WONDERFUL WORK AT HOSPICIO DE SAN JOSE

   On an island in the middle of the Pasig River in the heart of Manila lies this sanctuary of love and hope. In 1778 a small hospital was built here. Over the years it was presided over by various groups until in 1866 it was permanently turned over to the Daughters of Charity of St.Vincent de Paul of the Catholic Church. On the island is a church, hospital, rehabilitation services and dormitories for children, battered women and children and HIV patients.
   It is the first social welfare agency in the Philippines. It is home to orphans, abandoned and special needs children and elderly.
  We were invited by the U.S. Embassy to supply needed wheelchairs to the children with special needs. Dustin Bradshaw (from Beaver, UT) is our contact in the embassy with a charitable group made up of embassy volunteers.

 

Upon our Saturday arrival, we met 15 children aged 4 to 18 that would be assessed for an intermediate wheelchair. Six assessors had volunteered their time that day to help.

 

 

The children were wonderful to meet. Loving and kind only begins to describe what they were like. Most of the people that work here are volunteers. The volunteers are doing everything for these children and the others that are housed here. I could really feel the Spirit here as we went about our work. Our Father in Heaven truly loves these wonderful children and all those that assist them.

 

 

Meet Angie. She is a treasure. With no arms, she struggled to find things she could do. She discovered that she could paint with her feet. Her paintings are beautiful and have been made into cards that can be purchased. She is so tender and kind. She constantly likes to be hugged and we did our best to accommodate.

 

Also housed there are elderly with no where else to go. We saw a need to repair and donate more wheelchairs for them. I have scheduled next week to return and collect an inventory of needed parts to get ordered. We will then schedule a day with the embassy to to the necessary work.

 

 

They lady with the red purse is 94 years old and still has a great voice. She sang us a song that she loves about Christ. I had never heard it before, but it was beautiful.

Our day was well spent as we collected necessary information to provide help. We will schedule two days here in the near future - one to fit the children to the wheelchairs that are being built for them and one to do the repairs of the wheelchairs and to donate more for the elderly.

I love what we are doing - PRICELESS !!