes and dirty as can be and no underwear.  I got him to come in for a few seconds inside the place but he wouldn't stay so I asked the pastor's wife about him.  He was I guess raised by a mother, do not know where the father was but his two older brothers were always in trouble.  He would come into the meetings after everyone left and if there was food he would eat it.  I told Mark he had to go find the boy and get him some clothes.  So Mark and the Pastor got him and took him with his mother shopping and got him some nice clothes.   Isn't he a cutie?

We were way up some where ;) I just get in the vehicle and go where they take me LOL.  This young boy sang for us, He does not speak English but the song was in English and when he sang it was like heaven came down.  His voice was so perfect and beautiful.  I thought to myself what is he doing up here  when he could win any "Voice" or  any competition.  I asked him when we got ready  to leave if he would sing another song which he did for me, He seemed to be alone and a loner if you know what I mean,  He didn't mix with the other children and when we were leaving I saw him sitting on a little bamboo table away from everybody and he just watched us leave with such a sad face.  It made me cry.  I wanted to take him with me but I know better.

Look at this sweet baby girl.  Don't you just want to pick her up and hold her. It makes me miss my great granddaughter and my grandkids so much.   We are blessed to have been able to get some clothes her size to her.  Her parents are the sweetest people and her Mama stays up in the high mountain to help  with the little church I showed you below. Her papa goes up every week end to help.  It is a long, long, long ways on rough road but they have the vision to see their little village people saved. Her Papa is part of what we are doing here. Even those in poverty want to believe and see their people saved.

This is the bamboo bridge we walked across.  It went over the river and with my unlike of heights this was a challenge. The bamboo rolled as we walked on it and as you can see our railing came to an end and the rest of the way was "very interesting" without a railing to hold onto.  I thought to myself "what are you doing?  Do  you know how old you are?" LOL but when the bamboo bridge ended and they lifted me down onto the path to get to the little village it was well worth it.  The only thought was that I was going to have to go over it again if I wanted to get back to our ride and back to our apartment  LOL.  We were greeted by the children and the picture below is one of the reasons it was so worth it.

This little guy was so adorable. The children are taught before they are even 1 year old to take the older persons hand in theirs with their hand folded (I am going to have to get a picture to show you) and when they take your hand they put it to their forehead.  It is an honoring gesture.  I keep saying these children are so adorable and to look into their eyes just makes you come undone.  It was quite a journey getting to this little village but again it was so worth it.

At this little church we are teaching the children they can move in healing and ministry.  We may never get back to some of these church's so it is important that the children and teens and the adults know they can lay hands on the people and see healing.  This woman was in horrible pain and she was totally healed by the prayers of these little children.

This little church was such a delight. The road up into the mountain to this church was about 1 1/2 hours after we left the main road I think. The higher we got on that rocky road the more beautiful it got.  I saw flowers that I had never seen before and the people were so kind and awesome.  As you can see it is a small church and they sit on narrow boards made from chopped trees.  It amazes me they can sit that long on those narrow benches.  After we spoke people came up for prayer and I prayed for almost all the teenage girls and when I got to the last teenage girl there was a line of little girls probably 6 t0 11 or 12 that were waiting for me to pray for them.  They were the sweetest people and we fell in love with them. They were well worth the trip up there. What a blessing to be there.

Garbage Dump Children and Parents

These children  had flies all over them, especially the boys, They doo not have underwear.  They had never seen a Tootsie Pop and I had a handful in my purse that an American gave me but you cannot get them here.  They were so excited and being boys they used them as swords to fight eachother but made sure that they didn't hurt the Tootsie Pops.  The Mothers asked us if I had enough for them because they had never seen or tasted anything like that either. So each of the mothers got one and I had one for the father that was out in the field too. 

Tootsie Pops

Look at this cutie,  You can't see but he was covered with flies.  The little girl has underpants and that is unusual there so her parents must have found some in the garbage heap.  Aren't these children heart stealers and it makes you wonder what chances to they have in life.  Crime here is very high because of the poverty.

Children & People who live at the garbage dump

This is the garbage dump where they get their food and clothes, if you look closely you can see a man digging for food for his family for the day. We did get to meet him and he was nice just a depth of poverty that most people do not know

This is a hard one for me . We were taken to this blind mother and her daughter who is almost blind. They were living on the side of the road and being abused badly because of being blind. We had a friend and he had a fallen coconut tree and some bamboo so we had him build a hut for them. I had them put a door on it and a window and asked Mark to get some screen for the window and 2 pieces of plywood for the floor because there were big  gaps between the bamboo and the Mama being blind, I didn't want her to trip all the time.  When they got food, usually rice, someone would come and steal it from them.  I felt something so I asked the Lord what it was and He told me they had been dedicated to idols at birth.  So I asked them through my interpreter if I could pray for them.  They said yes and we took care of that problem.  They accepted Jesus.  Here you see a bit of the hut. It is very small, room for 2 matts but it gets them out of the element and provides some protection. You see them in the clothes that we were able to give them and also the little girl had never had a soft toy.  I gave her the teddy bear and she just held it and cuddled it and stroked it and wouldn't put it down.  I gave her a little beany dog that was sent to us for the children like the Teddy was. She gave it to her blind mother and the mother felt it and she put it to her neck and cuddled it. She had never had anything like that.  I know this is long but these two have been through so much.  They walk down to a church we speak at and the daughter shares the rice and anything we give her, she makes sure her mother has it first.  In the sack when she got home she found 4 little candy bars I had put in.  I would have loved to have seen her face. Below is a picture of the first things we took her and she didn't know what to do, or how to color or anything and an awesome girl who was with us showed her how to color.  What is sad is that Mark tried to help her with the doll and she grabbed it and gave him a terrible look because he was a man. With working with them, the little girl now trusts Mark and tells him that they love us because we love them. 

Her first toys. You see a Barbie Doll  that Tammy brought from the U.S. she would not take it out of the box because it was too beautiful .  

This little girl we couldn't get to but I walked over to the fence and talked to her and finally got her to smile.  

This little girl just got a new dress that was sent  by a wonderful woman . Isn't she a cutie?

This is one of the places where we want to help the people.  I don't know how much longer this place will stand and then what will they do ?

This little boy is waiting for his surprise.  He knows there is something for him. :) Thank you to Patricia for sending us the means to buy each child a small Christmas gift. I wish you all could have seen the faces and they sat on the ground  and held the wrapped gift in their hands.

This little boy wanted his picture taken but when I got ready to take the picture he pulled up his shirt and I didn't see that until after I had taken the picture.

This is the bamboo raft we took across,  the pastor is on the bike.  We were blessed that the river was low and that what I call the "Jungle Rain" had not started yet.  To go across now would be almost impossible for us. 

This cutie had me wrapped around his finger ;)  We hiked into this village  and went across the river on a bamboo raft. After we had ministered the pastor who took us up there had brought some rolls and gave each of us one.  This cutie came up to me and looked at me with those beautiful eyes and I knew what he wanted (they had never seen rolls like that) and so I asked him if he wanted a bite of my roll and they had made us some "corn coffee"  he didn't answer but I knew the answer was yes so of course bite by bite he got all  of my roll and coffee (Kape).  The children have no underwear and as you can see the clothes at very old.  We sent up some clothes for the children and are going to send more.  Below is a picture of the home.  There are 2 parents and I believe 5  or 6 children living in there.  All there is was bamboo strips put together and all of them slept together on it. There was nothing else that we could see in the leanto shack.

This is a hard one.  These little girls as you can see have sore mouths and infected mouths,  There is a reason for that.  I took this picture because I didn't want to believe what I was seeing but I showed a nurse and she said yes, it is because of what they are made to do sexually.  It is hard for me to even write this.  The nurse said the higher we go into the mountains the more we will see of this and that was proved true.  This is the very reason we want to build an orphanage.  We found some land and it has been leveled and has some crops and fruit trees on it and a  power line running through it but we know when it is God's timing everything will fall into place. 

As you can tell, this little guy had me captivated.  He is a heart stealer, well actually they all are.   What you see behind him is the walls of the church.   It was so hard to leave him and some of the others there behind.  But we do not have the ability to care for them yet so we tell them about someone who will love them forever and never leave  them and that He can be their very best friend if they will let Him. I would tell you that it is always the hardest thing to leave them and crying like I am right now just isn't enough.   We cry Lord what can we do for them. Yes, giving them You is the most important thing but what else can we do. 

I  really don't know where to start on the this and the next  bunch of pictures.  The Lord brought us to the Philippines to live and be a part of the people.  We are on an island that is 50% poverty, 80 % child and teen incest, sodomy and rape and 90% dedicated to idols at birth. We have been here 15 months now and I am just able to start posting about the children and teens and people here.  We love them all and we are happy to be here. But our heart has hurt more than we ever imagined was possible.  It is not the safest place to be because we are "white" and they tell me I am the only white woman they have seen.  Would we trade living here for anything. No, we are right where we belong.  I look at this picture and I cry all over again.  These children are so beautiful and so hurt.  We tell them about the Lord but it is hard because we speak a different language but we are learning their language. The Lord gave us a wonderful interpreter and a wonderful Maestra (language teacher).  It is hard because the language is so different and besides both the interpreter and Maestra have stolen our hearts. They call us Mama  and Daddy and we feel honored.