There are some TWR fields that have clearly established project teams, such as the one that I work with, Project Hannah. The reality in the Philippines is that if you are in the office and you are a woman, you are a part of the Project Hannah team. The “Women of Hope” program begins with an English script which is then translated and broadcast in three languages, Tagalog, Ilocano and Cebuano. As it is designed to be a “chat over tea”, a number of voices are needed for each program and they must be the voices of native language speakers to make it more acceptable to the listeners. Therefore, if you work in the office and you speak the language you will be called upon to translate, voice the scripts or to do listener follow-up.
Each program that is aired invites listeners to send their questions or comments via text message to one of three phones – one for each language – that are manned twenty four hours a day by these women. It is not unusual for them to be up during the night providing counselling and support over cell phone lines to women who often have no one else to turn to. Fortunately, in this part of the world text messaging costs pennies a month, and cell phones are very cheap.
Ruthanna, the Project Hannah co-ordinator graciously invited all of the women to her home out in the hills surrounding Baguio, for a time of fellowship and an opportunity for me to get to know them. We chatted over a snack of boiled bananas while Ruthanna prepared a large bowl of a traditional Philippines soup, served over rice, and guava leaf tea.
It was a wonderful opportunity to hear of the joys and challenges of family life for these women as well as to get an understanding of the depth of their love for the women of their own country and their commitment to the ministry of Project Hannah.
As the afternoon rains started, we all piled into a Jeepney, the common means of transport for most Filipinos, for the crowded journey back into the city. My heart has been touched by these women and their devotion to the cause of Christ. There is so much that I want to do for them, and they have so many needs to more effectively carry out their ministry.
Home Thoughts From Abroad 
October 19, 2009 at 1:24 am
We’re all fine. We are expecting another typhoon this week and according to the meteorological experts, it mught be another super typhoon. The rescuers that we are feeding are still on the retrieval site hoping to find the remains of the two people left. Please pray for them and for the staff of TWR-Phils. We need medicines for the children and elderly in one of the evacuation centers.