Special July Report

Kilcona Team Member Wrap Up Report
This report is in the team members own words and has not been edited. We felt that the thoughts and experiences were best expressed this way. Please enjoy Melanie’s report …… Derek Van Ryckeghem

Hello again,

Well, it has been a fantastic weekend here so far. Last night Levi, Elefreide and Marirosa made the staff a Mennonite feast with special chicken pasta and bread. So delicious. They really appreciated the blessing. And did I mention it tasted fantastic? It was nice to give the kitchen staff a break for the night. We ended off the night with a bonfire on the beach. Roy Roy (a staff on the island) made 4 fire pits and it looked so amazing!

On june 28th, I (Melanie) led a Disability Awareness Seminar and 120 people showed up from 6 different areas of the island!! I had help from Dena (who translated for me) and a volunteer from Manila (Cecilia), who helped a lot. Cathy was my second set of hands. Elfreide, Jesslyn & Marirosa helped with a movement break in the afternoon. I was surprised that they were able to get 120 reserved Filipinos to all do the Hokey Pokey!! It was an amazing learning experience (the seminar, not just the hokey pokey). It is interesting to hear that some barriers to involving children in daily activities don't change no matter where you go (e.g. money, stigma, embarrassment, judgment, physical disability, etc.). But the cultural piece is so strong here. There is a lot of judgment, shame and blame. It seemed like they were really encouraged that each child has a purpose for their life that was there from even before they were born. They participated in interactive sessions (problem solving, skits, feeding each other, stretching each other), watched a movie based on a real story about a child with cerebral palsy and listened to informational sessions on basic care giving tips. It was a challenge, but also a blessing to be a part of their lives. Thanks for your prayers, though I was nervous, I was able to push that aside and have fun with the seminar. I just now pray that each person was able to take home something and use it in their everyday life.

I asked both Dave & Paul to share a little something for this email. First I asked Paul what has been his most memorable moment so far. He provided a very wordy response: "Speaking at a home group, 1st Samuel 17 (David and Goliath)." This was mentioned in the past email a little bit. It went over really well with the group, especially considering his height :) Dave wrote: "My most memorable moment was when Deena (one of the staff members at Hope For the Island) asked me to pray the blessing on the house that was built from scratch. It made me feel honored and privileged and I actually wept because of the honor."

I think everyone has definitely been touched in some way these past two weeks. It was neat to watch the team this afternoon. The team spent all morning teaching groups of children songs & Bible stories at 3-4 different sites, and then still had the energy to interact with groups of people on the compound in the afternoon. Jesslyn is great at gathering groups to play games, whether it is Uno, jumping rope on the beach or just taking group shots of the kids who love to ham it up for the camera. Cecilia was getting to know some of the staff (youth/young adults), whether surfing, or just spending time talking with them. The guys are also a hit with the kids; they love it when Paul carries them on his shoulders or Dave's dramatic reaction when they give him high fives.

One last thing before I go. I had a special request regarding how Elfreide is doing. She's a great "mom" on the trip, making sure everyone's taken care of. Once the staff found out that she was a baker, they put her straight to work in the kitchen, baking up yummy cakes for the construction workers and even dessert one night. She has also taken on the role of team encourager. In addition, she helps out teaching songs & Bible stories to the preschool children. Hokey Pokey is now a new hit on the Island!!! Don't worry; this little light of mine is getting popular too. And during breaks she can still be seen playing with kids on the compound. Elfreide has shared her testimony with a life group and had a great response from the group. She (along with each member) is a great asset on this team :)


Also, please keep in mind the father's day plans on the compound tomorrow. The fathers on the island don't really step up to the plate and take an active role in their children's lives. Tomorrow is a day to encourage the fathers to start being there for their kids and take an active parenting role.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read our updates, I know I can be fairly wordy. I just don't know any other way to describe what's happening out here. I'm going to bed and looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow (at least until 8, yay!!), Goodnight!

Hello all, (Last Update before returning home to Canada)

Well, this will be your last update from us, as we are on our way home. It is a long one as it has been a few days and it is the only way to convey our experiences here! The last few days have been eventful to say the least. Wednesday we did end up going to the hospital to help out, but what we didn't plan was what we ended up doing! The guys got up to their elbows in paint, brightening up the 3-bed "pediatric ward" and as well as another room. Cathy and I (Melanie) were assigned to do first aid, or basic wound cleaning. We even brought our own supplies! That turned into a massage and OT assessment session for a child with polio. He was so terrified at first, but once he was prayed over, he calmed right down, and relaxed so much. In the meantime, Cece helped give out medicine that the doctor supplied, while Jesslyn did a fantastic job of entertaining all of the children in the "waiting room". Elfreide and Marirosa felt especially stretched, as they were asked last minute to council and pray for patients. Some of the stories were so hard to hear. There was one woman who had 7 children, and she as well as all of her children were sick. Some pleaded us to help them financially, to help feed their family nutritious meals, or even help pay for their children to go to school. This was very difficult for Elfreide and Marirosa, but they did a fantastic job and the people were so grateful to have someone listen to their stories and care enough about them to pray with them.

This hospital really makes us grateful for the care we receive in Canada. There were many (dirty) beds in each room, dogs roaming about, and a lack of supplies, not to mention lack of privacy. The patients took numbers, lined up and saw the doctor, who was sitting at a table in the middle of the lobby, who would hear about their ailments, provide a prescription and move on to the next patient. The doctor really seems to have a heart of compassion for the people, but lacks the resources needed to provide improved care.

On Thursday, some of us went to visit Ben & Grace Cooney, who run an extension ministry of Hope for the Island in a place called San Mateo. It is an area which is looked down upon by many people on the island. There is a lot of poverty and poor health. The water quality is very poor and a lot of people become very sick from it. Ben & Grace are really a part of the community and have started to impact many of the people there.

The women had the privilege of teaching the preschool children a few songs, with many actions, and they are getting so good at it! They were even asked to go to the elementary school, where everyone gathered on the grass and they really got into the songs and actions. At this point the guys joined us, and it was even more amusing to see them waving their hands, and dancing around to the music! The kids, teachers, and even the adults who run the community garden that Ben & Grace just started, really got into it!

The community garden is a relatively new project for Ben & Grace. Though it is only a few months old, there has been a lot of growth, and people are starting to harvest some of the vegetables already. This is only one of the many ways that the community has been impacted by the ministry of Hope for the Island.

In the afternoon we visited Mark Anthony at his home. He was shy at first, but slowly emerged from his small 1 room home. We heard about his story before we came, and had seen pictures when he was sick. He looks so much healthier, has started back into school and has even started up a hobby - playing the guitar! He blessed u s (and don't forget the "pet" pigs) with a few worship songs before heading off to school. It is amazing to see how this one life was impacted so much by the compassionate staff at Hope for the Island.

Thursday night Hope for the Island staff gave us an amazing send off, with gracious speeches, a slideshow and, as always, a fantastic spread of food - our last supper of fish and rice! We reflected as a team on how much we appreciated our time at Hope for the Island and have grown and been stretched in many ways. The staff have opened their arms & hearts wide to us and we felt so welcome. We will definitely bring a piece of the island home with us.

We left this morning with a send off from all the staff and the children & youth in the community, but only after a great time of worship (and another special experience we will share once we get back) on the beach, with the ocean crashing on the shore. Some of us didn't even want to go!

Elfreide was asked what she wanted to say to people at home. She wrote: There is not just one, but THANK YOU for giving me this opportunity. I have seen God in every step of this mission trip. He is in control. We make plans and He changed them, and things always turn out better than we would have planned. People have a saying "you will be the one" and then you are the one to pray, share or whatever. And it is so good to be "the one". People here are so hungry for God's truth. They memorize so much. I have been challenged.

And on that note, was it ever hard to leave! We all piled into one Jeepney and arrived at the airport, only to be weighed. Like produce, or cattle. Not just our luggage, but we stepped onto the scale one by one, realizing how "blessed" we were with the great cooking on the island. Now when the airline calculates its luggage weight limits, they figure that the average person weighs about the same as 1 Filipino! Well, that proved to be a problem for us, as we were overweight by at least 300kg!!! At least they didn't do like they do with the Jeepneys and pile us all on anyways (I don't think the roof would have worked in this case)! So again, we had to be flexible and wait while everything was shuffled about. About 2 hours later, 10 of us ende d up taking a 19 passenger plane while some waited behind with Derek to ride on a 3 passenger plane, what an experience! But we all made it safe and sound to Manila (after a turbulent ride on the 2nd plane), are taking a day in Manila tomorrow and then head home. Remember, loved ones, we will be arriving in Winnipeg at 7:08pm on Sunday (or so the schedule says). Please pray for continued travel mercies on the way home. We look forward to seeing you all!

Hope 2008









Melanie


Derek Van Ryckeghem – Director HIF Philippines


Please continue to pray for the Hope For The Island Staff and leadership
Pray for spiritual protection for them and the ministries
Pray for strong relationships between the ministry and secular officials