Treating us like Family

After visiting all of the slum sites with the MMP pastors, it was decided that Jason and I would be assigned to the group at Montalban. We were secretly hoping we would get to go there, since we really connected with the leaders and the area. Jason is going more often than I am, because of homeschooling, but we have had a few opportunities to spend time with the team. The group is like one big family--many of them live together in a compound in a nearby town, and others close by. Since the first day we met them, they have welcomed us in and treated us like family. Pastor Julius and his wife Ate Evelyn have one daughter and another on the way. Their 10 year old daughter is the girl to the right of Nathan. Pastor Lando and his wife Ate Josie have an 8 year old daughter, pictured to the left of Nathan. When we spent the day with them last Saturday, the girls would not leave Nathan's side, and even cried when we left despite the fact that we were going to see them the next day at church.
Another family that goes to the village each week as part of an outreach team from Pastor Julius' church in Payatas (the town that is close to Montalban) has three children, the youngest of which is two months old. Her name is Princess Anelise and her parents, Ate Mary Chris and Kuya Hermie, have asked us to be her godparents. This is a big honor and is a way for Filipinos to include you in their family. We already feel like part of the family! This is a picture of Ate Flor with Nathan in front of what is called the Banana Republic. Ate Flor fell in love with Nathan the first day she met him and was so excited to hear that we would be on their team. She is the only woman on the actual leadership team that raises support to be in the area, so she was also excited to have another woman on the team. Ate Flor is awesome. The first day we met her she told us that though her support is not always enough to provide food every meal, she just trusts in God and He provides what she needs. Her joy is contagious, and she never meets us with empty hands. She always brings us a gift, usually a Philippino fruit that we have not tried yet. I think the order of her excitement level with seeing us usually starts with Nathan, then me, and last Jason.
Montalban has two areas, Jovil (which sounds like Joubel) and Banana Republic. Jovil is a government housing project where many families were placed to "clean up the city." The area around it is beautiful and mountainous, but the village is isolated and work is hard to find. Many of the men travel to Payatas where the garbage from the city is brought and try to find work as scavengers. Because travel costs money, they will often stay in Payatas for the week and come home once a week. This is hard for the family stucture. There is some electricity, but in July a Canadian team built a water pump from the creek to the church, and they are still waiting for electricity to power it to be able to have drinking water. The city provides free water every other day for 15 minutes, and it is not good for drinking. Buying drinking water is expensive. The MMP pastors have provided some livelihood training. They have taught mothers in the village to make woven doormat rugs, which are then sold. This has helped them build relationships with these families and has made it easier to come into their homes and talk to them about the love of Jesus. The other area has its name because of the presence of so many banana trees. These homes are made of tarp and boxes, some with tin roofs. It is humbling to see how some people live, and yet they are full of joy and are welcoming to us.
Anyway, just wanted to show where we were going and some of the people we are meeting.