DUMAGUETE MISSION TRIP
May 13 Sunday 2007
A team of fifteen of us headed out to the Philippines last December to serve alongside International Care Ministries (ICM) in Dumaguete. According to their website:
… ICM is dedicated to serve the needs of the very poorest of the Southern Philippines. From direct relief programs such as medical and feeding outreaches to long term economic assistance in the form of education and livelihood programs. ICM is dedicated to the short term pressing needs of the poor while developing ways for a people to become economically self sufficient.
Our team arrived in Manila on Friday at around 11:00pm, and planned to fly to Dumaguete the following morning. That night, however, a huge tropical storm/typhoon appeared and was set to crash down on Dumaguete. After a lot of prayer, we decided to go ahead and fly out, and against all odds, we touched down in what can only be described as perfect conditions.
After checking into the Coco Grande Hotel, we split each day into three parts: morning, evening and night. In the mornings, we helped out at organised feeding distribution centers, handing out rice to the most indigent familes. We also helped distribute medicine at an open-air medical clinic in one of the poorer slum areas. Whilst I don’t intend to upset or shock anyone, you can click on the relevant links in the ICM website to view some of the more severe and disturbing cases.
One thing I really admired about working alongside ICM, was how they practiced a “two-handed gospel”. They didn’t just try and spread the word on its own, but they went out of their way to spread it in action, tending to the physical needs of the people as well as their spiritual.
During the evenings, we participated in "crusades" that ICM had organized for the local community. The first was under a huge corrugated iron roof that housed around 4,000 people, and the second was on a basketball court in the middle of one of the slums.
In a country where many men “hide-behind” the women and children when it comes to Spiritual Leadership, John called them forward to stand accountable. He also called the women to stand alongside their husbands and stop using “religion” as a crutch. Finally the children were called forward as we all prayed for the future generations - powerful stuff.
One thing that struck me was how well the team bonded and how each member was able to contribute, not only practically, but spiritually. Not once did I feel alone or unsupported; I guess this has to do with the team’s unity and the prayer covering we received from our family in Hong Kong. We were also given a word on the first night about being covered in the shadow of His wings, which really helped sustain me throughout the trip.
The second thing that struck me, on a more personal note, was the ICM Team. I was given the honor of leading worship for much of the trip, and yet I was fully aware that they didn’t really need me to be there – in the sense that the band was already made up of worship leaders and pastors. I’m touched that they would ask someone like me to serve alongside them, that they would go out of their way to bless and support me, and that I should be afforded this opportunity to serve God.
The final thing I want to share about is how amazed I was at the welcome we received in the Philippines, most notably from the children in the orphanage we visited, and the people we met in the slums. The fact that they were so ready to accept us into their family challenged me on how I accept others, as well as taught me more about God’s all encompassing love. There's so much more I could write about, indeed I'm aware that I've only scratched the surface, but I think this video-clip speaks volumes more than I could ever explain, check it out.
