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My first trip to Babyannes Mansion was in January of 2010, as part of a team who helped with the final building stages of the orphanage. Together, we painted murals on all the bedroom walls, built a massive 10’ x 150’ perimeter wall, hauled 40 truckloads of dirt- by hand, and planted a dozen mango, papaya and banana trees. Great stuff.! But what was REALLY great, was the feeling I had the moment I walked through the doors. I was home! And I could hear God say “This is what its all been for.! This.! This is why you love children the way you do. This is why your heart breaks for the homeless and marginalized. This is the plan I have for your life!” I knew right then that I would return….I just didn’t have the details.
So after a year of praying, (and not much planning) God brought me back to the Philippines. Only this time it would be for 3 months as chief cook and bottle-washer for the 53 children and staff at the orphanage. What an amazing experience! Each day was an adventure, and each day my heart was stretched, broken, healed and restretched again. And God was right there the entire time, through it all.
During my time at BAM – I have seen children come. I have seen children go as they were reunited with their parents who simply needed a little help during a difficult time in their lives. I have seen children brought to us by social services due to neglect or abandonment, and I have seen the dream that one day these children will have a loving and nurturing home. I have seen a child born, and I have seen that same child die just 12 days later. But mostly – I have seen lives changed.
I believe that God brought me to BAM at this time so that I could witness all these things. And through it all – I’ve seen God. I’ve witnessed how Our loving and faithful father pours out his grace each and every day, and provides in very practical ways. He provides our daily bread through the generous donations of items and money. He provides our strength, because this is SO MUCH MORE than any of us can do on our own. And He provides encouragement by allowing us to see the fruits of our labour. Nothing is sweeter than seeing how our efforts are changing the trajectory of not only the children’s lives, but their parents, and the lives of the staff at BAM through witness as well as the weekly bible study that Karen & Jenny have organized.
So in answer to the question – how has BAM blessed me……Like so many others who pass through these doors, BAM has impacted and shaped my heart and the direction of my life, and molded me into the person I am today, and the woman that I strive to be in the future.
Wendy Conford
Coquitlam Alliance Church Missionary
When you think about birthdays, what comes to mind are cakes, presents and balloons; but, our 1 year and 11 month old Danica received an even greater gift for her birthday. Last June 16, 2011, we received an unexpected phone call from Operation Smile informing us that there is a final assessment for patients in need of reconstructive surgery scheduled the following day. As I shared this information with the admin and staff, excitement filled our hearts for the possibility of another operation for Danica. As I further reflected on this, awe and wonder of God’s goodness and timeliness filled my heart. Danica turned 2 years old on June 29, 2011 and I can’t help but think that this was truly God’s early birthday present for her.
On the morning of Friday, June 17th, together with Anthony and Karen, we headed to Pasay City General Hospital for the final assessment. Danica had to go through eight stations where her health condition was assessed by nurses, doctors and surgeons. Praise God, after less than 30 minutes Danica was deemed healthy enough to undergo the cleft palette operation for that afternoon! By 4:30 that the afternoon I had accompanied Danica in the waiting area of the Operating Room. I whispered a short prayer to the Lord asking for the surgery to go well and for Him to guide the hands of the surgeons and other medical professionals doing the operation. Praise God, the operation went smoothly and Danica is doing fine.
We are so grateful to partner with Operation Smile an Non-Government Organization (NGO), with dedicated medical professionals and caring staff who volunteer their time and talents to provide a safe and effective reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities like cleft lip and palette. Babyanne’s Mansion’s goal is to help restore Hope in Danica’s little life, while Operation Smile’s goal is to help restore her smile.
Please continue to remember Danica in your prayers as she recovers. She is currently on soft diet for a month, which has been a struggle for her especially during meals when she sees other children having solid food. Since the operation, Danica has been quite active. We also noticed that her pronunciation of some words are more understandable compared before. What a joy to see the God’s work manifested in the life of little children. Please pray for finances necessary for speech and language therapy to help Danica in this area of development, each session cost around $12 CAD. If you feel led to give towards this cause, please e-mail us at fishersministries@gmail.com or visit our website at www.fishersministries.ca to donate online. Thank you for loving and praying for our darling Danica!
- Jenn
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