HOPE

Jessica Sanders
Dec 20, 2018
6 min read

Updated: May 31, 2021

If there is one word I could use to describe all the Christmas parties we just had, it would be HOPE. There were so many beautiful moments (and some emotional ones, too) where I could “see” hope written all over. We had nine parties in seven days. Here are some snippets…

Seed of Love: This is a partner project who ministers to families whose children have cancer. Many of these kids are from the province and cannot afford to commute for their chemo. Pastor Junie and his wife, Au, opened up a halfway house—Shelter of Hope—for these families to live in during their child’s treatment time. Since my last visit, they have expanded to two more rooms and had the living quarters remodeled and decorated by a local interior design institute free of charge!

During the party, a time of testimony was had. Rafael, an 18-year-old cancer patient, shared. He opened with, “Thank you, God, for this big family!” He then told his story of how he was raised by his aunt for most of his life. He had never met his father. He imagined he looked like him and often wondered what traits he carried but learned to accept that he would never know. His mother had been in prison most of his life and, to this day, still is. In 2016 he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer—Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, also known as neurofibrosarcoma. Because of his illness and lack of means, his aunt could no longer care for him. In February of 2018, he was sent to the Philippines General Hospital—alone—for treatment. His doctors knew of the Seed of Love ministry and contacted Junie and his wife.

They agreed to take Rafael in and to provide him with a place to stay, the nutritious food he needs to continue his treatment, encouragement, and that one special thing he’d always been lacking—love. Rafael thanked Junie and Au and commented on how he now has many mothers to help him along this journey at the Shelter of Hope. Later, while meeting with Pastor Junie and ate Au, they told me that Rafael is now enrolled in college—something he has always dreamed of—studying Information Technology. (I even participated in an interview for an assignment that he had for a class.) Junie and Au are now his guardians, as Rafael is in palliative care. Even though his cancer is chemo-resistant, he has hope because, through Seeds of Love, Rafael has found a love and joy that he would never have been able to experience.

Extreme Joy: This partner project joined with ER in 2016. They have a five-fold ministry and target the neediest communities with relevant life skills, on-the-spot feedings, and offering support and counseling. This day sticks out in my mind more than others because of some little boys I happened to interact with.

We were in a more rural community, where foreigners are not usually spotted. Thus, the kids were more shy than usual and more curious about who these people were in their barangay (neighborhood.) One little boy that caught my eye went by the name of Peat. In Tagalog, it means "malnourished." And, that's just what he was: malnourished. The shirt he wore and the pair of shorts he had on were almost mere rags. I missed his age but would guess that he was nearly seven or eight. His back was hunched--"kyphosis" is what the staff member said to me who was translating.

Although Peat sat with his peers, he kept to himself. He observed the games and activities from afar and watched as the other kids ran around with looks of glee on their faces. When offering him some candy, he was reluctant, but with encouragement from a staff member, he slowly took a few pieces, quietly opened a wrapper of one of the sweets, and popped it into his mouth. I wish I knew more of his story..."Did he have a mom?" Was he able to go to school? Did he call the streets his home? Did he have siblings?" Because Extreme Joy is new to this community and is only starting to build relationships, trust has yet to be established; therefore, not much is known. When it came time for the gift bags and meal to be handed out, I watched him from a distance, wondering if he would fall into queue since he didn't partake in the days' festivities. When his row was called, he quickly hurried to the front, took his meal, but I noticed that he came back without a gift bag. Upon inquiring, I found out that he was one of the few who didn't receive one because we ran out. Finding that we had a handful of extras in our van, I made my way to him and the other kids who had walked away empty-handed. He gazed up at me as I lowered myself to his level. I smiled at him and said, "this is for you!" He took the bag, looked in it, and smiled. I walked away with tears in my eyes. A few days later, while thinking about this party, I was moved to tears contemplating what hope did Peat have. At that moment, the Father reminded me that because Extreme Joy is ministering in this particular community, he now has the opportunity to know of the hope that comes from Christ. Peat may still call the streets his home for the months and years to come, but with an open heart, he "will have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:19)

I did not take Peat's picture, but he is etched in my mind with a thousand other little faces. This little boy (to the left) was also at the party. He was so eager to have his photo taken solo. His friends kept trying to get in the picture, but he would quickly dart to my other side to see if I could get a quick shot of him by himself. When I showed him the photo, he beamed. Many kids who live in this community rarely see or have pictures of themselves. To know that such a small gesture brought him joy made me smile.

Support A Child: This project also joined with ER in 2016. They run a three-fold program and target three communities where children live on the street or with their families in a squatter area. Their primary focus is a drop-in center where street kids can come for a time of tutoring, take a shower, and have a hot meal. The Awanas program is also a highlight for Support A Child.

The Christmas party we attended was a first for this particular community. The kids were in awe of the "magic" show and very much loved the games and activities. The precious girl in this photo is almost 11 years old. Until Support A Child came into her life, she had had no formal schooling due to her Cerebral Palsy but more than anything because no one took the time to reach out and work with her until now. At this party, I was painting nails. She sat down in the chair, facing me, and happily picked out the "Elsa Blue Sparkle" polish. Once finished with her hand, she proceeded to take off her flip-flops and place her feet on my lap. I chuckled to myself because we usually did not paint toes but knew I would make an exception for her. Her feet were stained with dirt. I wished more than anything I could treat her to a pedicure with warm soapy water, lotion, and scrub, but I made do with my Elsa sparkles, and she walked away with a look of contentment on her face. As we wrapped up the day, I caught her looking at me as she enjoyed her special meal from Jollibee. I smiled and asked if I could take her picture. She nodded her head "yes" but then motioned for me to sit by her. As I handed my phone to my director to snap our photo, she grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. It was just as if she was hugging me and, in a way, saying, "I have this newfound hope because of Support A Child. I now feel like I matter, whereas before, I was disregarded." That hand squeeze meant everything to me.

There are more stories of hope that I could tell, but these resonated with me, and I knew that I could not keep them to myself. I pray that this Christmas season is a beautiful one for you and your family. May you find HOPE in the One that gives hope, love, joy, and peace.

Praises, Blessings & Updates:

Besides the 1,000 kids showered with love in the Philippines, 2,300 kids from our Dream Centre Program and partner projects were loved in South Africa and over 1,000 kids in Ecuador!
I will be spending Christmas with my parents in Costa Rica :) I am very much looking forward to my time with them and also enjoying some excellent coffee. (Hehe)
It is not too late to have your donation matched! You have until December 31 to do so. It is a win-win situation as your donation is designated to me and ER receives the matching funds to continue to impact the lives of orphans & vulnerable children worldwide. If you feel led to give, click on the “DONATE” tab at the top of the page. Please designate your donation to my account: 401511.