I wrote the following post for Journey for Hope Children’s Ministry‘s (JFH) website. JFH is an outreach for children from an impoverished community of Karlangan along a river in the town of Cainta, province of Rizal, located outside of Manila, Philippines:
“Hello everybody!
My name is Luis Samuel Gracida Aceves and I’m originally from Mexico, but I’m currently doing a semester abroad in Germany as part of my bachelors degree which I’m doing in Columbus, Ohio. Oh, and I lived in China before college, which was when I first got in contact with JFH (Little bit complicated right?). Anyways, I’m not here to talk about my life story but rather I would like to share a little bit about my experiences with Journey and since some of you might have seen my name in an email or two, I thought it would be nice to explain my role in JFH!
It’s already been over three years since I first met Ate Myles and learned about Journey for Hope. Back in 2014 I went on my second missions trip to the Philippines with my school in China and couldn’t be happier that we got to work with JFH back then. Since that first contact, JFH made me feel like I was part of a family. The love that those kids can give is simply one of the most beautiful things I’ve experienced (and if you’ve been there you know what I’m talking about). Being there with them made me realize how much I have and how much I don’t have. Since this first contact I’ve strived to remain part of the JFH family in any way I can. I’ve gone back 2 times and I remain involved in helping the ministry. As a matter of fact, I wanted to be involved in supporting JFH so bad that upon my return to China I knew I had to find a way to gather funds to send them over to the Philippines. My idea? Selling burritos. It might surprise you, but there is actually a lot of demand for Mexican burritos in an international school in Shenyang, China. Soon enough I had gathered enough money to sponsor not only one, but two kids from JFH for a whole year!
Since then I’ve found other ways to support JFH. I helped create the new website and while not perfect, it has become a good way to spread the word about JFH as well as providing a way for people to access information. I’ve also been in charge of creating JFH’s last two newsletters, some graphics, and other media like emails and flyers that you might have seen around. I remain open and willing to help in any way possible and I try to do so by spreading the word about JFH, trying to recruit sponsors and supporters, and working on campaigns and projects, and anything Ate Myles tells me to do. It certainly is not a full-time job or even a part-time job but it is something I constantly put my time into. I also continue to sponsor some kids and I’m planning on going to the Philippines this coming July! I really thank God for allowing me to get to know JFH because it has changed who I am.
So now you know who I am. Of course, this is only the surface and I would be more than happy to hear from you and answer any questions you might have! And now I would like to invite you to become part of the JFH support team. You’re already part of the JFH family, but by also supporting Journey you would be helping advance a cause that really is worth it. And it doesn’t have to be anything extraordinary! Anything from praying for JFH to donating a house (we wish haha) counts. Of course prayer is what JFH needs the most, so let’s keep praying! But unfortunately, donations have been decreasing while the number of kids and JFH’s needs have been increasing. So consider sponsoring a kid or supporting JFH financially. You can contact Ate Myles directly for that (godismystrength180@gmail.com), you can contact me (sgracida@capital.edu), or go to the Donate page in the website. Also, what most people don’t realize is that an organization like JFH has needs for all types of skills! Really. Are you an artist? You can promote JFH through your art, raise funds by selling art, or create artwork for the website and other promotional materials! Are you a photographer? You can help us sort through pictures and edit them so that we can have a better website! Are you an engineer? … I’m sure we could find something for you! The point is, if we all put a little grain of sand, we can make a huge mountain of love over which JFH can thrive as a community.
Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns.
God bless!
Samuel Gracida”
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