A weekend out at Trece Matires

Okay, time for another update...

Our latest adventure was a trip to a town called Trece Matires (Thirteen Martyrs) about three hours south of Manila. It was nice to get out into the country a bit and see some different sights, including coconut and banana plantations, rice fields and the occasional water buffalo.

The poor area we went to was also quite different to what we had experienced in Manila. It is a relocation centre from places where the government had bulldozed slum settlements to make space for water ways or railways. The streets are wider (they actually have streets) and the houses are bigger (they actually have cement houses) but the poverty and unemployment is the same. Fortunately God's grace is also the same.

Everyone else arrived on Saturday, but I traveled down a day early by public transport with a trilingual german missionary veteran named Helga, and Janice, a Filipino from Welfareville. These two go down to do ministry every weekend in the Trece housechurches. I caught a taxi, then a Jeepney, then a train, then a "provincial bus" then a tricycle. The cool thing was I got to hang out with the local youth for an afternoon.

On the Saturday and Sunday we gave concerts on local basket ball courts. Hundreds of people in total attended these; mainly lots and lots of children, but also many adults and teens. Praise God that were were able to share Jesus' love for them with the help of our Filipino MCs Janice and Juvel. We pray that they will respond to what they saw and heard (please join us in this). We had numerous bits of feedback that indicate people were taking in our message. We were also an encouragement to the local housechurch members. We praise God that in answer to our prayers he held back the thunderstorm until just after we finished for the night, and that most of the difficulties of outdoors concerts in a poorly equipped area were overcome.

The children were the most fun. They went kind of crazy at the end, swarming us and shouting out to 'Kuya' Cameron, Sam, Jono or 'Ate' Erica, Kathryn or Marge...
Hello! Hi! High five, high ten, high three, high twenty! Justin Beiber! [that's Sam apparently] What is your name? [and random phrases in Tagalog] Can we have a photo with you? [Yes] Can we have your cell phone number? [No] What instrument do you play? You are so handsome/pretty! [Awkward] Your nose is funny [ummm, okay] and so on.
It was fun at the time but we all decided we don't want to be famous.

I think I've written enough or too much now, so I'll finish by saying we then took the three hour drive home packed like sardines and smothered in luggage, and had pizza for dinner at 10:30 pm.

Bye for now,



Cameron and the team.