Pre-Trip Edition
FEBRUARY 12-22
Our Team’s Objectives Gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities and needs, build relationships, equip leaders. During this short-term mission trip to the Philippines our team will learn about ministries seeking to care for persons caught up in sextrafficking, experience first-hand how Compassion International cares for children and their families and along the way we will gain a deeper understanding of the needs and challenges facing the people of the Philippines. Our team goes as learners to build relationships with the people of the Philippines and offer encouragement to those who are serving the children and adults in this great nation. The team hopes to identify opportunities for our church to partner with organizations and churches in the Philippines in the future.
PI 2015 Short-Term Mission Trip to the Philippines In February 2015, the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu is leading a vision, ministry familiarization, relationship-building and capacity-building short-term mission experience to the Philippines, in partnership with Compassion International, Made in Hope, and the Mindanao Equipping Program.
Compassion International Children in the Philippines
Index
While this 20-member team from our church is in the Philippines we’ll team up with Made in Hope and Compassion International, two outstanding non-profit organizations doing the very important work of seeking justice for the marginalized and oppressed. Made in Hope (madeinhope.org) works in Hawaii and the Philippines
to prevent sex-trafficking. They are committed to restoring hope and crafting a future for exploited women and children. Made in Hope assists and empowers women and children with new opportunities so they might rebuild their lives. With more than 1.3 million children in their care around the world, Compassion International
Asia SEED Project
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Empowering Rural Communities
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Baguio City
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Samaritana
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Davao City Conference
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Compassion International
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Chris Kanemura, Made in Hope, chris@madeinhope.org
About the Philippines
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Dan Chun, FPC Honolulu, fpcdan@fpchawaii.org
Other Ministries
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Practice Your Filipino
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Itinerary
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2015 PI Short-Term Mission Team Leadership
Gary Toh, FPC Honolulu, gary@fpchawaii.org Michelle Sheba Tolentino, Made in Hope, michelle@madeinhope.org Sarah Williams, FPC Honolulu, sarah@fpchawaii.org Tim Shaw, FPC Honolulu, tim@fpchawaii.org
(compassion.com) exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to grow up to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.
First Prez Impact Ministries The Impact Ministries Team oversees our church’s local missional engagements, our international short-term mission experiences and our mission partnerships around the world.
impact.fpchawaii.org 1
Desperate people will sometimes sell their children into slavery to pay their debts or to make ends meet.
COMBATING POVERTY & TRAFFICKING: THE ASIA SEED PROJECT Something to Eat Every Day In 1985, Manny Asprec was living as a missionary in Calcutta, India and noticed a discouraging trend amongst church planters. Leaders would travel to rural, hard-to-reach areas, eager to begin the process of developing a church community, but would return a few weeks later,
hungry and out of resources. He dreamed of a way to give church planters and ministries the knowledge and tools to meet their own basic needs. Throughout his years of ministry, he became well aware of the injustices tied to poverty in farming communities. In
India, a farmer commits suicide every 30 minutes because of debt. In the Philippines, farmers sell their children to debtors or the slave trade to make ends meet. In 1999, he founded the SEED Project to answer the hunger and injustices hurting ministries and communities.
Baguio City The Summer Capital of the Philippines
Baguio Rice Terraces in the Philippines
Baguio City, is a highly urbanized city located in the province of Benguet in northern Luzon island of the Philippines. The city has become the center of business and commerce as well as the center of education in the entire Northern Luzon thereby becoming the seat of government of the Cordillera Administrative Region (C.A.R.). According to the 2010 census, Baguio City has a population of 318,676.
Empowering Rural Communities To Become Self-Sufficient Offering an Answer to Hunger and Despair Based in the Philippines, the Asia SEED Project empowers rural communities, ministries and individual families and farmers to become self-sufficient. They teach organic farming, livestock raising and small-scale gardening as ways to support the development of healthy ministries and communities. The Asia SEED Project trains 600 people annually, and the number is growing! Of the 10 Asian nations they serve, India, Indonesia and Nepal are established, meaning local trainers are successfully spreading SEED education without further help from their headquarters.
The Asia SEED Project is discovering that the right education and technology could eradicate poverty in many communities and stop the many injustices taking place as a result of poverty in the countryside.
Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, with clean water. They plan to build 24 more around communities affected by the typhoon.
They teach faming and small-scale gardening. The SEED Project is building a large portable water filtration system that can be carried by truck to areas of disaster. They also build permanent filtration systems in communities, which can provide hundreds of families with clean water. This system now provides 200 families, who had been affected by
asiaseedproject.org
Baguio City was established by the Americans as a hill station in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway. It was the United States' only hill station in Asia. Hill stations were established by colonial powers for a variety of reasons. Many were created to provide “places to rest and recuperate from the arduous life on the plains.” Baguio is situated at an altitude of approximately 1,540 meters (5,050 feet) in the Luzon tropical pine forests ecoregion conducive for the growth of mossy plants and orchids. Because of its cool climate, Baguio City was designated by the Philippine Commission as the "Summer Capital" of the Philippines on June 1, 1903 wherein the government was transferred to the city to escape the lowland heat during summer. The City of Baguio celebrated its Centennial on September 1, 2009. [Source: baguio.gov.ph.]
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SAMARITANA TRANSFORMATION MINISTRIES “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” It is believed that there are anywhere from 450,000 - 800,000 women trafficked and prostituted within the Philippines. In addition, as many as 100,000 street children are involved in and victimized by prostitution, some of them as young as 11-years-old. In fact, 1 out of every 10 children trafficked around the world is Filipino. Samaritana was established in 1992 by Thelma (Galvez) Nambu and a group of friends who were concerned about fellow Filipino women being prostituted. Beginning with night outreach and home visitation, a holistic program of intervention and aftercare was slowly developed, which now takes place in a permanent training facility. Samaritana’s direct intervention programs were complemented later by advocacy, collaboration, and prevention programs. Inspired by Jesus' example, the people of Samaritana reach out to the modern-day Samaritan woman, offering each one community and friendship. Jonathan and Thelma Nambu are the founders and current directors of Samaritana. They’ve been married for 22 years and have one daughter, Katrinka. Writing on their website, they say, “We have the true privilege to watch as these women are freed to be who they truly are, as they begin to trust in themselves and in others, and as they renew and pursue their dreams.”
home visitation. Staff, volunteers and women leaders conduct outreach activities weekly at night. Education and Livelihood Samaritana women are trained for new forms of livelihood, and earn a livable allowance while in training. They participate in adult learning and tutoring for accredited equivalency examinations, children of women are assisted in their education, and some women go on to study at the college level with Samaritana’s assistance. Psycho-Spiritual Activities We seek to integrate psychological principles with spiritual practices and rituals, making use of arts, movement, symbols, small group sharing and therapies, and silence. Accessing and Strengthening Social Services Samaritana assists women to participate in government social security and health plans, and in applying for micro-business grants from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Community Education & Training Samaritana conducts training with city employees, law enforcement officers, local pastors and church leaders around the issues of prostitution and trafficking. We have also held anti-trafficking preventive training activities in communities with at-risk and vulnerable youth. Medical Missions and Relief In partnership with local churches and other organizations, Samaritana hosts an annual medical mission for our women friends and their children and other family members. Basic medical consultations, pap smears, dental care, legal counsel, and free prescriptions are made available with the help of volunteers and friends of Samaritana. Samaritana is based in Quezon City in the metro Manila area. For more information, visit samaritana.org.
Outreach Samaritana is committed to meeting our women friends where they are, and earning their trust through offering friendship and presence during bar and street outreach and
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First Prez will Partner with Made in Hope and the Mindanao Equipping Program (MEP) in Davao City
TRAINING PASTORS AND LEADERS TO COMBAT SEX-TRAFFICKING IN MINDANAO Equipping those called to equip others. The “Salt and Light” conference was birthed out of an ongoing series of conferences called Beauty for Ashes (B4A). The conferences, which are strategically held in rural communities, have mainly been focused on teaching Filipino women the principles and beauty of womanhood in the light of the Scriptures. The initial vision for the Beauty for Ashes project was to see transformed Filipino women loving God, loving others and living in freedom from spiritual, emotional, material and physical poverty. The conferences are part of Made In Hope prevention (of violence and exploitation) initiatives. In its commitment to the communities where the Beauty for Ashes conferences are held, Made
in Hope works to develop relationships with leaders, churches and organizations. During conversations with community leaders and pastors, they expressed the need to be more equipped in dealing with issues like trauma and injustice. Topics like sex abuse, exploitation, domestic violence and addiction, which are often deemed shameful, are often not spoken of in the community and in churches. In bringing the topics into the open through the conference platform, it has helped to surface these uncomfortable and sometimes taboo issues, which has at least initiated conversation about how the church can be involved. Davao is the largest of our Beauty for Ashes partner communities. The “Salt and Light” conference is a
paradigm shift to the ongoing Beauty for Ashes conferences in its desire to engage the body of the church in social justice and addressing the hearts of its men. In a nutshell the conference has two
goals: to help unify the church in the Philippines to do justice and to see transformed men loving God, loving others and living in freedom from spiritual, emotional, material and physical poverty.
Christ Centered. Child Focused. Church Based. Committed to Integrity.
COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL: DAVAO “1.3 million children around the world are now reaping the benefits of one man's clear, God-given vision.” poverty. The goal is for each child to become a responsible and fulfilled adult. On their website, Compassion writes, “In order to provide compassion to others, we must understand what it is. The word means “to suffer with” and is an emotional response of sympathy. But, it’s not just a feeling. The feeling is combined with an overwhelming desire to help! Because we have compassion, we want to take action and help the person who is suffering. “Notice the last word of the definition above – “with.” We are called to suffer with someone, to suffer together. We don’t just feel the person’s pain from afar, but we act upon it, even if we aren’t physically near them. This is what differentiates between compassion and empathy. Compassion involves a desire to help!
Compassion International’s work has grown from modest beginnings in South Korea in 1952 when American evangelist Rev. Everett Swanson felt compelled to help 35 children orphaned by the Korean conflict. Today Compassion has a worldwide ministry where more than 1.3 million children are now reaping the benefits of one man's clear, God-given vision. Compassion International is a child-advocacy ministry that pairs compassionate people with those who are suffering from poverty. The ministry releases children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical
Compassion is often focused on the individual who is suffering, instead of the overall general problem. For example, we could be very concerned about global poverty, but have little understanding of how to make a significant impact. However, when we see one family struggling with poverty, we see how we can make a significant impact on their situation.” In Davao City, our team will learn more about Compassion’s work by visiting a ministry site. They will also have the opportunity to hear from some LDP students (college-aged young adults in Compassion’s Leadership Development Program). Many of the leaders we are partnering with across the Philippines are graduates of Compassion’s ministries. Learn more at compassion.com.
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ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES “There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves.” Historical Overview The coming of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 marked the beginning of Spanish colonization of this island nation. In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. With the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi from Mexico City, in 1565; the first Spanish settlement in the archipelago was established. The Philippines was a part of the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. This resulted in the predominant religion in the country being Roman Catholic. During this time, Manila became the western hub of the trans-Pacific Manila– Acapulco galleon trade connecting Asia with the Americas. As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, there followed in quick succession the Philippine Revolution, which spawned the short-lived First Philippine Republic. José Rizal, the Philippine national hero, played an important role in the short-lived Philippine independence. The Philippine– American War marked the beginning of US sovereignty over the Philippines. Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until 1945. After World War II, the Philippines was recognized as an independent nation. Since then, the Philippines has had an often tumultuous experience with democracy, which includes the People Power Revolution, which overthrew a dictatorship. In recent years, the Philippines has been on the rise economically. Benigno Aquino III won the 2010 national elections and has served as the 15th President of the Philippines. The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed on October 15, 2012, as the first step of the creation of an autonomous political entity named Bangsamoro in the Mindanao area. The economy of the country performed well especially in 2013 at 7.2% GDP growth which was the 2nd fastest in Asia. Aquino signed the Enhanced Basic Education Act
of 2013, commonly known as K–12 program in May 15, 2013, aiming to enhance the educational system in the country. On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck the country and heavily devastated the country especially in the Visayan Region. The Philippines has been an ally of the United States since World War II. {Source: Wikipedia]
Basic Country Info • The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. • Population: 100,617,630 • Ethinicity: 28.1% Tagalog, 13.1% Cebuano, 9.0% Ilocano, 7.6% Bisaya, 7.5% Ilonggo, 6.0% Bicolano, 3.4% Waray, 25.3% others • Religions: Catholic 80%, Moslem 6%, Protestant 3%, Other 11%. • Language: Filipino, which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education. Many people in Mindanao do not speak Tagalog but do have some facility in English. Biscay, Cebuano, Visayan are the main languages in Davao City. • Literacy: 92% • Natural resources: Timber, offshore petroleum, extensive mineral deposits of copper, gold, silver, nickel, lead, and chromium. • Agriculture products: rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, pork, eggs, beef, fish. • Industries: electronics assembly, textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing. • Time difference is +18 hours from Hawaii or - 6 hours + 1 day. • Country Calling Code: +63 • Currency is the Philippine Peso • Capital City is Manila, pop 1.5 million, 9.9 million in metro area. • Terrain is mountains on the smaller islands, larger islands are mountains with fertile river valleys in the interior and narrow to extensive coastal plains. • Climate is tropical, March to May is hot and dry. June to October rainy, November to February cool. Average temperatures: 78°F to 90°F.
José Rizal
Tacloban, 2013
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TWO OF THE OTHER MINISTRIES WE PLAN TO SEE IN MANILA & BAGUIO Sharing the love of Christ. Turning Point Development Programs (Baguio) Eleanor G. Sebiano, the founder and director of Turning Point Development Programs Inc., is the embodiment of this ministry and the one through whom the light of Christ shines so brightly. Ate (respectfully meaning elder sister) Ely, as she is fondly called, is a woman of enduring faith who has given her life to serving those in need. She is also an alumnus of Compassion’s child sponsorship program. In 2004 Ate Ely built the Turning Point Home, which houses women at risk, orphaned children who needed a home, broken people, families, and missionaries who needed shelter. She has also built churches and cultivated farms, tends to the ill, provides micro-
financing and livelihood training, all while working full-time as an administrator at the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (APTS). The testimony of Ate Ely’s individual contributions have created a symphony that resounds with amazing faith and humble service. Visiting Turning Point is entering into that Christ conducted orchestral movement of ministry and we are invited to provide additional notes in its ongoing composition. Right Start Community Development (Metro Manila) Right Start seeks to provide underprivileged Filipino children with opportunities to tap and attain their full creative potential. This is achieved by giving them access to a
friendly, clean and fun environment with engaging activities designed to fuel their passion for life. Right Start believes that by engaging children thru music, dance and the creative arts, they are able to make important investments in the children's personal development while they are in their formative years. The organization is committed to developing children’s natural skills and talents by providing quality care and welldesigned after-school programs conducted by professional coaches who share a common vision with us at Right Start. They envision a community of care where children, with their God-given potential, are empowered to be creative and productive.
Tentative & Flexible Schedule
Itinerary Thur,12 Feb Honolulu to Guam Fri, 13 Feb Guam to Manila Sat, 14 Feb Metro Manila to Baguio City Ministry Site Visit TBD Sun, 15 Feb Baguio City Worship, Asia Seed Project Mon, 16 Feb Baguio City to Quezon City Orphanage, Samaritana
Practice Your Filipino Mabuhay!
Tue, 17 Feb Quezon City and Cubao Samaritana, Right Start
Greetings Hello / How are you? (informal) Kumusta koo-moo-STAH?
How much? (money) Magkano? mahg-KAH-noh
Hot Mainit mah-ee-NEEHT
I am fine Mabuti mah-BOO-tee
How many? Ilan ee-LAHN
Cold Malamig mah-lah-MEEG
Goodbye Paalam pah-AHL-ahm
One Isa ee-SAH
Okay Sige SEE-geh
Please Paki Pah-KEE
Two Dalawa dah-lah-WAH
I don't know Hindi ko alam heen-DEE koh ahLAHM
Thank you Salamat sah-LAH-maht
Three Tahtlo taht-LOH
You're welcome Walang anuman wah-LAHNG ahnoo-MAHN
Yes Oo OH-oh
Where is the ...? Saan ang ...? Sah-AHN ahng ...?
No Hindi heehn-DEE
Do you have ...? Meron ka nang ... MEH'rohn kah BAHNG .
Wed, 18 Feb Manila to Davao City Ministry Site Visit TBD, LDP Students Thur, 19 Feb Davao City Compassion Site Visit, LDP Dinner Fri, 20 Feb Davao City Salt and Light Conference Sat, 21 Feb Davao City Salt and Light Conference Sun, 22 Feb Davao City to Manila to Honolulu
Welcome, cheers, may you live! Mabuhay .Mah boo hi
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