Hiya there, thought I would do an update on what is going on out here now that we have actually started doing some proper work. we've had a great time so far and M & T are wonderful hosts, but the first few days were a bit slow as there wasn't anything specific in them except recovering from the flight and preparing for the kids club on Saturday.

But we did do other stuff as well, thanks to M & T wanting to show us round and take us out to some delicious eating places. The food here is just so amazing; lots of fish, and vegetables, and rice as the carb, or noodles. They don't do it too spicy, but there is always extra chilli sauce that can be added – and I do!

The fruit is lovely as well, and this is the best season for it apparently – rambutan, mangosteen, langsat (or something like that), papaya, little bananas, pineapple....I had yellow watermelon as well(not as good as red though), and one evening we went out for durian which is the smelliest fruit in the world, and isn't allowed to be eaten indoors in public places, or taken on public transport etc! You either love it or hate it – Tammy loves it, Mark hates it. I had 3 pieces which the locals were very impressed with, and can't say I'd go out of my way to eat it again, but equally wouldn't turn it down if offered.

Yesterday (Saturday), we did the Filipino kids club in the morning. We got there at 7.45am and immediately were asked to start doing some English classes with the children, which was totally unplanned. So we had about 40 kids ranging age 2 – 16, and between us we did 3 separate little classes. Apparently we did so well that we have got to do it each time we are there now! Then we did the activities and songs and games etc that we had prepared, and then they got served a meal of rice and chicken which we helped serve out. Just like at Kambi Teso, this is probably the only meal these kids will get, and certainly the most nutritious and filling.

This kids club happens twice a week in a lady's home, and the kids that come are all offspring of illegal immigrants. So it is variable how long they come for depending whether their parents manage to stay in the country. Sometimes the parents might get rounded up and sent back and they leave the child behind as no time to get them, or they prefer to leave the child in Malaysia so not a liability when the parent gets back to the Philippines etc and then tries again to get in illegally. Apparently the authorities are fairly laid back about the illegal immigrants most of the time, as they are a source of cheap labour, but even so, the uncertainty of their future means they all live only for today. The kids are pretty poor, and some of the children were eating half their meal then putting the rest in a carrier bag to take home for the family. They don't get to go to school as they have no rights, no passport, and no status – what does the future hold for them? It was a privilege to be able to pour some love into their life for a little moment.

After the children had gone we shared a meal with Lois who owns the house, and she told us more about the work, and her involvement in it. It is a lovely story as she admits she had no heart for it in the beginning and it was her daughter who started it. Then her daughter left home and Lois knew she was lumbered with it as she couldn’t face telling the children it was finishing – don't you love how God works things out! He knew Lois wouldn't start it, but that she would carry it on – so that's how He got it sorted – brilliant!

In the afternoon we caught a boat over to one of the little islands and whilst Sheila and Phillip enjoyed people watching, and just relaxing on the beach, Elsa and I donned snorkels and masks and went swimming – the fish are so amazing: loads of different colours, sizes etc, and I also saw some really good coral, huge starfish and a manta ray. A very special afternoon.

Today we went to visit the street market first thing, then went to one of the Filipino churches. Just a small church, maybe 50 or 60, and on the 4th floor of a building in quite a small room. They spoke in English for all of it which was very touching, and the worship was awesome. They really know how to raise the roof, and there was such passion. I did the preach, (just about made it to the required 40 mins!), and the 4 of us, prayed for folks after who came up as a response to the word. The meeting closed with everyone having lunch together – so now we have had Filipino food as well!

Chatting to some of the people at lunch, they seem to be in various stages of having legitimate work visas, or still having to pay of an agent so the passport gets released etc. One lady told me how she had been picked up by the police yesterday at a random spot check on her way to work. She is a domestic worker, and gets 30 Malaysian Ringit (£10) for 6 hours work each day, she works 6 days a week. Anyway, the police wanted to see her passport, but she doesn't have it as it is with the agent who hired her and who she has to pay 2500MR before she can have it back. She still owes 700MR as it is hard to make the money go far enough to save much by the time she has paid for accommodation, food, clothes for work, transport to work, sent some money home, and given to the church. So, the police gave her a really hard time and threatened to send her back unless she could prove that she had a proper job. Her boss wasn't answering calls, her agent didn't answer the calls, and she was getting pretty desperate. She explained to the police that she had to get home so she could practice the worship that evening at church, and lead worship the next day, but that didn't hold much sway in a Muslim state! In the midst of all this she was praying hard, but oh so scared, and trembling so much. Finally she managed to get hold of her husband who came and persuaded the police to let her go. They still don't know how it worked, as they both said that her husband is as low-paid and insignificant in the eyes of the police as she is, but the prayers worked, and God fulfilled his promise of Isaiah 41: 10, which He placed in her heart as she was silently crying out to Him at the police station.

Another guy was saying that his work visa is being processed, and it costs 1000MR each year to keep it updated. He is married with a small child, and for the whole family it costs 2400MR each year – a lot to find when working for very low wage, and having so many other costs to fulfil as well. And all the time the uncertainty of whether the police are going to do a spot-check raid and fill their quota of deportees. What a life.

Tomorrow we have the Filipino kids club again, and then on Tuesday we are heading up country for a couple of hours drive to a remote village where we will be doing children’s work, English classes (adults and children), and church home groups until Friday. We will be staying with the chief of the village, and it will be quite an experience – electricity most of the time, variable running water, washing facilities in an outhouse somewhere nearby!

So it's all going pretty well. We are bonding very well as a team, and learning each other's strengths and weaknesses and so able to support each other. I seem to be the most adventurous of the 4 of us, and hence have got to do the driving to get back from the village – 4 wheel drive, dirt road for some of it: all prayers appreciated!

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