Let me introduce you to three girls: Anna, Rochelle and another girl, who I only spoke to for a brief moment, so her name has escaped me. But let's just call her Lily.
First let me tell you about Anna. She lives in Manila, but she's not from Manila and her family doesn't live there. Anna had to drop out of school at the age of 12 because her family could no longer pay for her schooling. So she just helped in the farm. At the age of 17, she left home to go to Manila to work as a maid, where she makes PHP3000 (about $65) a month to send home to her family. She rarely goes home. She quit school, but she's now working to pay for her younger brother to go to school. She's now 21 years old, and it seems that her only future is to continue working as a maid.
Poverty. Hopelessness. Emptiness.
Now, let me tell you about Rochelle, who I briefly blogged about before the trip. She's 18 years old and awaiting sponsorship in the LDP program. She's studying at the same school that my dad did! :) We met her yesterday:
[Enjoying some Halo-Halo - A Filipino dessert. :)]
We visited her at her church and Compassion program that she grew up in, where she's now a assistant teacher [She's studying education! :)]. She's really sweet and a great person. :)
Then we visited her house.
You can't stand up straight in her house.
She lives in what I would call a slum.
She calls it home.
It was probably the most shocking thing I've seen since I arrived in the Philippines. She, her 4 sisters and their mom and dad live in this house that is basically unlivable. Walking to the house, I had to sidestep sewage water, dead animals and much more. Rochelle told me that when it rains [and it's rainy season, it rains alot!] her house floods. They rent a small room upstairs for when this happens. I can't even imagine.
But because of Compassion's LDP, there is hope. She can become a teacher when she's done school, and live a better life than this. Help her family. Help others.
Which is why my family has decided to sponsor her! :)
I can't wait to begin exchanging letters with her! :D
And lastly, let me tell you about Lily. We met her right after talking to Anna. Lily is working in Manila's Compassion office. She's an LDP graduate, 22 years old, one year older than Anna. Such contrast between her life and Anna's. She has a bright future.
What a contrast between the future of Lily and Rochelle compared to Anna's.
What a difference LDP makes.
Make a Jesus-Difference, Give Hope: www.compassion.ca
Then we visited her house.
You can't stand up straight in her house.
She lives in what I would call a slum.
She calls it home.
It was probably the most shocking thing I've seen since I arrived in the Philippines. She, her 4 sisters and their mom and dad live in this house that is basically unlivable. Walking to the house, I had to sidestep sewage water, dead animals and much more. Rochelle told me that when it rains [and it's rainy season, it rains alot!] her house floods. They rent a small room upstairs for when this happens. I can't even imagine.
But because of Compassion's LDP, there is hope. She can become a teacher when she's done school, and live a better life than this. Help her family. Help others.
Which is why my family has decided to sponsor her! :)
I can't wait to begin exchanging letters with her! :D
And lastly, let me tell you about Lily. We met her right after talking to Anna. Lily is working in Manila's Compassion office. She's an LDP graduate, 22 years old, one year older than Anna. Such contrast between her life and Anna's. She has a bright future.
What a contrast between the future of Lily and Rochelle compared to Anna's.
What a difference LDP makes.
Make a Jesus-Difference, Give Hope: www.compassion.ca
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