Journal Entry, Day 1

Interview street children? Expect a thief to tell the truth? The sheer number of kids is overwhelming and you know they will expect something in return. What are we thinking? There is no possible way we can make a difference. Since they are accustomed to begging, they’ll probably ask for money, or maybe food. These kids are street smart. They’ll figure out that if they cooperate and tell their stories, they will be in a position to expect some kind of “payment. . .”

Journal Entry, Day 3

Now, at the end of three fourteen-hour days of talking to these kids, it is difficult not to feel ashamed of thinking that they would expect payment.  Not one child or adult asked for a thing. Not food. Not money. Not a thing. That someone was interested in them was all they wanted. Maybe we can make a difference!

Surrounded by dirty, yet bright-eyed children, you might assume that these children are innocent, little ones playing in the street because of a lack of supervision. The truth is that more than one million children live on the streets in the Philippines. Some sell cigarettes or snacks. Often they set up shop outside a tavern where drunken men sexually exploit the little girls. Some will stand in heavy traffic inhaling exhaust fumes, hoping for a chance to clean a car window. Others shine shoes or steal. And sadly for some, survival sex is what puts food in their aching stomachs.

Ken Oosting and his wife witnessed the horrors of life on the street for these children. Not able to walk away and do nothing, they began the ministry of Christians’ Haven in 1996, located in a mountain village on the Filipino island of Mindanao. They are committed to rescuing children from the jaws of street life. While they provide a nurturing environment, their ultimate goal is to introduce them to Jesus.

In partnership with Ken Oosting and Christians’ Haven, GNPI-Philippines will release their first feature length movie about street children called All Things New. True stories of children rescued by Christians’ Haven will serve as a powerful backdrop for this film. Its message will have the ability to reach nationalleaders, parents, and people around the world, showing them that these children are not the problem but a symptom. When introduced to Jesus, they can become part of the solution.

• One little boy’s first memory of abuse, at the hands of his drunken father, happened when he was only 4 years old. By age 6, he had moved onto the streets and had learned that sniffing glue would make the hunger pangs go away.

• “My husband had a decent job as a mechanic. Five years ago, he took one of my (three) children and ran off with another woman.” She started to cry. “With no way to pay rent, my only choice was to move into the street.  I took all the money I had and bought snacks to sell outside the gates of a small hospital, but soon, the police confiscated everything saying that selling was not permitted in that area.” Her empty gaze dropped to the ground. “Now we just beg.”

Even street children have dreams. They dream of flying an airplane or standing in front of a classroom and being called “Teacher.” They dream of being doctors, police officers, and lawyers. They know that to live their dream could be next to impossible. Schooling? Hardly. Street children have nobody to believe in them, and they don’t know Jesus. For many, the thought of leaving the streets causes fear. Life is dangerous and frightening, but it’s all they know.

The horrors of life on the street are not sugarcoated in All Things New. This may cause parents to try harder to keep their children home. Community leaders will see the amazing potential these kids have, given the opportunity, and other ministries will be inspired to reach out and assist Christians’ Haven. 

• David went to school until the third grade; then dropped out to help support his family of eight. “I sold plastic in the market but, if I did not have money to give to my mother, I slept on the streets. Sometimes my father would ask me for money.  I thought he was supposed to take care of me.” Christians’ Haven rescued David from street life when he was 14 years old. He is now in high school and has plans to go to college. His prayer is for salvation for his family.

It is evident in Jesus' ministry that He frequently spent time with the outcasts of society. While the religious folks of his day scoffed, He helped His disciples work through their fears, overcome their hang-ups, and connect with people – especially the outcasts. It is the prayer of GNPI that All Things New will help to bring an awareness that we can make a real difference, not only in the Philippines, but in every country where children struggle every day to survive life on the street.

Rich Sheeley, executive director for GNPI, traveled to the Philippines during the shooting of All Things New. He returned with so much excitement over the project. “One thing I’ve learned over the years is that God isn’t just interested in the completed production. He uses the process to touch lives just as much as the completed production,” he said. 

God didn’t waste any time. Virtually every one of the actors and production crew who were new to working on a Christian film said they had never experienced a production like this. Nobody was yelling, belittling their efforts or highlighting their mistakes. Although we didn’t pay the premium others pay, they said they would always give us preference over any other project. Rich also shared this incredible achievement:

“From the beginning, we hoped to shoot two versions of the film, one in English and the other in Tagolog, the native language in the Philippines. About six weeks before filming started writers temporarily stopped translating the script because they feared time constraints wouldn’t allow two versions to be done. After talking, we decided to trust God to make a way and continue translating. By God’s grace and sovereignty over the shooting schedule, there was time for scenes to be shot in both languages, and it has served as a milestone — accomplishing something neither we nor any of our friends had ever done before. To His glory, all the filming was completed on time, with two versions of the movie being shot simultaneously!”

Prevention is always more effective than cure. We believe All Things New can keep hundreds, if not thousands, of kids from moving to the streets. We believe it can change government and community leaders’ attitudes about street kids. We are anxious for you to see the English version!

Nenette Pacoli is the regional director for GNPI-Philippines.  She shared the following in an email about the time on location while shooting All Things New:

“One of the best things about the shoot was that we weren't just making a movie - God was working in each of our lives through the movie!  In our devotions during the first two weeks, the recurring theme was ‘God chose you for this project,’ and as the shooting progressed, we saw how God ministered to us in very personal ways.  The best examples are Dido, who played Pastor Rico; Red, who played Nardo (one of the four boys), and Amor, our audioman.  Dido was assigned to a room with Alex Comption, and he was in awe of Alex's discipline in reading the Bible the moment he wakes up.  That had a tremendous impact on him and now, after we've all come back to Manila, Dido says he now wakes up at 6:00 a.m. (not 10:00 a.m. like he used to) and he spends the time reading the Bible and meditating.  He says that shooting the movie was really more like a retreat for him.

Red, on the other hand, was born to Christian parents and has always been surrounded by a loving family.  Although he knew God's love, he said a line in the movie struck him so hard that he cried while doing the scene, although he never intended to do so! He'd memorized his lines long before the shoot, but in the moment, they suddenly took on a very personal meaning:  ‘You can't do it on your own, it takes God's love and power to do miracles . . .’ He says it's now etched in his mind.

Amor, our audioman became a Christian a few years ago but had a bad experience in the church he was attending, so he had stopped going.  The time he spent in the movie, the devotions, prayers, and the camaraderie was God's way of reaching out to him again.  After the shoot Amor said, ‘I've come back, it was a time of refreshing.’ 

For me, the movie was God's way of revealing Himself to me in a BIGGER way!  It was like a promotion, like God telling me, ‘Okay, you are ready for more of Me!’  And truly, it was such a big project that I could never ever have done it without Him there every step of the way!!!  And oh, the blessings, the miracles that He gave us, big and small, were all so AWESOME!  His Presence was so real - in the people I worked with, and the verse ‘God works things out for the good of those who love Him, for those who are CALLED His purpose . . .’ was almost tangible.

I can never thank God enough for allowing me to have that experience, even if I did find myself in over my head at times, for it reinforced God's power, love, and might; at the same time, showing He is so personal, so funny, so caring!”