We were 5 women, who went to The Philippines for 3 weeks in January this year. We were basically destined to go to 2 different Islands. On being Manila on Luzon Island, and the other was a 3 hour flight South to the Island of Mindineao Team members were; Melanie Price from Manchester. Rev Debra Sweetin, of Battle Cry Ministries,Tulsa, Oaklaholma, USA. Thelma Lynch,from Anglesey,N Wales.

 Rose Williams,from London.  Sheree Todd from London.

  Our intentions were to go to the poor areas, and  Churches We wanted to locate the "water people", and the "dump children", and the squatters, living in the Manila Bay area. We went to access the situation, in a view to setting up support, Spiritually, Financially, Educationally, and Medically.

All this was achieved, and much more besides.

1) We set up 2  groups of  local people,  who live in the water area  The people live on boxes propped up on stilts, on the waters edge. They will access the basic needs of the young, poor, sick, and infirm.

2)  In the dump area, there were whole communities of children, living and surviving, off the rubbish. Conditions were horrendous. We found a little 5 year old girl, called Alice. She is a child of a young unmarried teenager, who also lives off the tip  She has an hare shun lip, and cleft palette.  We are going to have a doctor to look at her, to perform an operation to fix her lip. The operation will be performed in Manila, and we,  will be paying for it privately.

3)We have paid for a house to be rented for a year, for Linda. Linda lives in a shanty hut, and has 7 children. She is 4ft 6", tall and her home is 3ft 6"high. She had never laid flat in her home for 20 years, and her children, slept across her lap. They were sssooo happy, to have a little house to live in.

4)We have had a  toilet and shower room built, at the side of the Pastors humble home. It was completed  while we were there.  Pastor  Alan and Weng Pelobelo,  were hosting us. We needed it as urgently,  as they did. They live in  Daveao, on the island of Mindinao. They are receiving, and looking after many people in their village, in the banana plantation. This is a very remote area, and the people are extremely poor.

Average wage for a man, working, 12 hours, 7 days a week, is 400 pasos, equivalent to £4   We aim to support them in developing a dropin center, and in what ever way we can, that will help them develop socially and economically. We have another team going out in June.

5) We met with the Mayor of Daveo. He gave us permission to go to the local Governing bodies,(Police, the Army, and the local council),  to get any help that we would need in setting up a support team..