It was clear from the very beginning that the Christmas parties for 2008 will be different from the ones we held ever since Extreme Response helped us hold parties in 2005. At the start of the year 2008, our team has decided to hold the parties in three different locations, partnering and networking with new churches and ministries. Even the team from Sunrise Community Church will be different according to their team leader, Dave Crosson. 6 of the 12 team members already came in 2007, but the rest will be new ones. Somehow, all these changes brought an additional excitement to all of us. It is like we are doing the Christmas parties for the first time. Indeed, we are doing a lot of “firsts”. It's our first time to hold a party with more than 1 church partnering with us. It's also our first time to hold a party five hours away from Manila. Moreover, it is our first time to bring the party to a tribe living on a mountain.
The first one was held in “Smokey Mountain”. Smokey Mountain used to be a large dumpsite in Manila and it was officially shut down in 1995. Although not being used as a landfill anymore, the ill effects from that landfill continue to this present day. Now low cost housing units are present in the area that is home to many poor families.
It's our first time to work with a ministry located in that area and we really don't know what to expect. Add to that was the bad weather that rendered our plan unusable as we have planned to hold the Christmas Carnival in an open area. It rained all day the previous day and it seemed that there won't be any change in the weather when we got there for the parties. It turned out to be that they prayed for rain so that the smell and dust from the old landfill won't be that bad.
Also, we prepared for 400 kids but at the last minute, we were told that 500 are coming. Having only a little space (only a hundred could fit in), we braced ourselves and proceeded with the carnival. The result was pandemonium. Crowd-control was a mess, we ran out of toys for the games, and to top it all, the people are getting restless and unruly because everyone wants to be the first one to get what they could get when they realized that the supply we brought is lesser compared to the number of people who came.
By the grace of God, at the end, we were able to give gift bags to all the kids who came. But the team felt so tired and some even felt that it didn't turn out the way we planned it to be. It's like we failed to accomplish what we have been planning for so many months to give hope and joy to the people of Smokey Mountain. But while waiting for our ride home, one kid handed down a note to one of our missionaries from Canada. A simple note, hand-written on a piece of paper most probably, from the looks of it, a page torn from a used notebook. The writer said a lot of things and even gave some good suggestions, but the thing that caught our attention is when he said, “Thank you for all the help, we really appreciate it. You have chosen such a noble work. You really helped a lot of people in our place.”
That simple note of appreciation changed the way we felt and the way we looked at the just concluded Christmas party. We suddenly felt energized and encouraged. That somehow, even with our mistakes and short-comings, the Lord is able to put things together so that the people will be blessed and we will be able to do what He has called us to do. We realized again that we just need to obey the Lord and do our part and leave the results to God. That night, although tired physically, we went home rejoicing and so eager to hold the other scheduled Christmas parties.
The next Christmas party was held, two days after. The venue is located at the center of Olongapo City, near the main gate of the former US Naval Base in Subic. 10 churches came together, all from Olongapo, and brought kids from their street children's ministry. Again, some of the churches brought more than what they have previously registered. But this time, we're ready. We never let anything dampen our spirits. Armed with smiles on our faces and hearts energized by the joy of the Lord, we opened the Christmas Carnival Party with loud greetings of Merry Christmas!
The Lord proved to be so faithful, in the end more than 600 children and 200 families received gift bags and grocery items. It was one successful Christmas party. Everything was in order and we were able to run all the programs smoothly, from the carnival games up to the gift giving and food distribution. The pastors and church leaders never stopped thanking us and the Lord for what they have witnessed. More than just the gifts, they are so blessed with the response of the people when we shared the Christmas message through a puppet show and a Gospel presentation. Children and parents alike surrendered their lives to the Lord. It was one amazing sight.
A few hours after, we went up to the mountain, just outside of Subic, home to an Aeta tribe called Kanawan. It is there where we held the last Christmas party two days after. The last but not the least, the Kanawan party proved to be a very special one. The whole community welcomed us and was very thankful to the Lord for bringing the Christmas party program to their tribe. When we arrived, a medium-sized crowd was already waiting at the foot of the mountain to help us carry all our stuff. The night before the Christmas party, they held a cultural dance for us as their way of saying thank you. The next day, from 9 am to 12 noon, we held a simple Christmas party program for the children.
About 200 came along with their families. Indeed, we saw the same results just like what we saw in Olongapo - God truly blessed the people. After lunch, we headed down the mountain; again with a throng of individuals, children and adults alike, accompanying us and helping us carry our bags and equipment. We had a hard time saying goodbye as we board our vehicles, some with tears in their eyes (both the Christmas party team and the Aetas), and some just wouldn't let go of the hugs and the good byes. Finally, after almost of an hour of saying our good byes, we were on our way back to Manila.
All in all, more than 1300children received gift bags and more than 500 parents received grocery items. It's truly amazing, and we are thankful to the Lord for that great opportunity to share His love and care to the needy and hopeless. We also thank Extreme Response and Sunrise Community Church for their unwavering support and tireless effort so that we can bring the Christmas message of love and hope to the people here in the Philippines. To God be all the glory and honor, indeed!
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