As I write this, it’s my Birthday! In honor of my special day, my Aunt and Uncle wrote a guest post–My first one! Their story demonstrates the kind of heart that is essential for ‘unlocking’ opportunities. This kind of heart knows it is not better than anyone else; but it is open to listening and joining in the fight.
I’d like this blog is to point to inspirational stories and opportunities tounlock chances. For travelers, to have experiences that go beyond a bucket list. For those in emerging countries, a link to pursue education and build their dreams. (If you’d also like to write a guest post, let me know!)
In “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself ” Fickert and Corbett write “Development is a process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved – both the helpers and the helped – closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.” It is a posture that is intent on building relationships, knowing we are all broken in some way.
My Aunt and Uncle listened to what a friend was doing to help the 1.5M street children in the Philippines. They decided they would help using the gifts they have.
If you’d like to join my Birthday wish for the Philippines, read their story below, and consider reaching out to help or giving to the cause.
Can you imagine your child living on the streets?
Our names are Kathy and Justin Thielmann. We are Carmen’s Aunt and Uncle.
You know the feeling of love at first sight?? That is how we felt when we saw these children while traveling in the Philippines a couple of years ago. How can we let children live on the streets, be abused constantly and go without food? Something must be done.
We met an amazing family who founded Kids Hope Ministry 14 years ago. They have been supplying food, clothing, education and hope to these kids but more must be done. Some kids are in grave danger and everyday it worsens. They need to get out of this situation. The children need a home, a family … love. We are hoping you will team with us to help build their “City of Hope”. Land has been purchased and we hope to build a cluster of small homes where the kids can experience a real family love.
Getting Vulnerable
If I can get vulnerable, we just found out from our Kid’s Hope Ministry friends yesterday, 3 of our kids have been stolen. There is a group that have been stealing kids, in order to take out their kidney, or kidneys, and then return the child after the operation is finished. Since this is obviously not legal, you can only imagine how dirty the operation procedure is, even the best case scenario. The practice is to return the kids, sometimes even dead, and then sell the kidney to the highest bidder. Yes, sometimes you hear of these kinds of things, but when you personally know these kids, kidswe’ve fed, kids we’ve given school supplies to so they can go to school, kids that have hung on my shirt or neck while playing, kids that laugh when you throw a ball their way or play tag.
Philippines is also a sex trade mecca. For a few dollars, or even pennies, you can get a young girl, as young as 3 years old, to live out your perverted fantasies. Thing is, we know some of these girls. They get brought back, bleeding, needing surgery, not to mention the mental nightmares that they have to now deal with! When is this going to stop? What can we do????
A Few Ideas
I know we don’t have the answers, but we have a couple of ideas…. These ideas won’t change the situation in the Philippines but may help some of the kids, and families. We want to build, a City of Hope. This is about two hours away from the “bad guys” and in a protected, safe environment, in a family type setting. Our goal is to give these orphans a place where they will feel and experience love, real love. Some of the leaders, we have, used to be street kids themselves. Personally, I think that is so beautiful! We can already see the complete, self sustaining cycle. Our goal for any of the kids we come in contact with, that they will stop the cycle of abuse and change it to love.
A second goalwe have is to open a community drop in center, right near their communities. This will be a safe place where possibly kids can show up for food and/or shelter. Where parents can be trained to possibly get a job, and find real and healthy relationships. Yes, they need to be trained to help them land a job, but we can’t tell them, or they won’t come. We need to show them a reason to live, so they don’t need to sit around with their friends, start drinking and doing drugs, and then abuse or rape the kids.
Just Regular People
We are just normal regular people. We absolutely love to travel, learn about new cultures and learn how we can be more about bringing the world together rather than concentrating on our differences. Justin has been in construction for most of his life. Kathy has worked with people with disabilities and connecting families.
Together, with our family, we have tried to help the less fortunate in our own community and in different parts of the world. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve and MUST share what we have with the people that are brought into our lives.
We would love to combine our construction knowledge with our passion for people to build The City of Hope for children in the Philippines, and also this center.
Note, we are not an established company. We don’t have experience. We are WAY in over our heads, and definitely can not do this alone!!! Please consider JOINING us in ANY way you can! Please help us LOVE these kids.
I am sitting here, in our comfortable home, in a puddle of tears… can we make a difference in at least a few of these kid’s lives?
Join Us
Join us in any way that you can think of. The team can never be too big…. together let’s stop the present cycle. We can do this…. Together!!
If you feel inspired to help, in any way, let’s do this together. I realize that you really need to see what is going on to feel the full effect, but if you’re willing to take a leap of faith to possibly make a difference, you can go to KidsNeedHomes.com. You can contact us through that site, or if you feel the urge to give toward some of these efforts, of which also include sending about 800 kids to school, feeding kids as often as possible, and/or providing a Christmas party for them, there are provisions on the site as well.
Together we can do more!!!
To donate go here: https://friendsgc.com/city-of-hope/
Over 1.5 Million children live on the streets in the Philippines. Being without a home leaves them to beg, steal and scavenge for food. About 20,000 of the street children prostitute themselves, sometimes it is even family members or parents who take care of this transaction. These children and adolescents are at risk of HIV infection. Efforts must be made to protect these children and provide them with at least basic needs. Some of them live in very basic shelters, which are guaranteed to be washed or blown away with every typhoon that comes through. Remember friends, it’s the Philippines, it happens regularly. Our friends at Kids Hope Ministry, in the southern outskirts of Manila, feed, provides programs, and helps children to be enrolled in school but even with all the help given, kids remain homeless and in danger of their lives. KidsNeedHomes.com
