Project Destiny VISION Update.

This was written by our leader Teresa Woodard. In this note she shares what's been going on with PDK as a whole and also looking toward the future at where God is leading this ministry. Please take the time to read it...the links for the ministry blog and website are on the right hand side of the screen...just scroll down.

Check back tomorrow for NEW PHOTOS...and for what God's been showing me about my next step...

"Things seem to be going very very well. We have 5 kids now in the Shelter House. And we have 9 staff. All are happy and content and seem to be enjoying everything. Today we are taking in a possible 3 more new kids all the siblings of one of the boys. We have 1 staff and Susan who will be leaving soon, and another leaving end of January....so we are really praying for replacements.

We have started girls night and boys night every Sunday night. Our one girl and her baby come to the staff house will all the girl staff and the two boy staff go to the Shelter house. We do girly things like, watch girly movies, crafts, cook, and we started a Bible study on the life of Sarah. The boys on the other hand, throw colored water balloons at each other, run around like wild indians and watch funny PG action movies and eat snacks. We are working on getting the Bible study on Wild at Heart started for them.

All the kids were baptized 2 weeks ago, and continue to grow and change in their attitudes and behaviors. We are so proud of them all. We are starting a new school arrangement which everybody likes. It's called A.L.S. (Alternative Learning System). It is a modular system created and set up for out of school youth to complete a high school equivalency test. One of our board members has been a high school principal for years and is an incredible educator. She was recently promoted to Dep Ed office which allows her to have weekends off. So she is coming every Saturday to test the kids on the modules they complete during the week. We have had one week so far and everyone LOVES it. The staff are learning to be teachers now and love it! After the kids finish the A.L.S. and pass the final test they can then enter TESDA which is a vocational school where they can learn cooking, restaurant/hotel management, welding, carpentry. auto mechanics etc....

My heart has been heavy with vision...

1. I really want to open a girls home. There are so many girls and new ones every day. We just can't take in any more girls in the one house, we really need a separate house for girls. Which means a separate staff for the girls. It takes 7 people to run one house.
   
2. I also want to re-open the drop-in center NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need 5 people to run that.
   
3. I am also dreaming of an alternative school for all the street kids not just the ones living in our shelters. So for that we would need a whole teaching staff M-F.
   
4. I also have thought about the possibility of starting a business here where the kids could work...thought is a coffee shop where live bands would come and play and board games would be on the tables sort of a family place but definitely a place where street-people could walk in and be welcomed and ministered to.
   
5. I also want to start "Frontline"; their ministry would be strictly to the streets and those who are still in and on the streets. The Frontline team would go out nightly and witness, pray for, bring food and medical help to those on the streets.
   
6. I dream of one day having a YWAM Children At Risk School here in Project Destiny Kids, where people form around the world will come and learn how to do street kid ministry.
   
7. I will be asking one of the local Bible Colleges to partner with us. I would teach a course in the college on street kids then the 5th year Bible College students would intern by working in either the drop-in center or one of the Shelter houses or be part of the Frontline team

All of these dreams will happen in God's timing, it's just that they are burning in my heart now. And kids are literally dieing in the streets now. So we are praying and belieiving for more staff, buildings, and increased financial support."

A Day in My Life

how can i explain what life looks like here? this post will share a bit of the reality of life here. if you're not interested in reality, please stop reading...you can scroll down to the photos in the next post. i wrote this last week.

"yesterday i drove the kids and staff to church and 10 little street kids showed up there, aged 6 to 15. teresa and i ran into them at the mall early last week and invited them. i really doubted if they would remember our invitation.

but right after we went in, they showed up at the door. hovering outside. waiting for someone to see them and usher them in. i sat with them in the back. they were so dirty. and skinny. and full of skin disease. they really smelled like street kids. but they were there. one of them fell asleep in his plastic chair immediately. the others looked nervously around, wondering if it was ok that they were there. half of them left after worship. it's too hard to be inside for so long.

the little guy sitting next to me was tiny, and i found out later that he was 13. he was reading my Bible while i held it and then when i passed it to him to hold, he looked up, shocked. after 20 minutes he passed it back and said thank you. he fell asleep at the end. the little guy smelled so bad...made me wonder if he had a digestion issue...it really was like a poop smell, different from the other kids. i asked him if he was coming back next week. he said he would. i'll be looking for him. one of our kids asked him why he was so skinny...and if it was because he sniffed glue. the boy said no. it's cause there's no food.

i wanted to bring him home. he was so small. he wouldn't take up that much room.

tonton, who has all ready ran away twice from the shelter house was there. skinny. full of scabies. probably has worms again. he's so hard headed. and not ready to really break away from street life and make a change. i just hope that he decides to change before he dies.

another boy, wilbert, was there. our social worker sat with him, asking him about his life. asking if he's ready to change. he said yes. we're wanting to bring him into the shelter. but it's not the right time yet. we hope soon.

when i drove the kids back to the shelter, the police were driving into our barangay. we watched them drive over to the river. they were retrieving a body. a 18 to 20 year old male. with his hands tied behind his back. he was found floating down the river. street kid. he was a "salvage". that means the authorities caught him, tied him up and killed him. then floated him down the river as a warning to all the other kids. don't mess with us. we will kill you. that's the best way to deal with street kids. round them up and kill them. solves the problem. cleans the streets.

then last nite, in a huge contrast to what happened all day, we had nina and banban, her baby, over for girls nite. the boys and the male staff all stayed at the shelter to play boy games. the girls all stayed at the staff house for pedicures and movies. nina laughed so much, and so freely. banban slept peacefully on the foam. the boys had a glorious time being boys.

3 months ago they were street kids. smelly. wormy. hungry. desperate. today they are finally detoxed to the point that they can begin to heal.

right now there are 4 kids, plus a baby. that's not so many. but it is a beginning. they are the first batch. there are so many more to come. God is faithful.

my heart is starting to bleed."

and now today...

one of the street girls we know is a prostitute. she's 13 years old. she was in the shelter in the beginning, but chose to run back to the streets. her older sister nina is still with us. the girl dropped by the shelter today for 10 minutes to talk with her sister for a while.

her face was painted, and covered in white powder. she and the girl she was with had a job they were on the way to. at the barracks.

please pray for the children in the streets tonite. please pray for their families. please pray for God to move in to rescue and to save.

faces of Project Destiny

faces of Project Destiny

Vroom- vroom!

Teresa asked me to come down to Project Destiny for a couple of months while she went to the states for furlough. Due to a series of unfortunate events, which have resulted in knee surgery, Teresa didn't end up being able to leave. However, I am still here and still going to be fulfilling my role as assistant to Ate Sonia and driver and go-fer and common senser and problem solver and .....whatever else might come my way. :)
For now the plan is that I will be here until December. There are several options I'll have at that point and I'm still praying about what that will mean. The CDTS will be taking a year off of the school, so we don't start until January 2011. However, we do have a China trip planned for March or April. Anyone wanna join??
For now, enjoy these photos...I wanted you to see what I'm up to....:)

This is the handy dandy van...I spend alot of my day in this trusty little guy...toting staff and kids to various locations in the city.

We can get like 10 people in it...wanna come over? There's room for you!!

These orange trikes are like little frogs. They just JUMP in front of the van while it's moving down the street. FREAKed me out the first time. I've learned though. I'm now an excellent driver in the Philippines. :) ;)

Here's the kids and some of the staff. Aren't they a good looking crew?

2 more photos. why won't picasa upload more than 4 at a time?

This photo is a bit more realistic than the one at the end of the other post. :)

Sweet Rachel. She's so much fun and I'm looking forward to knowing her more.:)

Girls Nite Out in Baguio

So, the nite before i left Baguio the DTS girlies and i went out for some stress relief. They were like 8 weeks into their 12 week school and i was leaving early for my trip to Butuan. We decided to take a taxi to the Manor in Camp John Hay for coffee and dessert. :)

(L -R) Katlea, from Manila, her family's home was flooded during the typhoon last week. Rachel, from Malaysia, so funny girl. Sarah, from Canada, firecracker. Hazel, from Manila, i just love her. lots.

Even though it was 2 weeks early, we celebrated Sarah's birthday....:)

Isn't that cake gorgeous? Come visit me here in the Philippines and I'll if we can get you some.

4 sweet and innocent looking missionaries sitting in front of the fireplace in the lobby. We don't look like we could cause trouble, do we? Ok, the one on the right does, but the rest of us are pretty innocent i think. :)

photos for next post...

hey it's late and i'm sleepy. but when i look at my last post suddenly the photos aren't there. so here's the photos. if they're a repeat sorry. if they don't work again, sorry. if you don't like them, sorry. :)
i'm going to sleep. i'll fix it in the morning.
:)

:) i don't know if you'll ever need to know this, but just in case you do:)

I'm going to show you what you need to know should the occasion ever arise that you need to take a bucket shower and are unsure how to proceed.

Step # 1: Make sure you have the essential pieces for your shower. The 3 items in the photo, plus the usual cleaning products should all be nearby.

Step #2 Locate the bucket. In this case, it's a lovely bright blue color, very cheery. Fill the bucket about 2/3rds of the way with tap water, or pumped water, or rainwater...for best results it's try not to use the toilet water (though it might be tempting if you're having to go far to collect this important ingredient).

Step #3: When you've accumulated enough water, locate the water heater- in this case the bright yellow plastic thingy with the fashionable brown cord. <Please read all of step 3 and 4 before plugging in this stunning piece of technology to avoid being electrocuted in a cartoon-like moment you'll be embarrassed to admit later.> Place the heating element (the yellow part) into the water to the point that it is submerged, but not all the way to the bottom of the bucket. This ensures optimum water circulation. Using your best girl/boy scout technique, wrap some of the brown cord around the faucet to hold the plastic in it's position. Now it's time to plug in the water heater and then go make some coffee, check your email, pick your nose...

Step #4: After about 30 minutes return to check on your bucket. Please do not thrust your hand into the bucket to see if it's hot enough. You will die. Or smoke. Or at least it will hurt. Alot. Simply feel the outside of the trusty blue bucket. If it's warm, you're ready to unplug the heater and move on to step 5. If not, wait longer. But remember: a watched bucket never boils. :)

Step #5: Check to make sure the water heater is unplugged.

Step #6: Now you're almost ready to take your nice hot shower. Locate the dipper, in this case a marvelous, ladylike fuschia pink plastic scoop. <Please note that anything that scoops can be used if you can't locate this exact item. Things I've used: coconut husk, bottom half of plastic liter bottle...my friend Susie tried to use a live turtle, but that's another story. :)> It is imperative that you check the water temperature before dumping water on your head. Start by touching the water with your finger. Then mix it with the scooper, assuring that the heat has been thoroughly distributed. Add cold tap water as needed to get your preferred temperature.

Step #7 You are now ready for the actual shower. Squatting works best, since the water is limited. Soap up. Rinse. Wash hair. Rinse. Condition. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. Please note that at the bottom of the bucket you might find chunks of what looks like clay. It's gunk from the water heater. It's best to not use that for rinsing. Cause you just end up full of chunkies...which is I think what might have started this process in the first place. So, as tempting as that warm water looks, don't be drawn in...walk away. Find your towel. You've just accomplished your goal. Congratulations!

At this point I think you should know that tonight, after almost 5 years of bucket showers, for the first time I stuck my hand in the bucket to test the water while the heater was still plugged into the wall (220volts). It hurt. I didn't like it. But I did laugh at myself. And I thought maybe some of you would laugh at me too. Which led me to this post. :)

Little Man

today was one of those days....

where nothing "bad" happened...

but. it was hard. just because...

and then i went and played with Andrew Hull for a few hours while his parents went on their second anniversary date.

have you met that kid yet??

he's very cute. and has a pile of personality.

he makes me smile.

and Tom and SoonIm are so happy! that makes me smile too.

how was your day?

ungrateful

for the last few weeks i've been struggling with food. i've had no appetite, no desire to eat. the truth is that i've been thinking about all the food i can't have. i want mexican food... tortillas... i want pizza factory... i want summer fruits...like blackberries and peaches and nectarines and melons... i would kill someone for arby's (ok that's a little drastic...but i would slap someone real hard...:)) i haven't been really dwelling on the foods, but my attitude in my heart was changing towards the foods here. nothing sounded good. it was all blah. i was having to force myself to eat...

and then i accidentally went to the base worship last wednesday morning. (ok, it wasn't really an accident...we have staff meeting every wednesday, and before each meeting we spend an hour worshipping...) the worship leader, bamshak, from nigeria, began sharing what God was speaking to him about... which was how ungrateful bamshak had been being about the cross, taking for granted the sacrifice of Jesus...

stay with me....

i asked God if i had been ungrateful... and He gently kicked me in the head and said YES. that i had been ungrateful about food...

i realized that i COULD walk into SM (the largest supermarket in Baguio) purchase whatever i wanted. i COULD go to any restaurant in Baguio and order anything i want off the menu, and pay for it. but there are people TODAY who haven't eaten because they have nothing. and they won't eat tomorrow because they don't have the money.

BUT my Faithful Loving Father has abundantly supplied all my NEEDS according to His riches in glory. so who am i to complain or grumble about not getting to eat the things i really am craving right now? i have food to eat. a place to sleep. and people who love me.

i have been ungrateful, and i repented. last week i made a choice that i would be grateful because i want to honor God with my attitude and praise Him for His faithfulness to me. and you know what? the food tastes so good right now.

i found some black plums at the store. tonight i had a sort-of taco salad that was amazing (lettuce and ground beef and cheese and olives). did you know that since i live in the mountains that we have amazing produce? piles of cabbage and green beans and broccoli. and so many fruits (some imported).

my God has supplied all my needs, according to His riches in glory.

ps. don't worry, i would only slap someone's hand and give them a high 5 (referred to in the Phillipines as 'apir' which sounds like 'appear', for those of you who are wondering ) for the Arby's. i'm a missionary, we aren't supposed to be violent. :D

Sometimes VBS is Hard.

We were asked to do a VBS for the Agta kids in the village we were staying in...there we about 20 of them...ranging in age from 2 to 15...and no one on our team spoke their language...the person who was supposed to run the VBS had gotten sick and was resting in another village many hours away, so we were starting from scratch. So the 4 women in our team prayed and asked God what in the world we should do...

Our supplies were: some colored chalk, 2 packs of crayons, some lined paper and one very sassy Tagalog speaker (Hazel, she's on staff with me..and she speaks the closest dialect to what the kids could understand..but for those kids not in school yet, they were lost....)

"Mga Anak ng Hari" means "Children of the King." We used the week to teach the kids about their importance to God, and how as princes and princesses in His kingdom, they could talk to Him (intercede, pray) about their country and their concerns, also that He loved to hear them worshipping Him.

We ended up buying about 20 manila folders and tiny little vials of glitter in town, borrowing some broken scissors and making crowns together. We cut out the folders into fancy shapes and then had the kids design their own crowns...even the teenage girls were so excited and wanted to fully participate in the event. The moms that had gathered with us that day, each got to make one too...for the tiny babies they had swaddled to their chests, and for the toddlers who were too young to make their own. I wish you could have seen the joy and excitement on their faces as they wore the crowns that night at the closing graduation. They all marched proudly in wearing their mark of royalty.

Understanding that what we did in those days was impossible, we were simply walking in obedience to what God had shown us to do. It was hot, frustrating and felt pointless at times. But I believe that if even one child or one mom understood their importance to God and that their identity has nothing to do with the poverty they live in, but in the fact that they are children of God, then it ALL was worth it.

1000s of words about outreach :)

My dad brought me an animated singing frog...Jeremiah was a Bullfrog was heard throughout the land...the kids loved it.

Duane deserved it. We promise.

An interesting perspective of travel on the river...in this case we're being towed by the boat in front of us...eventually our driver was able to fix the motor...and then it broke again.

Can you see the team walking on the path? We spent 3 days in this village...where I was able to spear my foot with a fishing spear...but the view was amazing. :)

We're Out.

After an exciting landing here in Bagabag, I am happy to report that our team has safely completed the Palanan phase of our outreach. We spent three weeks serving the churches of Palanan. We held a family camp, spoke in church seminars, ran a VBS for the Agta kids, helped build a medical clinic and walked miles to visit and encourage people in their homes. It was good to be back in a place that feels like home...even though it's so different there.
Since I've gone so many times, I'm starting to understand more of the place, and can really see the impact the gospel is having in this remote location. The missionaries serving there full time are truly a faithful bunch. They are translating the Bible, pastoring, mentoring and raising up young people and still working on things like farming and fishing in order to provide for their families. The joy of the Lord is present in their faces. I love to spend time with them.
It was an interesting experience to be the team leader this time. Although Duane was there, I was the one primarily in charge with the help of the lovely Hazel. I learned things about myself and can really see how God has grown me and changed me in my years of being here in the Philippines.
Thank you for praying. I'm in an internet cafe right now so I don't have access to any photos to share with you. But when I can, I will. :) (I"ll tell you the story of the plane landing in person. OH my lanta that was an experience. Cause of the typhoon that is headed our way....)
We're in Bagabag for one week before we leave for Baguio. We'll be serving a group of churches here...our team is doing well...but I can see that we're tired. The students graduate on the 20th of June and I know they will be happy to have completed the course.
Love and blessings.

Update from Susan!

Hello everyone!  This is Tricia, Susan's cousin.  I received the following text message from Susan yesterday afternoon.  I apologize for not getting it on here until now.  Here it is:

I am in Palanan.  We finished a family camp a few days ago, where about eight families attended their first seminar together.  They were so encouraged by the Father, and we were excited to be a part of it all. Right now we are in a remote village where we are going house to house. Then we will be having a church seminar on Sunday.  

In addition for praying for these families, please pray for my foot.  Last night I speared it with a fishing spear in the ball of my foot.  It went in about ¾ inch.  Pray that there is no infection.  God bless You, and I'll text again soon!

10 Things You Might Want to Know About Me.

1. I think I should be nominated for worst communicator for the first portion of 2009. Please forgive my lack of information. My brain is all muddled and I'm finding it hard to put what's going on into words.

2. I've never known that I was an internal processor, but it's becoming clear to me that I am. Every time I arrive in the US it takes me like 2 weeks to be able to express, with some sort of clarity, the things that are in my heart regarding life here. So sometimes when I'm here in the midst of things, I just can't seem to be able to get my brain wrapped around it enough to share it. This seems to be especially true right now.

3. This school has been......interesting, a challenge, exciting....WAY TOO FAST. We're in week 12 of the lecture phase. Graduation is on Saturday and outreach will start on Sunday. Partway through the school, one of our students chose to leave, which was a very hard thing for Tom, who is leading his first school, and on the rest of the staff team, and especially for the other students. We continue to honor the student by not sharing openly with everyone what the issue was, but we also continue to speak blessing to him and his walk with God. Our prayers in this school have focused on a need for unity and willingness to be open...so....

4. The staff have taken turns throughout the school to share their testimonies openly with the whole school and my turn is coming on Thursday. I'm struggling to figure out what portions to share and how to best give God the glory for the things He has done...and be open. oh dear.

5. As it turns out, I'm leading outreach this year...and I seriously need your prayers for this time. For some reason I'm really struggling about this...and I haven't been able to specifically identify WHY...I'm praying through it and asking for HELP.

6. My Dad came for 10 days last month. It was great having him here and showing him the place I've been living the last 4.5 years. :) I think I even heard him mention that he wants to come back... ask him the next time you see him...maybe he'll bring a group!! :)

7. I'm learning ALOT about patience these last few months. It's coming in many different areas, both personal and in ministry...I'm not very good at it...At times I do ok, and at others I throw little fits that show how far I have to grow in this area....Last week we had a discussion question that asked if we ever try to shortcut the pain of God's dealings with us....and my answer was that sometimes I wish there was a pause button that would give me a short break from the process, sort of a time to gain perspective and catch my breath...and that's true in this whole learning the patience thing too...actually if I did find that pause button and press it, I think I would miss what He's teaching me in this moment....and I most certainly don't want to relearn this one. :) Am I being clear as mud?? Sorry. I'm giving the best I've got so far...:)

8. Have you read 2Corinthians 4 lately? How about Romans 15:5? They're amazing. Really amazing. The first one says "do not lose heart" twice. The second one is our prayer for this school and now for the outreach....

9. There is a school starting at the end of August called Introduction to Primary Health Care. It will be held in Manila for 3 months and then 3 months of outreach. It's a second level YWAM school....one of hundreds that can be taken after CDTS. (Other examples would be a biblical studies school where they study the Word in depth for 9 months and an intro to Biblical counseling school where they teach counseling from a Biblical perspective.) So this school will teach practical skills needed for primary health care...things like immunizations, skin care, delivering a baby, clean water issues...and the list goes on. I'm praying about this opportunity. I'm excited about the prospect and can see how the skills this course teaches can be used in any place that God may call me...:) Will you pray with me?

10. God is moving. Teaching. Speaking. Gracing. Loving. Calling. And I need help. I'm exhausted. Overwhelmed. Desperate. Frustrated. And I have a not so nice ear infection. I need you. To pray. I'm so not able to do this without you. And I've done a terrible job telling you that recently. But it's still the truth. Please love me in spite of my weakness.

Nope, I'm Not Stuck in the Jungle Anymore :)

I have been slacking on this blog. And because the time has been so long I keep feeling like I have to have an amazing post with fantastic information... Which makes me put it off longer... And so now here I sit... happy to look back all the way to November, but unsure of what exactly to say... So here goes... Hopefully I'll be sharing more soon....:)

I went home for six weeks to spend the holidays with my family and friends. It was so nice to eat pumpkin pie and drink egg nog for the first time in 3 years. My parents and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together in Mariposa. And it snowed just after breakfast just enough to make it a white Christmas for us. Beautiful. Peter called in the morning from Gibraltar and we were able to all talk together for a few minutes wishing each other a Merry Christmas. We missed having him and Janice with us, but I am hoping that we will be able to be all together sometime in the future. :)

I'm back in the Philippines and today is arrival day for the students of the 2009 CDTS. We have 13 students from all over... Korea, Philippines, USA, Malaysia, Japan and Australia... Our team is excited to get the school up and running. First day of class is tomorrow...