Hi Dear Friends and Family!

The Lord has blessed us with yet another wonderful week! The Lord Jesus has been revealing his powerful presence and love to our team as we have ministered alongside the church here in the Philippines! What a blessing it is to serve him!

Once again our week was spent in two different cities! Early in the week we were here in Marikina. We spent a majority of those two days visiting families and interacting with the children and youth of Neverland. It is hard to find words to describe the joy and gratitude that the family members expressed to us for taking the time to visit them in their small homes. As we visited with different families we were privileged to hear about their lives and how God had become their treasure! Though these people are so poor they have so much joy and contentment because they know Jesus! I do not think I have ever heard them voice a complaint about their circumstance and this is very challenging to me because I who have so much in comparison have difficulty finding the contentment they possess.

While in Neverland we have been able to share about the love of Christ through our own testimonies of Jesus' work in our lives. Along with this we have taught bible stories to children and youth. However, I believe that it was through our times of playful interaction with children that Jesus revealed his love most to the children. They loved to be held close and it brought us much joy as a team to offer them this loving touch!

For the last five days we have been in Cavite City working amongst the people who live in the neighborhood known as Bagong Pook. The ministry that we took part in here was very similar to Neverland, in that we spent time with children, youth and their families.

On Friday and Monday morning we woke up early in the morning to serve malnourished children breakfast before they went off to school. There are about 70 children that are served over the duration of several hours. Again I am so impressed by the gratitude of these children for the meal that they receive. There is nothing but thankfulness and respect.

We had the wonderful opportunity to head up a Christmas Party on Saturday for 150 children! We all dressed up and Santa even showed up with a gift for each one of the children! We had so much fun playing games and singing Christmas carols together! In the midst of the chaotic yet fabulous party we managed to calm the children down enough to share the Christmas story with them which we were thankful for. We all thought it was a little strange to celebrate Christmas while it was so hot outside! I don't think I have ever sweat so much while singing Jingle Bells!

Today was our last day with the church in Cavite City. Though we are very thankful for the relationships that we were able to develop while we were there, it was extremely difficult for us as a team to say our goodbyes. During our time of ministry we were blessed to be able to form some strong connections with the youth group. Tonight before we left we went through the alley ways of Bagong Pook and sang Christmas Carols to a number of families who live their. It was a blessing for me to watch as the team walked arm in arm with the youth from home to home. God has been so good to us during our time of ministry here!

Thank you so much for your continued prayer! We are so blessed to know that we have you supporting us back home! Please continue to remember us in your prayers as we wrap up our ministry here in Marikina and then as we spend several days debriefing our experience as a team. May God bless you for your faithfulness as you journey with us in prayer!

In His Grace,

Graham Sweet

The Expedition Team of 2010

We are entering into our third week in the Philippines! It is hard for us to believe that we are already half way through our time here. We have been so blessed through the time that we have spent in Neverland and Cavite City. As a team we have been able to connect in a meaningful way with the children and the youth that live in these communities.

The other day while we were serving in Neverland, one of the church members we were working with shared with me that she was so thankful for how the team had connected with the children and made such an effort to learn their names. Many of parents of these children have to work long hours so that they can provide for their families. Sadly, this takes away from the time that these parents could spend with their children. Therefore, many of these children are longing for love and affection. The second or third time that we went to Neverland as a team the children were already waiting for us on the other side of the river as we crossed over in the small boat. We love spending time with them and it is such a privilege to show the love of our Jesus to them by holding them in our arms.

A highlight for our team this last week in Cavite City was when we took fifty children to the zoo. We were each given the responsibility and the joy to have five or six children under our care as we went around the zoo looking at all the animals! The children were so excited! The took hold of our hands and pulled us from one cage to the next! It was great to watch their reactions as they saw the different animals! This morning at the zoo was was such a special opportunity for us as a team to reach out to these little children with the love of Jesus!

It has been a joy for me as a leader to see how the Lord has used the testimonies of each team member to touch lives here! As the team has shared their lives with the Filipino people God has been working in and through us! It is awesome to see how God uses our stories of His work in our lives to encourage and bring hope! Praise God for his sovereignty and love!

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers! We are so grateful and encouraged to know that you are praying for the ministry that God is doing here in the Philippines! Thank you for praying for our health. This is so necessary as we are serving in dump sites. Please also pray for travel safety as we travel back and forth between here and Cavite City. So far we have not experienced any problems though we have endured some crazy rides in the Jeepneys! I know that it is only half way through our time here but soon we will have to start saying our good byes to the people we have met. Please pray for the children especially as we part ways with them. It is also not going to be easy for us to leave Neverland or Cavite City as we have bonded with many of the children and youth that live in these communities.

Thank You again for your support for our team! Without you we would not be making the headway we have made for the Kingdom of God! Be blessed!

In His loving hands!

The Expedition Team!

Hello from Markina, Philippines!

We have now been in the Philippines for a little over a week! Thank you so much for your prayers for us as a team. We have been blessed by the hospitality of those we are serving with. The family that has welcomed us into their home here have helped us to adjust to life in the Philippines by helping us learn important phrases in Tagalog and by serving us some wonderful Filipino dishes!
We have enjoyed working alongside Pastor Ronnie who has traveled with us to our various ministry sites. He has a wonderful sense of humor! In the picture you can see us singing a special number at the church were Pastor Ronnie serves. We have joined in this church's outreach into a squatter community known as Neverland. There we have enjoyed playing games and singing songs with the children. We have also led Bible studies with the adults in the community. The team has been able to develop some wonderful relationships with some of the children in Neverland and we are encouraged by how the Lord is working in this community.

In the second half of last week we traveled to Cavite City to take part in the ministry of a church that is reaching out to people that live on a dump site. Seeing this intense poverty is very difficult and we continue to seek the Lord as to how we can communicate the love of Christ in this poverty stricken community. We will be returning to this community at the second half of every week that we are here in the Philippines.

The Lord is holding us together as a team and I am thankful for how we can work alongside one another in the Spirit of unity! Please continue to pray that the Lord will empower us to be bearers of his image to those we meet. Pray that His love will be visible in our interactions as a team and with those we meet. Please also pray for the health of our team members as some of us our not feeling well and need God's healing touch and power. Thank you again for your faithful support and prayer! God is moving in our midst and it is a joy to be a part of his kingdom work in Manila!

In His Hands,
The Expedition Team!

Expedition Team of Fall 2010

We are the Expedition Team of Fall 2010! Our names are Katrina, Meredith, Graham, Ben, Carla and Cameron (from left to right). Chrystine also took part in the first half of our ministry experience, however she was unable to continue with us due to health concerns.

Over the course of the fall semester we have had the privilege to experience a wide variety of ministry together as a team. From local ministries in Kitchener Waterloo to ministries in Montreal and New York city we have seen God's hand at work around us and have been blessed to join in what He is doing!

Thursday morning we will be embarking on our final journey as a team to the Philippines. Over the course of the next month we will be working along side local missionaries in the city of Manila. During our stay we will spend time in two communities as we seek to develop relationships with those who live there. It is our prayer that we will be the light of Christ in these communities and that those we meet will be touched by Jesus through our presence. As team leader I am so excited to see how God will use us to proclaim His love and truth!

I invite you to journey with us by supporting us with your prayers. Whenever God's kingdom advances Satan will do whatever he can to fight against it so please join us as we pray and work to see God's kingdom come in the lives of the Filipino people! Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

In Christ and with much anticipation,

The Expedition Team!