Sunday, September 25th was the first Hope for Tomorrow Sunday. Hope for Tomorrow Sundays occur on the last Sunday of every month and target the outreach of both the students and their families. Gepher and I have prayed numerous prayers for both the children and the families. We have prayed that we not only meet their physical/education needs but we begin to meet the family's spiritual needs as well. On Sunday morning, we began to see the answers to these prayers as the children and their families walked into church for the first time hand in hand.
We wanted Sunday to be a special day for both the children and their families. We had planned not only a special service but also an award's ceremony for the children. We printed up invitations and personally delivered them going from house to house. They parents were very anxious to find their child in the picture on the invitation as well as find out what award their child had won.
As the children and their parents walked through the door, I knew immediately God was definitely present! The kids from Hope for Tomorrow come from three areas throughout Naga. We were blessed to have all of the children from two of these areas along with their parents (this was the majority of our children). We had a total of 71 at church for this special Sunday. The building was extremely hot and we didn't have enough chairs as we were busting at the seams...but none of those "problems" seemed to matter.
Following service, we started the Award's Ceremony. The children have made lots of progress since the beginning of school in the After School Program, we wanted to make sure they were recognized for their hard work. Our major category winners were awarded a certificate along with a new book or workbook. Our Star Student winners, were awarded a certificate along with a fun puzzle. Every student was awarded an award as everyone at Hope for Tomorrow is a Winner!
Here are a list of all the winners:
- Alphabet Achiever - John Robert Callido
- Counting Champion - James Camplona
- Excellent English - Marilyn Relado
- Harder Worker - Joan Manghila, Glenda Baldivino, Jenelyn Ombao, Princess Hemperoa
- Math Wizard - Edward Suarz & Bregel Villarico
- Most Improved - Mary Jane Ombao & James Ombao
- Reading Award - Mica Algoso
- Sight Word Champion - Marie Rosemarie Paran & Hannah Mae Rule
- Spelling Bee Champion - Rica Chan
- Times Table Titan - Marvin Nadonza & Juanito Formentera
- Writing Wizard - Marjun Sanger & Renie Boy Agau
- Star Student - John Clyde Camplona, July Ann Labrado, Rica Libiaga, Roberto Pineda, Marlou Sanger, Christopher Cantiveros, Vanessa Hemperoa, Maria Teresa Barque
As Gepher would describe the next category, the children began to shout out the children's names they thought should win. Ninety percent of the time they were correct. That made us feel so good that not only we chose the right winners but also to see they encourage and celebrate with one another. The parents had a look of pride of their face that could not be erased. Every time a name was called, they smiled from ear to ear and were beaming with excitement and pride for their child. What a very special moment for these special families!
Following the award's ceremony, we showed a video filled with pictures since the beginning of school. With every picture that showed on the "big screen", the parents got excited as they watched in anticipation looking for their child. The children thought it was so neat to see themselves staring in their very own movie!! There were lots of laughing and smiles. My favorite memory of the day was the children spontaneously singing along with the song "Jesus Loves Me" as it played in the video. As the sweet sounds of their little voices filled the room I thought to myself, "Jesus does love you and your families and I pray everyone today has felt that love."
A celebration would not be complete without games. We wanted these games to not only be fun but also showcase to the parents just how much the children have learned. Jeopardy seemed to be the perfect game. We divided the kids into three teams mixed with older and younger children. Everyone was anxious to choose a category and point value.
With every correct answer, the parents would clap and cheer for the children. This kept the atmosphere electric and made the kids want to shout the answers faster and louder! Everyone was definitely having fun and filled with pride. The kids were so proud of their accomplishments and wanted to show everyone and the parents were so very proud of their children. The game ended with a tie breaker Spelling Question. I am certain this will not be the last Jeopardy game played!
No celebration would be complete without lunch. Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal and wonderful fellowship. We loved seeing the church members serving and interacting with the families of Hope for Tomorrow. God has definitely opened doors for us to continue reaching out to these families. We are excited about these open doors and pray God shows us the best way to walk through them.
We thank God for the success of our first Hope for Tomorrow Sunday. He continues to answer our prayers and bless this ministry beyond our wildest dream. We can't wait for October's Hope for Tomorrow Sunday!
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