Taking Sunday School Out Into The Slums of Manila, Philippines

This week I joined the Metro World Child ministry in the Philppines as they take their Sidewalk Sunday School program to the slums and compounds across downtown Manila.

I wanted to learn how they did it, learn from them so I could go back to Thailand and do the same.

Here’s how it went:

Day 1

Whilst in Manila I’m so grateful to be able to spend time with Metro World Child; a phenomenal ministry who run 2-3 Sidewalk Sunday Schools PER DAY for hundreds of Filipino children.

For the next few days I’m looking forward to working and learning alongside the outreach teams as they take their big yellow stage truck to the local slums and compounds in and around Metro Manila.

For the first day we walked miles, visited every home, spoke to every child we could about the kids activity were running tomorrow – then we jumped back on the truck to head to another compound where we had a hundred or so kids dancing and singing praise songs, reciting memory verses (Trust in the Lord with all your heart) and of course having A LOT of fun!

Metro World Child Philippines

Day 2

Hundreds more kids praying the prayer of salvation today – real heart and God moments!

Two more Sidewalk Sunday Schools today at Seacom and another slum/compound area right near the airport – planes flew really low overhead!

These kids live in difficult situations – dirty shacks and corrugated iron huts but today they forgot it all and sang out loud: “God is here! God is here! God is here and He is faithful!” Yes right here He is, He’s with you everywhere, all of the time!

“Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke.

So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”

–  Matthew 9:35-38 (MSG)

Sidewalk Sunday School

Day 3

Sleeping on tombstones in a graveyard and under bridges next to busy main roads – these are the kids that came to our Sidewalk Sunday Schools today.

So-called “forgotten ones”, we came to tell them they’re NOT forgotten by God.

When you hold a baby missing the tip of one of his now swollen and infected fingers because a rat chewed it off, it motivates you to be the best and funniest ‘Professor Jellybean’ you can possibly be…

 

Slum

Sidewalk Sunday School Manila

Day 4

Today was the toughest and yet the most incredible day so far! Such a mixture of emotions!

Seeing where they lived just made us determined to put on the best Sidewalk Sunday Schools we could! The kids loved my Professor Jellybean rendition (think Willy Wonka + Mr Bean!)  

Man the scale of this thing is enormous – today wasn’t hundreds but THOUSANDS OF KIDS – all singing about the amazing love of God and learning about what Jesus did for them!!

We started at 6am and took the Sidewalk Sunday School truck and makeshift stage to three different sites.

It’s easy for me just to come and visit and bugger back off to Thailand but the real heroes are the Metro World Child workers who come here week in and week out – my hat goes off to you!

Missionary Philippines              

These past few days have had a life-long impact on me and I will never forget these kids.

My eyes have been opened and my vision enlargened. Now I’m thinking back all those kids in Sriracha, Thailand who have never heard that God loves them and has a plan for their life.

If we don’t do it, who will? If we don’t go, how will they hear? Right?

5 Comments

  1. Jim November 17, 2017
    • Simon November 17, 2017
  2. Roy November 17, 2017
    • Simon November 17, 2017
  3. StevieG February 1, 2018

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