At the request of the Filipino Government, we run Bible classes in the public schools of the Abra province. We have reached 186 schools so far. But we still have 187 schools – and 10,000 children – to go! We continue to receive amazingly uplifting testimonies from the students, teachers and parents…such as the ones below:

Jocelyn (Grade 5 student)
“I want to thank you for sending our volunteer teacher Magdalena, She is such a blessing to me personally for helping me understand God’s love for me. I was born with disability and hated myself so much. I am always embarrassed to be around people. I am full of negative things and so miserable. I tried so hard to just accept who I am but I couldn’t until this month of August our volunteer teacher explained to us about the creation and how wonderfully God created us in His image. At first I thought maybe I am not created in His own image because I don’t look nice like the others and be a shameful to represent God in this world but as our volunteer continued and made clear that whatever we look like we are still precious in God’s sight and she looked at me straight something pierced my heart and melted the hardness and negative things in it that I started to cry. When our volunteer was looking at me as if God was looking at me saying “I love you dearly no matter how you look like, I created you with a purpose”. As I cried and asked God to forgive me for not accepting my situation as the heaviness was lifted out of me and I felt free at last and joy flooded my heart!

Now, I am thankful to God for each day of my life and my parents who are so kind to me. And I want to thank you for this program that came to our school.”

Norma (Mother of Grade 7 student)
“I am so thankful to VEP (Values Education Program) because of the activity they had last school year called the “Tribute to Parents” that my husband attended. Since that activity I observe my husband that he is attending PTA meeting now and other school activities of our children. He is very supportive to every activity of our children. Thanks to you and God bless.”

Agapin (Parent of Grade 1 student)
“I thank the Lord for your work in the school because through you I am reading Bible story to my grade 1 daughter because she is forcing me to do so telling me, ‘Do what my teacher in values is doing.’”