"The common road of hope, which we all [travel], has brought us into a strong kinship."
-Richard Wright

Dear friends,
 
Several weeks ago we were visited by a wonderful group of friends from the Tampa Underground in Florida.  Representatives from this faith community stayed in Manila several years ago and particularly some of the young ladies from their group helped Samaritana in different ways.  How exciting it was to meet Joann again and hear from her how, upon returning to Tampa, they began a new ministry reaching out to the women on their streets (www.createdwomen.com)!  And how humbling to learn that the seeds of their vision and passion God planted in their hearts while they were with us at Samaritana!  These compassionate and courageous young women (and men) are going out and befriending the women on their neighborhood’s streets at night, and have begun a small home ministry for those who need a place to stay after they leave jail.

What amazes me is not so much the connection of Created to Samaritana, but all the ways God is on the move in the hearts of women and men in different places, drawing them near to that divine heartbeat which is so strong on behalf of those who are lost and forgotten, used and abused.  I believe Samaritana’s community is in step with God’s movement among and on half of marginalized women, and friends like you who pray for us, support us financially, and volunteer and help in various ways are in step as well.  Thank you!

May God continue to touch the hearts of others like the new community at Created.  May God sustain them and all of us as we follow Jesus and find him among our sisters on the streets and in the bars and clubs.

Gratefully,

The ICAP Philippines meeting took place in a traditional Filipino “Bahay Kubo”

Women and Children’s Retreat Addendum

Our heartfelt thanks to Rev. Caroline Weaver for serving as speaker at the Women and Children’s Retreat this past February, and for the ways she blessed and touched the lives of the women and children who attended the retreat.  We would also like to express our deep gratitude to the Methodist churches of Hemel, Hempstead, and Berkhamsted for funding the retreat.  The wonderful time and bonding experience enjoyed by the women and children was made possible through their prayers and financial support

Children’s Program Update

June marks the start of the new school year in the Philippines, and for the 11 children enrolled in Samaritana’s Child Sponsorship Program, it also meant free school supplies! Generous financial support from friends in Finland (Lasten Tulevaisuus) and the United States (MEANS) enabled Samaritana to provide each sponsored child with a new backpack, school uniform, umbrella, pens, pencils, paper and notebooks. 

ICAP Philippines Meeting

From May 10-20, Jennifer Singh, the newly appointed executive director of the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution (ICAP), came to the Philippines to familiarize herself with the issues, conditions, and needs of prostitution-oriented ministries and meet with Filipino ministry partners. On May 16th, representatives from Samaritana, RENEW Foundation, and FOCUS met with Jennifer at RENEW’s center in Angeles City to share about their respective ministries, learn from one another, and seek ways to strengthen the growing Filipino network of ministries, NGOs and churches that address prostitution and trafficking.

    

Samaritana Presence in an Unreached Area

Earlier this year, Samaritana’s outreach team began to make connections near the Tandang Sora public market, another venue for bar prostitution in Quezon City. Upon their first conversations with the women in Tandang Sora, Samaritana’s outreach team learned that there was no other NGO or ministry presence in that area. Since then, Samaritana has gone there nearly every week to build trust and friendships with the women in the bars. One woman from this new outreach area has enrolled her child in Samaritana’s child sponsorship program and three other women have attended fellowship events at Samaritana.

Mom and Me Missions Trip

On June 7th, a team of Americans from the Mom and Me Missions Trip put on a special event at Samaritana. In total, 28 women attended the event, including current trainees, former trainees, and women from the bars and the streets. The MMMT team led a worship session, took time to have individual conversations with some of the women, and prepared and distributed gift bags to the women. One member of the MMMT team shared a powerful testimony about how God has healed her from shame and pain and transformed her life. Her story clearly resonated with many of the women, and several made the decision to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.