Kuya Rick's G1:27 Tutoring TEAM

Giving Birth in the Philippines

2012-01-27T21:49:00.000-08:00

On the first day of 2012, we stoppedby the hospital to visit Christina & Lito, parents of Jenny & Jaira from our HomeSchool. Christina had given birth toJoselito Jr, her 6^th child the day before. This was the first time she had given birthin a hospital. This was also my firstvisit to the maternity ward of the public hospital in Cebu City. I had previously visited the children’sdengue ward and blogged about it here:

http://www.g1-27tutoringteam.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!http://g1-27tutoringteam.blogspot.com/2009/09/visiting-hospital.html

I've made a little diagram to help you imagine what it was like in the maternity ward:

The maternity ward contained 40 beds,each bed was paired together so that the beds were actually touching the bednext to it.

In each bed was twodifferent mothers, each with a newborn. Imagine each of those yellow marks as a newborn swaddled baby. Then of course, the mother is holding the baby

Beside the beds, each family had at least one person their running errands,buying medicine, bringing food, fanning or just enjoying the new familymember. A quick look at the numbers 40beds, 80 mothers, 80 newborns, 80+ fathers/helpers/spectators.

Did Imention there was no air conditioning? For westerners, these seem like unbelievable circumstances in which toput an hours old baby. I remember beingtold I should not bring my newborn to church right away because they mightcontract an illness. . . But the truthis: The room was filled with joy,thankfulness, smiles (some very tired smiles from the mothers, but nonethelesssmiles), beaming fathers and friends and family. They were holding together their families inthe smallest of spaces, taking full joy in God’s gift of a child, marveling atthe miracle of birth.

Christina with Joselito Jr at our recent Home School Barbecue

Joselito back home with the family

To add perspective, for Christinathis was the best care she had ever received in giving birth, the first timeshe had the assistance of a doctor or even a nurse. Giving birth is a significant healthrisk for the majority of Filipino families. Things that we take for granted many people in the world do nothave. . .

Giving Birth in the Philippines - Part 2

2012-01-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

One other fun birth story fromG1:27: Latrisha is in 3^rdyear high school and her family had 3 girls and her mother was pregnant againso they were praying for a boy. Withlimited prenatal care, they did not have an ultrasound to see if they weregoing to have a boy or a girl. So whenthe baby came out, they were thrilled to see that their prayers had beenanswered. Actually, the prayers wereanswered twice, as after delivering the baby boy, Latrisha’s mom was informedthat there was one more in there – just keep pushing. Latrisha has twin baby brothers.

Dinner at Jollibee - Nyack & G1:27

2012-01-17T19:06:00.000-08:00

This past week about 80 of our students enjoyed a meal at Jollibee together with a Nyack College student. Jollibee is the Philippines equivalent of McDonald's, and most of our students and their families are not able to eat their regularly. To give you a comparison, buying 4 values meals for your family would be more than P300, which is more than the day's wage of most of the fathers of our students. Imagine if 4 value meals at McDonald's cost more than a day's wage.

The fun journey started at our tutoring center stuffing a tricycle full of people.

Then off to the market to shop for new shoes. Some picked out school shoes, while others chose sneakers or dress shoes.

These 84 students have earned their shoes by maintaining excellent attendance at G1:27. They all have attendance above 90% for this school year. After bargaining with local merchants to get the best deal, the evening culminated with a Jollibee meal and some ice cream. Another 80 students will be picking out new tsinelas (flip-flops) soon for attendance between 70% and 90%. And there are about another 80 students with attendance above 50%. It is our God-given privilege/responsibility to have an impact on the lives and educations of these 240 students.

Ate Nola with Grade 4 Boys

In order to make long term impact on students, we need to see them regularly. From my experience as a teacher and a coach, I would say that the amount of exposure is key to impact. If kids aren't there regularly, it's almost impossible to help them develop habits and skills that will move them toward success. To encourage our students to attend regularly in our G1:27 program, we provide long term incentives, which include shoes, tsinelas, school supplies and swimming trips. The purpose of these incentives is to help students see that they reap what they sow and that if they faithfully apply themselves to things, they will see growth and reap a reward. Many of our children see their parents and families work very hard, seemingly without reward as wages here merely provide food for the day with little extra that would appear to be a reward to their observing children. We want our students to have tangible experience of reward for their hard work and perseverance, all the while equipping them with skills and habits to strengthen them in life.

Below, you can see the Nyack folk enjoying time with our G1:27 students . . .

Meet the Nyack 2012 Team (Part 2)

2012-01-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

Nyack students have been here in Cebu for a week and a half, and they have been spending time with our students in the G1:27 Tutoring Center and visiting some homes to learn more about what it is like for a child to grow up in the Philippines. They have also been visiting various agencies in Cebu City that deal with social problems of children that arise from living in poverty.

James is in deep thought over his next move in the chess matchup with Arnulfo

Shakeya is reading with Gemil and James Wayne

Dr. Yun is teaching the social work course and is also spending time with our G1:27 students as she and Adrian spends some time working on the TRAINS puzzle (a spinoff of Rush Hour)

Barb Shiffer works in finance at Nyack and joined the team this year at the last minute. Here she is enjoying some Jollibee (Filipino McDonald's) with Lovely and Jiji

the youngest member of the team is Hannah Jennings, who accompanied her dad. She joined in with our homeschoolers for a couple of weeks and has had a good time, even learning a little Cebuano. The last member of the team that somehow I didn't yet manage to get a picture of is Dave. In his stealth ways, he has been ministering and blessing here in our community.

This is a high point of the year for us as 8 college students bring their youthful energy and love for the Lord to G1:27. Our students grow in their English skills and their social networking and just have a good time hanging out.

Meet the Nyack 2012 Team (Part 1)

2012-01-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

Tanisha appears to be getting ready for the race. . .

Taina deeply engrossed in chess match with Rhon Joseph

Jason observing Nina as she explains some geography

Mariela teaching high schoolers: Jonah and Mary Kisses some geography

Shinada helping Angelyn with some reading

Nola working wth Jakarta

Nyack College Visits G1:27 and Cebu

2011-12-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Nyack College will be sending a group of students to join us at G1:27 during the first 2 weeks of January. This is the HIGH POINT of the year for us and for our students. I just turned 42 and my energy level is not what it used to be (Jiji has not yet reached the big 4-0 so she can still hang) but having a group of about 10 college students come infuse their energy and passion into our program is awe-inspiring. These Nyack students (I almost typed kids, revealing my age again) encourage, play with, bless, sing with, learn from, share with and inspire our G1:27 students. Through their education at Nyack, they have learned to love and care for children from very different backgrounds.. And through facebook and email, they can remain in the lives of our students as friends and mentors on the other side of the globe. What will the fruit of this Kingdom Work be? Only God knows. If you want to see the energy they bring, check out this link:

G1:27 & NYACK at FAMILY PARK

The Nyack students are taking an upper level social work course called: Children & Poverty in Southeast Asia. During the day they travel to various organization in Cebu that work with children in extreme poverty, like Good Shepherd - a Roman Catholic organizations that works with women in prostitution; International Justice Mission - group that rescues minors from sex-trafficking; Second Chance - a Juvenile Facility that focuses on rehabilitation; Parian Drop-In Center for street children; and the Compassion Project of Cebu City Alliance Church. They interview workers and program coordinators and spend time with children when feasible. In the evenings, they spend time at G1:27 with our students, who do not suffer at that dire level of poverty encountered in the organizations above, but most of their families do struggle with issues of poverty - with wage earners gaining generally between $3 - $8 per day. They tutor our students, help award our incentives, visit their parents in their home and just spend time getting to know them.


Nyack Philippines 2009 - Back row (left to right) Andres, Andrew, Dave, Abe - In front Diana, Dr. Yun, Tou, Shanequa, Scoob & Cptn Jerrel

Nyack 2011 with Salundaguit family - Back row - Sera, Anna, Leah, Kwame, Solange. Next row - Brittney, Dr. Yun, Sinny with Catherine, Vicente & Mary Mae. Front row - Bayka, Krystle, Derek & Vincent. Missing is Dr. Maret.

Nyack Philippines 2010 - Front Row - Noeul, Lebekah, Marva, Stephen, Bitsy. Dr. Yun & Rev. Charles are at the end of the 2nd row. Monique is sitting at the top. Missing is Prof Darlene because she is taking the picture. Thanks Darlene!

Congratulations!

2011-12-01T17:56:00.001-08:00

I want to congratulate Lhiera one of our high school students, who serves on our G1:27 Staff. She recently finished in first place for 3rd year high school students in the province of Cebu in the district math contest including public and private schools on the island of Cebu. The province of Cebu has a population of about 2.5 million people.

We don't take credit for making Lhiera smart, but we are proud to say that she is one of our G1:27 students. She is naturally gifted and has worked very hard to develop her talents. G1:27 does help her with preparation for her math contests, as well as making reference books available through our library. It is really at the heart of G1:27's Vision to provide support and encouragement for highly motivated young people (like Lhiera) who live in our community.

CONGRATULATIONS LHIERA!!

Against All Odds

2011-11-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

This pic represents Against All Odds. The girls were playing on the swings and Greziel was trying to climb up the slide (a tricky task for a 4-year-old at the time). Greziel was quite shy. In fact, when she started Home School, she would not even raise her head to look at the camera to take a picture. She has 4 other siblings who live with their mom and grandma. Her mom earns on average less than $3 per day. You can do the math and figure that things are very difficult for them. As I was taking Greziel's picture, I could see the fear and shyness she faces in her world, but I also noticed a deep determination in her - to struggle, to raise herself up.
I believe that God was showing me that He would raise her up - that she would reach her potential overcome the harsh circumstances she faces in her daily life.

Home School Prayer Card

2011-11-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

This is our G1:27 Home School Prayer Card. We want to provide a visual reminder to pray for us and the children we are working with. Each picture represents an important value to pray over the lives of our children.
This picture represents Developing Potentials. We are praying that God will develop these 14 little girls to all that He has designed them to be. Practicing piano, playing volleyball, making crafts, swimming, singing, learning sign language, memorizing Scripture, speaking a second language, practicing math, learning to love reading. . . life has so much, and we can only see the tip of the iceberg. We can't help but stand amazed at how God raises up children to amazing potentials.
This pic represents Keeping Families Together. We emphasize the importance of family in our Home School. We have a monthly barbecue where the whole family (up to 11 children) is invited to share and fellowship together over a meal. The first Monday of every month we go for a swim outing and encourage parents to attend to spend time with their children. On public school holidays, older brothers and sisters come along to the Home School and work with their younger siblings. And of course, mothers participate daily in the education of their children.
This picture represents Faithful Friends. It is our prayer that our daughters will grow up in a peer group of young girls who know and love the Lord with all of their hearts.

This pic represents Against All Odds. The girls were playing on the swings and Greziel was trying to climb up the slide (a tricky task for a 4-year-old at the time).

See You Next Year

2011-10-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

On the way to church a few months ago I was talking with Nina, one of our High School students about her father's work. Her father has a pretty good job for here , earning about $400 in a month. But he had been working in city that was about a 3 hour drive from Cebu so he was staying over in the other city for the week and coming home for a day and a half per week. His work has just been transferred to a different island that is couple hours away by plane or half day boat ride. So I asked her when he was coming home. She said, "I don't know, but he said that he will see me next year. . ." He actually came home after a month or so, but. . .

In a country with as many economic shortcomings as the Philippines, Nina is lucky that her dad has a good job. But economics and the business policy tend to separate families a lot. About 10% of the Filipino workforce works overseas and most do not get regular annual vacation time like we are accustomed to in the United States. Recently our friend Kristi was here from Singapore for the first time in more than a year and she was only able to stay about 5 days. Some overseas workers do not make it home for 3 years at a time. One friend we got to know shared that he spent less than 2 weeks living with his father when he was growing up (his parents were not divorced or separated)
Pictured here are John Louise and James Earl (who have been involved with G1:27 for 5 years now) along with their father Joel and some Nyack College students and faculty. When the class from Nyack came last winter. Joel, the father of one of our staff who works in Manila, stopped over to our house to say hello. One of the returning faculty Charles remembered Joel from last year and was happy to see him. As he talked to Joel , he realized that Joel had left for Manila last year when Nyack had left and now he had returned to Cebu at the same time the Nyack team was coming back. It was a startling realization that he, as a second time visitor to Cebu on a 2 week visit, had spent as much time in Cebu as Joel, whose wife and 3 children live here.

Don't Forget

2011-08-13T04:04:00.000-07:00

Jason is picking up two 5 gallon pails to carry to his house for a bath. Behind him, a young girl is jumping up to pump the handle to fill a few more pails. There are a lot of pails there as people wait in line in order to pump the free water to carry to their houses. Most often, pumping and carrying water is the job of the children in the family.

Imagine having to pump enough water for your shower before going to school or work in the morning. (Filling one of those buckets is not quick) And you may have to wait in line before you even get a chance to pump. Then carry it back to your house so you can take a bath. And if you have really small siblings, you probably have to get water for them too!

We have a lot of good times at G1:27 and our students are bright and gifted. When you look at many of the pictures and fun, you may think that things are pretty similar to growing up in the United States, but we say "Don't Forget" because the living conditions here are much more difficult. Students do not have hot water in their homes. Many of their families gather or buy wood each day to burn for cooking. Some do not have running water in their houses and must pump water just to take a bath. A few do not even have a toilet in their home.

We ask people to pray for our students:
1. That they would DREAM BIG about what God can do in their lives
2. That they would WORK HARD toward their goals and dreams
3. That they would LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP as they move toward their goals
4. And DON'T FORGET to pray for their daily struggles with poverty
Here is an action shot of Jayson and Esequyl pumping water. They are laughing here because they don't usually pump the water together and they are not used to having their picture taken while they get water

Sore Eyes

2011-07-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Nina is wearing sunglasses because she has what is described here as "sore eyes" or pink eye. Irritating diseases like these are very much a part of every day life in our community. Because the cost of medicine compared with incomes here is so high, many families do not treat these type of diseases with medicine, but instead wait for them to go away. And of course, while it is "going away" from one child, it goes right on to another one. They do not do much to quarantine contagious diseases here. Homes are small and children do not have their own bedrooms so they spread very quickly within the home. At G1:27, we have regular battles with diseases like these: Trying to supply some eye drops, while educating families about how these diseases spread and what can be done to try to slow it down.

Work Hard

2011-06-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

What to do on a lazy Saturday afternoon?
Jayson (above) and Jhamiel (below) are working on a K'nex roller coaster machine
With help from Jakarta (above) and Derek . . .
and Bryan. . .
they put this thing together in one day. It was the fastest it's been done by any of my students . . .
dating back to the year 2000 when it was first assembled by Shawn DaSilva, Cindy Colon, Lovely Jean-Baptiste and a few others in my class at McAuliffe Middle School in Elizabeth, NJAt the G1:27 Tutoring Center we provide opportunities for kids to be industrious, have fun and learn all at the same time.

School Store

2011-06-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

The G1:27 Tutoring Center was bustling with excited shoppers this week! Parents & children crowded the center picking out school supplies for the school year (the school year starts in June in the Philippines)
This summer more than 160 children attended G1:27 Tutoring 4 days each week. 106 students had attendance above 90% earning 100 pesos ($2.50) worth of free school supplies. 100 pesos is enough to buy about 12 of the required school notebooks. Another 42 students had attendance above 70% and received 50 pesos worth of school supplies.School started last Monday. So upon our arrival in Cebu we had to head to our wholesaler to purchase school supplies for the year. Our G1:27 School Supplies Store opened Monday evening so students could purchase their requirements for classes. In addition to the free school supplies for summer attendance, G1:27 students who maintain their membership by good attendance also receive a 30% discount on our already low prices!

Here's a short clip of what was going on:

Dream Big

2011-04-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

This picture represents one of the core values we want to instill in our students: DREAMING BIG. Growing up in the United States, one thing I learned very naturally was to dream big - from wanting to become a professional football player to dreaming of rocket science. Children growing up under the influence of poverty, do not naturally dream big. At G1:27 we are committed to expanding the dreams of the kids who come into our program. This snorkeling trip is one way we do that. Observing the beauty of the coral reef, feeding beautiful, tropical fish from their hands, experiencing the silence of the deep all bear witness to a God who makes big dreams come true.

Jayson and Rejen are pictured here jumping out of the boat on our island hopping expedition with the team from New Life. Dreaming big is about taking risks and passionately chasing the things deep inside your heart. Jayson and Rejen are both G1:27 Staff Leaders. They lead, teach and encourage groups of their peers, working about 20 hours per week during the school year and about 32 hours per week during summers. But we are excited about their big dreams: Rejen wants to study nursing and go abroad as a nurse to find a good salary. Jayson wants to become an architect and design buildings, like our Tutoring Center building. Through their G1:27 experience they are learning to dream big. A few years ago, Jayson was just using the computers to play games. Recently he has learned more about computers. Now when we have computer problems, he can open it up and sometimes fix it.

Keeping Your Family Healthy

2011-04-12T01:07:00.000-07:00

The G1:27 Tutoring Center is packed with about 70 parents listening intently. With the opening of our new facility, we are able to conveniently host large group meetings so we have begun a series of Seminars for Parents of G1:27 Students. Our first seminar was entitled "Keeping Your Family Healthy" with Dr. Verna Uy. She shared her medical expertise as she explained to parents ways to prevent typhoid and dengue fevers - 2 common and very dangerous diseases in our community. She also talked about treating skin diseases and knowing when to take your child to the hospital before it's too late.

From the other side of the room, you can see Dr. Uy sharing her wisdom.

In January, Dr. Kwi Yun and Dr. Stephen Maret both of Nyack College talked to parents about parenting styles and how they affect the self-esteem of children. There are 4 general parenting styles. Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive and Neglectful. The Authoritative actually builds the child up the strongest. In the authoritative style, there are clear (but not overbearing) rules that the child understands and that are enforced consistently by the parents. The authoritative parents are also open to listen to their child's point of view as a good source of insight about how to govern the household. They listen to the child without giving up their authority as the final decision maker about what is best for the family.

We have planned a series of 6 seminars on such topics as financial management, family health, development of children and passing on your values to your children to be given over the course of a year. This is a wonderful opportunity to impact the homes that our G1:27 students live in by providing great information to help parents learn how to improve the situations of their families

Watch the Crocodile Eating

2011-03-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our Home School Group took a trip recently to Crocolandia in Talisay along with our friends from New Life Fellowship. We had a real treat to watch this crocodile eat from real close. She's really big!!

All 14 of the little girls in our Home School Group along with some parents and New Life Friends
Catherine & Zinny posing with the crocodile. Catherine's Dad Vicente has been our electrician, plumber and mason for the building of the G1:27 Tutoring Center. Below are Jaira and Jenny Joy along with their mom Christina. Their dad Lito was the main laborer for the building of the tutoring center

Angelo Cotmaya Sings at Marie Ernstine

2011-03-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

Some of the G1:27 Staff helped me as I trained teachers at Marie Ernstine Schools a couple of years ago. During our icebreaker, Angelo Cotmaya (in 5th grade at the time) lost the game and received a punishment. He was asked to render a song for the group of teachers. With no advance notice or preparation, he took the microphone and here's what he sang.

Interestingly, he mixed lyrics from 2 different songs, but the mixture came out as words that I believe were prophetic for our G1:27 students:

All of my days are held in your hands
Crafted into your perfect plans
I'm captured by your holy calling
Set me apart,
I know you're drawing me to yourself

When oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Living On Our Street in Nangka, Consolacion

2011-03-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Do you wonder what things are like in the community where we live. Here is just a few scenes walking down our street to a neighbor's house: First you notice a family on a motorcycle - 2 adults 4 children, no helmets. A dog lying in the street and 2 young boys come walking by. The older boy in the blue shirt is picking up trash from the side of the street and the younger boy in the red shirt is carrying 2 sacks of scrap to sell to a recycler. What do you guess their ages to be? These kids will use the money to buy food. On the other side of the main road, there is a water pump where families pump water to use in their house. Finally, you notice the smoke. Trash is burnt beside the road every day in many places.

G1:27 enjoying Family Park with Nyack College Students

2011-03-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here is some of the fun we have at G1:27, visiting Family Park. In addition to the relays, we spend a lot of time in the pool. Our students have a blast meeting the Nyack College students who come share with us.

G1:27 Declaration Video

2011-03-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

The G1:27 Declaration is meant to breed faith in the hearts of our students. Faith that will give them courage to overcome many negative circumstances. Good words spoken over children work their way into their hearts (in the same way that negative words do) and will bear fruit for the rest of their lives.

Here are the words we ask the children to learn and internalize:

I am created in the image of God so don’t underestimate me – who I am or where I’m going. In the words of St. Paul, don’t look down on me because I’m young. I refuse to be enslaved by vices or distracted from my goals by short term pleasures, but instead I will discipline myself, study hard and rely on God’s kindness to help me find His will for my life and my place in this world.

This is the G1:27 Staff reciting the Declaration. Normally, it's not so formal and a little louder. And it usually looks more like a mob of 50 kids, some of them milling around with a few of them not knowing all the words.

Jiji starts Blogging about Counseling in Cebu

2011-03-18T03:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.cebucounseling.blogspot.com/

My wife Jiji Laprodes Harner is a trained pscychotherapist with a degree from Alliance Graduate School of Counseling in Nyack, NY. Part of the reason that we moved to Cebu in 2006 is her desire to share her skills with her people. Because of the very weak economy in the Philippines, the country suffers from a brain drain - as many of the best and brightest leave the Philippines to work in countries where they can be fairly compensated.
Jiji dreams of opening a graduate level program to train professional counselors here in Cebu and a counseling center in Cebu City where people can get professional help with emotional problems. The beginning of the dreams is already happening as she has opened her office in Consolacion (a suburb of Cebu City) and she is teaching at Cebu Graduate School of Theology where they offer a certificate for an emphasis in counseling to their Master's Degree for Pastors.

In addition to her counseling, Jiji helps out a lot with G1:27, tutoring children in English, reading and school requirements and visiting children when they are in the hospital.

As you can see in these pictures, she's always on the phone, even when doing a photo shoot. (She's very popular).

Unveiling

2011-03-14T04:16:00.000-07:00

Our new prayer card represents 4 values of G1:27. Jessiel at the top of the human pyramid represents LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP. Derek working on the roller coaster represents WORK HARD. Rejen & Jayson jumping off the boat represents DREAM BIG and Jason pumping the water represents DON'T FORGET

For those of you who support G1:27 in prayer, we want to you to pray these values over our students. We have about 200 kids who attend G1:27 Tutoring from families that struggle with various degrees of poverty. Most of their parents have jobs that pay somewhere between $3-$6 per day, while we have a few middle class families, who here in Cebu would earn around $300 per month. Even at that level, there are serious financial problems when medical emergencies arise that sometimes prevent them from choosing adequate care.

Despite economic struggles, we say (and believe with all our hearts) that you should "NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A CHILD CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD" We dream BIG DREAMS with our students as we teach and encourage them to WORK HARD and LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP to overcome the obstacles they face. When we see pictures of beautiful kids, it's easy to not realize where or how they live, but DON"T FORGET that they and their families face real struggles as they try to rise up out of their poverty situations.

Swimming Lessons

2011-03-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

Jim Carlese from New Life is giving Harvey some swimming pointers. Do you remember a time when an adult took some time to teach you something, to show you how to do something that you thought was too hard for you to do? Those times in life make significant impact on how children develop into confident and caring adults and create lasting relationships of trust. They are especially important for kids who, like Harvey, do not have a father around.
If you know Harvey, he is one of our librarians because he is a bookworm. Like me, he doesn't have a lot of natural athletic prowess, and he's usually quite tentative in doing things.At the end of the week, when we went snorkeling and island hopping, the students jumped out of the boat to visit that remote island in the distance. It was quite a trek. In the picture, Harvey is circled. You can see him leading a group of students and helping others overcome their fear of the water

Teaching Teachers Teaching Teachers Teaching...

2011-03-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

Leonila, one of our head teachers, is showing Latrisha some simple high school physics problems:

Latrisha is helping Walter and Christian Dave with some 4th grade math problems:

Teacher Leonila is helping Genesis with some astronomy questions:
Genesis is helping Dhar Glen with his 3rd grade math:
As you can see in these pictures, we teach our children so they can teach others so they can teach others. We are not about trying to cram for and pass a test, but we want our children to have confidence and courage to give to others what they have learned. That is why we have about 30 students on staff who help tutor our other 170 students who are a couple of years younger.

Not to mention, research shows that we retain only about 5% of what we hear, but about 90% of what we are able to teach others - so those students who are teaching others are really learning the most. Here are 30 learners who are teaching others at the pool for our year end G1:27 celebration!

Lost in the Crowd

2011-03-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

G1:27 would like to thank the New Life Fellowship mission team of: Mike Favilla, Mike Combs & Jim & Nelli Carlese for spending 2 weeks with us this past November. As you can see from the little video, they blend in real well with the crowd. Jesus also seemed to frequently find himself in the midst of the crowds, rubbing shoulders with real people facing real problems and loving them with real, transforming love.

In the Philippines, personal space is not a requirement. Public transportation is stuffed like sardines and children even up to teens can be asked to lap up with their parents on the jeepneys (like small busses) They often ride hanging on to the back of the jeepney and standing on the bumper when it is completely full inside. I actually enjoy riding on the bumper as opposed to being stuffed up inside of stuffed jeepney, but they will even overfill the bumper. One time I had 2 young teenage boys standing on the bumper in front of me (between me and the jeep) as I was hanging on to the jeep over their heads, going down the highway.

Normal classrooms in schools here have about 50 students and crowded classes at our high school can reach 90 students. At the elementary school 2 students normally sit at one desk bench and sometimes 3. So when kids come to tutoring, they naturally gravitate toward each other and fill the empty spaces. So even though they may appear overcrowded, they are pretty comfortable and might even feel lonely if given a western portion of personal space.

Lift One Another Up

2011-03-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

Last week we spend at day at the swimming pool with more than 160 kids who attend G1:27 regularly. While we were there, the G1:27 Staff formed this pyramid, which represents one of the core values of G1:27: Lift One Another Up. At the top of the pyramid is first year high schooler Jessiel. In the middle and bottom are older students like Rejen and Jayson who have tutored Jessiel.

In poverty cultures, jealousy and gossip tearing one another down are rampant. From my years of teaching in urban schools in the US, I can tell you that students who are passionate and try their hardest are frequently made fun of and even ostracized. There is a strong group pressure to conform to standards of mediocrity. "What? Do you think you're better than us?" And even friends and family can easily become jealous of another's success. In the Philippines, gossip is prevalent and when a student stands out, he or she quickly becomes a verbal target for those who have nothing better to do, but sit around and talk about others.

At G1:27, we emphasize the importance of working together to achieve our goals (even with people we don't like so much). When one of our students succeed, they lead the way for others to follow. They form the base of the pyramid for others to climb higher. For the vast majority of our children, their parents have not attended college - some have not graduated high school and a few have not even finished elementary. Yet we purpose to prepare our children to achieve in college.

International Intercultural Friends

2011-02-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

At G1:27 we believe in the power of mentoring. One of our goals is to develop community with the young people who come into our circle. We hire older students to work with younger students and we try to connect our older staff who are in high school with college and young professional friends and mentors. With the power of Facebook and Skype, we can even link our students with mentors on the other side of the world. Of course, our cultures and experiences are quite different, but what a great thing it is to have a friend or a mentor with a different perspective and some new ways of thinking to break us free from the power of our cultural ruts and open us up to ways to love others more deeply.
Lebekah (Nyack College student) and Rejen (G1:27 High School Staff) have become that kind of friend during Lebekah's 2 visits to Cebu. Here you can see them enjoying time in the water snorkeling at an amazing fish sanctuary here in Cebu.This is a view of the fish from sitting on the side of the boast looking into the water.

More Blessed to Give than to Receive

2011-02-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

G1:27 would like to thank Michael Combs. Mike was a member of the New Life Team on their recent visit to Cebu. This was Mike's 2nd visit, having come when he was 16 years old together with Rick and others from New Life.

Upon arriving in Cebu, Mike excitedly opened his boxes and broke out several sets of K'nex, his favorite toys from his youth and pile of instruction manuals. Mike donated his impressive collection to G1:27. Even more than the K'nex, Mike shared of himself, his expertise, his joy, his passion, and his story.

With Josephine at his side and wearing his newly donned paper welcome lei, Mike explains to the expectant students what his K'nex meant to him growing up and his hope that these kids would also learn from and enjoy them

Not only did he give the K'nex, but he spent hours over the following 2 weeks, demonstrating and explaining how to use them.

Right down on the floor with the kids, Mike is a hands-on teacher, which is exactly how we like teaching and learning to happen at G1:27

Under Mike's guidance, Nieva put together this motorized vehicle with a spinning propeller

Charity constructed a viking ship.

And Jesusa built a sled with a reindeer (not sure how a reindeer would make it here in Cebu)

As you can see, there is a real joy in giving, especially in giving of ourselves and in giving of things that are dear to our hearts because then our hearts are freed from loving things for their greater purpose of loving others. Jesus said it best - It is more blessed to give than to receive

Giving is in no way limited to the material. During our home visits, Mike met Mary, a teenager whose father had left her mother with 5 children. Mike felt compelled to share his similar story with this young lady and offer some words of hope in the midst of her struggle. After he told his story, you could see visible change in the countenace of the young girl - a change from a look of hopelessness to a look that was thinking maybe God will do something in my life too.

Sitting in the Street

2011-01-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

When Jesus saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)
This picture was taken from a moving vehicle here in Cebu. The lady in the picture is nursing her newborn baby and if you can look closely, the baby still has the infant gloves from the hospital. I don't know the whole story, but I would guess that the lady and her child were released from the hospital and she started her walk home alone. Tired from walking she sits down on the side of the sidewalk so her baby can feed. I remember the excitment of bringing home my children from the hospital - the preparations had been made, everyone came to help and our children were welcomed to this world with so much love, excitement and anticipation. Yet in our world, many children enter the world with none of that, it appears that this lady and her child have only one another to cling to (Maybe there is hope that the father is working hard to help pay for the birth of their child). When Jesus looked at people, he saw the truth that many people are carrying tremendous burdens. I have to constantly realign myself when I look at the crowds, laying down my expertise, my callousness, my judgmentalism and allowing myself to see the crowds how Jesus saw them.

Visitors

2010-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

We are excitedly anticipating the arrival of 2 groups to join with us at G1:27:

New Life Fellowship will be sending a team led by Mike Favilla. They will arrive on November 22 and stay for 2 weeks. They have a page on facebook where you can follow their happenings and perspectives.

Nyack college will also be sending a social work class in January. You can see some videos and comments from Nyack students here:

http://www.gslinphilippines.blogspot.com/

Trash Collectors

2010-10-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken out of a moving jeepney (small bus) so it's not real clear, but you can see a fuzzy image of a young boy pedaling a bike with a sidecar and his friend sitting in the side car. At first glance, it appears quaint - a child riding a bicycle with a friend. However, the truth lies in the sack beside the boy in the sidecar. The bags contain scrap - the children scavenge - sorting through trash to find an old, dirty piece of plastic (for which they might receive a penny), wipe it off with their bear hands and put it in their sack, and move on. Finding an old paint can with dried paint, they try to scrape out the paint because they know the scrap buyer won't take it unless it is cleaned up. On finding a broke piece of concrete with a steel reinforcement inside, they slam the concrete on rock again and again trying to free that valuable piece of steel. These guys are actually doing pretty good because they have a vehicle. Other children just walk along dragging an old rice sack with as much resellable garbage as they can find. Why do children do this? To eat. Maybe their parents can't help, maybe their parents don't care, maybe there are no parents. How old are they? Some are older - actually grown men also do this to make money - some are younger. I've seen little girls that appear the same age as my daughter Josephine (she's 5) I don't really like to take pictures of children suffering - that's why I chose these images of adolescent boys that at least have a bike. But there are hard realities here in Cebu. We have about around 200 kids who come to G1:27. Almost all of them go to school, so comparatively they are not in quite this hard of circumstance. However, there are a handful of our kids that I have seen walking around with a sack. . .

A New Librarian (in a new library)

2010-10-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

Jesusa is featured on our prayer card photoshopped into a Mt Rushmore jigsaw puzzle. That picture represents one of the core values of G1:27 – DREAM BIG. We want our children to believe that God wants to do something big in their lives. When Jesusa came to G1:27 in grade 2, she could not read, today she is our librarian. . .I asked her this week how many books she had read. She replied, “Lots.” God does amazing things in our lives.

In the picture below Jesusa and her cousin Christine Joy, along with Josephine are putting Knex pieces and Legos where they belong. Organizing the new tutoring center has been a big job and these ladies have been a big help.

Motorcycle Mom (Philipina Soccer Mom)

2010-10-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Most of our tutoring students are within 20 minute walking distance of the tutoring center. But Nikki comes from the next barangay. During the school year, her father brings her after work. But during the summer months, tutoring is in the day time. So her mom - Mrs. Aloba faithfully brings her daughter to tutoring on the motorcycle (along with a few neighbor kids) In the US this would be a soccer mom with a minivan

Of course, mom's dedication pays off as Nikki graduated from Nangka Elementary School with honors, as you can see:

Congratulations Nikki & Parents!!

G1:27 Declaration

2010-10-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

At G1:27 Tutoring our purpose is not simply to help with math problems. . . We strive to instill in our students a compelling awareness of their God-given potential that motivates them to persevere in this journey of life as they confront and overcome the obstacles presented to them by poverty. This is the our new "PASSWORD" to enter the G1:27 Tutoring center:

I am created in the image of God so don’t underestimate me – who I am or where I’m going. In the words of St. Paul, don’t look down on me because I’m young. I refuse to be enslaved by vices or distracted from my goals by short term pleasures, but instead I will discipline myself, study hard and rely on God’s kindness to help me find His will for my life and my place in this world.

Liana's Internship

2010-09-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Liana Chin from Long Island Alliance Church spent part of her summer interning here in Cebu. She is studying Global Health at Cornell University. After spending 6 weeks in Manila, she came and stayed with us for 2 weeks, spending her days visiting the maternity ward at Eversley Hospital - the government run hospital closest to our place here in Consolacion.

This is the hospital that is used by most of our tutoring students when they are very sick. Just this past week, Catherine (a 4-year-old schoolmate of our daughter Josephine) was hospitalized there with Dengue Fever (mosquito-born) Though the resources of the hospital are very limited, they provide life-saving intervention for families who have very little to pay.

After her day in the hospital, Liana would spend evenings helping out in the G1:27 Tutoring Center, from complex algebra for high school students, to additing and subtracting with grade 1. In the above picture, she's helping with a jigsaw puzzle.

College students: If you are looking for a chance to serve in a place where there's a need, come join us for a summer. The plane ticket is a little expensive, but in country costs are minimal. . .

Soma Cube Show

2010-09-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

At G1:27 students build skills through a variety of challenging activities, such as this soma cube. Here three 4th grade girls (Kimberly, Lyca Mae and Judelou) are racing to complete 5 different puzzles using the soma cube. Truthfully, it's much more difficult than they make it look.

Unforgettable Four Weeks

2010-06-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hi!! My name is Faith Scazzero, currently a student at the University at Buffalo, and a member of New Life Fellowship Church (Rick and JiJi's church back home). I have had the unbelievable honor to have been able to stay in Cebu for a WHOLE month! My experience here has been nothing less of exciting.

I arrived in Nangka, Cebu by myself not knowing what to expect, unsure of the amazing experience I would soon part-take in. Waking up the first day with my bed drenched in sweat from the heat and JiJi leading me to the bathroom where I would shower with no shower curtain and a spider keeping a close eye on me, I knew this would be an interesting trip.

I had the opportunity to visit a bird sanctuary (a place where many birds from all over the world go for the winter), snorkel, island hop, snorkel, and best of all, spend the majority of my week with the G 1:27 tutoring kids. I have always thought about teaching but I was sure that teaching high school was my best bet but after this experience I can say that I just may have changed my mind. The tutoring center here falls short of nothing of what you may have heard. The day after I arrived Rick had told me that he was having a staff meeting so I followed along expecting to see some teenagers and mostly adults. I could not be any more WRONG. I entered a room with about twenty kids all under the age of 17, the G:1 17 staff. With eyes wide open and my giggling due to being surprised they fully embraced me and made me feel at home.

I have been so lucky to have been the first visitor to experience the luxury of the new tutoring facility! Each day over 140 kids come in and get help in math, reading, computers, and logical thinking activities. Being here for so long, I have been able to become so close with many of the students that come through the tutoring center, from first grade all the way up to high school.
The children and learning techniques are somewhat different here than in America. The children that come through the tutoring center here come with an incentive to learn and help one another. I have never experienced a learning environment with kids that want to figure out a puzzle, or won't rotate to their next activity because their math work is not done being checked yet. One of my fondest memories in the tutoring center was when I checked Welma's (a 1rst grader) math and wrote " GREAT JOB" with happy face and when I handed it to her she created a smile so big it was if I had given her a million dollars. The littlest things are appreciated here, and although the culture is not big on making their thanksgiving verbal, it is shown in their face and in their relationship with you.

I would not have made it through this trip if it was not for my barcada (close group of friends in Cebuano), Luche, Rejen, Vincent, and Jayson. Luche, Rejen, and Jayson are all on staff at the tutoring center, and Vincent is a high school student who attends tutoring but has also accompained the Harner's and myself to church every Sunday. Luche and Rejen have literally gone EVERYWHERE with me. We have been attatched at the hip and I could not have asked for better guides. I feel extremely blessed that they would open their homes, family, and most importantly hearts to me during my stay here. Although we come from different parts of the world and live very different economically they have reminded me what it means to enjoy the presence of people around you no matter where you are.
Some favorite moments from my trip include: 1) Being able to visit all the different homes of the students in the tutoring center- It has been such a pleasure to be able to walk to all the different homes since they are all so close and with in a 2 minute walk radius. It reminded me of dorming in college! 2) Playing badmitten and basketball after tutoring hours-I found it really important and SO MUCH FUN to hang out with the kids after tutoring hours or on the weekends because it allowed me to interact with them on a different level. 3) Planning and executing a "sleepover retreat" for 15 of the young girls that I became close too- This is a night that entailed snacks, games, bible study, and no sleeping! A night I hope they never forget 4) All the trips we took to Family Park ( a near by pool) with the staff and different tutoring age groups- Many of the kids are on their way to learning how to swim and hopefully with my lifeguard experience I helped them just a little bit more 5) Becoming addicted to mangos-My addiction to mango came to having mangos at my three meals a day where, when I did not, it I was going through withdrawal. I am beyond words devestated that I can not take back any fruit with me or being spoiled here with great tasting fruit has come to an end. 6) The kids teaching me Cebuano every chance they got- It was a bit frustrating at first not understanding sometimes what the kids were talking about because they would speak in Cebuano ( Thankfully I came to my senses and made them all make a pact to not speak it behind my back). But they were more than welcome to teach me many words and phrases which they loved to laugh at me after for because my pronunciaton is TERRIBLE! 7) My first experience with a Gecko- Rick and six ten-year-old boys were attempting to get it out of the house and I was doing my job of screaming and standing on the couch. For all I know it is roaming my room as I continue to type this.

This list could go on and on for pages. It is so hard to explain an experience here when you have yet to experience it for yourself. I had always heard about Rick and JiJi and their work, but not until now have I been able to grasp it. The way that they minister to their community here is amazing. I personally can say that they are living proof of God's ability to use one's gift for his glory and further spread the good news. Their teaching of G1:27, " Never underestimate a child created in the image of God", is shown through the kids they mentor. Each one of the children that I have encountered has taught me that no matter how much money you have or how crummy your house is, YOU still have the ability to succeed if you believe in yourself. I have been blown away with the amount of progress and courage these children possess. NEVER once have I seen kids have so much fun and play so many games with barely nothing.
As I end my mini blog entry I would like to THANK RICK AND JIJI for the opportunity to be here and part take what I know will not be my last experience here. The month I spent here is one I will never forget.

- Faith Scazzero

Blessed

2010-04-15T06:47:00.001-07:00

I am tremendously blessed. Today we opened our new tutoring center (not completely finished, but enough that we can use it). More than 100 kids . . . I could palpably feel the pride and excitement of our students and parents to have such a nice new home for us at G1:27. It is quite humbling to see God bring dreams to reality through ordinary, struggling people like us, but He is faithful. I have many people to thank deeply - some have supported financially, many have prayed and dreamed with us. Thank you.

COUNTDOWN

2010-04-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

To accommodate the growing number of students who attend G1:27 tutoring in Nangka and the 25 computers we received from Canada, we are in the process of building a new facility.

Our crew has been working on this for months and have done a great job. The summer has begun here and we plan to use the new facility for our summer program. We will start on April 15. So we are in our final countdown to finish the first floor and make it functional enough to accommodate our summer program. (The 2nd floor will take until the end of the year)

These pictures show the progression of the building looking at the front entrance.

Our work crew is led by Paulino. He can do just about anything to make a building. Here he is busy welding the front gate

Vicente is our other skilled worker: electrician, mason and carpenter. He is the father of Derek, Vincent and Mary May who attend G1:27.

Paulino's son Archie is following in his dad's footstep and learning to build buildings.

25 Computers from Canada!! Thanks Robin & Morgan.

2010-02-13T01:51:00.001-08:00

Robin & Morgan Bellamy have acquired a real passion for helping and serving in the Philippines in the name of Jesus. Robin, formerly very involved in politics, went on a short-term trip to Cebu a few years back and went home with a new focus. He gave up his aspirations for public office and devotes much time and energy to raising support for impoverished peoples in different parts of the world, as well as actively involving his church and his own family in serving. When Robin left Cebu last year he asked me if there was anything we could use for G1:27 as he was planning to fill a container with donations from Canada and send it here. I told him, "Well, I could use a few more computers (as we regularly try to squeeze about 20 kids onto 8 computers." Well, true to his word, Robin gathered some computers (more than 50) and gave 25 of them to us here at G1:27. Now we are working very hard to complete the new tutoring center to have enough room to set up an additional 25 machines.

flip flop bocce

2010-02-09T00:16:00.000-08:00

Frequently when walking down our street. I have to do a hop and a skip to avoid getting hit by a flying flip-flop. Though my reactions are slower than they used to be, I enjoy a little bit of dodgeball (with footwear)
Without as many accessories for play as we have in the west. Children here improvise and find a way to have just as much fun.
Genesis demonstrates his accuracy in using a flip-flop (tsinela in the vernacular) to send another flip flop flying across the cement
Genesis has been attending G1:27 for more than 3 years and has demonstrated marked improvement and is becoming a leader. This year he was selected to join the junior staff and as a 4th grader he now helps tutor grades 1-3. Genesis is always eager to help, grabbing a broom or picking things up to carry. It's young men like him that constantly inspire us. . .Here is Genesis with his opponents: Mark Daven, Julius and Virgilio, all of whom have been involved with G1:27.

Medical Clinic at Nangka Elementary School with Cebu Doctors Alumni Association

2010-01-30T02:04:00.000-08:00

Here are highlights from the Medical Clinic held at Nangka Elementary School with the team from New Life Fellowship and Olive Grove Christian Ministries

New Life Mission Highlights

2010-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

We have been very privileged to have 2 teams visit us recently. A team from our supporting Church - New Life Fellowship of Elmhurst, Queens, NY spent 2 weeks with us at the end of November. This video shows some of the fun and joy we had. Thanks so much to all of you for coming: Drew Hyun & Christina Hyun, Dr. Joe Philip & Anna Philip, Hannah Speiller, Mike Favilla, Rosie Ka and Josh. You were truly a blessing and inspiration to all of us. I will soon be compiling some things from the Nyack visit.

There are 2 special events I would like to write about:

1. Medical Clinic at Nangka Elementary School. We partnered together with the Alumni Association of Cebu Doctor's University and our New Life Mission Team and Olive Grove (our church here in Cebu) to put on a medical / dental clinic to serve the children in Nangka. The elementary school has over 1000 students and about 300 of them have been involved in tutoring at one point or another and about 140 of them attend regularly. At the clinic, Dr. Joe Philip demonstrated his medical skills and his heart of love and compassion for the children (along with a number of Cebu Doctor's Alumni and nurses) We were able to provide services for more than 200 kids in one morning. Special thanks to Aiza for all her work in organizing!!!

2. We had a wonderful time island hopping with the high school students. We visited a fish sanctuary where you could snorkel and feed the fish right from your hands. This was my first time and also the first time for all of our students. What a great experience. It was also the first time for our students to use life jackets and most were quite suspicious that the little life jacket could keep them alive. But when they jumped fully in the water they discovered the life jackets to be quite reliable. It reminded me of faith in God. Many times we wonder if God can handle this problem we've gotten ourselves into. But when we trust him and jump in and obey, he also proves himself completely dependable.

Computers

2009-10-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

As you can see in this photo, we have 6 desktop computer that are running in addition to 2 laptops. I recently received and e-mail from friends in Long Island and another email from friends in Canada who are sending us quite a few more computers. However, we will need more room to house these so we are embarking on a new building project so that we can have a permanent place in Nangka (and save on rent).

Pray For Us and We'll Pray For You

2009-10-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

This slideshow gives an overview of the things we are doing here in Cebu

Full House

2009-09-29T00:50:00.000-07:00

This video takes you on a tour of our house during a regular G1:27 Session. Between the 4 rooms there are more than 50 children! This is grades 3-5, which meet on Wednesday evening.

Family

2009-09-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent picture of our family, with some of our extended family: Ann McCarthy (far left), Jayson Cabando (next to Rick), Crista Renauro (slightly behind Jayson) and Rejen Bosquit.

Ann is a member of New Life Fellowship and regularly travels here to Cebu to work with students and friends. She is a science teacher at a small Lutheran School in Brooklyn. Jayson is student tutor at G1:27 with good computer skills. He is the older brother of Jesusa from my favorite Mt. Rushmore picture. Crista was a Bible Quizzer from Vineland, NJ that Rick used to coach on the International Bible Quizzing Team. She has served as a youth pastor for many years and now is starting a PhD program in psychology. She visited us on her way to Thailand this summer, where she was working with young girls being rescued from sex trafficking. Rejen is also a student tutor and a leader in her school and in our community.

Visiting the Hospital

2009-09-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

When I went to visit Derek in the hospital, I was not prepared for what I was going to experience, visiting a government hospital in a large city of a developing nation.

Standing outside the emergency room waiting for news, we could see in the open doors, the patients lining the walls. We had a direct line of vision to where someone was in cardiac arrest and the doctors and nurses were working tirelessly to re-start that heart. Up and down, up and down, the were pumping the chest hard. First one nurse, then another. Taxis would pull up near the emergency room. An old man would get out carrying a pillow and blankets (the hospital does not provide them) Then he would go to the other side to try to help his wife, who was not able to lift her legs to get them out of the car. No one from the hospital came to help. Bystanders and security guards watched (or should I say barely noticed) as if it was business as usual as the old man tried with all of himself to get his ailing wife some much-needed medical care.

Derek’s hospitalization was just a year and 3 months after the hospitalization and death of his little sister, Shella Mae, who was in 2nd grade at the time. A little girl that I knew, a little girl who visited my house often, died. She died probably for lack of $50 (I’m not God, so I can’t say that for sure, but that’s my perspective based on my observation and experience.)

When I entered the children’s dengue ward, Derrick was in the first of 12 rooms. The room he was in was about 15 X 18 ft with six beds. Each bed had 2 children. In addition to the 2 children, each child had a parent or someone to watch them so there were 31 of us there in that small, un-air-conditioned room with 6 beds and maybe 4 chairs. Some parents were lying in the shared bed holding their children. I was very happy to see Derek there, and out of Intensive Care. With an IV in each hand, he had the strength to sit up and talk a little. I felt a deep sense of relief as I could see that Derek’s body was recovering from the ravages of dengue. “Thank you, Lord.”

However, looking around the room was painful. Derek, at 12 years old was by far the oldest in the room. Most of the children were about 4-6 years old – Josephine’s age, and there were 3 infants. Children were suffering and parents watched helplessly. In the time Derek had been there, 3 children had died from dengue. Jiji talked to a young mother and her husband with a young infant, less than 6 months. They didn’t know for sure what was wrong. His fever wouldn’t go down. They needed money. Their 2-year-old wasn’t allowed in the ward, and they had to leave her down in the courtyard to play by herself, while the father was running for medicine.
The mother could watch her from the 2nd floor window, while holding her baby.

One of the little girls on the bed next to Derek was starting to have trouble breathing. You could see her chest, moving up and down quickly, trying to get air. I remember when Alicia would have trouble breathing, and the doctor taught us how to watch for warning signs of her lungs filling up, and I knew this girl was in trouble. Her eyes looked helpless and every so often she would make a faint whimper in between the short quick gasps. She was situated on the bed in such a way that she was looking straight at me. I was shaken and thinking, “Please God, I don’t want to see this little girl die.” The doctor came in to see her (the doctors don’t come often here so that alone tells you that things are getting serious). He immediately wrote out a prescription to a young helpless father.

So you can understand a little, the hospital will not bring the medicine for the child and administer it. They write a prescription and it is the responsibility of the person watching them to leave the hospital, go to the drug store and purchase the medicine (cash). Until you return with the medicine, they will not do anything for your dying child. The cost of the medicine was probably equivalent to a month’s wage for the father. The family was not from Cebu City. They had traveled over an hour in a bus to come to the hospital and there was no one around who would help them. Besides there were 12 rooms full of up to 20 kids each, all with dengue – more than 150 kids. If someone wanted to help, who would they choose to help? How would they choose? The father took the prescription and stared at it. He opened his empty wallet. . .

I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me to buy that medicine. I was scared, “But then all of these families are going to be asking me to help. How can I face that? (The pleadings of more than a hundred children and their families facing death and in desperate need of money because of a mosquito bite.) If I get involved, are they going to expect me to pay more bills? How much will it cost? How much was I willing to pay? How much did I have to spend?” Truth – the needs are endless.

How much is a life worth? Oh, we say one human life is priceless, but the truth of the matter is that children in many places in the world die because their hard-working parents don’t have $50 to keep them alive.

I thought of Shella Mae. She died because no one was there with enough money to purchase an antibiotic that her body desperately needed to fight off her infection. I thought of Alicia & Josephine, how precious their life is to me as their father. Why was I so privileged to have provision for the medical needs of my children and this young father was not? I had to act now. I told Jiji to call the father out of the room (so that others would not see that we were helping this family and expect us to help them too).

Jiji asked the father for the prescription and went directly to the drug store. When she got there, it was more money than she had – P4200 (about $85). I had to ask a friend to borrow the rest of the amount and we got the prescription. Then we rushed back to the hospital to the entrance where we had arrived earlier. However, this time we were walking and not in a car. The security guard refused us entry and sent us on a 10 minute walk to the other side of the hospital to a crowded entry way full of poor people and pickpockets.

We arrived and informed the doctor that the medicine needed to clear this girl’s lungs was here. They went to work. In the middle of that room of 30 people and 11 other children, they inserted a catheter, hoping to get more liquid out of her body. (Not fun to watch) After about 45 minutes her breathing had slowed. I was filled with joy. Jiji was happy, but she was still feeling the pain of the young mother she had talked to earlier. We left the hospital. On the way home I stopped at an internet café to let many of you know that Derek was doing well, but to pray for a little girl I called “Raquel.”

Wednesday night when Derek’s grandmother came home from watching Derek, she told Jiji that the little girl had gone back into Intensive Care. The effects of the medicine had lasted a few hours and her lungs were filling again. I was crushed when I heard the news. I knew that her chances were slim, even before. She had dengue, complicated with pneumonia. I didn’t ask any more questions. I didn’t want to know. It was more than I could deal with. Another 6th grade girl in our tutoring had a high fever and the same symptoms as Derek. We were busy telling her parents that they needed to take her to the hospital and not wait any longer to see if the fever would go down. “Raquel” was on my mind, but all I could do was cry and “leave it in God’s hands.” I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of mental and emotional debate and confusion that goes on about trying to take control of a situation or leaving the situation to the Lord.

On Friday afternoon, Derek came home from the hospital sooner than the doctor had predicted, due to overcrowding and his good condition. I went to his house to see him, and his father was there. His father handed me a little scrap of paper with the cell phone number of the family of “Raquel.” He told me that she had come back out of Intensive Care and was recovering. I could not believe it. Tears flooded my eyes and soul. Two days later, Jiji got a text that she had been released from the hospital. God had shown his mercy.

I am totally convinced that your prayers brought life to this little girl. There is a father out there who holds his little girl tonight because of your love and your prayers. Thank you.

You can see 2 little pink legs behind Derek. This is the little girl that he is sharing the bed with.
This is Derek and his grandmother.

Scarred Legs

2009-09-03T00:13:00.001-07:00

What does it mean to grow up in poverty? It means many things, but here is one:
If you notice the scars on these legs, it is sad to say that these are the legs of a 3rd grade girl who regularly attends our tutoring program. If you saw her smiling face, you would never imagine that her legs bear so many scars. Unfortunately, scarred legs like these are not unique among our kids.

Living in not-so-sanitary conditions and not having access to simple medical help, like a topical anti-biotic, produce many scars. At G1:27, we can provide simple help, like bacitracin and a band-aid that make a difference in the lives of our kids.

177 Students

2009-09-01T01:17:00.000-07:00

We had 177 students attend G1:27 last week!! And our average year to date is 176. That's up from last year's average of about 115. We are very grateful to God and very privileged to be able to mentor and teach this group of children, each of whom are created in God's image and each of whom have limitless potential in the eyes of God. I just keep imagining what God will do in their lives. Pray with me for them

G1:27 Staff

2009-08-31T23:42:00.000-07:00

This is most of the G1:27 Staff. They are paid (rather meagerly) to help teach other G1:27 students during our weekly program.

As members of our staff, these young people are actually in leadership training. We are investing much of our time and energy into developing these young men and women to the utmost of their potential. And as we invest in them, we are asking them to mentor and tutor their fellow students. They are the Ate's & Kuya's of G1:27.

As you look at this picture, I want you to look with eyes of faith and imagine what God is going to do in the lives of these young people. Being older, I have some other pictures of young people that I have worked with from years gone by that inspire me now.

A Used Laptop Put to Good Use

2009-08-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

This Laptop was donated by my niece Vicki. As you can see it is being put to good use. We normally have between 15-25 students to work on computers. Having a laptop saves space and gives flexibility as you can see the students can sit on the couch. Another student is working next to them with a laptop on a chair. We don't yet have enough computers or space to accommodate all of our students so the remaining students play foosball. THANK YOU VICKI!!

Home School

2009-08-15T02:07:00.001-07:00

We recently started a new program of G1:27. As Josephine has become old enough to join the pre-school programs here in the Philippines, we have opened a small "Home" School. So Josephine and Alicia have started school along with 10 other children from our community. All of these children come from families with incomes of LESS than $200 per month. Our vision is to partner with their parents and families to provide an excellent education for each of these young girls, even as their families deal daily with the struggles of poverty.

Here Angel is making squares on a GeoBoard
As you can see, this is Natalie, making squares.

If you know Alicia, you will know that she is in deep concentration on her work as she makes her shapes.

This is Catherine.

These girls are 4 years of age and under. As you know, we at G1:27 seek to restore the image of God in the children of our community who have been born in to poverty. We try to see children with the perspective of their heavenly Father, who has wonderful plans for each of their lives. Please pray with us LONG TERM for the futures of these 12 (including Josephine & Alicia) young girls .

11 Kids on a Tricycle + 1 Driver

2009-07-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

SheilyRose decided to ride on the front of the tricycle because there wasn't much room left inside. Part of living in the Philippines is traveling in crowded circumstances.

There are 3 sitting on the motorcycle behind the driver.

Inside the sidecar are 7 more . . .
All of these kids attended our summer tutoring program and earned a pair of tsinelas (flip flops) for greater than 70%-90% attendance. So they squeezed into the tricycle for a trip down to the market to pick out their tsinelas. Of course, squeezing in is all part of the fun. I guess in America, people used to see how many would fit inside a VW bug or a red Geo Metro. . .

The driver is the father of Grace - one of our students. He made this trip 5 times one Saturday morning (for tsinelas) and earned P300, which is about $6, which was very good morning for him.

Pictures on the Walls

2009-07-16T00:55:00.000-07:00

The walls of our tutoring center our well-adorned with these striking pictures, drawn by our tutoring students. Our goal is develop in them the talents that God has given to them and their artistic ability is one of those talents.

OFW children

2009-06-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/134430/Leaving-OFW-children-behind-Economic-benefits-vs-social-costs/_/2/

New School Year

2009-06-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we began G1:27 for the 2009-2010 school year and we had a typhoon here in Cebu. Still 21 kids braved the rain and winds to attend.

Devotional Blog

2009-06-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

Rick started a new blog with short devotional ideas:

http://rickscomments.blogspot.com/

Family Park

2009-06-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we visited Family Park with 50 students from grades 1-3 as a reward for their consistent attendance at our summer tutoring program. This day is always a highlight and yesterday was no exception. There has been a typhoon here with torrents of rain for the last 5 days, but God gave us beautiful sunny skies all day until 3 pm and we were scheduled to leave at 3:30. Then came a lot of rain

a pool-full of G1:27 students

Josephine going down the slide next to Dolorosa

Jason is leaving the slide on the run during our relay races

The blindfolded one has to guess who he is touching

Ate Jiji shares a little of her story with our tutoring students

SNACKS

2009-06-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

Kids will go a long way for a snack here. We have 2 coconut trees on our land and the other day a couple of the guys from G1:27 asked if they could have a coconut. The trick is not having it, the trick is getting it, but these 4th graders quite skillfully went up the trees and retrieved a few coconuts. I enjoyed climbing trees in 4th grade too, but our trees had branches.

Here you can see Virgilio and Genesis at the top of the trees. In the background you can also see the front of our new place.

Enjoying the fruit of their labor

This is a nice picture of Rey Vincent at the top of a coconut tree. I have no idea why it is sideways and have tried a couple of times to fix it so if you tilt your head sideways when you look at it, you can get the idea.

Never underestimate a child created in the image of God

2009-06-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Who is like the Lord our God?

He raises the poor from the dust

and lifts the needy from the ash heap

he seats them with princes

with princes of their people

Psalm 113

Crowded, but not overcrowded

2009-06-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Just imagine yourself after a long hot day in the tropics, sitting on the couch with all these kids wanting to be close to you, the temperature is an evening cool of 87 degrees, with an oscillating electric fan giving you momentary breaks from the heat, and doing math problems for 40 minutes. Joy! (that's not sarcasm in case you were wondering)This picture from last year's tutoring shows the 5th grade girls in our living room. I cropped 2 photos together to give you the wide angle. The Filipino culture loves to be physically close. People walk with an arm around their friends or arm in arm down the street or through the mall. They choose a seat next to someone, even touching them, not with a comfortable distance like Western cultures. So our kids enjoy being packed together with 8 or 9 people on the couch. If you've met our daughter Josephine, she has definitely acquired this cultural trait:

You can see Josephine invading my brother-in-law Ron's personal space here. And she loves to be hanging on someone's leg most of the time, unless she is running and jumping. This is my sister Melanie teaching Josephine to make friends with Max (Now Josephine is a dog lover)

I actually put numbers on the picture so you can see that there are 30 people in this room. There are 27 students and 3 teachers. I am the 30th person, not seen because I am taking the picture. In addition, the 5th grade boys are in the kitchen and the 4th graders are in the computer lab. This is a large crowd, but the normal number in the living room is between 15 and 22

Ates and Kuyas - Mentors

2009-05-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the mentoring that we seek to grow in G1-27. A young girl, Krisnalyn, nestles close to the love of an older sister, Diana. In Filipino, we call the older sister Ate Diana

As we pass through difficult times in our lives, it is so important that we have people who have gone before, who have endured and who have found meaning in struggle. Those people point us to God. Even more so for children who are experiencing pain in their lives. Without mentors, suffering children turn to gangs for community, they turn to sex for love and they take on a worldview that life is completely unjust or at best meaningless. . .

A pair of young eyes are watching Diana closely, wondering why her eyes are closed, what she is doing, what is she experiencing, can I too experience the love and peace that Diana has found in worshiping a great and loving God

There are young eyes watching each of us as we live our lives. Take time to put your arm around the shoulders of those little ones who are next to you and share yourself with them. It makes all the difference

Work Hard

2009-05-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

This is an image of our 3rd grade boys, working on their math problems. Remember, this is 7 p.m. in the evening after dinner (and they stay for 2 hours) and the temperature in the room is probably 85+. It's hot and the kids have already been in school all day. They are working hard, and we are proud of them. We encourage hard work because to rise up out of poverty home situation, they must learn to work hard.

The teacher sitting on the floor is Lirio. She is 3rd year high school and in addition to attending tutoring, she is also part of our staff. Lirio is from the northern region of Luzon, but came to Cebu 2 years ago. There are 16 children in her family. Her father was in the military and had a good income, however, her mother got cancer and the family sold a lot of their land for healthcare costs. Then her mother died. Lirio moved to Cebu and is living in a room probably as big as your bed along with her sister and her sister's partner. Lirio had been an honor student in elementary, but upon moving to Cebu, she began to get lost in the crowd. The dialect was different so school was a little harder for her. Somehow Lirio heard about our tutoring and started attending. As she showed her academic prowess and commitment, I invited her to join our staff. She works about 20 hours a week for us, tutoring kids after school, overseeing our free computer lab and some babysitting for Josephine and Alicia. She works hard. And she has gotten herself together in the classroom and earned academic honors again this year.

Her goal is to become a doctor. And I know that she has the academic ability and industriousness to do it. We are praying for the financial support of her studies.

Lift One Another Up

2009-05-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

At G1:27, we are teaching our kids to work together to lift one another up. In a poverty culture, there tends to be a lot of jealousy and very unhealthy competition over material things and opportunities. We emphasize the importance of working as a team in order to achieve our greatest potential.

This is Krisnalyn. She is one of 6 children who lived in the house right across the path from us. Her father works in Japan so they have enough money for basic needs, but Krisnalyn has not seen her father in more than 4 years. The Philippines is the second leading exporter of labor in the world (to Mexico, which most come to the US) Though this leads to economic stability, it often destroys the family, or at the very least leaves children with some major emotional holes growing up. These jobs do not have yearly vacation as we are accustomed to, but are contracts for 2 to 5 years. When a parent leaves the Philippines for work, they often are leaving their children for 3 years straight! The Overseas Foreign Workers are a major part of the Philippine economy and many businesses profit and even take advantage of their earnings. For example, there are outrageous finder's fees to get an initial job. The mother of one of our students mortgaged their house and land to pay the fee to get a job in Japan. One of the first graders in our tutoring was intently studying the world map on the wall until he located Saudi Arabia. When he found out, he pointed it out to me and said, "My dad's there." His father was home for about 3 months during our 3 year stay in Cebu. One of our objectives at G1:27 is to provide mentoring and support for children who are missing a father or a mother for many years.

Dream Big - Jesusa Cabando

2009-05-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

This image I would call "Dream Big." Jesusa may become a president of the Philippines someday. (They already have a female president) Our desire for the kids who attend G1:27 is that they will dream big dreams for their lives and know a God who does big things in them and through them.

Jesusa first came to tutoring, unable to read and having repeated Grade 1 twice. Now she reads and likes to read. She is not yet an honor student, but she is conscientiously doing her schoolwork and has the confidence to keep trying even when things are hard for her. Actually, Jesusa almost lives at our house, like a big sister with Josephine and Alicia. She probably eats 4 or 5 meals a weak with us and keeps a big sisterly eye on our girls.

Don't Forget

2009-05-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

This image I would call "Don't Forget." When you see the beautiful pictures of our smiling, loving kids, you might not realize that most of them daily deal with the struggles of poverty - poor nutrition, inadequate healthcare, poor sanitation - These images serve as a reminder of many children struggling for things in life many of us take for granted.

This is actually a picture of Leonila and her family's house. She is my hero. She is our head teacher and also a babysitter for Josephine and Alicia. She is a great teacher and loves the kids who attend our tutoring program. From attending graduations or funerals, she is there for our kids who are looking for a big sister who cares. Leonila was a sponsored scholar with the Joy-in-Full Scholarship program and is one course shy of finishing her teaching degree (I think she caught some senioritis) but she is now working for us full-time.

Why do we call it Kuya Rick's G1:27 Tutoring TEAM?

2009-05-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

G1:27 refers to Genesis 1:27 which reminds us that people are created in the image of God. And all children are born with this imprint of God in their lives. Why does everyone love to gaze into the eyes of infants and try to make them laugh and smile? I would suggest it is because the beauty of the infant is so pure and real. It is a reminder that we all start out in that same pure and beautiful state, regardless of what we become. Even children born in the saddest of circumstances have that same beauty that comes from the image of God.

We say it this way: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A CHILD CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.. We strongly believe that the children we work with bear the image of God and have unlimited potential, despite the low value placed on them by the standards of this age.

Why Kuya? In Tagalog, Kuya means older brother and Ate means older sister. They are terms of respect, but also convey a closeness of relationship. The term Kuya signifies the mentoring relationship that we try to establish with the students who attend our program. We hire older students within the program to teach the younger students so the relationships reflect mentoring more than a traditional teacher-student relationship. We have many Ates and Kuyas, and they look out for and help the younger ones to learn and to grow

TEAM is an acronym for: Together Everyone Achieves More. We emphasize the importance of teamwork. When one person succeeds, we all succeed. In poverty communities, there is often a tendency toward jealousy and envy both of material things and of honors and opportunities. An example of the strong competition that way in the Philippines. Every year in school from Kindergarten, the students are ranked academically and rewarded. In other words, your kindergarten child may be "4th honor" meaning that you know there are 3 other students with higher grades and all the rest are lower. At G1:27 we try to succeed together and celebrate together.

2009-05-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

This collage is to remind you about what we are trying to do with students in G1:27.

G1:27 Tutoring TEAM Vision

2009-05-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

We are working to restore the image of God in the lives of the children of our community who have been born into poverty by:

-helping them in school
-building their self-esteem
-developing a responsible, caring community of friends
-intervening with family problems
-and most importantly, by introducing them to a loving and powerful God who loves them deeply and who can carry them through the great struggles that they face in their lives.

G1:27 at Marie Ernstine

2008-06-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

In June 2008, the G1:27 Tutoring TEAM Staff accompanied Rick to a teacher training at Marie Ernstine Schools on Mactan Island. The students assisted the teachers to work with the learning center activities. The staff includes Leonila Cabatana, Michele Argando, Lirio Caacbay, Jayson Cabando, Derek Salundaguit, Angelo, Kimberly and Beverlee Peralta, Mary Kisses and Regine Bosquit and Christine Esco. Great Job!! This video shows them at work.

This link is to the OLD G1:27 Tutoring Team BLOG

http://www.rickharner.bravejournal.com/

2008-05-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is the new home blog for G1:27 Tutoring. We are working in the baranguay of Nangka in Cebu, Philippines. 100+ students participate in our tutoring program on a weekly basis during the school year and on a daily basis during the summer.

There are some posts on an older blog that I did not keep up if you want to see more:

http://www.rickharner.bravejournal.com/