Project Life Subic has been busy in Jail

Leslie has been teaching a series of pregnancy and birth classes in the women's jail every Monday afternoon. A group of inmates and jail personnel are attending. The Philippines has one of the worst outcomes for mothers and babies in Asia and education about  healthy pregnancy can save lives! The women are learning about nutrition, proper care of newborn,  postpartum care of mom, and breastfeeding. Our hope is this information will be shared to the other inmates and their families. Leslie has also connected the jail to our friends' Charity Birth Center (Mercy in Action) and the pregnant inmates are now delivering there. They receive respectful, loving, world class care at the center and are so blessed by the midwives.

Leslie and some of the students.

The Sewing Training is also taking place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. We are about to have our first graduation of eight trainees soon and will update you. The inmates are coming up with ideas of things to make and sell so they can earn a little money for toiletries, meds, food and other needs. The warden is so happy that many of the women will have a trade and be able to get a job when released.

   

This and That!

• Many are asking for more info on who we are training. The backgrounds of the men and women vary from trash scavengers and bargirls (prostitutes) to those with little skill and no jobs or poor fisherman who can't fish much during rainy season (June-October!) Others are highschool graduates with no jobs looking for another opportunity to train and find work. All are poor, all are vulnerable to falling into a life of crime or begging on the streets. Recently we have seen a need to reach out to local bargirls, many of them young women who think they have no other options for employment. Many moved to the city with the promise of being waitresses or dancers in a local bar and hope to support their extended families back home. Most end up forced into prostitution. Our local area is a "human trafficking" or "sex tour "destination. Many men are on tours, traveling to Angeles City and Subic Bay in the Philippines, then fly on to Bangkok and other places where the nightlife and bargirls are plentiful and cheap. We have many pedophiles "vacation" in our area. Many of the bar owners exploiting these girls/women are foreign. In fact recently there was a raid on a bar just a two minute walk from my house! It involved both the US and Philippine authorities. More on that here: http://abcnews.go.com/International/americans-targeted-allegedly-running-underage-prostitution-philippines/story?id=18582802  Our Sewing Training Center is in the middle of this "redlight district" and very accessible to the girls who work in the bars. We are trying to help them help themselves and start new lives!
• We are all going to jail! (haha) The Project Life Sewing Training begins April 15 in the women's jail. The warden says that 75% of the inmates are there because of drug peddling. She told us that most of the women have no job skills and resort to drugs to support their family. We will be training inmates in basic sewing and and also high speed commercial sewing. Classes will be held three afternoons a week. Our hope is that they are able to find employment and turn their lives around. Thanks to all of you who are supporting these projects!
• We were able to sponsor fifteen of our 12th St and Matain youth to attend our local church's Youth Camp last week. For most of them, it was their first experience at a camp and they were so blessed to be there with 80 youth to learn about God and have a fun time doing so! Friendships were strengthened and their spiritual life deepened as they enjoyed the beautiful campsite outside the city.
• The new youth center opens soon... we are patiently waiting for the building to be finished and will let you know when we move in!

Medical Outreach in the Jail

..."I was in prison and you came to visit me"... Matt 25:36



We were invited into the jail to hold a medical outreach last Friday. At first it didn't seem possible, no doctor or dentist available, litle money for meds, but we felt we needed to step out in faith and go. Our friend, Claire (from Helping Hands), provided meds and brought a doc with her, our leadership team came armed with BP cuffs, and registration forms and in we went! 260 patients were treated and educated about their diseases. Sonny and John Santos (former inmate) treated skin diseases, Claire set up a prayer station, Leslie triaged and treated various simple ailments and taught health ed with the help of a couple inmates. Emmy took care of the pharmacy, Cindy and Cathy did blood pressures, Tina, Connie and Anthony took care of registration, forms and more. Many were prayed for and 4 gave their hearts to Jesus that morning. Pastor Mar (we support his weekly men's bible study in the jail) will do the follow-up with the 4 men. Our Youth Dance Crew entertained the 600+ inmates with two dances. Bringing a medical outreach team to the jail is about more than treating physical disease. It's a way to show the prisoners love and compassion, and to encourage them when they feel hopeless.

Dance crew


Doctor Fermantes did an excellent job and was a blessing to the inmates!(Faces of inmates blurred to protect privacy)

Claire, Leslie and Emy

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matt 25:40