One born every minute.

To most people 8 pence is nothing. Most of us wouldn't put a grocery item back on the shelf if there was an 8p difference would we? But for many mothers living in poor areas  it's the difference between being able to give your baby milk or not.

Some of the mothers we work with are undernourished and so are unable to produce breast milk. We recently started a "mummy and me" group at the dump site. I learned a few things....

For many of the mums buying powder milk is not even an option. It costs P11 for one sachet of milk. That's the cheapest brand. The mums told me that when they cannot afford this they purchase a sachet at P3- but not a sachet of milk- a sachet of coffee. They shared that much of the time even a shachet of coffee is out their budget and so they give their babies *am.

*am is the local name for the left over water that the rice is cooked in.

So the order goes like this
breast milk- powder milk- coffee- rice water.

The amazing women in the mothers group reminded me of the continual dilemmas they face. Its really daily survival. They  fight every day just to make sure their babies have something to drink.

They are warrior mums.

Their stories promted me to remember an incident that happened a while back....
One Sunday morning a women with a wash of fear across her face came rushing to us holding a tiny bundle of rags. It was a new born baby boy. The women was a neighbour and she told us in a panic how the mother was trying to sell him.At first i thought how awful it was and then i shut my mouth and listened.

Lis  already had 6 children. Her husband lay in a shack they called home, sick with tuberculosis. She worked bagging up charcoal on the dump earning about P100-P200. She was working until the day she gave birth. Her frail and undernourished body could not make milk. She was desperate.How could she possibly feed this baby boy?

When we spoke to Lis  about the possibility of finding her baby a home she told us she did not really want to get rid of him atall and that she loved him. But she felt he would die is she kept him and so was trying to give him a better life. A life where he could eat.Through the kindness of one of our partners we were able to offer a life line. We could buy milk and deliver it every week for the baby. Milk was the difference between a baby being sold to who knows where and being kept with his family.

SIMPLE AS MILK

I absolutely cannot even imagine how distressed I would be if I could not feed my son. I remember when he would not latch on one night and I was in such a state! What if I really could not feed him?How heartbreaking. How would I be able to even function?  I'd be consumed with worry.As  look at our beautiful son lying beside me now, well fed, healthy- I thank God. I really thank God.

A woman called Vee who comes to the group told me some of her story.My ears heard her but it wasn't until later on that my heart began to take it in.Sometimes the ladies talk of loss and tragedy as though its a normal part of life.
Her 17 year old daughter died very soon after giving birth. The doctor in the government clinic told the family it was "just a complication".
Vee was left suddenly caring for a new born baby. She too already had a new born baby. Through her grief she nurtured as best she could 2 new lives. I could see in her eyes  how hard her life was.Yet she never once complained. As she spoke the 2 babies (now around 1) played around her feet unaware of the daily battle their Mama faced just to keep them breathing. For this woman to have a weekly delivery of milk would be one less burden to carry.

I'm in awe of Vee and many in the slums like her. They find the strength to go on and fight to keep their baby alive. As they struggle on- they smile. Through their worry- they worship.In their burdens-they believe a better day will come.Though their load is so very heavy, they love their children.Warrior mums.

We are so grateful to those people who pledge monthly for milk. You make it possible for us to help some of the babies most in need. Thank you.
There are more waiting....

baby jimmy 2 months

baby jimmy 3 months later

    

You will find Him in the streets. You will find Him in the prisons.

"You will find Him in the streets. You will find Him in the prisons..."

These are words penned by Michael Gungor in a song called "Cannot hold you".

The other day these words became a reality for me.....

We spent 2 days up North about 8 hours bus ride from Manila to have time with one of the loveliest couples we know.  Mark and Mary Ritchie are beautiful friends to us.They have faithfully served here in the Philippines for 12 years and are being called into a new season to go back to the UK. The legacy they are leaving at Sefton Village is nothing short of a miracle. Its just an amazing place. They have built up a school, a children's home, bible college,planted 16 churches and raised up a strong team of 70 Filipinos. I'm sure I have forgotten something, but you get the idea. They have done an incredible work. What inspired Ron and I more than anything was that Christ really is at the centre of every single ministry. Jesus at the centre of it all- the way it should be. 

On  Saturday morning we were honoured to join their team in prison ministry. They have been going here every week for 6 years if I'm not mistaken.
Ron has had lots of experience in prison ministry as he used to be part of a wonderful work in Subic that are still faithfully serving inmates and their children. Anyway, for me it was the first time to go inside a Filipino prison.

By the time we got in the worship had already started. Their JOY was contagious!.It took only moments to enter into the spirit of worship that was so present. I totally forgot where I was. It was a powerful moment as I saw how The Truth really does set men and women free.

It wasn't until I opened my eyes and was confronted with a wash of faded yellow prison t shirts that I remembered .....

We were in a place where up to 50 men share a tiny cell. I saw them. There wasn't even any room for all of them to stand at the one time. Their room was dark and smelly.

We were in a place where no one had been on trial yet. Many had already been waiting for years.

I learned that in the Filipino justice system you are guilty until proven innocent. I learned that the more money you have, the faster your trial. There were many things I could not understand about the system and the conditions these people were living in. But I was sure of one thing-
God was in this place.
It was an awesome experience to be part of the baptism of 29 inmates. As each of them stumbled into the well used blue barrel they were proclaiming that old things had passed away and all things had become new. Just a really humbling moment to witness the transforming love of Jesus.

The next night we travelled back on the over night bus so that we could make it back in time for the church anniversary in Tondo. (I should say the experience riding on the top bunk with a baby on that bus probably deserves its own blog!) :)

We were home for 20 minutes to get a much needed shower and then back out to go to the dump site. As we walked the muddy streets I was reminded once again-
God is in this place.
The children who have come to know Jesus have an unshakable joy! Sometimes it challenges me to the very core.
Here are beautiful children living  amongst stinking trash. Some have been abandoned here. Many go days without food. Some experience abuse.Yet when they close their eyes and chose to focus on Jesus they encounter worship in such a tangible way. His beauty shines through them.

Isn't it awesome how God Almighty,the One who holds the seas in the palm of His hand would choose to dwell in these places? He chooses to abide in the places and people that human reasoning would not imagine.His eyes look past the labels that this world would force upon us and sees the heart- sees what we can become in Him.
Amazing grace.