The Museum

Hello!  We’re in the Philippines this week with our good friends from Student Life & Compassion International.  It’s been an incredible week thus far, but I’m awake early this Saturday morning and can’t stop thinking about this family I met yesterday in Cebu City…  I’m certain words can’t do justice to what we’ve seen.

We had the chance to visit their home which literally lies in a graveyard.  It is the most unsettling situation of poverty I’ve seen in my life… Hundreds of families and young children living in the slums in small humble “homes” the size of an american walk in closet… yet built on top of the dead.

The city has counted over 500 families living in 329 structures spanning over 9000 square meters.  It’s been used as a cemetery as far back as 1912 yet poverty has forced families to build structures on top of tombs, some even using the tombs as beds inside the shanties.

As we walked for about 15 minutes into the community, we arrived at the home of this sweet family.  We had an opportunity to pray for this woman, a mother of 6.  After spending time with their family, we asked what her dreams were & how we could pray for her.  Her simple response was “I pray that one day we could own a home, and that we could have electricity.”

I believe that her dreams can come true because of Compassion.  Her eldest son, Jeffrey (13), is fortunate enough to attend the Compassion project at their local church.  Compassion is changing the lives of currently 711 kids in this community by showing them the love of Jesus and giving them an education, as well as much needed access to medical care for their entire family.  The greatest thing is it’s not even under the banner of Compassion…. they’ve empowered the local church to reach their community in an astounding way.  And they’re doing it all across the globe through the local church.

If you sponsor a child through Compassion, be encouraged – you’ll never know the impact you’re making.

Somehow, in the gravest of circumstances, these children have joy.

Even in death, Jesus is life.  In the darkness, He is light

-Ben

Mother of Six

The Graveyard

Joy in suffering

The Community

Josh with Jeffrey

We want to sincerely thank our fans for joining us the fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery!  You’ve helped The Museum now be able to write over $10,000 in checks to help create a new future for victims!! That figure does not even include all the support raised through 28 to Emancipate on The Museum’s spring “Not For Sale Tour!”

We’ve been honored to support the cause of Not For Sale Campaign this year and have seen some incredible things through it!

We released the song “Not For Sale” this February as a way to spread awareness about this issue.  It’s still available as a Free Download with an optional donation to NFS for a limited time.  If you haven’t already, please make sure to download it here.

Thanks for joining us in the movement.

Hello Friends…

Ben here… I want to take a minute to update you on a trip we’re getting ready to take over the thanksgiving holiday.  We’ll be leaving November 28 for 10 days in The Philippines!  We’ve been grateful to build relationships this past year with new friends in 2 great organizations – Student Life & Compassion International. We’re so excited to see these two merge as we’re partnering together for the trip!

For a while now Chris, Josh & myself, along with our wives, have sponsored children overseas through Compassion.  We’ve been huge believers in their programs and initiatives changing the lives of children across the globe.  Now we’re going to have the chance to go see it first hand!

We have a way that YOU CAN BE INVOLVED!   I’m so excited that for the first time I’ll get to meet Ella, our 6 year old little girl my wife and I sponsor.  If you are interested – there are 5 young children in the area in need of a sponsor.  If you’d like to sign up to sponsor them we can actually take a gift over for you and hand it to them ourselves!  If that’s something you’re interested in simply click here to learn more about the children and how you can help!

Make sure to let us know if you decide to sponsor a child… Thanks so much for your support and prayers as we go!

-Ben