Another LightStrike Brings Free Solar Light to the Poor!

Last week Sonny, Greg Atienza and our Project Life Subic installation team joined forces with Pastors Alan and Neri to bring solar light to homes in Old Cabalan. Many families were so happy to have light in their dark homes.
Greg led a training for more installation teams in December and those teams are ready to continue this project in their neighborhoods. Project Life Subic, funded by a Rotary International grant, equipped many teams in 2014 and led many Lightstrikes in neighborhoods in Olongapo City and Subic town. We are now in the process of giving those teams materials and tools to carry on the effort and improve the quality of life for many, many families!
here's a few pictures of the install:

December Updates!!

• We were honored to have Barangay Captain Angelito Baloy as our guest speaker at the Sewing Center graduation this month. He was surprised to see such a mix of students- old and young, men and women, Christians and Muslims! Captain Baloy gave an inspirational speech, and encouraged all, young and old, to keep learning and improve their living standards. He is a leader in providing job training opportunities and education for his constituents. A visionary, the Captain has a dream to turn Barangay Barretto into a family resort destination area, and erase the name "Sin City" that has been part of Olongapo history. In the days of the Subic Bay Navy Base, many American troops stopped here for R & R. Nowadays Barretto is a destination for the S.E.Asian Sex Tourism Industry. The bars are visited primarily by Europeans, Aussies, Koreans, Japanese and Filipinos. Captain Baloy is encouraging local bar owners to convert their businesses to restaurants and resorts. We are so impressed with this young Barangay Captain who has such a big heart for his people!  

 As always, the student's testimonies at graduation were heartfelt as they described their new found relationship with the Lord. They told stories about how their faith and understanding grew deeper through weekly worship, devotions and prayer times. We have seen many lives transformed because of this "job training" sewing program! Our trainers, Emy, Cindy, Cathy and Glenda have continued to share their love and knowledge to the students and are making a BIG difference in this community!

Taking down the tent and packing up!

Presenting the Certificate of Appreciation to Emily

• The end of an era- The owners of the lot on 12th St. are preparing to build so we have had to end time of ministry there. So many men, women and children from 12th St. have learned about God, health, and have been helped by educational programs and job training opportunities the last 5 years! Please pray for us as we make decisions as to where to relocate the Kids Church and feeding program. We want to thank Emily Mencinares and her family for allowing us to use this vacant lot rent free for many years. Maraming salamat! You have helped us help the poor and needy in the slums of 12th St and we appreciate you so much!

• Merry Christmas to all of you from the Project Life Subic staff! We thank you for your love and support this year. Together, we can continue to share the Goodnews and see communities transformed by the love of Christ! 

MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

There's so much to be thankful for this November! We are thankful for family and friends, for our faithful partners who enable us to serve as missionaries, and for the amazing opportunities that God gives us to share His love and Word!

Here's a few updates-

• Our youth were invited to share at both chapel services at Brent International School this month. The school has over 300 students, elementary through high school, from 20+ nations. It was a wonderful opportunity for our Project Life Subic  youth group to share the Gospel through testimonies, skits and song! Anthony, our youth leader, continues to do a wonderful job with the TWO youth groups! He will graduate college with a degree in Mass Communications next May!

• Our Alternative Learning System program (we partner with the department of education) continues to meet every Wednesday. The teacher, Cat, is a sweet Christian woman with a heart for ministry. She is preparing the students for the high school exam to be held in December. Tina, our staff member coordinating this program, leads the prayer time and shares a devotion. The students are learning a lot about God's character and it is helping to shape them into excellent students. 

• Sonny is busy preparing for this week's LightStrike in Matain. We are partnering with the Barangay Captain and his staff to bring solar light to the slums in that community.

• Our soapmaking training was a success! Nine students attended and are now planning on starting home businesses. For our local bargirls, this is another step forward to freedom in their lives. We'll be having a "fun day" next week to practice our soap making skills and fellowship!

• Please pray- this Friday Leslie leads a meeting of potential volunteers who will help with the New Beginnings Bargirl bible study. We have a social worker from a well-known anti-trafficking organization coming to speak and educate us on the issues and needs surrounding this type of ministry. The prostitutes in our community are asking for a "church" that they can attend. Most work nights and sleep mornings, so we are hoping to provide a bible study in the afternoon, replete with worship, prayer and a short sermon or devotion. We also hope to provide a drop-in center where the girls can always feel safe and have prayer/counseling and referrals. 

• BIG NEWS!!! We will soon be switching from our blogspot to a NEW WEBSITE (currently under construction). You can click here  www.projectlifesubic.org and subscribe now. Then you will receive notification when it is completed!

We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving with friends and family. We are thankful for YOU!

Micro Finance for New Businesses!

We are happy to announce that our collaboration with Global Micro has produced three micro finance loans this week! Micro finance loans are designed to help the poor who want to start a business but have no means to get bank loans. They are small loans, not charity, and the recipient also receives training in bookeeping or marketing if needed. When the money is repayed (usually a small amount each week over 10-20 weeks) it is then used to provide another loan for another person.
This ability to start a business offers opportunity for an individual to break the cycle of poverty and to enable him or her to provide for the family. A simple, small but successful business provides a way for children to attend school,  pay for health care when needed, and an overall improvement in living conditions. This is a "Hand up" not a "handout"!
Project Life Subic encouraged four potential recipients to develop a business plan and assess their needs. Then Global Micro held the interviews and set up the contracts. This week three loans were awarded and another may be available in November.
Cathy will be opening a small sari sari store (home business selling a variety of canned goods, toiletries, charcoal, etc). Cindy is buying/selling frozen foods. Glenda will be making longanisa and other home cooked foods to sell to neighbors. We will keep you updated on their progress!
We are celebrating with Cindy, Cathy and Glenda! Here are some pictures of the contract signing with Tobias S., Global Micro founder.

MARAMING SALAMAT to Tobias for all his efforts to help change the lives of those in need! This is the beginning of a collaboration that will be beneficial and life-changing for MANY!

Passionate or Complacent?

 “I hate to see complacency prevail in our lives when it's so directly contrary to the teaching of Christ.”

--Jimmy Carter

Our subject at the staff meeting last week was “Passionate or Complacent?”  It was time to examine our hearts and ask ourselves if we still have a passion for God. Do we love God so much we are compelled to express that through our ministry? Or, have we lost our enthusiasm and become complacent? Are we just content with how things are?

I wove a tale of the young couple who falls madly in love, compelled to be near each other, love each other, can’t stand to be apart. Then they marry, start a family. Years go by, the passion begins to fade. Everyday activities begin to take precedence, and complacency sets in. Then, as they mature, they recognize their need for each other and that their love for one another needs to be rekindled. Their passion needs to be reignited for them to grow closer and weather the ups and downs of their relationship and their journey through life.

As we dug deeper into scriptures we discovered that complacent people are characterized by self-importance, egotism and conceit, just the opposite of humility. They are self-satisfied, not willing to improve or make better their situations. We also discovered that God does not like complacency. In Revelations 3:15-16 the Lord says “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Needless to say, we had some lively discussions and sharing from the heart during our staff devotion. It was a time to repent, refocus and move forward with conviction and passion!

Have you been lulled into complacency? Has your passion for God and the people He loves burnt out? Are you losing your passion for ministry, family, or other things that the Lord has put in your life? Are you lukewarm? Join us in prayer this month as we clean out the complacency and renew our passion!

A few updates: Darryl, our co-leader in Youth, will be focusing on work and hopefully college in October. We will miss him but realize we need to release him to pursue his future. He would like to get a college degree and become a teacher! Here are some pictures of Darryl, Anthony and our youth:

Darryl is a gifted young man, and already completed one year of college before taking a Discipleship Training School with YWAM. He is now applying for scholarships and working but will still need help to attend school. If you are interested in sponsoring Darryl, please contact us at Project Life Subic.

Also-  Please pray as Anthony restructures his youth core leaders and equips them to reach the Matain and Olongapo youth! They are preparing to do an assembly at the high school and will have the opportunity to impact THOUSANDS of students! They are also invited back to speak and perform at Brent International School this semester.

A note from Leslie-

Many of you remember that when we first came to the Philippines in 2006 it was to help a YWAM Base restructure and improve aspects of their bargirl ministry. Then at the end of that year we ventured out into Community Development, first as YWAM Subic, and then in 2010 as Project Life Subic, Inc. a non-profit organization with a local board of directors.
Our focus has been four-fold: Spiritual (bible studies, youth groups and Kids Church), job training (Sewing Center and other livelihood classes), Education (sponsorship, weekly "ALS" program to help out of school youth get a high school diploma) and Health (weekly children's feeding, health education & outreaches, deworming, dental clinics). 

We reach out to the poor- men and women, young and old, and have seen hundreds of lives transformed by the love and power of Christ. Our 5 locations are diverse, and four of those are rent-free! We have ministries on a mountainside under the trees, on a vacant lot with a tent in the 12th St slums, the third floor of a furniture store across from the city's high school, a borrowed abandoned building on a barangay compound. 

We do have to pay rent for our Center in Barretto, and will probably expand to use more rooms in the future. Sonny and I also rent two rooms in the building and made it into an apartment to live in. It is in the heart of the Red Light District, a very strategic area to reach out to another "poor" segment of society, the Bargirls. Human trafficking and prostitution are on the rise here, and we have many of the girls coming to us for job training, ALS and English classes. Many of the women are distanced from their family and friends and feel depressed and lonely. They do little more than sleep, work, eat and most have no outside interests. Some want to attend church, but their schedules don't allow, so we are starting a new project, "New Beginnings" a weekly gathering for those involved in the sex trade industry.  Once a week these girls can join us for a time of worship, devotions, and prayer. Various fun activities, learning new hobbies and skills will also be presented. We can love and encourage them in a safe environment. I don't know why I didn't see this coming- I've always had a heart for this type of ministry, but all things are best when it's God's timing. 

Please continue to pray- for the ministry programs that are already established (and lives being impacted by Christ on a weekly basis!) and for this new adventure, "New Beginnings"
Thanks for caring and partnering with us,
Leslie

Please take time to watch this!

I just found this video online and had to share! Although our city is not as large as Manila and surrounding areas, the footage in this video paints a picture of our life here. Our traffic in Olongapo is nothing like Manila, but the slums and living conditions look the same. Fabella Hospital in Manila is more crowded, but at least there were sheets on the bed, unlike the Olongapo public hospital where you must bring your own bedding and sometimes share a bed with another mother and infant. Schools here in Olongapo have also gone to the "rotating system" this year, where half the students attend mornings, then the other half in the afternoon. Some schools have three shifts!
Please, please take time to watch this! Let it grab your heart. For those of you who support us, I hope this brings a clearer picture of the magnitude of the problems and why we must continue to bring the Good News and help people help themselves. Together we can make a difference!