"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 
The best is yet to come
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Filipinos are known for their love of celebrating Christmas and GH is no exception.  
We probably do much the same things as families everywhere - just on a larger, louder scale. We sing and dance, make cookies, have lots of craft activities and bake birthday cupcakes for Jesus. The Christmas story is, as always, at forefront of our celebrations.
 

How thankful we are for the gift of his precious son -  s ent down from heaven 
so  we can receive the gift of eternal life.


Christmas morning was extra special this year thanks to many generous people around the world who donated so that each child was able to receive a blanket, 
pair of shoes, pyjamas and a toy. Our children felt so loved and we pray 
that the givers will be blessed as much as our children.


New Year's celebrations are never quiet here in Manila. Quezon City lit up with hundreds of fireworks, as little ones watched in awe from the rooftop.
 
In any year there are always trials and triumphs and 2017 was no exception but God is ever faithful, watching over us and keeping us in His hand. How thankful we are that the many prayers said in this house have not gone unheard.
 
God is so good to us and we hold tight to His promises and believe for our best year yet, knowing that there is always hope in love.

Adoptions


We continue to see God's amazing favor for our children.  December saw our first older sibling adoption to Australia.  It is truly miraculous seeing God's hand providing our children with such loving and Godly families.  God is so good to our children!


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Medical

This week, Miss J had her third and final surgery.  She is still in pain but the surgery went really well.  She has to spend the next three days in hospital but the will be free to return to Gentle Hands.  Thank you to our amazing supporters who helped fund her surgery.  Please continue to pray for her as she recovers.


Mr C has irreversible kidney damage and heart complications that just mean we have limited time. So we will provide excellent care and love him as long as we have him. We pray for healing and will do so because we believe in a God who really can heal. He will need major support due to expense of the dialysis needed every few hours. 
Gentle Hands, Touching Hearts

One of the most rewarding parts of our ministry as International Ambassadors of Gentle Hands is seeing hearts being touched and lives being forever changed through the work of Gentle Hands.  These are two stories, from two individuals, who visited Gentle Hands as part of short term mission teams.  They have taken their experiences and helped raise awareness and financial support for the ministry of Gentle Hands.  Thank you so much for your support.

God Bless
Nathan and Pip Wheeley
Fundraising Coordinators
International Ambassadors
Wilter's Story

From hearing the story behind the construction and development of Gentle Hands and after having myself witnessed the life altering impact that Gentle Hands has, a few things became very clear to me. One, is that God is at the helm of Gentle Hands. The compassionate hearts that are part of the Gentle Hands team are driven overwhelmingly by God's unstoppable love for a hurting and broken world. This isn't a weak, push-over type of love, but one that is willing to plunge into the depths of pain and suffering to shine a light of hope. This love has the type of backbone that does whatever is neccesary to reach and protect those who God loves deeply. Wow! What a joy and vision!


The second thing that become clear to me was that I too wanted to be part of God's vision to spread the hands of God's love in a world that desperately needs it.
 
I personally have the honour of knowing many of the leaders at Gentle Hands, and knowing their hearts I fully support the work that God is doing through them and in the lives of these very precious children.
 
All this built up to me gladly jumping at the opportunity of raising awareness for Gentle Hands at my 21st Birthday party. And I am so thankful for the help and presence of the Wheeley family there who represented Gentle Hands. What a blessing this has been for me!

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Carly's Story
After a visit to Gentle Hands early last year on a short-term mission trip, I was touched by the work happening there in the orphanage. Children receiving genuine support, love and care as well as medical assistance and education in a home centered around Christ are some of the things I value greatly about Gentle Hands. I wanted to contribute financially to further support the orphanage, but as a university student with little money on my hands I had to get creative.

 
 
I made a post on Facebook offering to do makeup for free in exchange for any sized donation to Gentle Hands, and over the span of a few months and many faces of makeup, I had complied a decent sized gift. Sometimes giving can take many shapes, and whether it's time, encouragement, prayer or gaining awareness, it all plays an important role in showing our support.
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