Participants Needed: Up to 16 Serve Asia Workers
Mission Length: July 10 - August 15, 2008
Serve Asia Training: June 27-29, 2008
Serve Asia Debriefing: Upon return to Canada (September 2008)
Setting: The Philippines consists of over 81 million people distributed unevenly throughout 7,000 islands; large areas are virtually uninhabited, while others have a relatively high population density. The capital Metro Manila has over 10 million people. The only "Christian" country in Asia, the Republic of the Philippines is still recovering from economic and political setbacks as it seeks to establish itself in today’s world. The term Filipino, originally denoting a person of Spanish descent born in the Philippines, has been applied since the 19th century to the "Christianized" Malay-Indonesian peoples [95% of the population]. In the Philippines there are eight major languages and about 170 smaller language groups. The official language is Filipino, which is based on Tagalog, a Malayo-Polynesian language influenced by Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. English is used for government, business and tertiary education.
Mission: Your ministry will be hands on with the local churches in urban poor Manila. You will work alongside the existing church to minister to local youth and children and even spend time ministering to some male youth by playing basketball with them! You should be flexible for this ministry as you may encounter many occasions to play sports or use your rusty skills unexpectedly! You may also be asked to share your testimony during your time in these communities so please be prepared to share if the opportunity arises. Get ready to step into a new and exciting opportunity to share Christ.
Method: You will depart for Manila following your Serve Asia Training. You will spend a few days in orientation to language and culture. Then you will engage in local ministry. After your ministry, you will spend time debriefing with the field missionaries.
Debrief: The Serve Alumni Retreat will explore your personal experience in the Philippines as well as give you the opportunity to share with others who have returned from similar encounters during their time with Serve Asia. Upon your immediate return to Canada you should plan to spend a couple of days in personal reflection. You will receive helpful material to guide you through the reentry process. Hopefully, all this is just the beginning to the adventures God has for you in years to come.
Estimated Cost: $3000 CAD; this cost covers international airfare from Toronto to Manila, on-field travel expenses, accommodation and living allowance while in Asia, plus Serve Asia training and debrief, on-field orientation and debriefing. Immunizations, visas for international travel, domestic travel to and from the Serve Asia training and debrief and any other costs should be covered by the Serve Asia worker and are not included in the quoted cost. The cost quoted is estimated and may change due to flight prices at the time of your mission trip.
Requirements: This is not for the faint of heart. The urban poor churches are set amidst the grinding poverty of Manila. Complete all the Serve Asia Application prerequisites. Flexibility required. Meet the financial commitments of the program prior to departure. Attend and fulfill the requirements of Serve Asia Training and Debrief as part of this experience.
Resources:
You will find a guide book to the Philippines helpful for your journey and preparation before departure. Some of these guide books are Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Fodor's or National Geographic. Please read and learn about the history, culture, political conditions and other information about the Philippines.