More

Hello again.

My ministries with the youth and daycare are still going well, besides that there really isn't anything to report.

There are a few more things that I have gotten involved with. On Tuesday and Thursday night I went to IT Tender Ministries and helped out with their night life ministry. IT Tender Ministries is a drop-in center and sometimes is almost a community center, they run many different programs out of their building. For example a nutrient seminar for mother on how to feed their children (which is going on right now and will be all week), and Feeding My Starving Children which happens Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays for supper, I'll be helping out tonight. They feed about 75 each time and most of them are malnourished. But the night life, the one I'm going to be apart of is set up for the street people. Which most of them are addicted to sniffing solvent. IT Tender Ministries opens their doors for them on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to give them something to eat, facilities to bath, bible lessons, songs, games and fellowship. This Tuesday I will be bringing some of the youth from my Church to this program for a exposure trip. It's about a 20 minute ride from where I live and the Church is.

On Sunday I had an outing with one of the squatter communities that IT Tender Ministries helps out with. We went to the pool, which was totally awesome and this coming Thursday we're going to take the same group of people to play some basketball. I'm obviously I'm going to take them all to school, because you all know I got hoop dreams.

One more ministry that I am apart of is the Batang Crayola. It's on Saturday mornings and we bring kids from 2 different squatter communities to our church and run a small program for them.

One of the partner Churches that we have is helping some of the victims of the typhoons. So I was taken along to the area for a look and it is unbelievable that there are still places that are flooded. Some people are still not back in their houses because the water is thigh deep. Others can be in their houses but the streets are flooded so they have made makeshift bridges to get to their houses. I am so surprised that I didn't break the bridge, it was so shady, not made for 200 lbs white boys. Also the water is the most rancid water I have ever seen. So I ask for your prayers that they can recover quickly.

Last but not least, starting next week the Christmas parties will be starting and we still need more funds so I ask for your donations to give the people affected by the typhoons a joyful Christmas.

Keep praying for all the ministries and thank you so much for all of your prayers, love and support. May God Bless you richly

Jared

Here we go

Well now I have settled in a bit and things are going well and I'm feeling good. I have started some of the ministries that I will be apart of. The Church (JKK) that I am helping at just started a kids program (day care) that runs from 9-12 on Tuesday-Fridays. Right now it is a little chaotic but our goal is to give kids a head start for school. We have about 20 kids at the moment which are split into 2 group 2-4 year olds and 5-7 year olds. Some of them should be in school but aren't so they come here. The program that we want to run is singing, games, a small school type lesson, a small bible lesson, and a feeding to give them a healthy meal. All the kids come from very poor homes or are squatters. I ask for your prayers for us to figure out how to run this program to it's full potential.

I also ran my first youth night on saturday and about 20 kids showed up so that was very encouraging, (about half are regular attenders of the Church). I feel it went very well. It's a little tough because I don't speak Tagalog (they can understand a fair bit of English, but I can't understand Tagalog). So I ask for you prayers in quickly learning Tagalog.

Also the youth come from a much different background then I do. Most of the people in the Church have been victims of many forms of abuse and I can't relate to them so pray for me to have the right words and the actions when I hear things that beak my heart.

I have also been put in the role of Pastor of Labour, it's either becasue of my rugid good looks or my huge bulging frame. The thing they need was a roof type deal becasue part of the Church is a porch like area. So i put up a retractable roof (a tarp), very similar to the Sky Dome. So my roofing skills are getting put to good use, thank you Brubacher Industrial.

Upcoming things that I need Prayers and financial support for: Christmas Parties, the Filipinos are nuts about Christmas so the Youth Mobilization Team (a branch of International Teams) is putting on 5 parties for 5 different areas, some in the city and some outside. We are targeting the places that were most affected by the Typhoons. I have directed the money that I have raised so far for these parties but we still need more. The money will be used to feed them, buy them hygene products and toys for the kids.

Thank you so much for all the love, prayers and support.

May God Bless each and everyone of you richly.

Jared

I'm here

well i made it here safe and sound. funny story though, John, the guy i flew over here with and am living and working with, made friends with an air traffic man for Air Canada. So on our 13 hour flight on Air Canada from Toronto to Japan John and I got to fly first class because John's friend was able to bump us up. it was incredible, such a blessing from God.

I'm living in an apartment that has an amazing view of the city's skyline. I am living with John, Brett and a filipino named Toph. we've split the room into two, the bed room and a multi-purpose room. i would show you some pictures but im having some problems with my camera so when i figure that out i'll put some pictures up. the part of the city i am in doesn't really have any lingering affects from the floods that happened but i heard we might be helping some of those affected soon.

some of my roles have already changed like I have been put in charge of the youth in the church that i thought i would be doing children's ministry. so i guess for a lack of a better word i would be called the youth pastor. the chruch is of about 40 people but still i'm a little nervous. their youth ministries have fallen off recently so i really want to grow their youth again. there is also a day care the church is setting up this coming week from tuesday to friday so i want to help out with that. i will hopefully get involved with more ministries as well.

thanks again for all the prayers, love, and support. May God Bless you

Jared