Philippines Dispatch 3- Purity, Everywhere and Always

Purity: Everywhere and Always

Once again, early morning greetings from the other side of the world. I pray that your Mondays were as good as mine and from my vantage point Tuesday is going to be much better. Your heard it here first.

It is political season in the Philippines (elections are May 10th) which means street arguments, party brawls, and above all political flyers teeming by the millions. It is no exaggeration to say that every available square inch of wall has been covered by political flyers proclaiming their candidate as the one who loves the poor and aims to destroy all the corruption of government (it seems the FIlippinos have been paying attention to their American cousins). For a country that is struggling to provide jobs for a vast majority of it's work force- it sure seems they have plenty of pesos to spend on politics. Politcal flyers as far as the eyes can see.

But there is another flyer that hang on the far wall of an outdoor gym at the East City Secondary School in Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro.

It simply reads Purity: Everywhere and Always.

What a stark contrast to the flyers of pride, corruption, and greed that choke the rest of the country.

It is here at the North Mindanao Summer Youth Camp that students from all over the region have poured into the rented school property. Student from as far as 350 kilometers (a tremendous distance in an island nation) have come to worship, sing, and experience Jesus together.

I arrived at last nights opening concert to the hustle and bustle of campers and parents trying to settle into their dormitories. At first glance it would appear to be any other Monday at any other UPCI campground in America. At first glance...

The boys all stand in semicircles, their hair spiked and gelled to the imperfect perfection, their demeanor of "I don't care" screaming loud and clear despite their casual and frequent glances in the direction of the girls... Just to make sure they are still watching them. The girls in turn play their part in the Pentecostal mating game, wearing their Sunday best in spite of the scorching heat that lingers on after thte fall of darkness.

But it is here that the similarities begin to dissipate. Now I remember the old Indiana campgrounds fondly... And I have scars to prove it. I remember the days before the sanctuary or dorms were air conditioned, before the new cafeteria, before the adjustable basketball goals. I am among the chorus that knows what a 5 day camp sun burn, heat stroke, and frozen shower experience feels like. But as bad as we had it back in the 80's and 90's, it pales in comparison to our Philippine brothers and sisters.

To begin, the price of registration is 200 pesos per camper (1 dollar = 46 pesos so the price is roughly $2.20 for the four day camp). This sounds very cheap for an American but it is the maximum amount the cam staff can ask for the average camper to afford (registration does not include food). The camp staff spends the weeks before e camp sweating out the finances of renting the facility (4 day rental is about $300), hoping at enough campers will show up to alleviate the costs. There was a tremendous sigh of relief amongst the staff when nearly 500 campers registered.

As I wrote earlier, the food is not included in the price of registration, innovative as they are, e camps staff has set up a makeshift cafeteria under a borrowed Coca-Cola tent, for the children to buy meals for around 10-15 peso per meal. Last night I dined with the campers to a traditional meal of pork stomach lining and pork fat, a piece of fried fish, and of course a helping of rice. It makes the "panfakes, facon, and feggs with sunny d" a delicacy of epic proportions. (I would love to eat and Indiana Camp frito boat right now).

The concert began and the student stormed the gym. The first 300 hundred of them found a seat... The unlucky two hundred or so are forced to stand (tonight we are expecting maybe 700 with visitors). The staff could only afford to rent 300 hundred chairs on their stretched thin budget.

After a few hours of worship songs, featuring IBC... And the appearance of the drama with the life house song with a Filippino Jesus holding Hell's demons at bay ( some of you know exactly what I am talking about)... It was time for the campers to return to their dormitories... Er classrooms. The dorms are the classrooms of the school that they are renting. The children sleep on the school tables and the hard concrete floors with whatever bedding they had room to bring on the buses and Jeepneys to get to the camp.

It was heartbreaking to see.

It a world of ministry that values hip, cool, and groundbreaking as the model for growth, these students lead the way to the heart of Christ following after the Spirit, meeting in fellowship, joining together in worship.

It is so old school that I predict it will become new school.

It really is all about Jesus... Not just in phrase but in deed.

And in a world marked by poverty and corruption, the banner of Purity: Everywhere and Always stands tall and clear. Now that is being salt and light in the world.