Last December 6, 2009, I was given a privilege to join Victory-greenhills Kids Church in their activity involving Leukemia patients at Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).  THe program involved a dance and song number, magic show, tatoo booth, crafts making, gift giving and many more!!

I’ve been to many outreach programs, outreach parties, to some of them I was even the one organizing, but this event was different because of the degree of interaction and engagement it has.  The involvement of Victory-Gh kids is also notable in thei event.  They are our partners, not merely kids we carried along.  They were involved in the interaction, at an early age, involved in impacting lives

‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'(matthew 25:40,Msg)

I was very privileged to get a glimpse of God’s awesome, infinite, indescribable love!!!! To be with them allowed me to feel a chunk of Jesus’ big heart.

It almost made me cry when our Victory kids sang a song for the patients and guardians. At that time I was carrying a 2-year old kid with ALL(acute Lymphocytic leukemia). I was looking at the stage where our Victory kids, who at a young age, were being used by God to minister to them and change lives.  At the other side are the kids with the disease, absorbing the message of the song, some were singing along, some were bored(possibly excited for the next activity), nevertheless; at one point or the other, absorbed the song. On the opposite side were the guardians.  I was looking at the guardians, a person can discern that they were internalizing the song (which by the way was the sound track of My Bukas Pa) and you can discern the weight of their struggles and concerns.

At this point I admit that I did cry. Still carrying the kid, we swayed to the tune of the song and used him to shield my tears (ayokong maging mangaagaw ng eksena,hehehe) and I just started praying to God.

Interaction and crafts time came and this is where we got to know the kids and their guardians’ story in an more personal and direct mode. We listened, empathized and shared hope.  I was really moved with this activity and we had fun while eating together and doing the crafts together.

Much is yet to be said with this event, but what I reflected and what I can and did share was this:

“For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?” (1cor2:16,NIV)

I do not know why these kids, at such an early age, should have this kind of illness, and to give a reason for this is even more foolishness.  That reasoning and understanding belongs to God.  But what I do know and am confident is this:

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He even gave up His only unique Son, so that whoever believes in, trusts in, clings to, relies on Him shall not perish but have eternal  life.” (john3:16,AMP)

This is what I am sure of, that even if all else fails, there is still one God who loves them (us) and for those who “casts their cares/anxieties to the Lord”(Psalm 55:22, 1 peter 5:7) and for those who love him, God promised that :

“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him” (1cor2:9,NIV)

I was just overwhelmed by being used by God, to have that privilege to be his vessel of love and care.  To feel a tiny portion of compassion from a God’s big heart.  At the end of it I end up worshiping him more.

After engaging with them you can feel the increase in hope in them (especially the guardians) and it got me all the more awed by the power of this verse

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (psalm 34:18, NIV)

Thanks for the people who made this activity possible!!!