May News

Mark Anthony back with his family

As sad as it was to see the day come, we are blessed to see Mark Anthony healthy enough to return home. Mark Anthony made this decision and we wanted to honor his desire to be back with friends and relatives. He is living a life free from disease and is excited about his future.
His adoptive Nanay tearfully expressed gratitude to God for Mark Anthony's healing and thanked HIF for being a special part of their family. As they loaded up the motorcycle and said their good byes it wasn't easy holding back the tears. Mark Anthony was returning home, but we continue to visit him every week. HIF continues to sponsor milk, oatmeal, meds and vitamins to ensure he is getting some nutrition in his diet. . A food shortage crisis is sweeping this nation and so many people are really suffering.


Please continue to pray for Mark Anthony- for protection from disease of any kind, provision for his family and for his return to school in June


Update from Ben and Grace!

Grace is feeling much better! We thank God for so many who prayed for us and praise God that Grace is now healthy and active. She is now almost 4 months pregnant and we are excited to have a baby in October. We had some trying times during her second month of pregnancy. Grace was in a fragile state and was confined to bed rest for a month. Our transition to San Mateo has been going really well! As mentioned in January 30/08 Update, Grace and I felt God's calling to pioneer an extension ministry of HIF in San Mateo (20 minute drive from HIF)

HIF has been given permission to use land on the school property across the street from our house for a community garden. The land has been tilled and measured into plots. Approximately 40 households will have a 20 X 20 ft garden plot. This will empower the local people to begin to grow their own food and supplement their income. All of the fruit and vegetables that are bought on Siargao Island are not grown here. They are from the mainland and sometimes they are shipped from all over the Philippines or China. This makes them very expensive. Carrots cost 12 pesos/kg in Malaybalay City (Grace’s home city) which is an agricultural province but they cost 80 pesos/kg on Siargao Island (our island.) 40 pesos = approx 1 dollar. With the food crisis this problem is only escalating. This, of course translates into less nutritional food and greater risk of sickness.

The Lord has asked us to live and work alongside the people as an example. Grace and I are excited to plant our garden. Hope For The Island is providing the seeds and the labor to prepare the land. Villagers will have the land and seeds to implement this new initiative. Emphasis will be on natural farming techniques that will make for healthier produce and minimize cost. Malnutrition is a big problem in San Mateo. Children are often left alone while their parents work in the rice fields. Hungry children who have not eaten that day regularly come to visit us. To make matters worse most people here have many parasites. Last month a medical team came to test for worms in San Mateo. About 90% of those tested have parasites; many had more than one kind. Parasites come from drinking and touching contaminated water, from eating undercooked food and from the soil (parasites enter through the sole of the foot). Villagers are very skinny, are mentally and physically underdeveloped and have large bulging stomachs.
By God’s leading we are bringing hope to these people who have no resources for help. There are many risks to our health. We are relying on the knowledge that God has given us through research and His divine protection. We lead by example showing our neighbors how to live a healthy and productive life in the midst of disease.
We have a purified water source in our house. We have recently given access to local residents to fill their water jugs with clean and safe drinking water. The vision God has given us is to make a way for all the water in the community water system to be purified. We also want to make available the testing and treatment of parasites that infect people here.

In the past we have worked with the government health services and see a lack of manpower, money, medicine and will to help the people of San Mateo. Health problems need serious attention. This area shows the highest test results and the worst for the region for the parasite called Schistosomiasis. The Philippines is one of the most infected countries in the world. We really feel that is one of the main reasons God has called Grace and I to this area.
God has really put a love for the people of San Mateo in our hearts. The children are such precious creations of God, and it pains us to know how they are under Satan's plan of sickness and disease. Our neighbor children are beautiful and the two youngest and their father have a bad case of worms. Without treatment these parasites will ravage their body and potentially cause death. Please pray for The Lord's protection over the people of San Mateo, over our own health and that of our baby. Please also pray for our community garden project to be successful. Pray that those we come in contact with will be open to the saving Gospel of Jesus.
From Ben & Grace Cooney


HIF Prayer Requests
1) June 20 – July 4 HIF will be hosting a team from Kilcona Alliance Church from Winnipeg, Canada. God has answered many prayers to meet their needs and prepare them for this faith venture! We are excited to work alongside this team and anticipate great things from the Lord!

2) We are thankful for the gifts that have come in thus far for the Preschool building Fundraiser. The remaining balance for materials and labor is $30,500 USD. We believe that God will meet this need in His way and time!


3) We have encountered a few hurdles along the way with our application to start our Elementary school June 2008. Though we have approval from the local sector of Department of Education, there is an underlying web of political issues that is creating delays that could prevent our start date for this year. We trust that God will open the door if this be His time for our school to start.


4) Enrollment has started for our Preschool! Join us in praying for the students who will make up our Nursery, Kinder 1 & Kinder 2 classes!

5) Our mission house project is making some headway as coconut lumber from our land is being cut for scaffolding and rocks for mixing cement are being broken by hand. Concrete foundation will be started as soon as materials are ready!