Here is just a sampling of what we get up to in our little squatter village of Pandan
Community Feeding
Loving Hands: Compassion
Our local church is a host of Compassion International. During their program for sponsored children the children are fed well. But because the culture is such that you share your resources with the family, the children were trying to bring their meals home to share. We decided to help feed the other family members that came to the Compassion program so the sponsored children felt free to eat their provided meal. The Compassion outreach has doubled in size since it started. We can use continued help in providing meals to the attendees that are not directly sponsored.Daily Feedings
Living in a poor squatter village, many of the children didn’t eat three meals a day. There are definitely malnourished children there, as well as many simply hungry children. We started feeding children that would come, lunch and dinner. We had usually 20-50 children per meal in attendance. While there, they learned to greet us, pray before eating, listen to a bible story, shared one good thing that happened that day, wash their plate, and say “Thank you”. Currently we are providing a nutritious meal after school for hungry kids in Pandan. And we offer one feeding on Saturday as well. Many of the children in this village are malnourished from lack of enough calories. Along with this meal we provide spiritual food also: a small Bible lesson is read or taught.Vitamins
If anyone wants to contribute vitamins to help pregnant women and children, we will send them as part of an LBC shipment. The gummy versions hold up better in the humidity there. Message me and I will let you know how to do that.
Medical Mission
Because of the poverty, many do not seek healthcare because of the cost. Some families actually weigh the costs of
burial vs hospitalization in their decisions. And also because of the low education level, many don’t have the basic
healthcare knowledge that we take for granted in affluent nations - things like basic hand washing,
covering your mouth when you cough, washing wounds, and not scratching infections.
Within our first two weeks in Pandan, I found out a 27 year old male died of diarrhea. What a sad, preventable tragedy. So I let people know I was available for free check up and advice. This quickly grew into a free medical clinic. Thankfully I had a couple of friends that were doctors that I consulted when the patient needed further care. I caught several babies in emergency delivery situations. I helped connect very sick patients to hospital admissions that were affordable as I learned the medical system that was in place. I connected people for needed surgeries like cleft lip cleft palate, goiter removal, mastectomy, hernia and fistula repair. I did common prenatal check ups and education, along with well and sick check ups of all ages. Dying people or DOA people were rushed to our door, and we initiated CPR on many. We saved a some (near drowning victims, new borns who did not breathe, seizure patients, and anaphylaxis). We also helped many afford their maintenance medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart medicine, and thyroid mediation. We taught mothers how to manage their asthmatic children and taught them how to measure safe doses of medications. We taught many how to navigate the health system and to be assertive to present their need rather than be overlooked.
Though the clinic is not functioning at this time, I continue to give healthcare advice to those there that contact me, and sponsor some specific medical needs as they arise..
Within our first two weeks in Pandan, I found out a 27 year old male died of diarrhea. What a sad, preventable tragedy. So I let people know I was available for free check up and advice. This quickly grew into a free medical clinic. Thankfully I had a couple of friends that were doctors that I consulted when the patient needed further care. I caught several babies in emergency delivery situations. I helped connect very sick patients to hospital admissions that were affordable as I learned the medical system that was in place. I connected people for needed surgeries like cleft lip cleft palate, goiter removal, mastectomy, hernia and fistula repair. I did common prenatal check ups and education, along with well and sick check ups of all ages. Dying people or DOA people were rushed to our door, and we initiated CPR on many. We saved a some (near drowning victims, new borns who did not breathe, seizure patients, and anaphylaxis). We also helped many afford their maintenance medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart medicine, and thyroid mediation. We taught mothers how to manage their asthmatic children and taught them how to measure safe doses of medications. We taught many how to navigate the health system and to be assertive to present their need rather than be overlooked.
Though the clinic is not functioning at this time, I continue to give healthcare advice to those there that contact me, and sponsor some specific medical needs as they arise..
Subangan Ministry
“Subangan” is the local word for where the sun rises and also the same word is for where the river runs into the sea.
So in a poor squatter fishing village of Pandan, just outside city proper of Gingoog on the northern shore of Mindanao of
the Philippines, the place called “Subangan” (pronounced Sue-bong-on) was the north eastern boarder of the village.
It was an area that garbage accumulated because people would dump their trash into the river and the sea. It also attracted
illegal activity because of no lighting in the area at night. It is the only local area that people can come to the
beach for free.
Mark saw the problem of the area - the trash, the crime it attracted - and thought the place could be turned around. It had potential. Many of the kids in Pandan didn’t have good areas for play. The local peso cafes offered the most attraction for the youth. As they play video games or look at pornography many little eyes peer over the shoulders of big brothers as their source of entertainment.
So Mark committed in his heart to help make a change. The day he decided to start work on the project, when he went to the area, it had been cleaned up! At 6am the cost guard and volunteers had done a beach clean up. What a blessing and confirmation from God! So he put out soccer goals and volleyball posts with nets, and the Subangan Ministry activity area began.
Since then new activities have been added: Sand Dunk basketball, ring toss, swings, climbing structures, a shaded area for playing chess and legos. In addition, we hold “4 minutes at 4” or “Kwatro i Kwatro”, which is a 4 minute life application bible study or biblical principle of truth being taught to those there. The local church also hosts youth group gatherings there. It has become a gathering place for organized activities. The Mayor has visited, the Police Department used it for a teaching area for the local men, local committees and even dance groups have used the area.
The beach is cleaned daily to maintain the area. It is open everyday from 2pm until 6pm, equipment is set up and available for play and use for free.
Mark saw the problem of the area - the trash, the crime it attracted - and thought the place could be turned around. It had potential. Many of the kids in Pandan didn’t have good areas for play. The local peso cafes offered the most attraction for the youth. As they play video games or look at pornography many little eyes peer over the shoulders of big brothers as their source of entertainment.
So Mark committed in his heart to help make a change. The day he decided to start work on the project, when he went to the area, it had been cleaned up! At 6am the cost guard and volunteers had done a beach clean up. What a blessing and confirmation from God! So he put out soccer goals and volleyball posts with nets, and the Subangan Ministry activity area began.
Since then new activities have been added: Sand Dunk basketball, ring toss, swings, climbing structures, a shaded area for playing chess and legos. In addition, we hold “4 minutes at 4” or “Kwatro i Kwatro”, which is a 4 minute life application bible study or biblical principle of truth being taught to those there. The local church also hosts youth group gatherings there. It has become a gathering place for organized activities. The Mayor has visited, the Police Department used it for a teaching area for the local men, local committees and even dance groups have used the area.
The beach is cleaned daily to maintain the area. It is open everyday from 2pm until 6pm, equipment is set up and available for play and use for free.
Bible Studies and Teaching
We started having bible studies in homes and in various outdoor spots around the village inspite of weather or flooding.
We just opened the bible and went through the life of Jesus and Acts. It was so refreshing to teach them about Jesus and
how following Him changes your life, no matter what church building you attend on Sunday. What mattered most is following
Him every day. He gave His life for us the least we could do is live for Him. He said “I am the way, the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.” HE, the person Jesus, is the way, not a religion, not a ritual, not a building,
not the right things, He and He alone. As they embraced Him personally and started following Him, their lives started changing. And you could see the light, hope and joy that came to them in following Jesus. Many came to Jesus through the bible studies.
Mark had to have a different approach to reaching the men and boys. They wouldn’t come to a sit down bible study. It had to be through activity. So through sports and coaching basketball and teaching guitar lessons. He would sneak biblical truths through out his coaching and teaching. Many came to Jesus and found forgiveness through this ministry. Some of those we have lead to the Lord and have discipled are having their own Bible studies.
Mark had to have a different approach to reaching the men and boys. They wouldn’t come to a sit down bible study. It had to be through activity. So through sports and coaching basketball and teaching guitar lessons. He would sneak biblical truths through out his coaching and teaching. Many came to Jesus and found forgiveness through this ministry. Some of those we have lead to the Lord and have discipled are having their own Bible studies.
Loving Hands
continues to teach the bible to many in the villageShine
The girls 6-12 bible club that our daughter Bekah started when she was 9 she continued weekly until she was 15, then she handed it over to her co-leader Meka Ayala. Meka has continued to lead Shine Club weekly for the last 2 years.Kwatro i Kwatro (4 at 4)
This short bible study was started by Marko with the teenage boys and other kids that were around and hated to listen. It has now evolved into a brief bible lesson that is at the beginning of the daily after school feeding.
