NATASCHA JOINS US!!
I arrived at Hope for the Island Sept 18/09 & will be here until Aug 2010.
Although there were many adjustments when I first arrived, it did not take long before I felt at home here! I have had many different adventures & interesting experiences. One week that sticks out in my mind was when I attended two burials in two days--one for an elderly woman & one for a small boy.
Nanay Tasha was adopted as a grandma by Hope for the Island staff. She had no children & no means to support herself. They showed Jesus' love by visiting her & cleaning her tiny home that the Kilcona team from Canada helped build. Hope for the Island staff brought her food & prayed for her. Soon after I arrived, before I even had the chance to meet the woman with the same name as me, who I had heard so much about, she was killed by a drunk man driving a motorcycle that hit her. Nanay Tasha had struggled for many years with alcohol & some say she was considered a burden by her extended family. The faithful & sincere love shown by the Hope staff drew her to Jesus & she died knowing she was entering heaven, where all her pain & sorrow would be no more. After attending the burial I felt overwhelmed by the sacrificial love shown to Nanay Tasha & wondered if I would be able to befriend & love someone in the same way.
The next day I attended a burial for a 2 yr. old boy that had been ill for some time. Hope for the Island ministered to the child & supported his family during their difficult loss. Dinah (staff) & I traveled to Del Carmen for his burial & were invited to the home afterwards. Only close family went back to the home to eat & because the family was very poor, all they had to offer was unripe steamed bananas. I was blessed by their hospitality to me as a stranger, to be a part of this intimate family time. I was even more blessed by the stories they shared. It was clear that although they live simple lives & don't have much, they have a strong faith in God & are thankful just to be together as a family. Even in the midst of poverty & death, they spoke of their joy in being together & their faith in the Lord.
A few weeks ago I visited an elderly woman Nanay Obong with Jing (staff.) As we sat in her tiny house Jing pointed to the holes in her
roof. She said the roof leaks very badly when it rains & during the night she has to move around to try to find a dry spot to sleep. I was shocked because there was not a lot of room to move around & I knew rainy season would be coming soon. I later heard that Hope for the Island will be providing assistance to Nanay Obong so that she will have a new roof before rainy season! I praise God that she will be warm & dry this season & I thank God for the faithfulness of the staff who regularly visit her, showing the love of Jesus in tangible ways! I have learned a lot from these experiences & look forward to the many other things that God will show me throughout my year here!
Before
After
YOUTH UPDATE
We are very excited to see the steady increase of youth attending our weekly ministry. This past Friday 4 young surfers who regularly attend were saved! It was an awesome experience to lead these young guys in a relationship to Jesus! God is rising up a generation that is coming to know Him & influencing others for Jesus!
URGENT AGRICULTURE PRAYER NEED
The process of looking for land has been just as challenging & faith stretching as it was when Jenn & I first went looking for land to start Hope for the Island years ago. There is a lot of land “for sale” but there are many concerns especially in the 3rd world. Much research has to be done to determine who in fact the owner is & if a legitimate title exists.
This past week we have found some viable options. The prices vary from 15 pesos per square meter to 30 pesos per square meter. Lower prices are for properties further inland that are not easily accessible. We are looking at land that is 3 hectares = 7 acres. The cost would range from $11,250 - $22,500 Canadian. This size of property will ensure that we have room to grow & develop in the future. Land prices on the island are definitely going up and we would like to purchase soon. Please join us in praying for God’s direction & the needed funds to make the purchase. Stay tuned for an update in 2 weeks.
TJ (staff) is working hard & learning much about organic agriculture during his 4 month internship on Palawan Island at Aloha House. He will return at Christmas and his excitement grows as he anticipates applying all that he is learning. We miss him!!
An interesting new development…we may have some additional staff that God is leading to help oversee the agriculture project once Jeremiah’s time is up with us in Feb.2010! It is too early to disclose the details but prayer is requested for this. What an answer to prayer this would be!!
