Sharing our stories at Church

On Sunday 5th May Grant, myself, Emma, Hannah, Meg and Jan got to share some of what we had seen, thought and learnt. It was suggested that we could use 2-3 photos and speak to those.

The video below is the recorded version of the service. We went in earlier to record ourselves - we'd written what we wanted to say which got put on a teleprompter (which was some kind of tablet and a mirror). It was a bit of a challenge to find the correct speed for the words to move, but we got there eventually.

The video below is everyone's stories - feel free to rewind it if you want to see the intro, singing etc 😊 You'll see that the recording is similar (but different) from the one I did at work.

Below is my text along with the three photos inserted at the respective locations, but I encourage you to watch the youtube video above cos it has the other peoples stories in it too.

I went to the Philippines a couple of days before the Tearfund part of the trip began.  I stayed at an Air BnB in Cebu IT Park, an area that looked and felt relatively modern compared to where we would be heading with Tearfund.  This helped me to somewhat become acclimatised to the environment (it noisy and hot - 30 degrees plus) before the official part of the trip began.  This was my first trip to a non-western country so there was lots to take in!

One thing I found particularly difficult but also meaningful was visiting the homes of those affected by poverty.  The homes we visited were of people that go to the churches and have children who are part of the compassion program.

In this photo you can see one of the homes we visited.  This mother lives in this small single roomed shack with her 4 children, one of which is a teenager who was quite cramped in the space.  The room was so small that we were not able to stand up straight.  At night they put a thin mattress on the floor, and they all sleep on that.
They did have some electricity which powered a small electric fan on the ceiling that we had to be careful not to be hit by.
The mother has recently found employment and has completed her first month of training.  While training she does not get paid, other than a small travel allowance… However, once the training is done, she is guaranteed a job at the place she is training with. The pay isn’t very much, maybe the equivalent of $25 NZD per day.
The other homes we visited had similar stories - one had no income at all at, and the parents are having to forego food in favour of feeding their children.

When thinking about the home visits we did…

• I think about how positive and friendly they are, even though their circumstances are challenging.  What are our attitudes when we are in challenging situations
• I realise how deeply dependent they are on God for everything, and then think how we live.  Are we depending on God for our needs?
• I think about living in a small single room with no privacy, no running water etc., How that compares to our life her in New Zealand, and the many luxuries we have.
• At the hotel where we are staying, I sit down for dinner, and I wonder how is it that we have this food in front of us, when we were earlier in a house where they barely had the basic necessities of life.

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting Cassandra (our sponsored child) and her mother. Initially at the aquarium that we went to with all of the groups sponsored children, and then again the next day at the church that they go to (where this photo was taken).  We were able to take some gifts for our sponsored child and their families… Here Cassandra is holding the bag that my  wife Christine had crocheted for her.
Being able to chat with Cassandra and her mother about their lives and learn more about them was a real privilege.  I learned simple things like…

• Purple is her favourite colour (the same as Christine)
• Her Fathers line of work is a motorbike driver where he takes passengers where they need to go, kinda like Uber but on a motorbike
• Cassandra likes to study, and Maths is her favourite subject. – Even while we were at the aquarium, she wanted to use her mother’s phone to look at her lessons for the day.
• She’s one of the top two students of her class

Having met Cassandra and her mother I can now write more meaningful letters, and hope that the relationship can be continue to be built through the letter writing.

I am so glad that I went on this trip, I hope it will continue to shape my world view, and life in the years to come.

I am still very much processing what I have seen and learnt on this trip.  There are many questions, some that I don’t think will get answers in this lifetime.

• I am reminded to be thankful for what we have and the circumstances we are living in.
• I wrestle with how to be a good steward of the resources that we have been given.
• I remember that God is sovereign.

If you currently sponsor a child via Tearfund I would like to encourage you that child sponsorship really makes a difference, and that your letters are very encouraging to the sponsored kids and their families.

If you are thinking about sponsoring, I would like to encourage you to do so.  The little we give makes a very big difference in the lives of those who are sponsored.