Rosemary's Home of Hope

Where did you go?

"We went to Rosemary's Home of Hope, an orphanage in Leyte, Philippines, that was founded by a local pastor from northeast Mississippi!"

What did you do?

"We spent most of our time at the orphanage playing with the children. We brought some supplies from America such as: toothpaste, vitamins, books, toys, and shoes for the kids at the orphanage......

"Our main focus though, was to put on a DNOW for the kids in the surrounding villages at East Marietta Baptist Church of the Philippines. There were kids coming from two or three hours away just to be there for the DNOW."

What are some differences between America and the Philippines?

"Their attitudes and joy, and it is not just the kids in the orphanage, it is everyone! They just have this joy and this thankfulness that we do not have here. They do not have everything we have. We have so much more as far as material things go, but they appreciate everything that they have. It is like they just live in the middle of God's will 24/7. There are no outside distractions or anything they are just right there in his will. They have this contentment and this peace and this happiness that we do not allow ourselves to experience here with all of our distractions. We may have more materially, but they have more than we could ever know. They realize that Jesus is all they need, because Jesus is all they have."

Is there a part of the trip that really stuck out to you?

Faith: "It had to be when we went to Cacao, because those people met to worship and they did not even have an actual church building, but they still came. There are only three families that attend faithfully, but that village is so small and the houses are so compact that when people leave from playing basketball they have no choice but to hear the word of God. They can not get away from it. We were using microphones and speakers and it does not matter how far they go in their community, they can still hear it."

Brianna: "Every second of the trip was a blessing. For me, I think it was being able to relate with the kids. You do not really think about how you are like people from a different country. It was the way that God chose to use me. You know that God will, but to see it first-hand and to see God use something in your life to help them relate to you or open up to you about their life when they hear your experiences is eye-opening."

Hayden: "The love in the hearts of the children. They are so willing and so ready to help someone. One morning some of the girls and I went outside to pick up trash left from the DNOW the night before. Some of the kids saw us picking up trash and they came running to help. After we had finished picking up the trash, I realized I had many small little prickly burrs on my pant-legs. By the time I had reached down to pick one out, about 5 kids swarmed my legs to help me clean my pants. I started to laugh and looked up to get Faith's attention. She started laughing and realized she was covered in burrs as well. Before she could reach down, 5 more kids swarmed her legs and started to clean her pants. Brianna walks around the corner and before she can finish saying "Oh look, I have some t.." the rest of the children helping us swarmed her also. I've never been around such a willing group of people, much less children."

What did the trip mean to you?

"It is impossible to put into words what the trip meant to us. It is something someone has to personally experience to fully understand. All we know is that place has become our home, and we look forward to going back if God allows us to. For now, we look forward to seeing how God works in our lives, and we are so excited to serve him!"