A Ballymena ministry, Reaching and Teaching Ministries (R.T.M), made Christmas Day particularly special for those who live on the Filipino island of Mondora, as they delivered some much needed supplies.
On Friday, 25th December 2015, a large consignment of humanitarian aid arrived there thanks to Ballymena-based ministry and their generous supporters.
The delivery of this very special gift delighted R.T.M’s Founder & Director, Kenneth Wilson, who said: “Over the Christmas period, we were able to give 195 families some clothes; 106 families got clothes plus rice. We also filled 40 ‘Buckets of Love’ with food, and toiletries, soap, toothpaste plus small Christmas items.”
“205 shoeboxes were also filled in associated with Mercy in Action Ministries and given to children”, he said.
R.T.M’s expansion onto Mondora is a recently development. It’s work in that area is spearheaded by Hans- Jurg and Ermecita Ramsier, a married couple from Switzerland and the Philippines respectively. They are recent recruits to the ministry’s full-time staff and have settled in well as has their young son, Benjamin.
Mondora is a very poor island; it is in need of support financially and help to provide food and clothes. There is not a lot of work there. It is mainly a rice-producing area which is hard work but a lot of farmers and their sons do it themselves so it is not a big area of employment and there is not a lot of industry.
Speaking warmly about the impact his missionaries are having there, Kenneth added: “Every Saturday, Hans-Jurg and Ermeciti gather all the young people together and have a whole day for them, children and teenagers. They come together and have fun, food and they share the Gospel and the love of God with them as well.”
Ballymena ministry – Reaching & Teaching Ministries is helping to improve lives in the Philippines.
Donations for light clothing for men, woman and children are urgently needed there as is financial support to enable the purchase of rice to feed these struggling families. Remarkably, the price of a 100 cwt bag of rice, which would feed a family of four for one month has increased in price from £3.50 to £30 in just 20 years.
Kenneth reports that R.T.M’s work in other areas of the Philippines in continuing to bear fruit.
He says: “We have now sent out 20 balikbayan boxes – which hold up to 400 items depending on their size – and cost between £55 to £65 to transport from Northern Ireland to the Philippines.”
Thanks in no small measure to the dedication of Ballymena natives, Philip and Tracey Johnson who serve R.T.M on the island of Bohol, God’s love is being shown there in a real and practical way.
Three-year-old, Risa-Mae, who is has never walked due to malnutrition is beginning to thrive thanks to food, medicine and other support the she and her family have been receiving from R.T.M.
“Riza is slowly but surely making progress”, said Kenneth.
“It is slow because she has been malnourished for so long but she is gradually gaining weight and becoming a little brighter within herself. We just have to continue with it and we are hoping that one day she will be 100% again.”
For all of these reasons and many others, your continued support from Reaching and Teaching Ministries through prayer, direct financial donation or buying from the group’s charity shops in Ballykeel 1, Bridge Street, Ballymena and the Diamond, Coleraine. For this reason and many more, your continued support for R.T.M is vital.
You can find out more about Reaching & Teaching Minstries on their website here. Kenneth is available to come and share the work of this Ballymena ministry in Schools, Home Groups, Prayer Groups, Churches. You can contact him via mobile 07774617487.