In 2008, when the church began partnering with Compassion, Pastor Korogo was recruited as child development center director because of his long-standing experience in the ministry among the children of his church.

The development center has 220 registered children who take part regularly in center activities. Like all the other centers in the country, it is located in an area where poverty is visible in people’s daily lives.

The great majority of the population does not have access to drinking water or electricity. When someone in these families falls ill, he is cared for with indigenous methods, as families can’t afford medical care or drugs at the pharmacy.

The child development center is located in a community that is nearly 70 percent Islamic. The largest mosque in the city is 10 meters from the church that shelters the center. This proximity sometimes makes it difficult for Muslim children to effectively take part in the center activities.

“Several parents withdrew their children from the center because they were convinced by their religious leaders that the objective of the center was to convert their children to Christianity. What these parents were afraid of was that their children would be taken away by the church.” — Pastor Korogo

The center workers continue to take care of the children who come to the church on Thursdays. The radical change in the lives of these little ones has convinced more than one parent of the great opportunity their children have in coming to the center.

As a result, the Muslim community lives in harmony with the Christian community. Today, more than 70 percent of the children registered at the center are from Muslim families who still encourage the children to persevere in their participation in the activities.

This happy situation is largely the result of the frank relationship of love that exists between the children and their sponsors. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to imagine the joy that fills a child and his family when the child receives a personal letter written from abroad.

In nearly all families, these letters are preciously kept and shown to the important visitors, demonstrating the pride the family has in being known beyond the borders of the country. This restores the image of the whole family, even if this family was “watched out of the corner of the eye” by members of the community.

When a child does not receive letters, the relationship is weakened a little. So the relationship must be dynamic. Letter writing establishes the relationship with the sponsored child. It makes it possible for the child to communicate with an adult, and like any child, this gift is seen as a sign of very strong love.

But the height of joy for a family is, without any doubt, to be visited by their child’s sponsor. This constitutes the highest honor, and helps fulfill the hope that they get to know each other deeply. The sponsor also sees the child’s daily life and notes the differences that sponsorship has made.

Pastor Kogoro hopes that if the sponsor takes this step to visit, it will not only further encourage the sponsor and child, but the sponsor will be convinced of the salvation brought to the child, who in his turn will know for certain the true love expressed by his sponsor.

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To reach Eric’s far-flung town, I traveled by plane, took a 30-minute motorcycle-taxi ride, and then a grueling six-hour bus ride on a dusty, monotonous rough road.

I was warmly received by Pastor Gwen, who immediately said she remembered my last visit. She also said Eric has improved much. His father, Benny, however, has been very elusive.

Pastor Gwen has tried several times to reach Benny to discuss matters about sponsorship, but he’s never home. His children always say he’s out looking for food.

The next morning I saw Eric in his tutorial class at the student center and immediately noticed a big difference – he was smiling at me!

There was a toothless gap in his big grin, and I was very happy to see it.

I approached and asked if he remembered me from my last visit. He said no.

I observed Eric in class. He was the quietest and most well-behaved.

The other children were typically rowdy, but Eric went about his quiet way, listened to the teacher attentively, colored some drawings as told, and took his morning snack.

As in all student centers throughout the Philippines, Rio Tuba plans and conducts many activities for the children. The goal is to connect with each individual child so that each hears the Gospel and learns Bible stories and songs, is monitored for health, receives school tutorials, and is given a chance to just play, eat, enjoy, feel loved and feel safe.

Simply put, each child is given the chance to live a happy life so that all of them, like Eric, can begin to smile.

I learned that 6-year-old Eric comes to the center after his regular elementary school classes. He is in grade one. We grabbed a quick lunch, and it was time to meet Eric’s family again.

Pastor Gwen had briefed me on how the student center performed in its first year of partnership with Compassion. So naturally I wanted to know if all that she said was true for Eric’s family.

“The children receive one-on-one attention for counseling and tutorials. I challenge all our caseworkers to be second mothers to the children … The children are happy; we can see that in their eyes and smiles … Ninety percent of the children and their parents voluntarily come to church.”

According to the pastor, the student center has done so well that city officials took notice.

Several other agencies have come to Rio Tuba and most have failed the city’s expectations. Many were bogus, scams. Some even attempted to take children to the big city to work. City officials were very disappointed. Today they are happy at what they see going on with the Assemblies of God Church after it partnered with Compassion.

“They are now convinced that we are different and that we are for real,” Pastor Gwen says.

The Assemblies of God Church is the first and only Compassion church partner in Rio Tuba. Its closest neighbor is roughly 150 kilometers away, or six hours by rugged land travel.

I thought, “This new church partner is doing very well.” Then I met Eric’s father.

Last year he was not interested in his son being registered. I thought that after a year he would think differently, but I was wrong. He wasn’t excited at all about the sponsorship. In fact, he was sad and angry.

How could Rio Tuba seemingly have failed Benny? I had to know more.

Benny’s bamboo home has not improved a bit. In fact, it is now even more unkempt. There were dirtied clothes, unwashed plastic plates and leftover grains of rice everywhere.

I approached Benny as Pastor Gwen stayed close behind. I shook his hands and immediately the stern look on his face melted. He began to cry.

He cried like a young boy being scolded. He talked about how his eldest daughter eloped, how his two oldest sons moved out in exchange for work that pays them a few pesos a day, and how his favorite daughter, Jonalyn, left for the city to look for a job.

Jonalyn used to keep the house clean and take care of her younger brothers.

On my last interview, Benny’s wife just left him. Now, four children have done the same.

“What can I do? I have to work all day to feed my children. Only my three sons are left with me now.

“I told Eric to stop going to school and to the student center. What’s the point?

“Look at our house. It’s so messy. My boys should stay here and be responsible enough to keep it clean and tidy.”

For a whole year Benny never took Eric to the student center nor stepped inside the church. After Jonalyn left, Eric walked every day to the student center with other registered children who lived nearby.

Then I asked Benny how Eric’s sponsorship has helped them. He cried all the more and asked, “Why should they take away my son? Where are his sponsors? What are they for? Who is that Christ church?”

His reaction took me aback and I realized that this father had not yet understood many things about the program. He believed in the rumors that Compassion, like some of the other organizations that came before it, would take away children and make them work in the city.

Pastor Gwen was with me for a reason. She has been trying for a long time to talk to Benny and explain what Eric’s sponsorship really meant. This was her chance and so she made her move.

In her usual loving intonation, she carefully explained and enumerated the benefits Eric was receiving from his sponsor: the tutorials, the food, the fun time, prayers, Bible stories and so on; that Eric is now smiling.

Thank God, Benny was not hard to educate.

He stared out the window and began to nod as if to say, “Ah, so now I get it.” After a few more minutes, Benny made a confession.

“I intentionally eluded you for one whole year, but today, when I heard that you were coming with a visitor from Manila, I made sure I was here. I thought Eric’s sponsor was coming to take him away.”

The pastor smiled. I laughed and explained that I have no intentions of doing something like that to his son. Then Benny smiled, too. His first smile for the day.

After a few moments, the pastor explained that the church needed some carpentry work and that Benny should come on Sunday to see how he can help.

“Yes, pastor,” Benny said, now composed. “I will go on Sunday.”

The pastor and I visited more homes to make the most of my coming to Rio Tuba. Then at sundown we called it a day.

I made my way to my rented room on a dark, unpaved road. There were not many streetlights in Rio Tuba. One of the approaching shadows turned out to be Benny. He was the first to greet.

Benny said he was going to the church to check the carpentry work. It seemed he could not wait until Sunday. Just as he waved goodbye, he turned to me and said, “I’m going to church on Sunday.”

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Magline is deeply engrossed reading the sponsor letter she has just received from the student center.

Magline, a bright young girl from Park Circus Child Development Center, is an example of what a sponsor’s love and affection can help achieve in children who never get to paint a future for themselves because of poverty.

Magline comes from a poor family. She has been through many ups and down since childhood.

Her father was an alcoholic and did not have a job when Magline was brought to be enrolled at age 5. He would beat up Magline’s mother to get money from her to meet his thirst for wine.

But in the midst of all that, Magline’s mother was steadfast in her faith in God and kept praying for her husband’s change of heart. She toiled hard, working as a maid servant to bring up her children.

It was about the same time that Magline’s sponsorship also started, but she was far too young to understand the love and concern her sponsor had for her.

“I had no dreams for the future because I hardly understood what sponsorship meant for me,” says Magline.

However, Magline’s transformation from a shy, introverted girl to someone exercising her God-given potential today, was made possible only because of the inspiration of her sponsor.

“My sponsor helped me to dream big and dream of becoming a teacher, for which I will remain ever grateful.”

Magline has been very active at the student center from the time she was enrolled even until today, with the stage set for her to graduate from the sponsorship program.

Despite her struggles back home, she complained of nothing. Instead, she would run back to the development center every day because of the love and affection she got from her caregivers. She attended all the student center activities regularly and faithfully.

Now Magline is pursuing her Teacher’s Training Course (TTC) with help from Compassion.

“My dream of becoming a teacher is now a reality. If it wasn’t for my sponsor who supported me until now and a big-hearted donors who is paying for my course, I wouldn’t know where I would be today.

“I cannot thank my sponsor enough, for they have been more than a sponsor to me … they have been my source of encouragement, and it was for their love and affection I am lifted up.”

Magline’s sponsor came from a church named Assemblee Protestante Evangelique in France. During her 14 years of sponsorship she received many letters, but the ones that motivated her most were those that were personal and informative, communicating a lot to Magline about the French culture and faith, lifestyle and beliefs of her sponsor.

Life has not been smooth sailing for Magline at all. Just when everything seemed right for her to take admission into her TTC, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Life came to a halt and her hopes for future seemed shattered.

She had just finished high school and was getting all set for her teacher’s training course.

“This day that I waited for so long was now slipping away from my hands and I could do nothing but cry out in anguish.”

Lying on her sick bed, Magline remembered the prayers of her sponsor, the love and concern for her. It gave her strength to fight her ailment and stay focused in fulfilling her long-awaited dream of becoming a teacher.

Magline wants to be a teacher for a noble purpose: She wants to stand in the gap for poor children in her community by offering free education and support for them, much in the same way she received help from her sponsor.

“That way, I know, I can be a living witness of God’s unconditional love to people living around us.”

Magline’s presence of mind and leadership in handling critical situations have made her the first choice to be delegated with responsibilities at the child development center. She was made leader of the youth group at her student center.

She not only exercises exceptional leadership qualities but is also a multi-talented girl. She teaches music and dance to children at the student center. She has outperformed at every level – be it at the center or in school.

Mr. Simson, child development center accountant of Park Circus, says with a nod,

“Seeing Magline grow from a 7-year-old shy girl to how she manages her responsibilities today, really amazes me of how much she had been influenced by her beloved sponsor.”

Magline is involved with the youth ministry of Assemblies of God Church, Calcutta at present. The most important thing she feels she has learned from her sponsor is waiting on God and to trust only in him without a shadow of doubt.

Her sponsor was instrumental in building up her confidence in God through the scripture references mentioned in the letters, to help her overcome the fear she faced of exams.

Today, Magline stands firm in her faith as she leads a youth group at her church. She is filled with gratitude for the love and concern her sponsor showed her.

“I enjoyed reading my letters word by word until I actually memorized them completely.”

The letters gave her a special sense of belonging, one that she doesn’t have words to express. She was simply delighted to know how much she was loved and cared for, despite the great divide separating them geographically.

“Without help from my sponsor I wouldn’t have achieved anything.”

Magline’s mother feels indebted for the generosity, without which it would have been impossible for her to give Magline the education she received.

“I knew that God had a definite purpose for Magline, and her sponsors were a great channel of blessing for her and us all these years.”

With a loving sponsor, who cared and loved her dearly, and a mother whose faith was grounded so strong in the word of God, Magline would not have as bright a future.

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