The Filipino people are resilient, resourceful, and community driven. After being
under the rule of others and without monetary resources for so long, it is easy to live
a life of resignation; a life out of the mindset of poverty. The poverty mentality is not
limited to the lack of money but easily goes beyond that to the poverty of mind, soul,
and spirit. A place where one begins to believe there is no hope or vision for
anything more. This void can then easily lead to various forms of idolatry in attempt
to fill, what seems to be an unsatisfiable void.
Jonathan Hunter, the founder and director of Embracing Life Ministry, along with
Neil and Debbie Driscoll, Associate Directors of Embracing Life Ministry, came from
the US to share a fresh and real perspective on this Filipino malady. They traveled
the streets of Manila, recognizing the monetary poverty and reputation of the
Philippines to be a third world country, yet they saw beyond that. They recognized
the wealth of community, the richness of faith, and the potential to be more than the
Filipino people could ever dream. The three ministers of Life addressed those working with Companion with the Poor, a ministry to the poorest of the poor here in the Philippines. Jonathan, Debbie, and
Neil shared their passion and love for the Filipino people. They challenged this
community that they indeed are not a third world people and that it is important to
begin believing for much more. They encouraged those present to choose Life over
the spirit of death and the reality of how Jesus sees them. They challenged those
present to courageously look at and speak out, the shaming words, which have been
allowed to identify and define them. All then listened for the words of Life that Jesus
would speak directly to them. In hearing directly from Jesus, the words carry great
weight and life-changing power.
It is a challenge to live from this mindset on a daily basis when believing otherwise
for so long. Consequently, they discussed the need to the daily acknowledge the
destructive words while actively replacing them with words of Life directly from
Jesus. Embracing Life Ministries travels the world bringing this transforming news
of hope to the hopeless, worth to the worthless, and Life to the helpless, to all they
encounter. May we all choose life daily.
