Feeding the kids

 

"Duck, duck, goose!"  the little boy shouted as he tapped his friends head and started running around the circle.  Laughs and smiles were everywhere as we played duck duck goose with the children at the beach.  There are usually 40-70 children who gather together as we pull up on the tricycle, with a pot full of spaghetti or chicken rice soup.  A few months back we started coming here to feed the children who live in the homes here.  There are so many many families that don't have enough money to give their children proper meals each day.

 We usually tell them to go home and grab a bowl and spoon, and come back to get in line.  Our friends in Infanta actually started this idea and shared it with us.  It has been such a wonderful ministry so far.  After everyone has their food and has eaten, we sing bible songs and play games.  We are hoping to continue doing this at least once a month.  This past time was a blessing, as 2 friends from America visited and helped us by serving and joining in on the activities.

I regret to tell you that the gentleman I wrote about in my last blog, who was very sick, passed away two weeks after I posted.  My husband and I were able to travel to the town, attend the funeral, and bless his wife with extra money for food for her family (she just had her 6th baby in December).  Thank you to all those who donated last month, we were able not only to help her, but feed more children as I mentioned above!  Thank you, thank you, so much for your love.





Another project happening here is PenPals!!

 My sister in America was able to help me link together some of the kids at her church; so they started writing each other back and forth.  It has been so exciting to see the true joy that the letters are bringing the kids, and the fun they are having sharing about their families, schools, hobbies, and favorite bible stories.  These are just a few of the kids involved here in the photo's.  I believe we have about 15 total.



Thank you again for reading, praying, and being apart of this journey.  God bless you all!!  Love you so much.

If you'd like to make a donation to help with future feedings at the beach please, visit
mogiv.com/rockmissions
click on Jane Breckenfeld




Matthew 25:35-
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in

The tale of 2

The Ragamuffins..

"Give me money," the little girl blurted out as she stuck out her hand.  This is not unusual.. and I have seen this child before.  She is dirty but so adorable.  Her bright eyes are huge and unique.  She has a friend with her, and they are following me.

"Why aren't you at school?"  I ask.  "Eskulahan?" (in tagalog) I say.  They just giggle and keep insisting.  I squat down and start asking them questions... "Anong pangalan mo?" (What is your name?)  "Saan sa nanay?" (Where is your mother?).  They tell me their names, Mai Mai and Kristen, and begin talking again to each other.  They show me the coins they have collected so far.  I'm guessing many of the children begging here do this often; skip school, beg for money, and take home all they make to their parents.  I'm not quite sure.  "Mahal kani Jesus," I say, which means, Jesus loves you.  "Come on, follow me."  I tell them.  We walk over to a small building with some filipino dishes and I let them choose one to share.  My friend Claudia is with me now, and we both buy them rice, meat and juice.  As we sit down, at first they are scared to eat.  Many filipino's are shy; we run into this a lot.  "Go ahead!  It's okay, eat," we tell them.  Finally after we urge them and encourage them not to be shy, they start eating.  

They are so precious, they begin to break my heart.  I wish I could take them home.  Give them a bath.  Help them learn about Jesus, and send them to school.  I wish I could grab their dirty little hands and bring them back on the bus, to our house.
We all know.... I can't.  Maybe they aren't in any real danger,  but they are wandering the streets.  I guess it is daylight.  But where are their parents? Oh how I wish I could help in another way.  It is making me anticipate the home the Lord has in the future.  For the girls he will bring to me, that need rescuing.  He is giving me a glimpse of what it will look like later down the road.  But for now, I still wait.  These girls make an indent deep in my heart.  I promise myself that if they ever need somewhere to go, and they don't have a home anymore, that I will help them and raise them.  Oh what a joy it was to share the smallest gift, and in return see them laughing, smiling, with full bellies skipping away.  I hope I see them again soon.

The other story I have is another one that breaks my heart.  Anthony and I got to visit his sister in a town a few hours away from us.  His brother in law asked us if we wanted to go walking, so we agreed to kill some time and headed out the door with him and his daughter.  It's always fun to look at the homes and the faces of the children and the people.  To wonder what they are about and see if anyone needs encouragement or prayer.  He begins to lead us around a few corners, into a small area with many houses.  We see children staring and pointing.  Many adults looking out the windows.  Whenever people here see foreigners they get excited and often stare because it's very rare.  I smile and wave at the people, as I see so many sweet sweet faces.  "This is my old house" exclaims Anthony's brother in law.  We are right where he grew up.  He begins to introduce us to his mother, and then proceed's to take us inside the house next door.  There lies a man who is mainly skin and bones, with a large belly protruding from under the sheet covering him.

 Anthony begins to explain to me that this man was healthy 10 months ago, and was actually helping to build his sisters house.  When he began to get sick everyone thought it was a tumor.  They have already taken him to the doctor 4 times.. and they can't seem to figure out what is wrong.  He just keeps getting worse, and his belly keeps getting larger.  I ask " Are there better doctor's in Manila?  Why can't they find out what is wrong?"  They continue to tell me how expensive it is and how they really can't afford to take him to a better doctor.  I feel sick to my stomach.  Why can't they find out what is wrong with him, I wonder?  What is going on with these doctors?   They then tell me that the baby we saw outside is his 6th child, born on December 22.  They are a family of 8 now, struggling to survive because their father cannot work anymore.  He cannot get out of bed.  We kneel down beside him and begin to pray.  Pray for healing and comfort.  Pray for a miracle.  "Oh Lord, please help this man, this family."  This is also not uncommon here in the Philippines.  There are many times I have heard of people who have died, because the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with them.  Or because the family cannot afford to send them to the doctor.

We leave and buy them bread and crackers.. and tell them we will come visit the next time we return to see Anthony's sister.  I feel my heart breaking again for the children, the wife who is sitting at the end of the bed just softly smiling.  She picks up her baby boy and shows him to me.  Oh how I feel the pain they have gone through.  But yet they still have hope.  Hope, family, God, love, laughter; these things keep them going.  These things are all they have.

I shared these stories with you because they touched my heart.  I hope you can get a clearer picture, and begin to pray for some of the lives that I tell you about here on this blog.
Thank you for your love, support, friendship, and comments!!  I am ever so thankful to God for you all who apart of my life.

If you'd like to be apart of this ministry visit
Mogiv.com/rockmissions
Click on Jane Breckenfeld to make a donation.

God bless you!

A brand new start

The kids on our street, the one dangling is Anthony's brother Jeracho

Things are definitely changing.  When you make a life-altering decision your mind tends to pick apart ALL of your choices, and it starts to analyze the present and the future.  Is this real..?  Am I really living in the Philippines for the rest of my life?  Of course I know the answer, and knew it before, but the reality sinks deeper and deeper into my mind and heart everyday.  Wow Lord, what is next?  I know that I've shared about the girls home in many posts here, and I know that God has that in my future.  But for now he is teaching me to be in this "new" chapter before I rush into something that he is orchestrating.  The timing for the girls home is in his hands; so I am trusting him, and waiting for his direction on when to begin.  It may be next year, or the next.  Only he knows!  At this moment I am learning now how to be a helper, a wife.  It's fun to be in a new adventure where I'm learning so many many new things each day!  Some of my friends have been asking me to post some pictures of our house, so here they are :)  We have a small bamboo home, with an outdoor bathroom, and a place where we take bucket showers.  I have learned how to adjust without running water; my wonderful husband "fetches" the water from the well for cooking, dishes, flushing the toilet, and taking showers.  Brrr it's cold.  I pray and thank God for all he's done for me before I poor the water over my head!  The cold does not even compare to any of his amazing blessings! 

Where we sleep!

We are growing cucumbers!

Side room

The side of the house; you can see the sliding windows

Our outdoor restroom/Bucket Shower

Front porch,(we live very close to his mom and dad, if you can see the bricks in the back)

Kitchen

Another friend of mine here from America, Cat, decided to start a book club/bible study with 6 girls last week.  We had the opportunity to take them to a revival concert in Manila!  It was exciting, God provided and they were so blessed.  These girls are really on fire for the Lord and I know he is doing something huge in their lives.  They are hungry for him!

Thank you for reading and being apart of my life!  I love you all so much and pray God is blessing you now in all that you do!   Also, if you would like to support a new ministry I have been trying to launch you may can help feed 75 children a week.  We have gone their three times, and fed them spaghetti, soup, and rice; before doing bible stories and games with them.  It's very sweet to see the kids go home and grab a plate or bowl, and run back to get in line.  They all are so sweet and thankful.  You can support this ministry by donating at mogiv.com/rockmissions  and click on Jane Breckenfeld.

God BLESS YOU!

Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

At Last....My love has come along....

Hahah like the song, right?  Well, of course, Jesus has always been present loving me!  But now I'm thankful to say I have found my earthly love, my husband.

Ephesians 5:31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

I feel so grateful for life, and this new blessing from Jesus.  God knows everything we need.  How could we think we know better?  He has proven to me time after time that he has the best planned for us.     
He has the best planned for you, for your life! Do you believe it? Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

We have been continuing on with our weekly ministries- dance class, bible studies, computer class and devotions at the high school.  We are trying to connect more and more with the adults and the families in our town, by visiting with them and praying.  The people here are so special, and God loves them so much.  

I will say that things are definitely changing.  I'm moving up the hill with my husband- right behind his parents - into a small bamboo house he is helping build.  Some of the team is leaving in the next few months.  Ministry is continuing to grow, develop, and change.  God is in control.  He knows what he is doing!  I love that we can trust him fully, 100%.  He is always with us!

 In Deuteronomy it says- "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Thank you for sharing this adventure with me.  I look forward to fill you in on many more of God's miracles in the near future!  

Life.. in a blink

What a whirlwind.  What a suprise.  Not like a birthday gathering with 30 friends jumping out from behind closed doors.  No, not like that at all.  But, like a chilling suprise that was completely un-expected... hitting my gut...stealing my breath.. and cutting my heart.  My father, who was 68 years old, breathed his last breath August 1st, early in the morning.  After a walk with his laberdoodle Nellie.. he planned what he thought would be a fun afternoon of adventures with his girlfriend Linda.  They were on vacation in Traverse City; where after breakfast and walking the dog- he colapsed on the couch and suffered a heart attack, taking his last breath here on earth.  "I didn't hear anything, no cries for help- he didn't call out to me", Linda told us.  She saw him two minutes before.. she briefly left the room my father was in to use the restroom, and came back to a man who was un-responsive on the couch.  Surrounded by his maps and notebooks.  Scheduling a day of "fun" and "laughter".  Oh life.  How quickly things can change in the blink of an eye.

Sorry this is so serious.  It's not my intent to be so blunt.. so heavy.  But this is my reality now.. so I may as well be real and not sugar-coat one thing.  Life... what a precious gift.  What an enormous blessing that NO one deserves.  That no one can make up.. create.. or give.. but GOD. 

Our childhood was not picture perfect, even though one could think so from an outside perspective.  My father was an ER doctor.  He met my mother in the hospital where they worked together.  She was a nurse.  Definitely career choices that one would look up to.  Smart parents.  Hard workers.  Dedicated to providing for their family.  But, the reality of our lives was that there were many problems.  Heartache.  Tears.  Lies.  Divorce.  There is a deep, long story I could tell.. but there is no need.  The real need and urgancy to speak of is JESUS.

The reality is-- I miss my dad.  Even though it was hard.  Even though we were not as close as my mother and I.  He was my father.  Who God chose as my father here on earth.  He was so very generous.  He gave and gave and gave until it hurt.  He knew how to love us by helping us and giving us opportunities.  Without his support and love I would not be where I am today.  I would not know Jesus the way I do now, even if he never Jesus in that way that I do.

But I pray.. with all of the hope I can muster... that maybe he did.  Maybe in his last days, weeks, months, or minutes, he believed in God and called out to Jesus.  I HOPE.. and know it is possible!  That maybe my dad will look at my face in heaven and give me the hugest- hug ever.  That maybe he will come running up to me smiling and laughing.. full of joy.  I HOPE SO. 

And that is all I can do for now.  Remember how wonderful the times were, hope for his salvation, and cherish what a blessing he was in my life.  How he made a difference in all of our lives.  How he had the best intentions deep in his heart for us.  How he would keep helping me even  dispite some past/horrible choices on my part.  All of these beautiful things about his character are in the front of my mind as I sit here in his house in dis- belief.  It feels like a lie, or a joke.  A bad dream.  My father was not sick.  He did not seem old.  No one saw this coming.

But that is what life is like... no one knows what is coming.  In the bible the Lord speaks about his coming like a theif in the night- in the blink of an eye..

1 Thessalonians 5:2- For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

Revelation 16:15- Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

2 Peter 3:10- But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.


GOD is LOVE.  He gave us all life.  We truly do not deserve this beautiful gift.  What a glorious, amazing blessing from above.  I challenge you to LOVE like you have never loved before.  To love without boundries or restrictions.  To love without walls or fear.  TO love like you may never see that friend, husband, father, or sister again.  TO LOVE like it is all that matters.  That is what JESUS did for us.  He came to earth and died so that WE, God's children, could be cleansed of all darkness and sin.  So that God would look at us and only see Jesus.. because when we believe in him, we are HIDDEN in him.  Covered by HIS BLOOD.  Forgiven, and saved by his love, mercy and grace.  Only because he fulfilled God's wrath.. for us.  His death is what allows us to be free.  FREE for eternity to live with GOD our father.. the KING OF KINGS.. forever.

Rom 5:8-9 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

This is where I am.  Oh how I am so thankful to be here with my family in the states.. to love and share our memories together of our dad.  A man who so desired to do anything he could to help people.  Serving many years in the ER in Detroit as a Doctor, loving his children, his wives Debbie and Kathy, his brothers, and friends.  I know he will be greatly missed.  I know that I loved him.  I know that I know that I know.....  don't miss a moment.  This is it.. not a rehersal.  This is the real thing.

A form of slavery

An excerpt from the inspirational book "HALF THE SKY" written by Nicholas D. Krisof and Sheryl WuDunn.

"You have to serve the customers," the boss told her as he punched her.  "If not, we will beat you to death.  Do you want that?"  Rath stopped protesting, but she sobbed and refused to cooperate actively.  The boss forced her to take a pill; the gangsters called it "the happy drug" or "the shake drug."  She doesn't know exactly what it was, but it made her head shake and induced lethargy, happiness, and compliance for about an hour.  When she wasn't drugged, Rath was teary and insufficiently complaint-she was required to beam happily at all customers- so the boss said he would waste no more time on her: She would agree to do as she was ordered or he would kill her.  Rath then gave in.  The girls were forced to work in the brothel seven days a week, fifteen hours a day.  They were kept naked to make it more difficult for them to run away or to keep tips or other money, and they were forbidden to ask customers to use condoms.  

 

 This is just a small glimpse of what a young, innocent girl may go through in the beginning stages of being a slave in a brothel.  Reading this book and hearing these stories brought me to tears.  As I flew through the pages, I was painted a clear picture of how horrific this life is that they are forced into.                                                                                                             




I still am in contact with the gentleman in my town- who took us to visit a girls home I wrote about in a previous blog.  He has said before that there were girls he knows of already- currently- that need to be rescued from this nightmare, they have no place to go.. and there is just no where to take them.


Besides speaking with and working with this contact, I also hope to take very cautious steps in rescuing girls out of brothels in Manila, one of the largest cities in the Philippines.  I know this may be dangerous, but believe that with God all things are possible.  I have listed some statistics below to give you a better idea of how big of a problem this is.

Come be apart of changing lives forever.  Rescuing the helpless, the ones who can't fend for themselves.  God wants to use us to reach his children.  Join me in building a home that will house girls who have been sold into slavery.  Girls who have been beaten, neglected, and broken.  With your help they will can have new hope, a new home, proper schooling, safety, and a family.  Please consider being a supporter of this work God has placed deep in my heart.





Ok.. on a slightly different note.. one more bit of information.  The girls will get to have a mother and father.. because I am engaged!  I am thrilled to share that God has blessed me with a wonderful man, Anthony.  I have fallen head over heels in love with him.  He is a hard working, dependable, fun, smart, loving man of God, who I met in the Philippines.   We plan to be married this year!  I am in the states now, and have been able to share the news with family and friends.  Thank you all for your love, excitement, and support.  I'm so grateful to God for what is ahead.


Thank you for your prayers.  Please continue to pray for God to give me guidance and wisdom in the next steps ahead.  He has been speaking to me about many more things, but has made it clear that I must trust his timing.

Love means living the way God commanded us to live.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love.  2 John 1:6

Some statistics found on google and wikipedia-

There are estimated to be 375,000 women and girls in the sex trade in the Philippines, mostly between the ages of 15 and 20, though some are as young as 11.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies state that there are more than 1.5 million street children in the Philippines and many end up in prostitution and drug trafficking in places such as Manila and Angeles City.

Government and NGO estimates on the number of women trafficked range from 300,000 to 400,000 and the number of children trafficked range from 60,000 to 100,000.  According to the US government reports, the number of child victims in the Philippines range from 20,000 to 100,000, with foreign tourists, particularly other Asians, as perpetrators.

An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 children in the Philippines are involved in prostitution rings, according to Minette Rimando, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'S International Labour Organization's Manila office. Based on the statistics provided by the Visayan Forum Foundation, most victims are between 12 to 22 years old.

In 2009, the Philippines was downgraded by the US State Department to a “Tier 2 Watch-List country,” with Metro Manila being a major source, destination, and transit area for girls and women. It is considered by UNICEF to have one of the world’s worst child trafficking problems. Accurate prevalence figures on sex trafficking are extremely challenging to generate due to the underground nature of human trafficking, but child trafficking estimates for the country hover around 100,000 annually.

Joy and Patience

Psalm 46:10

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Hi Everyone!  We have been super busy here in the PI with many new things happening.  One of our team members headed back to America last week, and last month we welcomed another.

Ehren Tacdiran

Catherina Bhagwat

So, God's timing once again is so sweet.  He is such a brilliant planner.  He is teaching me about patience.  I love that we can trust him and fully surrender our lives to him.. knowing his ways are best. 

A few weeks ago we spent an afternoon visiting the girls home I mentioned... and it was a wonderful day.  The building was lively and full of beautiful women, young girls, and babies.  There they are taught how to re-enter into society, fully equipped with the necessary tools to thrive in their country.  We were so blessed to meet them all and be there with them. 

One girl in particular touched my heart so deeply. Her name is *Lily.  She is fifteen years old, and lives with a small brain disiblity.  Her father, brothers, and sisters sexually abused her repeatedly so she was brought to the home for healing.  She is so full of joy!  She acts about 9 years old because of the disibility.  I was instantly drawn to her and heart.  My eyes filled with tears as we took pictures and danced around the room meeting the other women.  She was so sweet and attentive to us and the babies.  I could picture taking her home with me.  I could picture her living in the girls home that God is going to start.  God was whispering.. these are the ones I will give you to love.  These are the ones that are so special to me.  It was a sweet, sweet day.

We are communicating more with people about the property with the Red Gate!  As I mentioned in a previous blog, there is a property that a few of us (Myself, Claudia, Malica, and our friends here in the PI) have been praying for.  The price is higher then we hope.. but I know God is in control, and he has been softening the owners hearts!  They dropped the price a little, but we are waiting for them to drop it more while we pray for funds to come in.  After we are able to buy a property for the girls home.. we will need to build the home as well!  So all in all, I think the amount we are looking to raise is just over $100,000.  With God all things are possible.  He is teaching me how to be patient and trust his timing.

Another great update is- we are having a grand opening for our library!!  Saturday May 26th is the big day.  We will be offering new classes to the community, such as- Computers, Inductive Bible Study, English, Power of Prayer, Kids hour with Bible games and stories, Dance class with scripture memorization, and Seminary highlights.  Our hope is that the library will be the hub of our community, bringing people from all over and drawing them here to meet Jesus.  Please keep this in prayer as we will be starting strong, ready to see what God wants to do!

Lastly, a new ministry we are blessed with is at our friend Pastor Ray's church.  We have been given the opportunity to teach the youth Drums, Guitar, and Vocal lessons.  Once a week three of us travel to the church to do a devotion- involving how we worship Jesus through the talents and gifts he has given us. We are focusing on the attributes of God.  Following the devotion we break into the 3 groups and teach for an hour.  It has been such a wonderful time so far!  I am so thankful God has opened up this door, and we have learned that there are many other pastors who want us to come teach their youth as well. 

I feel so thankful to be here in the PI.  There have been so many moments where I just am in disbelief of all the blessing's God is giving us.  He is so rich in LOVE.  All he has is ours!! 

Luke 15:31

 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

I hope this brings a warm excitement to your heart.  God is using all OF YOU to help this ministry.  He hears your prayers!  Thank you for sharing this adventure with me.  I appreciate all of the sweet comments and encouragement you all give.  God is such a wonderful father ..  I love that we can all be apart of his body.. one family.. in Christ!

If you want to donate or support this ministry go to

www.mogiv.com/rockmissions

Click on Jane Breckenfeld to set up a monthly donation or one time donations.

*name has been changed for security reasons