We would love to share just one example of how our daycare is really impacting the lives of the street children and their families. Princess is a six-year old street-child living in Metro Manila. Her mother earns a meager salary as a pedicab driver in the community. Her father, previously known for drinking excessively in the streets, is now in prison. Ever since Princess was born, her mother felt distressed about how she would take care of her child. When she gave birth to Princess, she couldn't afford the hospital costs to deliver the baby with any aid from a doctor or nurse. As Princess grew up, her parents couldn't afford to let her go to school. However, once we opened our new daycare center, street children like Princess finally had a safe place to get an education, to look up to good role models, and to experience the grace, compassion, and love of the Lord. Without a father figure, Princess bonded quickly with the male teachers and helpers in the daycare. Her heart and attitude softened, and a new sense of joy was evident in her everyday life. She experienced new feelings of confidence and accomplishment upon learning the alphabet and learning how to print her own name.
Princess's mother often tells us how happy and blessed she feels to know she now has help in raising her child. One day, Princess's mother saw three of us walking in the rain, and she quickly offered to bike us home in her pedicab. Even though she doesn't earn much through her job, she still tried to refuse our money when we paid her the fare. She said that the reason why she didn't want us to pay is because she feels we have done so much for her and her family. In fact, Princess's mother really wants to learn more about us volunteers and about our church. She attended our church for the first time last Sunday! Praise God for the way a mother can be moved and can experience blessings through our love for her daughter. Only by the grace of God is our daycare able to influence entire families, and to Him we give all the glory!
- Kristofer, Tin Tin, Mackie, and John (the daycare teachers)
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