They usually end up saying, "I will just help you go, 'cause I can't."
That is NOT true! This blog is for anyone who ever said, "I would love to do some kind of missions work" but only thought it to be a distant dream.
Announcing: A hands on missions project that ANYONE can find a part in! (It is not just about your money, it is about you being PERSONALLY present.)
The best money in missions is the investment in national leaders. With that in mind we would like to introduce you to the Apostolic Center for Theological Studies, the flagship Apostolic school of the Philippines.
The ACTS Bible School in Manila, on the C. P. Kilgore Memorial Complex, has been called "The most important facility in Asia." Though that statement may be debatable, what is not debatable is that this institution has been steadily producing quality ministers of the gospel for over two decades. Graduates from this school are now pastoring all over the world, not just in the Philippines.
James Kilgore is now the president of this fine institution and has contributed immeasurably to its present condition.
Brother Kilgore has given almost all he has for this school. Last week he spoke at the graduation service and told the audience, "I go home broke and happy. I go home broke and you also go home happy." And they laughed.
It is true. "Pappa K", as he is affectionately called here, has given, and given, and given, until there was nothing else to give.
So, that gives the rest of us an opportunity.
Kensie's Korner
Kensie is a college student in Ruston, Louisiana, who has already jumped at the opportunity to make a difference in this school. She is a close family friend who surprised us with a cash offering last month, "I want this to go to something in the girl's dorm. I want them to have something nice, something that I would also want as a college student."
Kensie, we have been talking to the staff there, and we have a proposal. (At least a start to what you want to do.)
The picture below is a private veranda off of the girl's dorm. It is on the second floor and is totally shaded by a large mango tree most of the afternoon.
How about we buy some outdoor tables and chairs so that the female students can have a beautiful place to study, or to just visit with each other? The dormitory is so hot that some students sleep outside because they are stifling in the unventilated confines of the dorm.
(View from "Kensie's Korner")
Kensie's Korner is still in the planning stages, and everyone is thrilled with some of the possibilities.
So, while the girls have a nice view and a pleasant place to retreat to... this is just the beginning.
There is one window in the girl's dorm and one ventilation fan. The problem is, the fan does not bring in fresh air because there is a wall on the other side of the fan. The humid and stifling climate is oppressive even when ventilated, however, when it is closed up, this place is almost unbearable. Because of this, mold and mildew is a constant problem.
We need ideas, and someone to sponsor the solution so these young women can have a place to sleep with at the very least, some fresh air.
(The "Fan to Nowhere!")
Here is where the girl's hang dry their clothes and the roof is an old metal structure that leaks badly in the rain.
Jordan was amazed that 30 - 35 girls lived in this very small, and sadly inadequate space. There are many more that would like to come to this school, yet can not afford to commute to school daily and then live off campus. We need more space.
Brenda, along with Nellie Gallemit (Dean of Women) explore some possibilities. Presently, the girls have no shelving, no lockers, no shoe racks, and do the best they can to organize their clothes in piles. They manage without complaint, but from our way of thinking, we just don't see how they can get by. We wouldn't last in these conditions one day, much less one year.
It would be so easy to put shelves and build an organizer system in their "laundry" room.
The two racks, (Pictures above and below) behind us, are where up to 35 girls to hang their clothes. The only way this works is that most of these girls don't have a whole lot in the way of material things.
There are two toilets and both need to be replaced. There are some real plumbing issues that need to be worked out. Also, there is no door, only a piece of fabric hanging over the opening. A door would be most appreciated.
There are two of these showers in the whole dorm.
This is the ONLY mirror in the girl's dorm. That they all look so neat, and all together, and have such a great attitude is a miracle that happens every single day.
The sink above and the area below is where the girls wash their clothes and brush their teeth...
Did you catch that? They wash all of their clothes by hand, in these sinks, while using them for the normal uses of a vanity.
The small shelf above serves as the only place they can store their toiletries.
The white bunks to the left are only plywood beds. Last year Melani, Brenda, Andrea and Becky put up the money to buy foam cushions for the girls to sleep on. Before that, they were sleeping on hard plywood.
We are pictured with Nellie Gallimet, Dean of Women
A student washing clothes.
Brenda is with a long time friend, Carmen Martinez. She is given the nearly impossible task of feeding the students on less than .50 per day. That's fifty cents!
There was a time when the students were asked to fast Saturday and Sunday, not for spiritual reasons, but because the budget wasn't there to feed them the whole week.
It is not uncommon for a 20 year old student to have a heart attack, or other serious illness, during exam week because they just do not have enough nutrition in their diets to sustain them.
Thankfully, "Pappa K" has done so much to help in these areas. However, there is a limit to what he can do. So there is an opportunity for others to step in.
Can you see why missions work is so rewarding? It is sooo easy for us to make a MAJOR difference in some one's life over here.
You can too.
