BETHANY AND THE ERA OF SELF SUSTAINABILITY BEGINS

Marking out the position where the first rubber trees will be planted

Ground breaking in prepartion for the first seedling to be planted

I mentioned sometime back about an idea of establishing a rubber tree plantation which will help make Bethany self sufficient in time. Earlier in the year when last in Talakag I discussed the possibility of establishing a rubber plantation as a means to Bethany becoming self sufficient in funding which would go a long way in helping alleviate their constant cash worries. Just imagine a dedicated band of administrators and carers doing a sterling job with orphaned, abandoned and needy children and despite everything they still live in hope that somewhere or somehow funding will become available. These same dedicated people have often gone without themselves just to ensure that the children of Bethany come first just as the founder Miss Louise Lynip would have wished for. With their plight in mind I spoke with our friends back in the UK and explained what our intention was regarding establishing a rubber plantation.

The first to offer assistance was none other than the Bae Labi of Western Mindanao Sonita Manlin Mande-Ryde I wrote sometime ago in my blog about the Mindanaoan Princess living in North Yorkshire, well the Bae Labi donated funding for the first hectare to be planted. My former work colleague and good friend David Mackenzie along with Angela Rice another former work colleague donated a further hectare each. Other very good friends of ours Mrs Lorna Wishart and Mr Bob Hills and his wife Ann, together with Marilou’s colleagues at Durham Business School also donated a sum of money towards a further hectare which with smaller contributions will make already four hectares. Marilou and I said we would not buy each other Christmas presents or indeed anyone this year and instead we will donate a further hectare making five hectares in total. That is 1/3 of the project already funded as there is 15(fifteen) hectares of available land for planting rubber trees. Bearing in mind it takes five years from planting the first seedlings to tapping the trees to produce latex we cannot hang around if we are to be successful, so I’m asking all friends and well wishers of Bethany Christian Home For Children Inc to please help us to realize our dream of self sufficiency. I will personally manage and report on the progress of the project as I live permanently now in Talakag so be rest assured your donations will be well cared for and you will be given regular updates on our progress. For those of you who donate a full hectare or part you will be given a certificate for the amount of donation and the area that has been planted in rubber trees. This is not a fly by night project but something that will sustain Bethany for the next 45 years or so, the life of a rubber tree.

The first of the land clearing and marking out commenced this week with myself and Marilou in attendance to check on progress. We were so proud to know that in such a short space of time our dream had commence. So if we want to see Bethany continue to do its very best for the children who constantly need its help, please dig deep and give comfort to the dedicated band of staff and show them that we care and appreciate their valuable contribution. For more information on the project or sending donations etc please feel free to contact me direct at jcjimc@aol.com

JUST AN UPDATE SO FAR

Hi everyone just a short blog to let you know we are now well and truly entrenched in Talakag.When we arrived on the 26th we were busy trying to sort out our container clearance as well as my residence visa.We had to return to Manila on the second week of our arrival to complete the necessary paper work.Glad to say we have completed everything and our container should arrive from Cebu in Talakag on Saturday morning all going well.(Slight technical hitch engine failure on ship mid jouney now due to be delivered Talakag Sunday morning.)
We contacted Greg and Rose Longcob at Bethany but so far been unable to meet up as Greg has a heavy cold and we have been so busy but next week we will definately meet up and bring them up to date with the news from the UK which is quite exciting.I will post about the UK news next week after I have discussed everything with Rose and Greg.
Till then please continue to read and look out for more news from Bethany.

Now you know why we are keen to reach Talakag

When we awoke this morning this was the view from our livingroom window.Gosh its getting cold now in England so its little wonder that we want to get to Talakag as soon as possible.I just hope the roads are clear for the journey to the airport on Tuesday morning as we will leave home at 3.30am grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!
Never mind by this time next week the weather should improve for us.

Our Children at Bethany

A Big Welcome To My New Bethany Site

Now that AOL has closed their hometown blog site we had no alternative but to construct a new blog site for Bethany Christian Home for Children Inc in Talakag, Bukidnon.
I have copied and pasted much of the former material just for reference purposes but unfortunately all of the old photographs have been lost. Not to worry as I have copies and will re post them where appropriate.
So for my wife Marilou and myself not only is this a new bog site but also a new beginning as we travel to the Philippines on Tuesday 25th November to start our retirement in the town of Talakag.
I just hope that through this site the many people who visit us here will be inspired to assist where possible to help support the upkeep of such a wonderful facility as is the Bethany Christian Home for Children in Talakag. Its always been my belief if kind hearted people know what is happening with their donations they continue to respond and this is the intent of this blog. I intend to regularly update all those who are interested in Bethany as to the progress being made in respect of the children being cared for. This way our donors take ownership for the longer term plans of the facility.
All I can say is I will endeavour to do my best along with my wife to ensure that the children continue to come first as was the cornerstone of its founder Louise Lynip and the goal of the current Management and Board.

Recent Pictures From Bethany

Update From Bethany

Originally posted 4 June 2008

BETHANY CHRISTIAN HOME FOR CHILDREN, INC.
Talakag, Bukidnon – 8708
Webpage – http://www.bethany-ph.cjb.net/
e-mail add – llynip50th@yahoo.com.ph

June 16, 2008

Dear Friends,

Children….they are God sent…….they are our inspiration!

As of this date we have a total of 26 children under our care. Seven are in the age bracket of new born to two years old, five that are aging from 3 to 5 years old, eight are from 6 to 12 years old and there are 6 that are 13 to 20 years old.

May 28, 2008, we also received a 2 months old baby boy whose 13 years old mother could not continue to provide and take care of him. Two days after baby John Carlo came to Bethany, we saw him smile while he coos to our faces. He is the youngest of the 26 children in care at present.

March 15, 2008, two young siblings Angelo Daniel 3 and baby Criselda 7 months old were given up by their biological father after their birth mother died of hemorrhage a month after giving birth of Criselda. The father could not take care of the children at the same time work for a living.

April 28 & 29, 2008, we were inspired by the special visit of Mrs. Marylou Eshelman and Ms. Naseem both from Wide Horizons for Children, Inc. in Massachusetts, USA. They came to visit the home and took pictures of the four Neri Siblings that were matched and will be joining one of their adoptive families soon.

There are 4 children that are just waiting for their adoptive families to come from the US and there are 5 children that are now ready for inter-country placement.

Our priority needs and prayer requests:
Children’s monthly food …………………………….$ 400.00
Babies monthly milk…………………………………$ 200.00
Monthly medicines & vitamins………………………$ 200.00
Monthly electric bill ………………………………....$ 700.00
Caregivers’ monthly salary…………………………..$1,500.00 (for 8 persons)

You can select where you want to designate your monthly support from the above priority list of needs.
We need sponsors for our Rubber planting project:

You can support our plan to plant rubber trees in our available 11 hectars land that is ready for planting for our goal for Bethany to be self sufficient in the near future.
- 500 trees per hectar including mortalities
- $ .83 per seedling
- Total cost of expenses $ 800.00 per hectar that would include seedlings, fertilizer, land preparation and labor.

We also need sponsors for our 2 college girls (Bethany wards) Roselyn and Lani Radam who are staying home this time after graduation in high school last March due to our financial difficulties. They do voluntary work in the nursery at present while waiting for educational funding to be available. We need $400.00 tuition fee per semester ( 5 months), $ 145.00 per month board & lodging and personal allowance. This is per student. So, you can designate any amount for our college students if you wish.

As the Lord continues to entrust children in Bethany, we are committed to care for them believing that the Lord will provide for us. As our partners in caring for these precious children we need your financial monetary support.

Thank you and God bless you all!

Sincerely,

ROSE A. LONGCOB
Corporate Secretary/ Social Worker

Newsletter Bethany

Newsletter Bethany. 2nd Quarter April-June 2008.
My recent visit to Talakag was more of a home coming as opposed to an annual holiday. We arrived at the start of the Talakag annual fiesta which was from Good Friday 21st March till Sunday the 6th April. The Talakag Fiesta normally means two weeks of revelry for the entire town and its visitors and once again they were not disappointed.
Also at that time of the year the local’s schools break up for their summer holidays and graduation ceremonies are a daily occurrence. I went to the graduation ceremony at Bethany which was well attended. The local children who attend the school are by far the majority as there are not so many children of school age at Bethany. I would say the number of Bethany children of school age is around 18 or so. Following the graduation my wife Marilou andI were invited to take lunch with the school staff and that gave us the opportunity to hand over officially a donation to Bethany of 86,000. Pesos. This money was donated by our friends and colleagues in the UK and it was very well received as you can imagine. Money is scarce at the moment and Bethany like any other organisation is dependant on the generosity of its supporters. Another subscriber to the Bethany funds has been Mr Michael Read from Australia who not only made a substantial donation but also spent time at Bethany both manually working as well as giving advice on building maintenance and care. Another valuable contributor on an ongoing basis is Mr Keith Hooper who runs The H.E.L.P. Foundation and is also a neighbour of mine when we are in residence in Talakag. Keith does a lot of valuable work in the Philippines not only for Bethany but for other worthy causes around the islands. We both serve on the board of Bethany and I can testify how earnestly Keith works to raise awareness as well as valuable funding for Bethany. Of course there are many more people who help with raising funds for Bethany and I would not wish to forget them or their efforts well done to all of them and long may they continue.
Whilst in Talakag we visited Bethany on several occasions and took some presents to the children who were very grateful. I just love to see a happy child and not one who is being forced to look happy but genuine happiness. The effort that is put into caring for the children by the House Parents and helpers is magnificent without whose loving care Bethany would not prosper.
Bearing in mind that next month 4th July is the second anniversary of the passing of Ms (Mom) Lynip we will all remember to observe a moment of silence to celebrate the life of a wonderful lady. How time has flown as Gerwin has recently reminded us, it seems that only yesterday she was still with us all. Looking ahead as she would want us to do for the benefit of not only the present Bethany children but also future children we must plan to be self generating in funds and not justbe relying on individual people’s charity.
Keith Hopper and I discussed this issue to some extent when we met up this year and he was kind enough to take me to a rubber plantation that he owns in order to demonstrate how sustainable funding could be raised for Bethany. Bethany owns substantial farming land which could be better used in order to raise ongoing funding on a month by month basis. For example each hectare that was planted with rubber trees would yield at today’s prices between 4,500 and 6,000 pesos per month. The initial cost of preparing the land and buying the seedlings as well as caring for them is approximately 35,000 pesos ($814.00) or (£407.00) or (€523.00). When the trees have matured to the latex producing stage approximately 6 years depending on species of seedlings etc, they effectively become self financing in so much that the harvest pays for the labour and the rest is profit or income for Bethany.
As you will have no doubt gathered every day that we spend discussing this proposition is a day lost in tree growth which means a day less in obtaining an income. This proposed plan would provide income for Bethany on commencement of harvesting for between 25 to 30 years before the old rubber trees are replaced with new ones. Pineapple plants can be grown alongside the seedlings whichwould give an income whilst awaiting the rubber harvest. This type of sustainable harvest would lessen the dependence on spontaneous donations and allow better budgeting for the upkeep of Bethany and therefore provide better security for the future.
The approximate land available is 20 hectares so we would need the equivalent of 700,000 peso’s in order to fully develop all the available land. The annual yield from the rubber in pesos at today’s rubber price would be 1,080,000 to 1,440,000pesos per annum. If we set the ball in motion we could maybe raise funding to commence this project before the end of this year. We need a target and various members could be responsible for certain aspects of achieving our goal. This is of course only a suggestion but if we don’t start to plan for the future of Bethany now there will be no future at all. I would appreciate your thoughts on this one please everybody.
As most people know Marilou and I plan to retire to Talakag and will arrive there the last week of November so I will be in a good position to help oversee the rubber planting project and more importantly report to the donors of its progress. I think this is very important as people need to know what is happening to their contributions and how Bethany is faring with regular updates from the Board of Trustees and the Administration, I aim to provide this information.
Also when in Talakag Rose and Greg Longcob took us to visit a beach property belonging to Bethany located in Cagayan de Oro. Although the buildings are in a dilapidated state the ground area is very big with lots of potential to make an income and once again have a place so that the children can enjoy the seaside when on holiday as some former Bethany children are sure to remember. Any thing that can generate a regular income is what we must aim for as it brings us self sufficiency. Its just a great pity Bethany has not been doing this in the past but its never too late to start and with your will and help I’m sure we can achieve our goal to ensure Bethany has a sound long term future.
Can you remember Bob Martin who has two blogs www.liveinthephilippines.com and www.mindanao.com who visited Ms Lynip at my request back in early 2006 well Marilou, Rose, Greg and I and Marilous tita visited him and his wife Feyma in Davao. The drive to Davao through Bukidnon and over the border at Buda in to Davao was spectacular especially the climb up to Quezon where pine trees are in abundance and the scenery looks like Austria and Switzerland. We enjoyed the journey and our meeting with Bob and Feyma and our trip to Samal Island. The whole trip was a little break from the routine for Rose and Greg and the opportunity to say thank you for a job well done to them both.
Whilst also in Talakag Mr Hopper and me attended a Board Meeting at Bethany and lots of current issues were discussed most importantly the finances and measures were debated as to how to address them. The May Board Meeting was also the AGM and I await the minutes of that meeting to know the current situation.
I hope you have all enjoyed this update on both my recent visit as well as the goings on at Bethany as well as Talakag. For the future what may be better for the credibility of our News Letter is for each member or supporter to contribute an article of their knowledge or experience or something relevant that others may wish to know or share. Not everyone has to contribute for each issue which will be say quarterly. The other aspect of our News Letter is where is it best posted to obtain maximum exposure. I could in addition to your suggestion post it on my own blog http://journals.aol.co.uk/jcjimc/BethanyChristianHomeforChildrenT/ so that it will obtain even more exposure. I will volunteer my services as editor of the Bethany News Letter if this is OK with you folks so for the last quarter News Letter I will require to receive your contributions by the end of August if that’s in agreement with everyone. Please contact me at jcjimc@aol.com or james.cunningham@bhk.de should you wish to discuss this matter further or offer advice.

Message From Mr Keith Hooper

Originally posted 10 June 2008

Hey folks, I am new at this facebook stuff and I was overwhelmed when I received a number of messages that referred to me and the HELP Foundation. Let me tell you how you can donate to Bethany through the HELP Foundation. You should first contact me via email- help2philippinechildren@yahoo.com if you are interested in donating to Bethany or any of the other projects under the sponsorship of HELP Foundation. There are two ways to donate, either by personal check made out to HELP Foundation or by credit card donation. When you contact me I will personally email you and give you the rest of the details (address to send check, etc). I send funds every month to Bethany. I take nothing for my services. Every dollar you donate will go to Bethany. I do have one requirement - all of the funds donated has to go to the Bethany Christian Home for Children. If you want to send money to the Bethany Christian school, you will have to find another means to send it. I only support the orphanage. I will tell you that I am a very busy person. I leave tomorrow for a 10-day speaking tour in San Diego and LA area. I will be back in Kansas on June 20. I will have an opportunity to check my email while in California. Also, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE. That will also give you all the information you will need to make a donation through HELP for Bethany. Keith Hooper, Founder, HELP Foundation

A Sustainable Idea

Originally posted 07 June 2008

Please read the message from Mr Keith Hooper above before continuing to read the post below:
Following my recent visit to Talakag and after holding numerous discussions with various bodies and individuals regarding the future funding of Bethany an idea has been formed as to how this may in part be achieved.
It is no secret that since Miss Lynips passing on the 4th July 2006 funding has been more difficult to raise on a regular basis. Bethany has suffered as a consequence in so much that the number of children that it can help by providing a caring environment in which to live has decreased. It’s true that children come and go on a regular basis and the time a child spends at the home depends on each child’s individual circumstances or whether there is a demand for adoption. However there is always a need to care for more children as no matter how fast they go there are more to replace them. The staff at Bethany over the years and until today have done a wonderful job in caring for the children, providing an opportunity to go on and have a fruitful life as many ex-Bethany children around the world can testify to. The idea that we have is to plant approximately 20 hectares of available land with rubber trees which will when mature give a financial income on a monthly basis. The estimated cost of clearing a hectare and planting it with seedlings and providing fertilizer is 35,000 peso which is at todays rate approximately $835.00, £422.00 or €537.00.
Individuals could either sponsor the planting of 1 Hectare if they wished or part of a Hectare or just make a small donation towards the project. The idea is that this plan would bring in a regular income and result in better financial planning. If the idea is successful we could move on to other sustainable projects which could involve the older children and staff and maybe the pupils who attend Bethany school. If we are not enterprising Bethany will suffer further and all the previously good work done by Miss Lynip and her dedicated staff will have been in vain. I appeal to my readers to please give serious consideration to this idea and give what you can in order to see it come to fruition for the sake of past, present as well as future children.
Should you wish to discuss the above idea further or make a donation please contact me at jcjimc@aol.com or if you wish to make a donation contact my fellow Bethany board member Mr Keith Hooper who’s details are below.
H.E.L.P. Foundation
23031 60 Rd.
Lebanon, KS 66952

E-mail: help2philippinechildren@yahoo.com.
Tel: (785)389-3621
http://www.thehelpfoundation.com/synapse/center/homepage.cfm?website=thehelpfoundation.com

The income that can be obtained from farming rubber is currently between 4,500 – 6,000 Pesos per hectare/month net. With the potential 20 hectares available to plant and farm that would give Bethany around 90,000 – 120,000 Pesos per month or 1,080,000 - 1,440,000 Pesos per annum. Now that’s what I call a sustainable idea.

Lets go for it and show Bethany we care and we mean BUSINESS in capital letters.

Video Of The Philippines

Originally posted 17 May 2008

Click on the link below to see a wonderful video of the Philippines.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-2e-H2dSo2s&feature=related

Talakag Fiesta 2008

Originally posted 11 May 2008

During our recent holiday in Talakag it was the first time since the 1980's that we had managed to be there when the Fiesta was taking place.
How this event has changed over the years when I first visited Talakag the Fiesta was always held exclusively in the Plaza when the Fair and Circus came to town. I can remember the De Guzman family owned and operated the fairground and the circus and the children queued up to see attractiond like the Turtle Lady and the Magician and many more. In this day and age the fairground is now located in the land behind the Central Elementary School and alas the circus is no more. The basket ball tournament is still a big attraction but also there is a Night Cafe where you can eat and drink and listen to live music from local bands playing on the big stage in the Plaza.

There was also a boxing tournament with a boxing ring errected specially for the occassion and any budding "Pacman" could show his worth to the crowed. Also a Motocross tournament was held during the Fiesta which attracted riders from all over the country.

Also a bikers rally attracted some of the biggest and best motor bikes in the country to Talakg during early April.

The Fiesta may have changed but the excitement still remains.
Al Bicas Talakags Premier Biker in action.

More Books For Bukidnon State College

Original posted 11 May 2008

During our recent visit to Talakag my wife Marilou handed over more text books for use at BSC Talakag. The college has now received three consignments of text books from Marilou to help build up their library.
The college is always grateful for the help it receives in this way.
Mr Tampo College Administrator along with some of the students and Staff Member receieves the text books from Marilou.

Progress In Talakag

Original posted 27 April 2008

During our recent visit to Talakag it is obvious to all that the town is changing very fast with the new Municipal Hall nearing completion. The building is imposing and looks very good in its plaza location.

The new Municipal Building nears completion.
During our visit to Talakag we dropped in to say hello to the Municipal Mayor the Hon Nestor Macapayag. Whilst there I asked him what his main priority was during his tenure and he told me, it was to ensure a continuous supply of water to the town and its community. This may not seem like a big deal to those in the west who take the supply of water and electricity for granted however for the people of Talakag it is something that would be greatly appreciated by all and a commendable priority for the Mayor.
Marilou with the Hon Nestor Macapayag Municipal Mayor of Talakag.

My Mother-in Law's Birthday

Originally posted 27 April 2008

The other very good reason for visiting Talakag recently was to attend my mother-in-laws 80th birthday celebration. It was as good reason as any for all the family to get together and catch up with all the news and gossip (tsismis). The only members of the family unable to attend were our own son Michael who had work commitments and our daughter Mariel who is still studying at university additionally my brother-in-law Louis from Bulacan could also not be there again due to being overseas with his work.

Mrs Gloria F Santiago (Mama Glo) at her birthday party, looking well for 80 years of age.

Recent Visit To Talakag

Originally posted 27 April 2008

Marilou hands over our donation to Rose Longcob with members of staff in attendance.

Now that our visit to Talakag is over and we are back in the UK I can start to blog about our holiday.
Our stay in Talakag seemed to pass very quickly as they say when you are enjoying yourself time goes very fast. Our two priorities during our recent visit was to attend my mother-in-laws 80th birthday party and to visit Bethany and hand over the donations raised from friends and colleagues here in the UK. All other activities were a bonus for Marilou and I during our holiday I the Philippines.
Our visit to Bethany coincided with their school graduation ceremonies and being in attendance made me very proud to be part of its activities especially since one of my nephews graduated high school and will now proceed to Xavier University to study Civil Engineering good luck to all the graduates.
After the graduation ceremony Marilou and I attended lunch with Greg and Rose Longcob and members of the Bethany staff in order to hand over our donation cheque for 86,165.00 pesos which was gratefully received. It’s painfully obvious that Bethany is struggling financially and requires more benefactors in order to survive, people like Mr Keith Hooper (H.E.L.P Foundation) and Mr Michael Read from Australia who recently visited Bethany and made a substantial and well received donation as well as all the other benefactors I say a very big thank you for your much needed help and kindness.

Visit To Talakag

Originally posted 16 March 2008

Hi Folks,
This Friday 21st will see me and my wife Marilou travel to Talakag.I'm so looking forward to my holiday as it seems as if I have not stopped working this year so far. Last month I spent 18 days out of 29 days on three seperate occassions in Germany. I managed to catch a bad dose of flu or some kind of virus which laid me low for a week in bed Marilou also caught the virus so at one stage we were both in bed ill.Thank god the virus has cleared although it left me just over half a stone lighter but that was not such a bad thing as I was a bit over weight anyway lol.I will certainly make my annual visit to Bethany as I have managed to collect some donations for them and I will hand over the funds to Rose Longcob. So many people have written to me this year from wishing to help Bethany with funding and personal help by visiting as well as enquiring about sponsorship of the children and also enquires about adoption. So I am pleased that my blog is working and getting the Bethany message heard.When I return I will post an update on Bethany as well as take some photographs so you can all see what is happening out there.God bless to you all who care about the home and please keep in contact with each other.

The Year To Date

Originally posted 10 February 2008

Hi everyone it's hard to believe but now that January has gone and 1/3rd of February has passed this year is for sure going to be the quickest of our lives. On Tuesday the 5th February Marilou celebrated her 50th birthday and to mark the occassion we went with a group of friends to a castle near our house called Lumley Castle to enjoy an Elizabethian theme night. We had never been to a theme night before and it was very good so was the food. We all enjoyed the evening as it was diffirent to anything we had been to before. All the friends that Marilou had invited were Filipinas married to British husbands, so it was a mixing of cultures.
On her real birthday I was in Germany on business so I was glad we had gone out to celebrate the previous Friday. Our son Michael and daughter Mariel however came to my rescue and treated their mum to dinner on her birthday at a local restuarant close to our house. They all enjoyed themselves and spent the remainder of the evening together reminiscing and planning the future.

New Years Resolution

Originally posted 31 December 2007

Marilou and myself along with Michael and Mariel would like to wish everyone connected with Bethany as well as all our family and friends in Talakag a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Be a FriendBe a friend. You don't need money:Just a disposition sunny;Just the wish to help anotherGet along some way or other;Just a kindly hand extendedOut to one who's unbefriended;Just the will to give or lend,This will make you someone's friend.Be a friend. You don't need glory.Friendship is a simple story.Pass by trifling errors blindly,Gaze on honest effort kindly,Cheer the youth who's bravely trying,Pity him who's sadly sighing;Just a little labor spendOn the duties of a friend.Be a friend. The pay is bigger(Though not written by a figure)Than is earned by people cleverIn what's merely self-endeavor.You'Il have friends instead of neighborsFor the profits of your labors;You'Il be richer in the endThan a prince, if you're a friend.

Too Busy For A Friend

Originally posted 16 December 2007

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.
Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended thefuneral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes."
Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."
That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
Remember, you reap what you sow and what you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.

May Your Day Be Blessed As Special As You Are

Festive Season

Originally posted 14 December 2007

As the year grows steadily to a close our thoughts are with those who are no longer with us as well as those who are far away. Its strange how this time of the year focus’s our minds on the past rather than the present. We all have our own way of celebrating Christmas as well as the end of the calendar year. For example we will have our son Michael and daughter Mariel joins us for dinner on Christmas day. My wife Marilou will prepare the various ingredients for the Christmas dinner in advance so as to reduce the stress and hassle of doing everything at once. Our dinner consists of three courses. We will have a starter of either soup or various cold cuts of meat with a salad. This will be followed by roast turkey, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, peas with stuffing and cranberry jelly and of course gravy. The third course is our traditional Christmas pudding consisting of a mixed fruit dumpling laced with brandy smeared in fresh double cream. During the meal we usually consume a bottle of red and white wine. Dinner is normally preceded with the pulling of Christmas crackers containing jokes, gifts and paper hats to wear and precluded with two hours sleep on the sofa whilst pretending to watching television. If I may take you back to earlier in the morning when we arise we as a family normally gather round the Christmas tree in our living room and open our gifts with ooh’s and aah’s a plenty as well as lots of laughter. Breakfast is usually a light affair not to spoil our appetite for the dinner ahead. What I have described will be mirror imaged in millions of households all over the world at different times on the 25th December due to the time zones we live in. The traditional fare will also vary depending on the part of the world we live and the culture we belong to and of course what we can afford. Let us not forget those both young and old who will have nothing special to eat at this very special time of the year. If we can help someone by giving a little of what we have lets do so I’m sure it’s what our Lord would want in remembrance of this very important time in the year. Let’s all look forward to a better and more prosperous 2008 and not forget that however bad at times during the year we may feel, there is someone somewhere worse of than us.
To one and all who may read this blog I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. God bless you whoever you are and wherever you may be.

Good Hearted People

Originally posted 07 December 2007

This week Tuesday I had two visitors to my office, on company business of course. Following my discussion with my first visitor Caroline Taukulis of County Durham Development Company we discovered that we had something in common that is we both worked in Africa. Whilst Caroline worked in East Africa I worked in West Africa we soon got around to talking about how children from developing countries take advantage of education when given the opportunity to go to school unlike some children here in the UK. When I told her about Bethany she immeadiately gave me a donation to send to the children.
My second visitor Mr David Wood Managing Director of Thomas Armstrong (Timber) Ltd, who is a colleague in the same business as me dropped in to hand in a donation for Bethany. This is the second year David has kindly donated to Bethany.
I would like to say a big thankyou to both Caroline and David for their kindness and I would like to remind anyone else who would like to make a donation to Bethany to please get in touch with me.

Christmas Is Almost Upon Us

Originally posted 27 November 2007

Hello everyone, Christmas is just around the corner and whilst for some that means getting together with family and friends and sharing gifts and generally having a good time but it's not that way for all.
I don't just want you to visit this journal and read and go, I would like you to take a moment and reflect on the purpose of my writing to you about Bethany. This year has been tough for the management and staff at Bethany due to a shortage of funding, but this situation has not stopped this dedicated band from carrying out their duties diligently and professionally. The home has currently 25 children to care for of various ages each with their own needs and whilst things may be tough the children always come first.
I appeal to all my readers to give a little to Bethany for Christmas either by contacting Rose Longcob direct at llynip50th@yahoo.com.ph or contact me at jcjimc@aol.com to find out how best you can help.
Thank you for taking the time to read this appeal.

Talakag Town Centre

Originally posted 24 November 2007

This building is the focal point of the commercial area of the town.

A Visitor returns To Bethany

Originally posted 15 November 2007

In August I was contacted by a gentleman from Australia called Mr Michael Read who had read the Mindanao Blog www.mindanao.com and the owner of the blog Bob Martin asked him to contact me direct.
Mr Read was interested in what he had read about Bethany and asked me if he could help in any way . Of course Bethany can always use assistance and I arranged for him on his next visit to the Philippines to visit Bethany.
Mr Read was met at Lumbia by Greg and taken to Bethany where he stayed for two weeks and assisted the staff with building maintenance etc. On leaving Mr Read indicated he wished to return and give some more help in the future.
The original reason for Mr Read visiting the Philippines was to spend some time with his fiancée who is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at MSU Marawi . Mr Read will be returning to the Philippines on the 20th November and has informed me that he will be married to his fiancée at Bethany Church on the 22nd December.
I’m so pleased for Mr Read and his fiancée Noreen and I would have loved to have been there to see him married but I’m sure that you along with Marilou and me will wish them every happiness for the future and take this opportunity also to thank him for his kind offer of assistance to Bethany.

New Site Being Created BY A Former Bethany Child

Originally posted 17 October 2007

A former Bethany Child whom I have been in contact with for almost two years now wishes to start a new web site dedicated to the memory of Miss Lynip.
This site is unique in so much as its for former and hopefully present Bethany Children so that they can remain in touch if they so wish.

Gerwin Wynn who started this site is currently serving with the US Marines in the Medical Corps and will leave the USA this month for Iraq. He has written a general e-mail to all those Bethany Children out there to give him a helping hand with this venture.
Below is the mail I received today requesting your assistance:


Hey guys, I haven't even thought about working on the Wiki for a while. I know I need help and if you want to help just say so. Here is the new updated site... keep in mind I haven't worked on it in 11 months... nearly a year. But I have a general idea now, I just need to fix things up :) Hope you like it. http://bchc.pbwiki.com/

Gerwin can be contacted at whispers_of_the_winds@yahoo.com
Please lend him you assistance and make this site a success and a point of contact for all former and present Bethany Children.

Sponsors Needed

Originally posted 29 September 2007

I promised a few weeks ago that I would give the readers of this journal the opportunity to sponsor a young person.
For the first opportunity I would like to intoduce the RADAM siblings.
The RADAMS consist of one brother Alfredo who is the eldest at 19 years and his five sisters. The girls are Roselyn 17, Lani 16, Mary Joy 14, Jonalyn 13 and Abegail 11 who is the youngest.
They are all bright youngsters and have high school graduation as well as further education plans via college and university.
As you can imagine they have been through a lot together and mean the world to each other and by way of their individual educational success they can continue to support each other through life.
If you wish to sponsor any of the RADAM family you can write to
Mrs Rose Longcob
c/o Bethany Christian Home for Children, Inc.
Talakag, Bukidnon-8708. Mindanao. Philippines.
Mrs Longcob can also be contacted by e-mail llynip50th@yahoo.com.ph
If you would like to become a pen friend at anytime please also contact
Mrs Longcob for details.
If you would like any additional information about sponsorship or the workings of Bethany I can be contacted direct at jcjimc@aol.com

Left to right: Alfredo, Roselyn, Lani, Mary Joy, Jonalyn and Abegail.
I will keep you informed as to the success of this initiative, as its very important to Bethany and the children.

Would You Sponsor A Bethany Child

Originally posted 08 September 2007

Sometime ago I mentioned on this journal that I would like to set up a facility to enable people to sponsor a child from Bethany. My idea of sponsorship is like adoption from a distance because I don't just wish to solicit funding for the child, I also want the sponsor to communicate with the young person.
By communicating I mean the sponsor can write to the young person about their experiences and their home country or present location and offer encouragement with regards to education and life in general. As you will agree by having a close friend it is much easier to share a problem and let's be honest, everyone needs a friend for support.
I don't wish to suggest a monetary amount. That would be up to the sponsor to decide.
Next week I will post the names and photographs of the first of the young people that I would like to intoduce for possible sponsorship.
Remember by becoming involved in sponsoring a young person you are playing a valuable part in their lives.

The Road To Royalty Via The North Yorkshire Dales.

Originally posted 24 August 2007

Extract from Jim Cunningham's entry to the Mindanao Blog
August 2007

The Subanen Bae has no face in history. She existed, but no one outside the family ever saw her. She stayed home most of the time, and when she did venture out in public she donned a costume that revealed only her eyes. Her position of power and influence disappeared in the 16th century when the Spaniards married these princesses and the Subanen men took sole leadership over the ethnic tribe.

When Bae Sonita Manlin Mande Ryde was formally crowned on the May 13th 2006 as Bae Labi or Princess Paramount of the Western Mindanao Subanens by His Highness Principal Datu Tucan E. Dakula VI of the Royal House of Sibugay and interim Sultan of Mindanao, her acceptance of this title and subsequent confirmation elevated her to royalty, second in honour only to the Sultan.
(Zamboanga Agenda, Vol.2 No 1. July 2006)

This princess’ story is true rags to riches example for all aspiring young Indigenous People (IP) who wish to achieve something worthwhile in life and retain their cultural identity and wear it with honour and pride. Although a descendant of the royal family of Datu Mande of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, Bae Sonita followed a typically rural and often difficult upbringing in Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay with little or no luxuries in life as is the way for the vast majority of IPs. She left school early to work as a maid in order to supplement her family’s income. Later she moved to Manila to take up work whilst waiting for her visa to be processed to enable her to travel to Saudi Arabia for employment as many young women have done before her.

Fate however determined that this was one journey she would not make as her long time pen friend from England decided to visit her and her family and after conferring with her family the couple decided to get married as soon as it was possible to do so. Following her marriage she eventually travelled to North Yorkshire in England to become as is customary a housewife. This did not last for long as she has no intention of sitting at home and very soon found employment in order to occupy her time. Time soon past and unfortunately after some years her husband Harry became ill and she had to give up her job in order to care for him fulltime.

When Bae Sonita returned to her village after twenty years of absence, she looked around and was saddened by just how little had changed in the village and its surroundings from when she was just a little girl herself. She then made herself a promise to do her utmost to improve the lives of not only her immediate family but also that of her Subanen tribe. First, she built a house in her own village as a constant reminder of where she camefrom and took care of her family which she hoped would be an inspiration to all young IPs as anexample that if she could do it, so could they. Over subsequent years, she has also co-funded the building of an Elementary School as well as provided a Tribal Hall that is open to both Muslims and Christians alike and financed a stretch of road leading to Barangay Mande. Education is very important to Bae Sonita and she has also funded many of her nieces’ and nephews’ education programmes so that they too can help others in the future. She believed that “You can take away a person’s material possessions but not their education”.

Bae Sonita’s husband, Harry Ryde, recently passed away in July this year and I along with many family friends and members of the Filipino community attended the funeral in the little village of Hipswell in North Yorkshire. The church minister spoke highly of him and his life and also praised his wife for the love and devotion that she gave so willingly to the very end of a long and difficult illness. In the true spirit of the princess, her eulogy requested us to be happy for her and Harry and to celebrate what is left of our lives so that we can continue to help others less fortunate. She now divides her time between here and Mindanao and devotes her life to making life better for the whole 42 tribes in Mindanao that she represents.

Now I can understand what drives this unique person and her determination to help others succeed in life and I now know why they chose this special princess after such a long gap in Mindanao history. Following the decision by the Mindanao Indigenous People’s Supreme Council and Elders to bestow the title of Bae, Datu Cesar Betil said, “Bae Sonita has a sustained commitment to the welfare of the Mindanao indigenous people…and all (her acts of generosity) are done without fanfare and expecting nothing in return, setting her apart from other philanthropists. This is not an overstatement considering that these were done not by a wealthy person but by somebody who literally started from rags.”

Recently, while driving through the beautiful North Yorkshire dales countryside with my wife Marilou and another close Filipina friend and listening to the princess tell us about her hopes and dreams for the future of the IPs in Mindanao I now conclude that there is real hope for this part of the Philippines with such genuine commitment from it’s people. Marilou and I are truly honoured to have Bae Sonita amongst our friends here in the UK.

A Library Project For Talakag

Originally posted 01 August 2007

Extract from Marilou Santiago Cunningham's entry to the Mindanao Blog July 2007
In May this year, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a declaration elevating the 83-year old Bukidnon State College into a University. A remarkable progress indeed, but for it’s Extension School set up in Talakag, Bukidnon two years ago, there’s still a lot to be achieved.
The extension school in Talakag currently offers courses in Arts and Sciences, Commerce, Business Administration and Information Technology. Thanks to the Municipal Officials who for years have pursued the Bukidnon State College for the extension school to be set up locally that affordable further education is now available to the people of Talakag and its surrounding areas. The time has come when those from these remote areas who wish to pursue further education no longer have to travel the winding roads to Malaybalay City, Cagayan de Oro City and beyond.
The extension school currently uses the classrooms in the elementary school; when elementary classes end at four o’clock in the afternoon, the college classes commence at five o’clock. Computer facilities are being provided in the Municipal Hall. However, learning resource facilities such as a library was non-existent. When I heard about this, I made a personal commitment to help put up a library as soon as possible. That time has come. In February this year, I sent a Balikbayan Box filled with my collection of textbooks from Durham University Business School, England to Talakag. The textbooks were there in time for my visit last April. The photo shows the hand-over of thefirst donation to Mr Abe Urbina (the Talakag Head of School) and Mr Alfredo Tampo (the School Administrator). When school commenced in June, the books were well received by students and teachers.
I am currently filling up another Balikbayan Box with reading materials such as textbooks, CD-ROMs and DVDs in the field of commerce, business administration and information and technology; references such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias, atlases and thesauruses; and other personal development books such as travel, cookery, gardening, do-it-yourself books and learning foreign languages (German, French and Spanish). I firmly believe that access to a wide range of books and information resources will enable students to develop even beyond their curriculum.
I hope that more book donations from my colleagues at Durham University Business School and personal friends will soon enrich the library collection in Talakag and provide valuable materials to support and improve the quality of further education and ultimately promote a reading culture.

Mindanao Comes To The North East Of England

Originally posted 10 July 2007

On Sunday 8th July the Filipino community of Stockton held their first ever Fiesta at Ropner Park in the town.
The event was attended by the Consul General to the UK with members of his staff along with the Mayor of Stockton and the local Member of Parliament.
The sun thankfully shone for the day and the Filipinos attended in droves from as far away as London and Glasgow.
The event was entertained by Ms Monique Wilson who has played numerous West End musicals including Miss Saigon.
Also talented local bands and solo artists additionally entertained the crowds.
What a wonderful time was had by all and the food stalls selling native Filipino delicacies were particularlly busy throughout the day.
If you wish to participate or help at next year's Fiesta please go to http://www.balitangnorte.co.uk and contact Ramon who will only be too pleased to furnish you with details.

Mindanao Blog

Originally posted 06 July 2007

At last I'm famous after volunteering and being selected to write on Bob Martin's Mindanao Blog, only joking of course.
I hope I can enlighten people about Bukidnon in general and Talakag in particular.
I would like to inform those who might read Bob's blog about the variation in culture in Talakag and how it came about, mentioning the pioneer of the town and surrounding areas. Monitoring the progress being made in the town and mentioning notable citizens, where appropriate.
I hope all who read this will now read the "Mindanao Blog"
http://mindanao.com/blog/?page_id=289

Talakag Hit By Serious Fire

Originally posted 29 June 2008

During our visit to Talakag in March/April we witnessed a dreadful fire on the evening of the 9th April that engulfed an area of the main market place towards the Gas Station.
We were awakened at around 11.30pm when a relative sent us a text message to tell us of the fire. Allthough fortunately our house was not near the area of the fire we walked down to the Plaza to see horrendous flames shooting from the blaze into the night sky.
The Talakag Town Fire Department along with the Del Monte water tanker fought the blaze and contained it to the buildings around the Noble Family bakery allthough it was some hours before the residents could sigh with relief that the fire had been contained.
It was fortunate that there was no breeze that night otherwise the fire could have been much more catastrophic than it was for the residents living in that part of the town.
Unfortunately the fire although not directly did have a bearing on the deaths of two of the towns residents and our hearts go out to them both and their respectve families.
When we left to return home to the UK the site was already being cleared up so as to allow rebuilding to commence.
Tags: Clean up begins.

ITS A SMALL WORLD

Originally posted 29 June 2008

The other day I received a message from Eric Harris from Adelaide South Australia who had via a link from Bob Martin's Mindanao Blog read this Blog.
Eric had visited Cagayan de Oro recently with his partner Jessica who hails from the city and fully understood the harshness of conditions without the benefit of any kind of social welfare scheme upon children like those being cared for at Bethany.
After reading my blog Eric very kindly made a donation to Bethany via the facility on Bob Martin's Blog.
Eric also mentioned my entry regarding the posibility of sponsoring a child I will soon leave details here on how this can be done.
Incidentally Eric's grand parents on his fathers side belonged to the North East of England where we now reside and he was watching in Australia, TV coverage of the one day test played recently at the Riverside Ground in Chester Le Street. Co Durham.

A Big Thank You To All Who Donated From The Furniture Industry

Original posted 09 June 2007

When my wife Marilou and myself visited Bethany to hand over your donations the children and staff wanted to show their appreciation

Donations To Bethany

Originally posted 9 June 2007

During our recent visit to Bethany we were able to hand over to Rose Longcob the monetary donations that had been raised from my furniture industry colleagues following an appeal for help.
The total sum raised was a magnificent 200,000. Peso's which delighted the management and staff and will greatly assist with the running expenses of the home.
Funds are an ongoing concern for Bethany and if anyone wishes to help financially please contact me direct and I will give you details on how you can send donations large or small.

The BHK Teddy Boys

Originally posted 09 June 2007

When going on our recent trip to Talakag we had some additional passengers with us for company namely the BHK Teddy Boys who were given to us by my colleague Eleanor Smith for the children at Bethany.
As you can imagine the Teddy Boys were very tired after the long journey and on arrival at our house in Talakag they were given a bath and fed and then put to bed for a good nights sleep.
Neither myself or my wife Marilou heard a peep from them the whole night as they were so tired, ourselves included of course.
The next morning after a hearty breakfast and a lecture to the Teddy Boys to be on their best behaviour we set out to visit Bethany. On arrival at Bethany we were welcomed by Greg and Rose Longcob and we explained all about the BHK Teddy Boys.
Rose suggested that she would choose the cottage where the Teddy Boys would meet their new life time friends and we all went off to meet up with the children.
As you can imagine after the Teddy Boys met the children it was love at first sight and they had such a lot to discuss as the Teddy Boys had to relate to the children where they came from and all about their journey to Talakag.
I'm sure they are still chatting about it to this day and will remain friends for life.

My Last Message Before I Leave Tomorrow

Originally posted 24 March 2007

Well folks its now getting late and its time to pack the rest of the bits for our journey tomorrow.
The Teddy Boys are all packed carefully in order to avoid paying their fare. By the way there is now six of them as one of their friends requested to join the gang at the last moment. He said he was not happy with the political situation in the UK and was unsure as a Teddy Bear if he would be treated fairly in light of the new budget and was therefor afraid Gordon Brown might knock the stuffing out of him and his friends.
I assured him he would be treated with love and care in Bethany and would be given to someone who would befriend him for life, at that he jumped straight into my case and fell fast asleep along with his friends.So far so good and I hope they have a safe journey.

The BHK Teddy Boys Are Ready To Travel To Bethany

Originally posted 18 March 2007

Thanks to my colleague at work Eleanor Smith these little BHK Bears will travel to Talakag next week Sunday with us to find new friends amongst the children of Bethany.
The Bears were donated by Eleanor who is Marketing Manager for BHK Flooring Ltd, and form part of a marketing campaign for Easter at its Peterlee Shop.
If you want a bear of your own get a long to the BHK Peterlee outlet which can be found at www.bhkonline.com
I will post photos of the adventures of the Teddy Bears on my return from the Philippines

A Thought For All

Originally posted 11 March 2007

May you live as long as you want.
And not want as long as you live.

Kaamulan Festival Malaybalay

Originally posted 06 March 2007

At the recent Kaamulan Festival held annually in the Bukidnon Capital Malaybalay, our town Talakag (where Bethany is located) came second in the street dancing competition.
Kaamulan" is an indigenous Bukidnon term for "gathering" for any purpose such as a datuship ritual, a wedding ceremony, a thanksgiving festival during harvest time, a peace pact, or all of these together. According Bukidnon's provincial website, the festival started in 1977 and lasted 3 days on November 25-27.
This year's festival attracted over 37,500 visitors with all available accommodation over subscribed. Maybe next year Talakag can win the contest outright.
Well done to all those who participated and not forgeting those who helped in the organisation of the dance troupe.

Never Put Off Till Tomorrow What Can Be Done Today

Originally posted 04 March 2007

I have just returned home after spending a week attending a trade fair in Germany with some work colleagues.
I have attended this particular trade fair for the last eight years or so and each time I go my Sales Manager and good friend has always reminded me to look up an old friend and former work colleague from my early working days in Scotland.
This old friend and I first got together in 1973 when I worked for a company called Scottish Timber Products Ltd, who were building the most modern chipboard factory of it's type at that time.My friend who's german worked for a german company installing their equipment.
We stayed in touch throughout the time that I worked for STP Ltd and I stayed with him and his wife on a visit to Germany that I made whilst receiving training there.
In 1977 I left STP Ltd, to go off and work in Nigeria again building a new chipboard factory the first in West Africa.I continued to keep in touch with my old friend by way of christmas cards for some years till I lost touch one way or another.
When I joined my present company BHK(UK)Ltd, also a german company and whilst driving one day to Hannover I thought of my old friend as I passed his town on the journey.
Eventually after a few years I mentioned the story to my Sales Manager who prompted me to make contact with my german friend.
Eventually through my german colleagues we discovered his telephone number and I made a call to him.
I wanted to meet up but for some reason or another this was always posponed until this year when I eventually made contact and invited him to meet up at the Trade Fair which is only a short distance from his home town where he and his wife live.
Also at the show was my former boss from my STP Ltd, days who has always kept in touch with me and I told him that our friend would be visiting us.
Well my friend is now 79 years old and has not been in the best of health recently but credit where credit is due he made the effort to come along with his wife and it was so good of us to see them both.
We chatted about old times and the changes that have taken place during the last 30 years since we saw one another and we laughed and joked about old times.
Eventually when we parted I promised to visit him at his house this year which I will sometime in May.
It was so good to see both of them again and to know at least they are well enough to get around and I'm so grateful to my Sales Manager and good friend David Mackenzie for insisting on not only making contact but pushing me to meet up with them.
I will from now on not put off till tomorrow what can be done today as life is too short to do otherwise.

SPONSORING A BETHANY CHILD

Originally posted 27 January 2007

I would like to pass this idea to all of you who read this Blog. What I would like to do is to post pictures of the children at Bethany with brief details and allow each child the opportunity to have a sponsor. The child /sponsor would I hope communicate with each other passing information on each others lives and achievements. This would give a child the opportunity to find out about life outside of the Philippines not so important in it's early years but very important as that child grows and matures. The sponsor could track the childs progress through its formative years and it may lead to a long lasting friendship. The cost of such sponsorship would be left entirely to the sponsor as would be any gifts of clothes, toys or books etc.I would like the sponsorship to be almost like a pen friendship please let me know what you think of this idea.

Looking Forwards To Returning To Talakag

Originally posted 27 January 2007

Well its almost the end of January already and Marilou and I are looking forwards to returning to Talakag for our annual vacation. How time has flown it doesn't seem so long ago since we were last there August 06. What makes this trip so exciting is I will get a chance to meet at last my neighbour from the house diagonally behind me.
Keith Hooper runs a foundation called H.E.L.P. which is a charty for the less fortunate in the Philippines but is not confined to just one project but several all over the Islands. H.E.L.P. also supports Bethany. Keith is an American who's wife is from Talakag.
http://www.thehelpfoundation.com/synapse/center/homepage.cfm?website=thehelpfoundation.com
We will travel to Talakag towards the end of March and spend four weeks there, during this time I'm looking forwards to doing a bit of DIY and gardening as well as visiting Bethany and seeing Rose,Greg and the children.
I will keep you up to date with our trip and post some pics as I have now got a decent ditital camera (Birthday present).

Kevin and Jessie's Box to Bethany

Originally posted 01 January 2007

Bethany sent Kevin and Jessie a photograph as evidence it had received their box in time for Christmas.If anyone else is interested in sending a box to Bethany please do not hesitate to contact me for details as Bethany and the children would be extremely please to receive such help.
RECENT ADDITION FROM KEVIN & JESSIE
A couple of months ago we were discussing CHRISTMAS, the joys, headaches, commercialism and all. We sent a "CHRISTMAS BOX" to Bethany Childrens Home. They received it, took some oics the first day and wrote us a very nice THANK YOU letter. 2 of the pics show the kids sitting around the box we sent. This made my MONTH complete! I HATE to be scammed anytime, but esp. during Christmas....A BIG "THANK YOU" goes to Jim for putting us in touch with the Real Deal. NOW THAT'S CHRISTMAS! -Mabuhay--Kevin

A BIG THANK YOU

Originally posted 27 December 2006

Hello to everyone who reads this blog and who has assisted us with raising funding during the year we are sincerly grateful to you all. Marilou and myself would like to wish you all on behalf of the children and staff at Bethany a very happy and prosperous New Year for 2007.

Donations To Bethany

Originally posted 14 November 2006

I promised that I would post the names of all companies and individuals who donated to Bethany following my recent request to my colleagues in the furniture and related industries for financial assistance. I will post all names on a weekly basis.
Spacemaker. Basildon, Essex. Mr M Harrison.
www.spacemakerfurniture.co.uk/
Hoffman Thornwood. Walthamstow. Mr M Laughlin.
www.hoffmanthornwood.co.uk
John E Coyle. Monaghan, Ireland. Mr T Coyle.
www.coylefurniture.com/
BHK (UK) Ltd., Peterlee, Durham. Ms Angela L Rice.
www.bhkukltd.com
BauschLinnemann UK Ltd, Burnley.Mr Tim Barber.
www.uk.bauschlinnemann.com
Decorative Panels Ltd, Huddersfield. Mr Guy Metcalfe.
www.decorativepanels.co.uk/
Thomas Armstrong Ltd. Cumbria. Mr David Wood.
www.thomasarmstrong.co.uk
Sonae UK Ltd.Merseyside. Mr David Chapman
http://www.sonaeuk.com/index.htm
Norbord Ltd Cowie Stirlingshire. Mr David Sleigh.
www.norbord.com

Chatting With The Boss

Originally posted 13 November 2006

For those days....that we just sit and ponder....a bit ofinspiration. ...sent your way !!!My chat with GOD on Yahoo Msgr...the times...they sure are changing!!!God: Hello. Did you call me?searchin4u : Called you? No, who is this ?God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.searchin4u: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busynow. I am in the midst of something.God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy toosearchin4u : Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has becomehectic. It's rush hour all the time.God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results.Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.searchin4u: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, Iwas not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you someclarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium youare comfortable with.searchin4u : Tell me, why has life become complicated now?God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes itcomplicated.searchin4u: Why are we then constantly unhappy?God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. Youare worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become yourhabit. That's why you are not happy.searchin4u : But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.searchin4u : But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.searchin4u : If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?God: Diamonds cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot bepurified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don'tsuffer. With that experience their life becomes better not bitter.searchin4u : You mean to say such experience is useful?God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives thetest first and the lessons afterwards.searchin4u: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can'twe be free from problems?God: Problems are "Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessonsto Enhance Mental Strength". Inner strength comes from struggle andendurance, not when you are free from problems.searchin4u : Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't knowwhere we are heading.God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Lookinside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyesprovide sight. Heart provides insight.searchin4u : Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more thanmoving in the right direction. What should I do?God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is ameasure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfyingthan knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let otherswork with the clock. !searchin4u : In tough times, how do you stay motivated?God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you haveto go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.searchin4u : What surprises you about people?God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, theynever ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, butfew want to be on the side of the truth.searchin4u : Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get theanswer.God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want tobe. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Lifeis not a process of discovery but a process of creation.searchin4u : How can I get the best out of life?!God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present withconfidence. Prepare for the future without fear.searchin4u: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are notanswered.God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.searchin4u : Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to startthe day with a new sense of inspiration.God: Well, Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubtsand doubt your beliefs.Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life iswonderful if you know how to live. Best wishes for a good day.Warmest Regards ---GOD

The Kindness Of Friends

Originally posted 02 November 2006

I received an e-mail today from friends Kevin & Jessie Roberts whom I met on the following link http://www.thephils.com/forums/ to inform me that they had sent a Balikbayan Box to Bethany with supplies for the children consisting of clothes, toys and non prescription medication.
Kevin and Jessie live in the USA, however Jessie is originally from Bukidnon.
Once again folks a big thankyou from everyone at Bethany for your kindness and generosity.
A couple of months ago we were discussing CHRISTMAS, the joys, headaches, commercialism and all. We sent a "CHRISTMAS BOX" to Bethany Childrens Home. They received it, took some pics the first day and wrote us a very nice THANK YOU letter. 2 of the pics show the kids sitting around the box we sent. This made my MONTH complete! I HATE to be scammed anytime, but esp. during Christmas....A BIG "THANK YOU" goes to Jim for putting us in touch with the Real Deal. NOW THAT'S CHRISTMAS! -Mabuhay--Kevin

Further To The Great North Run

Originally posted 26 October 2006

Today Ian Maude the School Teacher who took part in the Great North Run for Bethany passed by my wife Marilou's office and gave her a cheque for 200 GBPounds along with a further 100 GBPounds making a total 300 GBPounds as Bethany's share of the sponsorships collected.
We cannot thank Ian and all the people who gave so generously enough, thank you again for your kindness.

The Highest Honour Ever Given To Me

Originally posted 09 October 2006

This morning I recieved a letter from Greg and Rose Longcob informing me that at a recent Bethany Board meeting I was appointed an Honorary Member of BCHCI Interim Board.
I cannot think of a higher accolade one can be given and as such I was very humbled.
I have promised myself that I shall do all I can to ensure that the good work and integrity of BCHCI shall be my purpose during my tenure.

The Great North Run For NSPCC & Bethany

Originally posted 06 October 2006

Last Sunday morning Ian Maude a School Teacher in Yarm near Stockton in the North East of England joined thousands of fellow marathon enthusiast's to compete in the Great North Run.
The Great North Run is an annual held event which attracts some of the worlds top marathon competitors to the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Ian was not just competing for fun but also to raise funds for two worthy causes, namely the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Bethany Christian Home for Children Inc in the Philippines.
When Ian said he wanted to help Bethany we were so overwhelmed with gratitude for his very kind gesture.
Ian completed the marathon course in 2Hrs 15Mins which is no mean feat. I have include two (2) pictures of Ian competing in the race he is the tall chap in the white.I will post the ammount Ian raised for Bethany as soon as all the sponsorship monies have been collected.
Should Ian participate next year and we hope he will we will be better prepared and raise even more for the two charities.

People Connected With Bethany

Originally posted 5 October 2006

I asked members of our Bethany web site if they would give a little insight in to their particular interest in the home and it's people past and present
The idea behind my request is to bring those of us interested in Bethany closer together no matter where in the world we live.
Please if you read this journal feel free to add your comments or e-mail me at jcjimc@aol.com or contribute to my journal however you wish.

Story 1

Hmmm... my connection to Bethany...

I'm Tina (McLean) Moser.
I have two brothers from Bethany. They are PRECIOUS to me! I cannot imagine our lives without them! It's fun to know that God planned them FOR US! :o)

My parents are John and Lisa McLean, who have been very involved with Bethany for many years. I have grown up LOVING Bethany and Lola Mom.

One of my very favorite memories of Lola Mom is of one of the times when she was here in the states, staying at our house, in my room, actually, and my husband and I had only recently met. She was a great encouragement and champion. As a matter of fact, she was at our house the very first time he ever came over!

While I was not one of Bethany's orphans, Lola Mom made sure I knew she loved me. She often called me one of her children and there was something sweet and comfortable about that. Several times, she came to me with Scripture that God had laid on her heart to share with me... and I KNEW these things were from God, because they were ALWAYS bits of manna that I needed for those very moments. In her update letters, she always included a special note, just for me and Charles. Whether it was only a sentence or several paragraphs, she always let us know that we were in her thoughts, an honor, considering all she had to think of and tend to.

When I think of God's faithfulness, I often think of Lola Mom. I think of her Meuller-like prayer for provision when she was in school. I think of the nickel that God gave her. I think of so many wonderful things.

Her life is certainly a testimony to God's faithfulness. Lola Mom was human, and fallible, just like the rest of us. She knew, though, who sustained her every breath and her hope was in Him.

~Tina

Story 2

Jim: thank you for your response to my message. It has been quite enlightening to find people who are/were touched by Bethany in one way shape or form.

My name is Carol Hakala - I am a social worker with Lutheran Social Services of WI and Upper MI , USA. I have been visiting an working in child welfare services for my entire career (now about 32 years). Since the mid 80s I have been working specifically in international adoption for LSS. I made my first trip to the Philippines in 1993 and have returned nearly every year since then. I first met Ms. Lynip in about 1995 and visited Bethany in 2001. I have corresponded with her over many of the years that I have known her, and I have also spent time with Greg and Rose. Ms. Lynip's life is particularly inspirational to me - she emulates mission, vision and faith on behalf of children. (When I grow up I hope that I can become more like her :) LSS has placed children from Bethany in adoptive families here in Wisconsin and each of our families have had the honor and pleasure of meeting Ms. Lynip or Greg or Rose.

And so you have a bit about me and my interest in Bethany. Feel free to post it if you would like, and again thanks for responding to my post.

Carol Hakala
Lutheran Social Services of WI & Upper MI
Adoption Coordinator

Bethany Contact Details

Originally posted 04 October 2006

For those wishing to contact Bethany direct below is the details.
BETHANY CHRISTIAN HOME FOR CHILDREN, INC.Talakag, Bukidnon - 8708 Website : www.bethany - ph.cjb.netEmail add : llynip50th@yahoo.com.ph

Drive To Collect Donations For Bethany.

Originally posted 20 September 2006

Hello everyone I just want to let you know what I'm doing for the children of Bethany since returning from Talakag at the beginning of September.
I have recently written to all my colleagues who work with me in the UK Furniture Industry to help me raise a record sum to help Bethany.
I have asked them as companies not to send greetings cards to their customers this year but instead donate the equivalent amount to Bethany, this will also save unnecessary use of valuable forest Also I have asked them to save all used postage stamps and send them to me so we can sell them on to dealers and again help Bethany.
If anyone reading this would like to help by doing what I have requested please contact me via BHK(UK)Ltd., Davy Drive. North West Industrial Estate. Peterlee. Co Durham. SR8 2JF. England. United Kingdom. Tel 0044 0191 518 0451.
All help will be greatfully received and all proceeds from this appeal will be posted on this site on a regular basis.
Many thanks for all your kindness in advance.

Back from the Philippines

Originally posted 05 September 2006

Well thats it for another year we got back home on Sunday evening rather tired and what a difference weather wise. From 40oC to 14oC at least the humidity is low in the UK.Our journey from leaving Newcastle to getting to Manila was bang on schedule, we even managed to catch the earlier flight to Cagayan de Oro thanks to Philippine Airlines and with the mobile phone to hand we contacted our relatives to rearrange our collection arrangements to take us to Talakag.
When we reached Talakag our house was welcoming and so was my bed for a well deserved siesta.
The bermuda grass that we had planted in December had spread beautifully and covered our front garden like a green carpet also the plants we had potted had grown and flourished thanks to the mountain rain.
The back yard had been filled with top soil and Papaya trees had been planted which will fruit by our next visit in 2007, also the Mango trees I planted last year are thriving along with the lemon grass and Egg Plants.The garden is beginning to mature slow but sure.
Our son and daughter could not believe how nice our house was in reality having only ever seen pictures before.
It was their time to catch up on the news with their cousins and of course the (tsismiss).
That night we had a party with all the family in attendance and with bellies full and thirsts quenched we retired to bed for a well earned rest.
Talakag never fails to amaze me in as much as it's always changing not the major changes of the city but progress in it's own way. The town hall is making good progress with one wing fully completed and funtional in fact the front entrance when completed will rival that of the White House.Even the all weather covering of the basketball court on the Plaza is under way as we speak and will be completed this year all going well.
Things are looking up in Talakag watch this space.
So it was off to my favourite place for a visit, thats Bethany Christian Home for Children.When we arrived Greg was attending a meeting to plan the 50th anniversary celebrations taking place during the first week of September.In his absence we walked from the Library to the residential quarters on the other side of the creek to visit the Cemetary where Miss Lynips grave is and pay our respects to the great lady.Miss Lynips grave like the other graves in the cemetary is very plain and simple and I felt that she was not being afforded the recognition that she deserved but then that was Miss Lynip to the end so very humble and unassuming and one has to respect the great lady's wishes it was what she had planed and agreed with her friends and staff at Bethany.
The office of Greg and Rose Longcob is bright and welcoming and sets the scene, the whole grounds of the home are well kept and maintained and the work being carried out to transform the old wooden cottages to the more modern concrete style is very effective.
The Bethany facility is well run and managed and I'm sure the good work started 50 years ago by Miss Lynip will continue provided the necessary funding is maintained.
When we visited the toddlers cottage it was a pleasure to see the smiling faces of the children and meet and chat with their carers who do such a good job in both looking after the children as well as maintaining a very high standard of cleanliness of the facility.
Next it was the infants cottage where we found three girls of around 5 years old as well as a boy of between 7and 8 years old.We had little gifts of soft toys for the children and they all instantly took to them.We chatted with them for a little while and then moved back down to the school to chat with Greg on the progress of the Home etc.,
Whilst we were at Bethany my wife Marilou presented Greg and Rose with a donation of Peso 10,000.00 from the staff of Durham University Business School (Distance Learning Faculty) and friends. It is hoped that we will be able to put greater effort into our fund raising in the coming months and substantially improve on this amount.
The heartfelt thanks of all at Bethany go to the University staff who donated on this occasion. I also wish to thank them for their kindness.

Visit to the Philippines

Original posted 05 August 2006

Well not long to go now before we leave for the Philippines the 12th August to be exact.
We will leave Newcastle at 10am UK time and arrive Manila at 07.30am on Sunday 13th.
After clearning immigration and customs we will make our way to the Domestic Terminal and catch our flight to Cagayan de Oro. We should arrive Lumbia Airport around lunch time.
Hopefully my brother in law will be there to meet us and drive us to Talakag where we have our house.
Also with us this time are my children Michael and Mariel who are looking forwards to seeing their Lola whom they last seen in August 2000 as well as their Aunts and Uncles and cousins of whom there are many.
They are also looking forwards to seeing and spending time in our new house for the first time.
I will also ofcourse vist Bethany and catch up with all the news and take plenty of photographs to share with all the Jounal visitors.
I will be back in the UK early September with all the recent news so until then please take care.

Support World Wide For Bethany

Originally posted 01 August 2006

I'm so please to be able to write that at last it would appear that my efforts to help raise funding for the Bethany Children is paying off. Since posting my journal world wide where ever I thought that it may be read sympathetically it is beginning to pay off.
I would like to say a big thankyou to you all for your kindness and generousity please ask your friends to read my journal.

Papa Papa.

Originally posted 17 July 2006

I saw this piece in a missionary journal and I thought I might share it with you.
It's difficult to describe to people who do not understand what it's like to have nothing but hope that someone somewhere will provide a solution to a problem as like this Papa.

Tuesday, March 08, 2005 DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES
Both my schedule and that of my wife are hectic. They keep us separated doing different works of mercy, I with the churches and she with the many children. I recently took off a day just to be with her. Beauty for Ashes called and requested Betty Jo to come to the clinic. A man was coming to give us his child. We went together and found them waiting for us. The man was dressed in torn jeans and a dirty shirt. He was unshaven and his face had heavy lines that told of a hard life. My wife took him and our Social Worker into their office to listen to his request. I stayed outside with a darling dark eye little girl named Carla who was two years old. She looks well fed but very unkempt and in bad need of a good scrubbing. She soon was in my lap telling me about her father which she affectionately called “Papa”. Her love for him was so obvious. I carried little Carla into the office to see what progress my wife had made in encouraging the father to keep his little girl. He shared his experience of months sleeping under the bridges and the eves of homes. He had no job, no home, no money and his only trade was fixing umbrellas door to door. The mother had left them and he was all the guardian the little girl had ever known. He reaches into his pocket and pulled out a store bought peanut butter cracker and gave it to the child. With delight, Carla crawled into her father’s lap and turns to us with joyous eyes and said, “My Papa, my Papa”. We encouraged him to try to keep the child and we would let them stay at the clinic that night and talk about it in the morning. He finally arose from his chair, tears in his eyes and said with a breaking voice, “I pondered it for months. I have made a decision not to keep my child in this hard existence. Please take my child and raise her”. Little Carla began to cry, “Papa, Papa”. Betty Jo and I quickly left with her. As we walked to the car she kept looking for her father and crying, “Papa! Papa”! Her heart was breaking as she was being separated from the only security she had ever known. Upon arriving home, I rocked her for three hours. The whole time she quietly cried and said over and over “Papa, Papa”. Clinging to me out of desperations she finally went to sleep. We put her to bed right beside us so if she was awakened we could console her. She slept the night. It has been almost two weeks since that sad separation. During the day or even at night when she finds something new or given something to eat she goes to the window where she last saw her Papa and calls him wanting to share it with him. Each time I see her looking for her father I cry a little with her. I think of a lonely father with empty arms and aching heart. However I am glad I can comfort this little girl when I rock her at night and she looks up with those dark eyes as she tightly clings to my neck and softly says, “Papa, Papa”.

Greetings From Bethany Home

16 July 2006
Subject: A message from the Bethany ManagementTime: 19:09:00 o'clock BSTAuthor: jcjimc Mood: Hopeful Edit Entry Delete Entry
Original posted July 13, 2006

Dear Friends,
In behalf of Bethany Family, thank you so much for your message of comfort and condolences after you learned that our dear MOM LOUISE LYNIP has gone to be with the Lord. We are deeply missing her and at the same time rejoicing because we know she is now in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

We who are left at Bethany Home want to continue her legacy of Faith and Hope. Our Faith in the Lord that He will continue to lead and provide as we take care of children. Our Hope that even if “Mom” Louise Lynip is now with Lord, may He will still continue to touch people’s hearts to support the ministry of Bethany.

Please pray with us as we move on forward and especially for our financial support for our daily needs and for our monthly expenses.
With love and appreciation,
GREG & ROSE LONGCO Band the Bethany Family

Feeling Very Hopeful

Original posted 15 July 2006

This week I have spent a lot of time answering questions about how to help Bethany.I'm so pleased that people from around the world are now responding to my request for assistance a big thank you everyone.

A few weeks before the sudden death of Miss Lynip a Mr Bob Martin who writes the Mindanao Blog at my request visited Talakag and dropped in with his wife and son to visit Bethany Christian Home for Children.
I have included his article for you all to read on here:

Originally posted May 25, 2006

Bethany Christian Home for Children
by Bob @ 12:12 pm. Filed under Schools, People

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I just returned from a trip to Northern and Western Mindanao, and along the way, I took a sidetrip to Talakag, Bukidnon. You may be wondering, why would I go to Talakag? It wouldn’t be surprising for anybody to wonder that! After all, up until about 2 months ago, I had never even heard of the place! But, as it turns out, it is a special place indeed.
A couple months ago, I got an e-mail from a reader of this blog, asking if I could feature the Bethany Christian Home for Children. Let me first apologize to the reader, because I somehow lost his e-mail, and I do not have his name or e-mail address - please contact me if you read this! Anyway, this reader told me a little bit about the home, and I found it interesting. I started doing a little more research, including follow up e-mails with the person who made the suggestion, and learned more. It was quite an interesting story, so I made it a goal of mine to visit the place. This week, I needed to go to Iligan, and Talakag is sort of on the way, so I decided to include it in the trip.
To get to Talakag, it required first going to Cagayan de Oro, then up past SM and the Airport in Cagayan. I had been told that Talakag was just 3 to 5 Kilometers from the Airport… it turned out to be maybe 30 Km or so. But, that was OK, it was a nice drive, and quite beautiful. Once you get to Talakag, the Children’s Home is very easy to find, right on the highway.
Now, what makes Bethany Christian Home for Children so interesting that I would make a 7 hour trip to see the place? Without a doubt, it is a lady named Louise Lynip. Louise, a 94 year old native of Rochester, New York, is the founder of Bethany Christian Home for Children. She originally came to the Philippines in 1940, some 66 years ago. During the past 66 years, Louise has certainly led a very colorful life filled with both danger and joy, as she told me when I visited. One of the highlights of Louise’s time in the Philippines came during World War II.
Louise hid out from the Japanese Occupying Forces for over 2 years!
During WWII, when the Japanese invaded the country and held it, Louise escaped into the jungles of Bukidnon and hid out for over 2 years. During this time, Louise’s plight came to the attention of the United States military. Finally, the US Navy sent a submarine to the Northern Mindanao Coast, and sent a team ashore to find Louise and her 12 companions. Luckily, they were able to locate the group and rescue them. Louise proudly explained to me how she boarded a US Navy submarine and took a 6 day voyage to safety in Australia. After arriving in Australia, Louise stayed there for 2 months, then returned to the United States for 2 years, until it was safe to return to the Philippines.
Louise told me that at the present time, they are caring for 47 orphaned children at the home, although their orphan population reaches more than 100 at times. The Children’s Home also operates a farm at the site where they grow vegetables which are used to feed the kids, and also sold at market to provide money to run the operation.
In addition to a wonderful visit with Louise, my wife, son and I also visited the nursery where there were many babies. We held and played with the babies, and they were obviously overjoyed just to get a little extra attention. I must say, though that the two young ladies working in the nursery were doing a wonderful job in caring for the babies, it was so obvious. During the time that we were visiting, a Filipino couple who live in the United States were there to adopt one of the children. I certainly plan to go back for more visits to Bethany in the future, and to bring my other kids there so that they can learn of the plight of children without parents, and be able to share their affection with the kids. It’s a wonderful feeling to share a little of what we have with kids that need it so badly.
During our vist, I promised Louise that I would be working on helping her gain a presence on the Internet where she would be able to attract a few donors to help the Home survive, even beyond her time. She was very grateful for that, so watch this blog in the coming months as I work out a way that you can help to support Louise and the kids! You can be sure that when you help people like this, you will get more in return than you can ever believe!
Bob also wrote an obituary on Miss Lynip on hearing of her sudden passing recently:
[Comments (0)] [link]
July 5, 2006
Louise Lynip, RIP
by Bob @ 3:32 am. Filed under News, People

There is sad news to report at this hour. At around 9:40pm on July 4, 2006 (Philippine Time), Louise Lynip passed away. I received word just a couple hours ago of Louise’s death, which was due to complications with Pneumonia. Louise passed at the age of 94.You may remember Louise from an earlier post here on the Mindanao Blog. She was the founder of the Bethany Christian Home for Children in Talakag, Bukidnon. In her work with orphaned children at Bethany, Louise was responsible for placing hundreds, probably thousands of orphans into new homes around the world.
I got to meet Louise just once, and felt really priviliged to have met her and shared even just 15 minutes or so talking with her. Louise was really a unique individual, having experienced so many unique things in her life. During World War Two, Louise hid out in the jungles of Bukidnon for over two years before being rescued by US Forces who took her to safety in Australia aboard a Navy Submarine.
At this time, it is really important for Bethany Christian Home for Children to receive financial assistance so that it can continue the work that Louise started, and continued with for over 60 years. If you would like to make a donation to Bethany Christian Home, you may click on the button below, which will allow you to send money through Xoom.com. We will gather all of the donations and deliver 100% of the funds to Bethany Christian Home. All of the funds will be used for ongoing operations of Bethany, and to assist the children there.


Click this button to donate to Bethany Christian Home for Children. You can choose the amount you wish to donate.
For anybody who may wish to attend Louise’s funeral, services will be held at 10am on Saturday, July 8, at Bethany Home Cemetary in Talakag, Bukidnon.
I wish to thank Janci at Bethany, and Jim Cunningham for contacting me with the sad news.