Manila's squatter communities receive hope

Come on," a young man calls as he and a group of teenagers trek to a squatter village to teach the Bible.

As they pass an open field where several children are kicking a partially deflated soccer ball, he again calls, "Come on."

The children stop and smile when they see who is calling them. Abandoning the ball, they follow, bare feet splashing mud. As the group crosses a concrete bridge over a drainage ditch filled with gray water and trash, the children chatter with their teachers. Filipino pastor Romy Albinius and IMB worker Dwight Fern follow.

As the group reaches the village, some young mothers carrying infants and other women drag benches under a tree and settle down on the creaky seats. The young people unfurl their song sheets, Christian lyrics carefully printed on the back of old alcohol advertising posters. Keep reading