Lead a workshop on working with street kids
This morning I lead a workshop on working with street children at a conference sponsored by a local theological group called Petra. There are 700+ attending the conference and perhaps 100 energetic pastors and church workers attended my session which pleasantly surprised me. My teaching was Biblical, straight from the shoulder with many stories of real life on the streets and slums but hope-filled because of many lives I cited who were changed by the power of the gospel. I was really helped by Pastor Lem who is a long-time friend and partner in ministry to children-in-crisis because he gave testimony to the many truths of my teaching. The attendees also told many stories and the session ended with a very lively Q&A. A conference leader told me afterwards he very much likes strong teaching and another leader told me that working among the poor ought to be a plenary session because that's the context we live and minister in. God is moving His people's hearts, hands and feet to minister the Good News in both word and deed among the poor and I praise Him for His compassionate heart.

Thankful but grieving parents and servants of God
After the workshop I meet a very poor pastor and his wife who last April lost all their earthly belongings and three or their four children in a terrible fire. Since then ACTION has been raising funds to assist them with housing, medicine for the pastor because he has TB, their basic necessities and schooling for their remaining child. With tears streaming down their faces they thanked me for ACTION's assistance but I was speechless because despite their pain and grief their trust in the Lord remains steady. Words would have been meaningless but I my hug, ears and heart were theirs.

Taxi driver wants to be "born-again"
On the way to the conference venue my taxi driver said to me after knowing he was bringing me to a church "I want to be born-again. How can I be?" The ride was about 10 minutes so I said "you need to repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ only as your Savior because He's the only way to heaven." He said "I believe that." Then he said, "How can I bless my little children because I don't take them to the Catholic church?" I responded "you must know Christ and dedication your kids to the Lord." Then we arrived at the church and he heartily thanked me for the conversation. I think my ride was arranged by the Lord.

http://christcommunicator.com/2009/08/15/today-at-squatter-village/

A tract wrapped in rice
Yesterday as Ron, Ken and I were locking up and leaving the office after our monthly team meeting two street boys, perhaps ages 9 and 10 and certainly small for whatever their ages, asked us for food. So we bought them lunch and gave them the tract "Are You a Good Person?" which we translated into Tagalog and the boys were very happy. CH Spurgeon said if you want to give a hungry man a tract wrap it in a sandwich but in our case it was rice and menudo a Filipino topping.

An encouraging surprise visit
The other day at camp a guy showed up looking for me. I was in the chapel reading my Bible and when he approached me he heartily shook my hand, introduced himself and expressed his gratitude. He is a former hard-core glue sniffing street boy whom we lead to Christ and trained in the late '80s. Today he looks good, is happily married with kids and a successful businessman. When he needed to go we gave each other a huge bear hug then he asked "Kuya Jeff what happened to all your hair?" then we had a good laugh. This surprise visit was especially encouraging because at this week's camp we had 50 street kids (had 54 but four left after one day) ages 15-18 from the streets of Metro Manila enjoying the fresh clean cooler air, greenery, lots of food, unmolested sleep and learning about the Lord through the loving patient guidance of their counselors. Perhaps someday some campers will be like my surprise visitor.

Making history one life at a time
One of my favorite bands is Delirious? and they have a song called History Maker which pumps fresh juice through me every time I listen to it. Jesus Christ is making history in Manila by transforming lives of street kids and out-of-school youth one at a time before our eyes.

Alternative Learning System (ALS) graduates and students
Yesterday we had a thanksgiving and recognition service for the 18 former street kids and out-of-school youth who recently passed their ALS exam and received diplomas from the Dept of Education. Now 117 kids are preparing for their October 9 exam so it's a miracle these kids are even studying. Whether they pass or not this is huge.

Launched another feeding today
Today we launched another six month feeding using Feed My Starving Children food. It's in a squatter area called "Ober the Bakod" along a very polluted river in San Juan. The stench and poverty is overpowering but the people are lovely and appreciative. This outreach started last December through an evangelistic Christmas party so the gospel is slowly but surely taking root in the community through the feeding and ALS classes for 10 teenagers.

Camp for "hard-core" street kids
Next Tuesday-Friday we have a camp for 50+ hard-core street boys and girls ages 15-18 at Camp Jabez. Pray for our final preparations, on-going recruitment, kids l genuinely turn from sin to the Savior and that churches and agencies are ready to follow-up their recruits after camp.

I arrived in Manila early this AM after good flights from MSP. I read 1-3 John, 2 Peter and Jude again after studying them over the past several months and started "Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and it's Aftermath", slept a little and expressed my sincere gratitude to a US Army soldier who sat next to me on the MSP-NRT leg on her return to her unit based in Guam. Her unit will be deployed this year and she was in the States for leadership training related to her MOS as military police.

During this trip I spoke seven times, spent lots of precious time with family and friends and ran into lots of interested folks who want to assist us get more food from Feed My Starving Children. It was a blessed time.

Check out this song
We posted on our web site the song "God of Justice" so check it out by logging onto "links and downloads". It speaks of God's passion for the poor based on Micah 6:8. We heard the song for the first time when it was sung at our daughter's sending service as a missionary last Sunday and it speaks of our heart cry and ministry for over 30 years.

Gallon of Care being pushed
Many letters were sent this week promoting our Gallon of Care project by the ACTION USA office to Seattle-Tacoma area churches and individuals concerned about Filipino children-at-risk trying to stay in school. This is a wonderful hands-on project for Sunday school classes and families who want to do something practical and inexpensive to assist us minister Christ and His compassion to poor families.

Camping update
Our July 21-24 camp had 53 rough and tumble street boys and girls ages 15-18 with 49 indicating they turned from their sin and trusted the Savior. Now they're being followed up by their recruiting churches and agencies.

Monday we start organizing our August 18-21 camp so pray for funds, preparation of materials and workers and the recruitment of campers from Manila's streets and slums.