Heaven Belongs to These.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” -Matthew 19:14
In the second week of our time here in the Philippines, we planned to spend a couple of days with another missionary here. I would like to formally introduce all of you who may not know her already to Kay Davidson. Kay has been a missionary in the Philippines for about the same number of years as Dale, even though their paths did not cross until much, much later. She originally came here during a time of great civil unrest to assist another missionary and be a secretary while her husband helped and worked also. After two years in the field they were forced to take a vacation, and chose to go to the northern part of Luzon. While there they visited an orphanage of yet another missionary… and were immediately touched and realized why the Lord had called them to the Philippines. The rest as they say is history.
Well, history that we are excited to tell. When we got to Kay’s orphanage, like all the churches of Faith, Hope, and Love that we visited, we really didn’t know what to expect. We’ve only ever seen pictures. Apparently we have even seen some wrong pictures that were not a part of the orphanage at all. Still not sure where the mix up happened, but that was one of the main points of this trip. We wanted to see these places with our own eyes, and film things that would come to life to help others see it with their own eyes. The orphanage is one of the biggest houses in the neighborhood, but not because of any excess of finances. Simply because an orphanage has needs. And one of those needs is space. Right now they have 3 children in the home with some rotating in and out, but in the past they have had as many as 8 (correct me if I am wrong Kay) kids at once and while that might not seem like a lot, any mom knows it is plenty.
One thing that Kay really emphasized to us is that she has never had a sign for her building with the title ‘orphanage’ because she didn’t want the stigma that comes with it. Nor did she ever really refer to her dwelling as an orphanage. It is a home. Something meant to be and feel like a home.
And it is a beautiful home. With a big fence and gate opening the way. Lots of windows around every wall, plenty of yard space for kids to run and play. A basketball court greets you on the right as you come in. And animals that are well fed and taken care of to keep the kids company. To the left there is a small sit down area, like a Gazebo. The flowers were in bloom. Even though this property had space, you could tell that all of the space has a purpose. When you enter the home you will find a sitting room with unique furniture from Mahogony out of the philippines to sit and chat. Beyond that are bedrooms, office space, and a kitchen of which you will find many of the ‘aunties’ busy. And finally, just past the kitchen, is the dining room. You wonder how many life changing and turning conversations happened around these tables. This place was ‘home’ to many children over the years. Maybe ‘was’ is the wrong term. Ya, this place IS home to so many children, as they still come back.
We first got to sit down with Joel who I am still convinced is lying to us about his age. He says he is 42, but the man doesn’t look a day over 30. We’ve noticed that just about every Filipino here that they all look younger than they are. Good problem to have, (except when trying to get certain positions at a job). Joel told us about how Kay gave the kids opportunities they never would have had on the streets or even at other orphanages. How Kay is like a mom to him, and how he learned how to use tools and still comes back home every month or two to fix stuff that the ‘aunties’ leave him to fix. Washers, plumbing, electrical, welding, you name it. Joel said because of Kay, he is quite literally, ‘the 1 in a million’ who has the opportunity to succeed. Kay’s ministry is oh so important.
We got to also interview Gilbert and Rhea who are younger than Joel by about a decade. They both have unique stories and backgrounds too, and shared how ‘Lola’ (a term of respect and honor for an elderly woman) ‘Lola Kay’ was strict! But strict in a good way. And kind, and loving, and forgiving. That even when they made mistakes growing up, or after they grew up, they were always welcomed home and guided back to the straight path. Rhea even has a tattoo with a compass on it and I asked her what the significance was, and she said ‘it reminds her that if you ever get lost, you can always find your way back’. I believe Kay taught her this, and she holds it dear to this day.
As I said there are 3 kids currently in the home. 2 recently were adopted out which is very exciting. These 3 are absolute sweethearts and love to laugh, to hug, and to play. One was even following Andrew and I around with one of our microphones helping us conduct interviews. He is a natural, and my job will go away very soon. Pictures of these kiddos will be slim as there are some rules and regulations of the Philippines we have to follow, but just know they are precious.
One of the encouraging things that I learned on this visit is that Kay’s ministry goes far beyond just having kids in the home. They do a whole lot to help out families in the community stay together by providing milk, food, and parenting help. Really their goal is to keep families together if possible and if it makes sense and so they are helping far more than just the 3 kids in the home right now. Kay is a staple in the community. They all know who she is, and they all respect her and love her for what she has done for so many people now. She has planted 1 or 2 churches, and become a beacon of light and reflection of Jesus to all she meets. When we left we could tell that the great family that has surrounded her all these years since her husband passed have truly become her own family. She loves these kids, and they love her. When she reads the scripture that tells us Jesus says let the children come, she took it literally. She wants every child to know that they can have a home, and be loved.
Thank you Lola Kay and Lolo Dick, for giving these children and many others a home, a family, and love.
