Sunday, November 3, 2013

I.T. TENDER MINISTRY> OCTOBER 2013 NEWSLETTER


CHRISTMAS PARTIES!!

By Karin Jose

‘Jingle Bell Rock’ has been playing in the stores since September and that means only one thing…. Christmas is coming! That also means the IT Tender Christmas Parties for our 200+ clients are on their way and we are pretty excited!

IT Tender believes in a holistic approach to ministry and Christmas allows us great opportunities to care for our clients physically and spiritually. Through our Christmas Parties we are able to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ by teaching the gospel, and it is also a time when we are able to give some physical assistance. Every year we aim to provide a simple gift of groceries and/or hygiene supplies to the children and families we are committed to serving.

In order to fully invest in the children and have fun with them, IT Tender will be hosting three separate parties this year:
·         November 30: Educational Programs (100+ clients); hosted at Jollibee with gifts donated by and volunteers attending from Extreme Response International
·         December 7: Putatan Night Life and Food For Life (70+ clients); food from Jollibee sponsored by and volunteers attending from The Rotary Club, Philippines.
·         December 13: Alabang Night Life (25+ clients); a simple party at our drop in centre where we are praying to be able to provide a meal from Jollibee

Please join us in prayer as we prepare for, fundraise for, and host our parties. We have a financial target this year of 80,000 PHP/ $2,000 USD but we know that by the grace of God all things are possible and we are trusting in Him that He will provide all our financial needs and for all the needs of all His beautiful children.

It takes only $10 USD/CDN or 420 PHP to provide a meal, gifts, hygeine supplies, and groceries for a child and his/her family.

For more information on how you can support, volunteer or donate for our Christmas Parties, please contact John Coffey (johndlcoffey@gmail.com)

Enjoying spaghetti at Jollibee (Christmas 2012)

Volunteers from Extreme Response giving gifts to
IT Tender Day Care students (Christmas 2012)



Rebuilding The Walls
By:  Jizza Magallanes

“Helping people, helping themselves.” Seeing these wordson a man’s baseball capjust months ago was like a vision for me. In the 3 years I have been ministering to the families of the beneficiaries of Sponsor A Child Now, a desire to help them on a long-term basis has been growing deep inside my heart. Sponsor A Child Now is an educational program which on it’s own is enough to create an impact in our communities, but I believe that there is a great need to start a new program, something that not only involves the children, but the whole communityin order to addressmuch deeper problems. Although it’s a great place to start, transformation is more than just sending children to school. The situation in the Upper Sucat community reminds me of the biblical book of Nehemiah, where God put His plan of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in the prophet Nehemiah’s heart. The broken walls in our ministry areas are hopelessness and poverty. In reality, street children are coming from communities whose families are trapped in their own broken walls. Studies have proven that lack of essential needs, broken families and bad influences force a child to seek refuge in the streets. With this in mind, IT Tender Ministry is taking on a new challenge of venturing into community organizing with a new project called ‘Nehemiah Asset Based Community Project’. It will be starting in the Upper Sucat Community where IT Tender has been working for 6 years and has already establishedgood relationships with families in the community. Although in it’s early stages, people living in our target community are playing their own part in conceptualizing the project. We have learned that their primary concerns are protection for their children and that they are in need of livelihood opportunities. Please join us as we start this new endeavor by praying for us and supporting this new program.“Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken walls, Restorer of Street with Dwellings.” Isaiah 58:12 (NIV) TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

Jizza (middle center) with community members of Upper Sucat during their 1st ‘General Assembly’ where they discussed the primary problems in their area.



Thanks:
·         For the SBC team from Luton England, who blessed the ministry with their donations and their loving presence


·         For the life of Lorna Carro, our Night Life Street Children Ministry Coordinator, who is celebrating her birthday this month


·         For our new volunteer Amanda Moxley who will help us every Friday; and also for the successful ministry visit of Carly, Poty, and Olivia


·         For the success (and fun!) of our IT Tender 2014 Planning

·         To our Almighty, who always leads this ministry and strengthens us always with His unfailing love, divine wisdom, joy and blessings as well as in our personal needs.

Prayers:
·         For our upcoming Christmas Parties: We are sincerely praying for this and welcome you to join us in praying with us, sharing this message to others or by supporting us. It only takes PHP 420 or $10 USD to bless one child and their family. 


·         Please pray for travelling mercy as IT Tender Director John Coffey goes back to his family home in Canada for Christmas and that the Lord blesses him with wisdom as he shares the vision and burden of IT Tender.


·         The 20 out-of-school youth in our Alternative Learning System program who will take theupcoming Acceleration and Equivalency Examination this coming month of November. Passers will receive a certificate that will give them the same opportunities as a high school graduate. 


·         For regular monthly donors who will financially support IT Tender Ministry helping with our program and operational costs


·         That our God may continue to provide us with our needs - both ministry and personal.  That He will guide us with His immeasurable wisdom, and to keep us passionate as we share our lives with street children and children from poor communities.