We, Schoonhoven family from Apeldoorn visited the Philippines in December. We were on a roots trip because of our son (born in Manila) and our daughter (born in Cebu City). We arrived at the airport in Cebu and were warmly welcomed by Russel Villafuerte (Project Director Pasuk-CBC) who picked us up with the PASUK bus! We agreed to visit 'Cebu Bible Church' the next morning. Then we could experience the Christmas celebration. We were curious and had already realized that this was especially for them. After all, we were the first Dutch sponsors to visit the project. The next morning when we got out of the cab we already saw the banner flying: "Welcome Pasuk sponsors Schoonhoven". And there we walked into the church hall ... overwhelming! We saw happy, curious, grateful and elated faces. It did feel a little uncomfortable. You could see some thinking: there you have the people who help provide for our livelihood. We were welcomed like some kind of "heroes," with chairs prepared. We were warmly welcomed by Russel and we were immediately allowed on stage. There we told the Bible story about the rich man and poor Lazarus. The message was: God looks at your heart. It is not about whether we are rich or poor. The important thing is that we know God in our lives. We handed out bracelets with the gospel on them and explained the colors on the bracelet with the wordless book. Then the party really began! There were games, singing, dances done by children and mothers, gifts exchanged, and so on. What a great gathering! Russel and his team showed what a warm heart they have for the children and their families. There were posters and lanterns crafted by the children. Each one was a work of art, and we as a family got to judge it. The winners received a bag of rice. At the end of the celebration, we were sung the blessing of all present. How touching that was. Then each family received a big bag of food to get through Christmas and the children received a backpack from PASUK with their own name on it. Each family came to thank us very nicely for the bag of food. Actually, we thought the PASUK team should get all the thanks, because they put something great there for the families. We noticed how skillfully the team dealt with all the children and their parents/caregivers. This is a very warm place where children get personal attention and love and hear God's words. How beautiful it was for us to see how God's love was expressed in words and actions. That warm place at PASUK is also a necessity because we stared our eyes out in the slum where some of the children live. We visited four little houses.
We had to squeeze through very narrow alleys, step over stones because there was water running through the alley and then suddenly you were back in a cottage. Made of wood and corrugated iron. So incredibly small. You could only sleep in it and cook in a corner. We were gratefully pointed to corrugated sheets that had been delivered by Pasuk after a typhoon. And inside, we saw a plaque on the wall with the words: But I and my house, we will serve the Lord! What impressed us most was the cottage of a family with 9 children. On the floor was a wide mattress where a baby slept. Mother had another child on her arm and a few children were sitting on a ladder. In fact, they also had a few sleeping places upstairs. With the help of a mobile, a light was turned on. We crammed ourselves against each other for a photo and we left the cottage. Mother did not look happy and we marveled at how you can live your life in such a large 3-by-5-meter box. Then PASUK is an enrichment in the children's lives. To catch their breath at the weekend, get a meal and hear how Jesus wants to save your life and can give you a joy that transcends all earthly concerns!
