LightStrike in Tabacuhan!

Thanks to a grant from Rotary International, the LightStrike project is underway! Last Saturday's event was a success and 49 homes have light! The families are very grateful, and we will have follow up stories soon. Logos Global Mission Church was the group we partnered with in Tabacuhan, and they made many connections with the locals and have committed to continue Lightstrikes in their barangay.
The people of Tabacuhan were so grateful to have light in their homes. Many were shy at first but then gathered closer to watch then offered to help. One family, though they are very poor, shared their food with the installation team to express their gratitude.
We have three more LightStrikes planned for April in three more areas of Olongapo City! Our target installation for the next three is 60 homes each event. Stay tuned for updates =)

Sewing Training in the New Classroom

I walked in to the Sewing Training center to see 25 new smiling faces in the classroom! The students are so happy to learn to be seamstresses and hopeful to get a decent job in the near future. Most of the students are unskilled, poor, or victims of human trafficking. All see this training opportunity as a way to better jobs and providing for their families. Some dream of having their own business someday.
Our sewing trainors also share the Good News with the men and women they teach. They have seen lives transformed from the inside out by the power and love of Jesus. During the trainings the students build relationships with each other and with God. They have amazing testimonies of how the Lord is changing their life, marriage, and family. Keep up the good work trainors Emy, Cindy, Cathy and Glenda!

Bringing Light to the Poor

Training installation teams has begun for the LightStrike solar bottle project! What is "LightStrike" ? Read on- 

 So many families live in darkness every day in the poor areas of the city, their windowless homes creating an atmosphere of despair.  For a few that have access to electricity, they often can’t afford to pay their bill and the power is cut off. The rest only have what little light that the entrance to their shack provides, or from light coming in the small holes on the tin roof. Most small shacks are built closely together with a dark narrow alley as the only access to these homes.

The lack of light lowers the productivity of many and the people feel apathetic. It is difficult to do tasks such as housework, students homework, and other daily activities. The use of candles is always a danger in the slums, but these residents must burn candles for light not only at night, but during the day.

One of our community projects, “Light Strike”, gathers volunteers to help provide free light for the homes of the poor.  Recycled soda bottles, filled with clean water and bleach, are installed in the roofs of shanty homes to create light with the equivalent of a 55 watt bulb. The soda bottles provide light during daylight hours. Sunlight enters the top of the bottle which is above the roof approximately five inches, then is refracted by the water and provides light shining through the part of the bottle that is under the roof. The bottle has been fitted and sealed on a square of corrugated tin then silicone sealant and rivets create a waterproof seal to prevent roof leaks.

 We first train volunteers within the neighborhoods to install these lights. The local barangay (community) leaders are contacted and their neighborhoods surveyed to make a list of the families in need of light. With the financial help from our friends in Rotary International, we are now training teams to provide LightStrikes in 8 barangays this year. They will also receive sets of tools and be able to continue to help their communities!

With the installation of the solar soda bottle light, we have found that families are less apathetic, more productive, and their quality of life is greatly   improved!