This might not be the best thing to show you!

Come to Daddy! This is Ruth - Dawn was the only chicken!

En route to Batangas the ship drifted for a few hours as we were ahead of schedule- the Captain announced a small excursion with comprehensive safety rules - the crew we sooooo excited! It has not happened for 3 years

The sight from a local island

Bye bye Cebu hello Batangas

Cebu daily star - spot the bald geezer from Blighty!



We arrived in Batangas City & Province today to another big welcome. We left Cebu after a long 4 week stay – some 130,000 visitors came to the ship book exhibition buying 133,000 books - 18,000 came to conferences on board including 10,000 school kids. All left with some element of the message of the ship which is - to bring Knowledge, Help and Hope.

As we left the quayside a large group of local Christian supporters and street kids waved us off. It was quite emotional. Its amazing how quickly you can connect with folk. We were showered with attention. An example – we got back to our cabin to find a gift bag on the door, on investigation it was from a couple we met on a marriage seminar. We had chatted for a very short time and they had been impacted sufficiently to express thanks with a card and big bag of cookies.

Likewise with the street kids, my heart sort of broke to see them at the quayside waving us off – they shouted messages sang choruses and behaved as kids should. They however live on the streets largely unattended, some complete orphans. Philippines has a huge number of children like this scratching out an exposed life and wide open to all sorts of abuses.

It has however been a time to give huge thanks for – I talked to the local OM leader as we sailed away and she expressed how this visit had not only penetrated the churches with the encouragement for mission but the media and the business community. When so many are affected things can change.

One highlight was meeting our little Compassion girl Sarah May and her family – she and 165 other kids from the scheme came to the ship on the final Saturday. Less overawed and more relaxed she talked more and we will leave with enduring memories. Amazingly another couple on the ship have a son who has literally just started sponsoring a little boy form the same centre – the whole situation just replayed a week after ours. Now 265 kids all think their sponsors will be coming!



Sarah May and friends enjoying lunch on board



Well we need your prayers for the next week. We are joining an A team (A for action)

This involves a 9 day stay away with a church in Lucena some 2 hours away. We will be involved in practical building work, bible studies, student evangelism and all things church wise. The kids are coming too – the team are very excited – our kids are less than muted (you can imagine) we leave 24th Feb and return 4th March

Pray – for health and safety –impact with the church – great team times – kiddie harmony and opportunity for good news!

Oh yes and – the house in Sheffield has sold!!!! Still waiting for Carlisle house to happen

Dreams can come true.......

We met Sarah May her sisters and Mum!


Sarah May and her family

We saw our extended family in Cebu, Philippines! Some 7 years ago the girls came back to our tent at New Wine (Summer Conference) suggesting we support a child. Well it seems obvious to do – you can’t resist and the direct debit bank forms were duly completed.

In due course we heard that we have a little girl called Sarah May born in 1994 and living in the Philippines. Over the course of the past few years we have received a steady stream of letters in clearer English marking her progress through the education.

Of course you assume you will never meet this child…. Well not so!

When we heard we were coming to the Philippines with MV Doulos we dug out our details and checked the atlas and found that she lives on the island of Cebu where the ship is going to be. But the Philippines is big and we would of course be miles away.

Anyway when we got here and made some enquiries we found that she was indeed some 70km away in another city – but through the Doulos contacts Dawn was able to make contact and yesterday we found we would be able to visit.

So today was our day off and after breakfast we struck out on an amazing adventure. First a taxi – to the bus terminal. Then a 2 hour bus ride – just ask for the Shell Gas station – then cross the road to the Baptist Church.(in a city 2 hours away)

And so we arrived to meet the team from the church who work with on the programme to rescue children from the trap of poverty. It turns out it was their day off but all 6 of them came to be involved. The work in Toleda City has been going 17 years but they have never had a visit from a sponsor of a specific child. We were so excited (not just for a safe arrival).

The church assists 256 children through the Compassion programme providing school fees, uniforms, health checks, training, spiritual input – all the things that will make a difference to the children. Another 100 are fed every week to keep them healthy.

We were received by a wonderful dedicated team with a big heart – they took us to the school (by local bus) where we were able to meet Sarah May – you just don’t expect these things to happen. Better still we met her sister then they took us to her home to meet her Mum.

She is 12 years old – same age as Tessa – and works hard at her studies. Recently her parents had to move closer to the shipyard where her father was able to gain work. She rises at 4am has a long journey to school for 7am and returns at 6pm – a long day for the oldest who has responsibility in the home with 2 sisters.

We were all moved to tears not least Sarah May’s Mum whose warm faith and gratitude instantly registered that we were indeed part of the same heavenly family. The children recited bible verses and sang songs becoming gradually less overawed. The Mallons even had a go at singing a few little numbers. Our bible memory verses were not so polished.

It was a special time – her home is down a track and through a field and along a bit and – well not on a bus route that we are used to.

The amazing thing is her whole group from the church are coming to visit Doulos in two weeks and we may never have known! So we will see her again.

The wonderful staff of the centre asked us to pray for them and the children – we feel like we can do this so much more effectively. You see what is a few quid for us we have seen with our own eyes turns a little girls life upside down. And it’s well spent.

We got to do see what many would dream of seeing – all you guys out there that support these children – keep doing it – God is changing lives.

Thanks so much to the Staff of the Toledo Student Centre they really love these kids and give of their time sacrificially. We think you’re fab!