Philippines - the team & first impressions

After delayed flights, getting lost in metro Manila, getting bumped off an overbooked flight, the team finally arrived in OMF Mission Centre in Quezon City (see photo). The team has only 3 members (yes – only 3!), but we are very different individuals. First up, on the left, is Jonathan. He was born down under, brought up in Hong Kong and now lives in London. On his right, it’s John – a pharmacist from Liverpool who spent an extra unintended night in Dubai after being bumped off the overbooked flight.

And finally Marisol, who’s a local girl, brought up in Spain, but has also lived in the UK and Australia.
There is actually an honorary 4th member on the team (there are 2 accountants on the team and they can’t even count the number of people in the photo!), and his name is Gus (between Jonathan & John). He is a faithful servant to the children’s ministry in Southport.

We have visited various places in Manila. The two that stand out most are Intramuros and an ani church in the squatter area beside Commonwealth Avenue that administers to the urban poor. Intramuros, the walled city, was the first settlement in Manila and is a vestige of Spanish colonialism. The photo to the left is of Casa de Manila, an old house with furnishings from that time period.

The photo on the left is of the squatter area. Manila is a city of contrasts combining skyscrapers, booming businesses and the wealthy with underdeveloped areas and squatters. Right along a stream full of floating rubbish you will sometimes see beautiful tropical flowers indigenous to the Philippines. Nevertheless, the instinctive feeling is that Filipinos are very happy people despite their circumstances.

So far it seems that Manila is brimming with potential. Filipinos are very friendly and open and are happy to meet and get to know missionaries. There are plenty of opportunities to reach out to the people here. Freedom Park Bible Church, the ani church we visited and in which another short term missionary will serve for the next month or so, was welcoming and is very enthusiastic in glorifying God despite their not having many resources .

There is a strong commitment to share God’s word faithfully, members of the congregation openly share and thank God for things that would be taken for granted elsewhere, the worship team is vibrant and aided by dancers with tambourines leading all the church-goers who dance to the beat of the music and youth leaders are being appointed and trained. It is so encouraging to see how God is working through missionaries and local church leaders to reach out to Manila’s urban poor. It will definitely be interesting to see fellowship taking place in the student centre at Lucban which is in the province.

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