KMI, KMMC Hold Retreat

Members of the Kaibigang Maaasahan Multi-purpose Cooperative (KMMC) and staff of the Kaibigan Ministry Inc. (KMI) had a blessed time of worshiping, praying together, and sharing testimonies and life stories during a recent retreat. A majority of the cooperative members are transformed former street dwellers.

The retreat, which had the theme Out of Darkness based on Colossians 11:20, was held at the Pranjetto Hills Resort in Tanay, Rizal on August 31 - September 2, 2015. It was the first event of its kind for the two ministries.

Both the KMMC and KMI are organizations of the Center for Community (CCT) Group of Ministries. KMI ministers to street dwellers through such programs as feeding, spiritual development, skills training, and job placement. KMMC is the first cooperative in the Philippines whose members are current and former street dwellers. It is also joined by CCT construction workers and by staff of the CCT Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center.  KMMC is engaged in income-generating projects such as construction, farming, printing, janitorial work, general housekeeping and messenger services.

Attendees  kneel in prayer  during
the retreat's first evening.   

A former street dweller worships the Lord.

Pastor Doy Castillo of Bread from Heaven Christian
Fellowship speaks on stepping out of darkness.

Christian businessman Dick Ang speaks on staying
in the light after one has stepped out of the darkness. 

Ruth Callanta, president and founder of  CCT, 
acknowledges retreat staff and speakers. Earlier, she
 spoke on God's plan for humanity.

Here and next two photos: breakout sessions for
 small group sharing.

Here and in next photo:  former street dwellers
share testimonies of how the Lord transformed their lives.

Mealtime!

Photos: Jerome Estarez

Kaibigan Village Lots Distributed

Corazon Triumpo claps her hands with joy after a housing lot she and her husband specifically prayed for
is assigned to her.

Six families who used to be street dwellers in Manila can now start to build their own homes after being assigned housing lots at the Kaibigan Village 6 in Cabanatuan City.  The families are beneficiaries of the Kaibigan Ministry of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Group of Ministries.  (Kaibigan is the Filipino word for friend. At CCT it is also used to refer to street dwellers.) 

The families were each allotted 500 square meters of land on which to build their homes and raise vegetables and poultry or other animals for food. 

The distribution of the lots was done during a thanksgiving celebration on December 30, 2014 of members of the Kaibigang Maaasahan Multi-purpose Cooperative (KMMC), the first cooperative in the Philippines composed largely of former or current street dwellers.

Former street dwellers qualified to receive a lot are legally married couples who have been KMMC members for at least five years and who were not subject to any disciplinary action during that period. Workers of the KMMC construction services unit will help the couples build their homes.      

Ruth Callanta, CCT president and founder, said that the Kaibigan Ministry is the answer to a long-held deep and personal desire to reach out to street dwellers, and the answer to prayer during a visit to a prayer facility in South Korea in 2001. She said the Biblical basis for the ministry is Prophet Ezekiel’s vision in which a valley of dry bones came together, developed flesh and skin, began breathing and stood up as a living army. “The way I understand this vision is that street dwellers will be provided with food and livelihood, will be taught the Word of God, will come to know the Living God, and will have new life.”  

She also recounted how the Kaibigan Ministry officially started with a feeding program for street dwellers in November 2005, then moved on to disciple men and provide them with jobs which began with their building of a fence around a piece of property in Tagaytay.  She said that as skills of the men in painting, plumbing, and carpentry grew, they also worked on construction projects in Magdalena, Laguna, and built two buildings at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center. 

Mrs. Callanta explained that the piece of land that will soon be a residential village for former street dwellers is just one of nine non-contiguous lots donated to the Kaibigan Ministry, beginning with a one-hectare piece of land referred to now as KV (Kaibigan Village) 1. “The Lord showed me that this could be the new home of street dwellers.”  She said that Kaibigan Villages 1 to 5 and 8 and 9 are to be used for the common raising of cash crops or livestock, while Kaibigan Villages 6 and 7 will be for housing. A portion of the properties will also be used as memorial plots.

Ruth Callanta, CCT president and founder, recounts the
history of the Kaibigan Ministry. 

Dennis and Grace listen intently as qualifications for home
ownership at the Kaibigan Village are explained.
They hope to be among the next group of couples to receive
a housing lot. 

Arlene Diel reads names of Kaibigans eligible to receive a housing lot.

Zaldy Lugay, head of the Kaibigang Maaasahan
Multi-purpose Cooperative Construction Services,
displays a vicinity map of Kaibigan Village 6
 subdivided into housing lots measuring
1000 square meters.  The
village will eventually be home to 46 families each
assigned 500 square meters on which to build their
homes and raise livestock and vegetables.

Edwin Agcopra, with his son by his side, draws the
number of the lot where he can soon build a home for
his family, then watches as Zaldy Lugay marks the
spot on a vicinity map.  Edwin, a transformed
former street dweller, is proof that the vicious cycles of
poverty, crime, and homelessness can be broken
by the power of God. 

KMMC and KMI management, staff, and
beneficiaries,and Ruth Callanta (below)
pray that the residents of
Kaibigan Village 6 will be a
blessing to their surrounding community
and will bring glory to God.