Three Trips in Six Months

Hi my name is Brittany, i’m an Aussie who lives in Hong Kong. i came over with my mum in the summer on a mission trip with my youth group. Whilst here we helped build the foundation for the new teenage wing in the mornings and then we ran a afternoon camp for both the children’s home kids and the kids from the streets. We had 16 hour days and every minute was busy, but i felt at home, like i belonged somewhere.

Before we got home, we were already planning our next visit.

So 2 weeks later we jumped on a plane and came back dragging my little brother and Dad along for the ride. The second time here we spent most of our time in the Nursery with all the little ones. We fell in love with them straight away. We ended up staying in the nursery each night. During the day we went out and visited some of our little buddies we had made during our previous visit. Jenny was one of them, I took my family down to visit her and while we were at her place we met her neighbor. A single alcoholic mother with a 4 & 5yr old boy and girl and a 6 month old baby named James. James was very malnourished he would lay in a hammock all day, not making eye contact, not making a sound. Not even urinating. He was a vegetable. His Mum picked him up and handed him to Mum and told us to take him. That he was better off with us. But as you know you can’t just take a baby. So we gave him back and went home.

We bought food, clothes, nappies, formula, soap, toys & many more things and took them up to the family. But they were all so dirty and had so many infected bites that we took them back to the guest house and bathed them, dressed them, fed them and treated their wounds. We did this everyday.

By the end of a week we could already see improvements in James, he was smiling, looking around and getting bigger. By the end of our visit he was laughing, lifting his head, and had a fat belly. We left enough formula to last him the rest of the year, but the Mother very well could have sold it to buy alcohol.

We also met many other families, one with a 16 year old blind girl Joanne, a 2 year old boy with TB, deaf, mute and crippled, and another girl with with fluid on her brain.

We left knowing we would be back for Christmas. Boy that was a long 3 months.

So now we’re back, our third trip in 6 months. This time we headed up to Malaybalay children’s home for a week before coming back to Manila. Whilst in Malaybalay we helped with a big christmas party for needy families. Over 600 people came. Overall it was a very good day. We got to meet lots of people and spend time in fellowship with them.

A couple days into our visit in Malaybalay we got two new additions to the home a little boy John Carlo (1) and a little girl Mary-Grace (2). They came in very late at night and poor Mary-Grace couldn’t get to sleep. She was tired and im sure very scared. So i sat with her for an hour or so until about midnight. Went to bed and got up 5 hours later to be there when she woke up. She and i got very attached. She is such a sweet girl who is lots of fun to be around even if she wouldn’t let me put her down without her screaming. I did not want to leave her.

Right now we’re in Manila. We were here for Christmas and helped with a community christmas gift giving and also spending time with the Children’s home kids. Were also involved with going to feeding programs where we take 2 big containers full of a rice and meat substitute where we feed over 100 people.

I just love it here. Everyone is friendly and the kids are gorgeous. I don’t want to go home. Im trying to figure out ways to stay. No matter what i will be back. There is no way to keep this aussie away.

-Brittany.