Remember

The day starts of cool and free
The Lord, His hand gentle and warm
The further you fly, the more he holds you in his arms
And at that time, that one point in time,
He was there with you
When the water rushed up, and the flames grew high
He was there, when the roads were long and the weather bad, He was there
As I think of all the memories, I feel an urge inside
I want to let you know He was always there
and I honor you, your life, your work, your smile and your kindness
and I am glad, that before you took your final fight,
you learned He was there
and now, upon the wings of the angels, your flights are everlasting
your journeys ever so much more exciting and the Love,
well.. The Love even more Real and uplifting
He is with you, with all of us
I continue to Pray and I know
we will all be reunited again one day
One family, one great loving family
in His arms
Amen

Isaiah 51,57

The Lord our God told us how great His works are.
And we know that he has created all things great and small.

There is a coming brothers and sisters, a new city of Zion is being built.
Today, right here..
in our lives, God has called us to be builders, warriors, soldier, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers.

We are called to rise up against the darkness and speak out.
To be witnesses to God's Love, to the work of Jesus our Lord.
We know what can become of this world, of its people.
God promised he would not once again flood the world as he did in Noah's time with waters..
But the Lord will flood this Earth instead with Love through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you believe that?
Lets revisit the idea of change agents.
Are you not also called to be one of these agents?
Today's world is filled with many things good and bad, many influences and many hearts,
and there are thousands that die each day without knowing about our Lord. So when we are called to be witnesses, it is bigger than just being in one place at one time, it is about making change occur through each and every action we take.

Fear.
However Fear, is in the way. Sin is in the way, doubt and ungratefulness is in the way.
These can be moved aside if you let God truly into your life and take his Love everywhere you go to everyone you meet.

Isaiah 57:11-13:

11 And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of long time, and thou fearest me not?

12 I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee.

13 When thou criest, let them that thou hast gathered deliver thee; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

The Lord our God is our refuge, who shall we fear?
He is the stronghold of our lives, whom shall we fear?
We should not fear the the things that prevent us from really proclaiming his word and witnessing to the world, instead let us be God fearing and allow God to work in us, through us and with us to move mountains, to spread God's Love and His word.

Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Let us be as one body in Christ in all that we do. As we move forward to celebrate Corpus Christi, let us keep our lives centered on Christ, united in the Spirit so that we may see peace on Earth, in every heart and in every soul.

When the one body of Christ is ready to move, when the global army of God is ready to shout his name in praise and when the world is ready to bow before him, let us be ready, let us let the Holy Spirit lead us to the salvation of Christ.

Be an agent of change, lead and serve, and bring all people, let His people know that God loves them and is always near.

Afterall "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)

we are already made for this, so lets start acting like it and live our lives this way too.

Amen.

My Failing at Work

my boss handed me my 5 yr plaque and pin..
he said its has been a great 5 yrs.. and hopes the next 5 yrs are just as delightful..
later my coworker came in, shook my hand and chuckled.. he said he like it when my boss said that, cause he know how my attitude with the company has been the past year...
at first Ii thought.. that's funny.
then I realized how transparent I am at work with my dissatisfaction, so much so that an employee knows it..
my question is.. if I appear to be bitter and ungrateful for my job, then how are they to see Christ in me.. sure I can hold doors and say God Bless you.. but does not the bitterness mask the love and joy that God wants to show in me..
I have failed in this arena , because although I may be a God willed, God loving, loving person, I have let a hint of despair and sadness mask the true nature of God's work in us..

In the end, all the words I may speak about God and his greatness will only be written in my mind and heavy on my heart, the true things remembered are my actions and attitudes, and whether or not they reflect God

Thought on Love

Last week, a message of Love was passed upon me.
I thought about how do we change this world? How do we reach out to
so many that don't know any better?

The answer is simple: LOVE

When we say to witness, when we say to lead as a servant and be an agent of change, these things must occur through love. We cannot do these things without it, because we would not change anyone. We cannot live our lives and expect folks to notice God in us if we don't imitate him completely. Which means to Love God and Love your neighbors. And this is really hard to do.

Every person that erks you, every person that pushes the wrong button, we must love.
When we witness, we must show we choose to make the right decision, that we choose to make people our priority and choose to love them

when we lead, its not just being selfless, but doing cause you love those you lead, that you choose to work with them and choose to love them

when we are an agent of change, we must want to change not for ourselves, but out of love for the situation and the folks that are affected..being sensitive.

its all about Love. Its tough, but its right and worth it.

A Servant in Battle

It was an interesting Sunday,
I have to admit I was nervous.
But this is how it went:

Amongst the older Catholics that were there, I felt the urge, a calling to say the truth.
To be real and have it make sense.

It started with the types of soldiers on battle field.

There are several types,
those that don't seem to care at all about the battle, those that don't seem to know there is a battle going on.. those that are unfit for the fight, they have to embraced God's armor and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
There are those that fight but are alone.. actually, this is the problem..
we have soldiers, missionaries, ordinary people doing extraordinary things that have no support.. Are we praying for them? Are we holding them up? Are we beside them in battle?
Are we tithing so that they may continue the fight?

Ahh.. so that hit didn't it..

So how can I be a soldier?
To be a Christian solider you have to accept and wear the armor of God.
Taken from Corinthians, you must wear the whole armor of God, not just one piece here and there.

You must embrace the entire suit, the battle gear.. and here's the catch.. God made it for marching forward.. it protects you sooo well that you will not fall when with he armor, but the minute you turn your back, well the enemy will attack.

so your asking.. what enemy, what armor, what battle?
hahah.. ok.. The enemy is Satan. The armor I will discuss, the battle is real, it is spiritual battle.

Why would I bring this up in a change management blog about servant leadership? Because if you don't get this part of it, it matters not how well you now the mechanics of change and servant leadership. You must protect yourself with knowledge, you must go forth and fight this battle.

The minute you claim you are a servant leader, in its pure true form, you are a follower of Christ. And this means that Satan is now watching your every move even more greatly. If he knocks down a soldier, imagine all the other things he brings down, the service, the relationships, the mission work.. its a big blow.

So back to the armor.. cause this is something you need to know.
The armor starts with the belt of truth.
Wear this belt cause it hold everything together, the belt of truth is what keeps us grounded in our work its what helps us not live the dual life. it is the way of life.. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the Life.. believe this brothers and sisters.

I am guilty of many times being another person at work than I am at Church and with my Christian brothers and sisters.. why.. cause its hard, we want to fit in and be liked.. But let me tell you this, lament, discern and change your ways brothers and sisters.

The time for change is now. If we will defend the values, the family and life, then you must live your life as a witness for Christ. wear the belt, trust me on this.

Next, the shield of faith.. I love the shield of faith, it is covers the whole body and it allows us to make the impossible possible. Believe in Him, believe in the work and God will make it happen. He will never give you a task you cannot handle. This is true always. You just have to have faith in him and work through him and let him work through you.

Next, the Helmet of Salvation, trust me on this too, believe in God's powers, protect your head, don't let your mind get the best of you. Stay positive, stay focused and stay believing and be strong in your faith.

The Breastplate of Righteousness protects your heart, it is what allows us to fight the good fight, don't ever let it pull you astray and fight for another reason then for Jesus Christ.

The foot gear is the Zeal of willingness.. when God says GO, you GO! simple right. say yes to the Lord. When he asks you to step to the plate, just do it. no need to question, he has you on the right path.

and of course the Sword of the Holy Spirit is the Word of God. Love is giving of your time. So show your love to God, but taking time to learn, read and know him and his Word.
You must have knowledge of the battle you are fighting. If its Pro life, know Culture of Life, if its GK, know the work of Jesus and the poor. Be there brothers and sisters, and do it in His name.

So know this, A Christian soldier is ordinary but God will allow you to do extraordinary thing, the solider will always focus on the work of Love.. this is the basis of all our work because God is LOVE. and we always fight for the right causes.. the cause will move people, but the Love is what will allow us to finish the fight in a winning position.

What is the stance we must take?
We must be Pro God, Pro Family, Pro Poor and Pro Life.
Yes, even you who wishes to be a servant leader and an agent of change, these things will be required of you in order for you to move forward. This will not make you rich on Earth, but will yield you the treasures in Heaven.

Then there is the caliber, that or a leader, a martyr, courage, faithfulness, purity, truth, a warrior, a Shepard and a steward.. these things will build you up as a soldier in the spiritual battle.

You'll be surprised how they move you as well in everything in your life. They will bring you riches, they will bring you excitement and they will bring you everlasting peace.

So if you thought this was out of place, think again. These values are the foundation of Servant Leadership, and in order to endure the change in any setting, whether it be corporate, retail or service, we must learn to love and protect ourselves and those we are called to steward.

Pray on this one.. its a lot.. but then again, its just scratching the service of our calling as soldiers and leaders in our industries and our world.

Empowering Change

Ok, so here we are again..
Its been a little longer than I wanted, but inspiration comes when it comes.
Looking at this past weekend, we held a Covenant Orientation, and I was blessed with the opportunity to give talk 4: Culture of SFC

Well, I was excited, so excited that I just kept making cnonections, and opening doors.
Truly witnessing how amazing our God is.
From the sanctity of Life to the dissolubility of marriage to helping the poor and being stewards.

You see, the latest revelation for me has been on stewardship. Its been so inspiring that I even started writing letters to different leaders and folks about God's latest message to me.

I see it this way, God has asked that we be stewards of all that is his.. so that explains why we give God our talent, treasure and time.. right?

Well, what if you see it this way instead. God, in his great plan has left with us all our resources, that includes the people you lead, the people you influence, basically everyone you meet, he has his flock here on Earth for each of us to steward.

So for teachers, your students are your resources, you are called to steward them, to protect them, to love them and to bring them to God, even if the only way is through your examples.
Parents, your sons and daughters
Managers, your employees
Executives, you company...




These are all blessings bestowed upon you from God. And he has asked each of us by name to support and bring up his children, his lamb so they may know God.

We must serve all, we must be selfless and loving at all times. This sets the tone for evangelization and renewal. Not in the whole Bible banging sense, but in the kind caring, always living your life in a Christ-like manner sense.

Understand?

So we are all empowered to be change agents, we are all empowered for change.
The Change that we are called to now is the change of Corporate America.

It sounds like a big task, a tall order, but think about the messages and the times we are in.
I asked a bunch of our employees about what they thought if we launched an interest group for Christians so that they could support eachother and discuss how to live a Christian life at work. You know, the response was amazing, even the critics believe it would spread like wild fire. People are yearning and thirsting for Christ at work.

And don't forget, with 70% of y our time at work.. well, where else do you think these lessons will be learned to brign back home?

And what about the change environment. Well, companies are seeking for a foundation that is honest, high integrity, moral, serving, selfless, caring, nurturing.. hmmm sounds like Christian values to me.

And the days of seperating religion from work are over. I understood church and state, but when did we start seperating it in Corporate America?

We have diversity councils and groups for different races, different ages even different interests, so before the enemy figure out how to use those tools, let us as Christians stand up and use these tools for his greater glory. Start these groups to support eachother, and feel confident and free to talk about your honest feelings, your honest desires. There is no more need for a mask at work, be proud to be Christian.

I remember a shirt I own: Catholicism is not a spectator sport

I think that sums it all up, so lets get active, lets make it known and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide this work. He has called us by name.

Now let's answer and witness for him, let us not be a spectator.

All in the family

So, all this talk about Changing Servant.. Servant Leadership and Change Management, understanding the Poor, God's Love and so much more.. But how does this apply to us, everyday in our lives.

Sure, I wanna do good things, but I wanna do more than just say it..

Well, picture this, you are there at work 70% of the time, and you start to incorporate these ideas of service leadership to the workplace, and things start to change for the better. Better work-life balance and good relations. Nothing perfect but much better.. then you go home.

now what? What about taking that same attitude home and applying it to your family, or taking it back to your date, your significant other. These are traits that God has given us, built in and ready to use.

sure, selfishly, serving others makes you feel good, but imagine the work that is done from this new found freedom. If you serve your wife or your husband with that intend, imagine what it does for the marriage.

Guys and Girls, imagine the work with your relationship. treat marriage as a sacrament and a vocation, treat your relationship with great respect and always look for ways to serve each other. This is women's and men's liberation. There is nothing sexist or demeaning in serving each other.

This is exactly what we learned from Jesus. Every time we are selfless, the better we become.
We need to recognize the difference this would make.

So start at work, live it, witness it, then bring it home, bring it to every relationship you have and witness it. This will in turn reap many rewards. Instead of thinking how will my wife make me happy, or what can she do for me. You should be thinking what can i do for her, how can I make her happy, not expecting anything in return, except for the joy you receive back from her joy and thankfulness. and sometimes it won't be easy, but it will pay off.

I'll get to more examples later, but for know we must think about it. We must start that change, the environment we work at, we live at and we play at. We are change agents and we are changing servants, I know I am.

Understanding Leadership

Some of this is borrowed from a good friend of mine Kuya R.S, (pic to be released after NE summit in March):

But I think what he speaks of here is true. I added to it the types of management/leadership and what happens when they reach the top.

Looking at the Bowl Leadership, everything appears to be in order, at first, it seems that the leader is making a sacrafice to lead the members. However, caution is in order. Too easily this can feed the ego of the leader, and still, all decisions and respect are given to one line of convergence: the leader. The leader can also start believeing that they provide everything to the member, they provide the raises, accolades and promotions. This tends to create an environment where members owe back their leader, and that they did not earn anything, but it was given to them.

Looking at the typical Top down leadership, that of a patriarch structure, we can see many faults here including a tendancy to mistrust the members. This in turn may lead into micro management and lack of respect. When this happens, members are only assests to the leader, and the leader turns selfish. They start viewing the members as ways for them to gain power and recognition.


Then we look at the Servant Leadership, some flaws may seem like the leader has no backbone, or free thinking, or that the leader is slow because they are always waiting for their members. But I believe the contrary. The leader is interested in serving others and helping their membership. They believe they are working for their members, and with their members, not the other way around. They can see the vision and share it with their members or at least guide them in the right direction. With these qualities, they end up building a stronger more productive team that can handle a multitude of tasks and are willing to give more for the effort because there is a tradeoff of respect and balance. They act as a steward of their resources and empower the membership to do the work.

Of course many choose to argue that no person is completely selfless, this may seem true when looking around at our current leaders and management. But maybe what we need to see is the hope for such a virtue. And then look at the leaders again, and not just judge them on their flaws, but on their strengths. They may end up being selfish over something small like feeling good about helping others, but at least it wouldn't feed larger desires that will distract from leadership.

To conclude, the above graphic demonstrates what happens when the different type of leaders reach the top of their organizations. The big difference is the motivation and loyalty to the people and organization once at the top. Not to mention the role model one provides as well.

Leading Change through Servant Leadership

Companies must lead, not manage.
They must know the language.
Low level employees are looking for communication on their level (X-Gen/Millennials) – are they value add? How? What can they contribute? Is there balance for them? Are they appreciated? What are true opportunities?
Meanwhile, your middle management is interested in what they know (Financial models, projections, security, proof of success) How does this help the bottom line? What do we need to do to get there? How does it increase productivity? Profit?

Change must occur from the top for all corporate changes.
The CEO / president must buy in, their mindset is the start
But the president, although should be visionary, must use other tools as well to manage the change. They must be able to show small successes and must be able to include as many as possible.

The high level management focuses on the why, the middle focuses on the what/how, the low level always focuses on the how.

This can happen if a consulting firm lived to the values it is developing, and then it provides consultants for leadership, not just management.

So what is needed for a servant leader? Servant leader means that you do not just dictate or lead without thought of your constituents, but instead lead with a role as a steward of the resources provided by the organization. In turn it should empower and encourage the leaders to serve others while still achieving results. This sets a better foundation on an organization’s values and integrity.

These changes of course must take place at the top level and trickle down; there will not be room for grassroots change to an age old structure that does not currently view itself as a steward for its people.

Do not lead your life or others by demands in which you do not partake, instead, use your resources and be a steward of them, it is this concept that allows one to overlook the fine china and see the food on the plate. Which one nourishes you more?

Servant leadership embodies values and virtues, not just principles defined by a group. The values and virtues are embodied by the soul.

It is through this type of leadership that change can occur with realism to the visionary. Because your team will be built around trust, ethical conduct, empathy, humility and service. This slowly destroys the lust for power, and instead is replaced by a love to serve others in order to succeed. You choose to lead because it will be good, not because you will get power and recognition. This should trickle down as growth to individuals and increase teamwork, which will in turn increase productivity.



One should think of executive corporate leadership as a vocation, and not just another job. We should be encouraging as Greenleaf puts it “a leap of imagination”

The change and the leadership must be based on humility, a humility that is God fearing. We all have talents and are all worth something. The times of managing with carrots and sticks dangling in front of the employees has come to an end. Instead management needs to start looking at positive reinforcement and creating an environment in which the entire organization is able to nurture a culture for leadership, particularly, servant leadership.

What is required for this to happen? First off, people have to be more important than the profit; second, you cannot use the profit as an excuse for a lack of respect for the employees. Next you have to be truly humble, and put people first, always.

What barriers then must take place, and why always start from the top? Well think of it this way. The only true servant leader who have ever lived was Jesus Christ. Most CEOs and COOs do not want employees that are more loyal to God than themselves, because in this world of the “individual with the most toys wins” the CEO/COO are the gods.

Also, at no time should think that a “Servant” is that of secular and modern times, it is not one who is strictly obedient and lacking free thinking, but just the opposite. Because the servant knows what is right in the heart and follows these notions, they are more free thinking than ever. They have the ability to go forth with courage and conviction about a task knowing that the result is worth more than the money that is exchanged. Do not therefore think of servant as a connotative term, but instead as a leader with integrity and commitment to both the work and their people.

In a world that is shocked by Enron and 9/11, it is no wonder that the new companies and new CEOs are seeking such leaders, one that can accept change and lead the people out of harm while staying on a moral track. These new generations of leaders are the forefront role models of the X-gens and Millennials.

In this sense, the law of the farm holds true, in managing change thru servant leadership you must sow first, reap later.

God’s Form of Change Management, the awakening.

Preface:Ok, so my brain has not stopped since tues..to be honest. it feels really good, and in prayer I have been seeking answers.. we all do I suppose..anyways.. here's the latest in my connections line of thought on the work we are doing..I think you'll see where I am going on this..
Most of this has been inspired from this last week, from people I met, words exchanged, the planning, the mass, the march, the rally, etc… as you can imagine….a lot has happened this past week..

If you have any questions..let me know.. I'll try to expand and expound as time permits.. but I believe this ties to the other doc I sent about connecting GK and pro life, but this connects our daily lives and Pro-Life, us as 'agents of change' and a 'Holy revolution'.
Amazingly.. the last paragraph came to me, and as I read it over again, it reminded me of the vision R spoke of on Tues.Rs vision was of the upper room expanding into a large room, with thousands of people praying, and then a darkness came across the room, a think liquid, but then a "V" was resonating and broke through the black, and light was revealed, the room turned white.. we all had similar visions, all pieces of this vision… in the need it was a celebration of victory over the culture of Death..

Start:
Imagine.. I was praying to understand the connections made on Tuesday’s planning about the formation track of 100%Pure and the pure lifestyle we are called to live, and earlier about our service and the culture of life.

From that sprung all these things that are the foundations that need to be set.
Then, connections were made about change management as a tool for service only, meaning that we could use it to help our members see this change needs to live pure lifestyles. I did not realize the other potentials.

A corporate tool that can be used in our service and our personal lives in all of its aspects. It is a mindset, a way of thinking and understanding that involves many skills in order to communicate and provide a vessel for change.

And I thought that would be a good work environment, hey I'd love that.

But then... if you look at it, working with change management and consulting to the large corporations is a huge opportunity. Slowly, the change due to generation gaps has to be dealt with. (There are conflicts in the work place due to management styles and values of different generations)

This is the only time in history four generations are working side by side. (Matures, Boomers, X-generation and Millennials)
The biggest conflict is the baby boomers and the X-gens and Millennials.
Well, considering that the boomers biggest influence was two assassinations of people poised on freedom (John f Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr) then the sexual revolution of which roe v wade is a product of.

The X -gens sat and waited and some were influenced by the boomers, they have become the teachers and inspirational leaders and then a Pope rose that delivered something to them and to the start of our generation (The Millennials): The Theology of the Body, and although our influences were of 9/11 and bombings and Enron. We are also PJPII generation, united with the X-gens. 9/11 and Enron are signs that the world as it is, is fragile and under the culture of death.
Yet, the glory of God can be seen by the three Vatican documents:
Centesimus Annus (PJPII), God is Love (PBXVI) and Theology of the Body (PJPII)

Change Management is about managing change by creating an environment, a new environment for the change to flourish in.
Our executives now are of the boomer generation, worried about money and quantity. They are materialistic in nature. Family is second par, divorces are high and this influences the younger generations as well.

But there has been many touched by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and out of the fire and ashes has sprung forth an army for God.
Through change management and Centesimus Annus (brining dignity to man at work) these tools can be used to create and influence a new environment built on the foundation of life itself: family.

Is this not what is happening and proving to be true in Gawad Kalinga? Restoring the dignity and family has created a happier community and has laid the foundation for life.
If we can push family and values to the top, and gain respect for it and show through financial analysis (the language of the boomers) that it is for the good of their business, then we will grow the next generations on the culture of life, surrounded by an environment that is pro family and ultimately, Pro-Life.

Hence... over turning the culture of death
This explains why many of us have been in jobs that seem hard or useless or challenging. It seems like we are getting nowhere, and that we are surer about our service than our careers. For if we did not witness the need for change, then how would we know when to start change?
Christ suffered on the cross so that we may see the sufferings we didn't have to endure, and his death freed us from sin, but when society entered into the sexual revolution, they shut their eyes to Jesus, and he was no longer the center of their lives, they denied the gift of Life from God, and all became dark and now the Holy Spirit has broken through the darkness and is starting the revolution which will change the world.

For God’s greater glory. Amen

Pro-Life Celebration of Life, Anniversary of Roe Vs Wade

Good Day to All of you Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Praise God for the wonderful success and his awesome power during the March for Life events.God was truly present this weekend in all of our regions through our work with Pro-Life.Here in DC, the Rally on Sunday kicked off the Celebration/ Anniversary.
Brothers and Sisters, God once again has shown us that he is the way, the truth and the Lifeand we are called to follow him. And on Monday, many of us did just that, we took a stand for Life andmarched alongside with thousands upon thousands of marchers that all believe in the sanctity of Life with over 150 people, possibly 200 in our contingent alone for CFC from half a dozen states, we were a loud and strong force in the march. It felt so amazing, like an epic movie almost, with God's army marching towards the supreme court and capitol.

God's message was slowly unfolding as the rally started, and then was affirmed strongly at the Verizon Center Mass where more than 20,000+ people gathered for the Eucharist and then we continued and pressed on towards victory for our King!
God revealed to me how important this whole Pro-life movement really is, not just as a pillar, but as a lifestyle. it is something that we ought to embrace wholly and with confidence as the Lord's own hands are upon us. You could feel the Holy spirit's presence at every step, every turn and every praise.

And its amazing how all of our service, all of our programs all stem from the truth found in God's plan for us to live pure lifestyles and witness to others the way of the cross. The message is so simple, God is Love, and we are made in the image and likeness of God, and we are called and desire to Love as God Loves!

Let us not just march for the anniversary of Roe Vs Wade, because we all know victory is at hand, and it will be overturned, but let us march in Celebration of Life, in celebration for each breath we take and each child that is molded by God and brought into this world. Let us all embrace a pure lifestyle as God has asked of us, let us be BOLD in our faith and continue to witness our lives for Christ and let us live out the fight for the Culture of Life everyday, not just once a year.

You are always in my prayers,
Thank you everyone that tunred out and helped in making this a success, all of prayer warriors, event folks and members,We'll see our numbers more than double for next year's celebration.

Empowering the Poor For Life

Some thoughts and reflections on our work with ProLife and Gawad Kalinga, Helping the poor. These words were inspired when I was talking a FTW in the Philippines about GK and finding a secular understranding of this spiritual connection: I'm sure there is more to be added, but for me this has been quite a revelation in better understanding our work as Catholics. Please pass on to those that may be looking for a foundation of the work we do for the poor and for Life. God Bless

We must empower the poor to choose, to hope and plan for their future and to make the responsible choices for their lives and their children's lives, in turn this will provide a foundation for the culture of life, and creates a more aware and more accountable population that can plan accordingly to their needs within control, recognizing that the control is in the values, and not the governance..

If we can't change their viewpoint, then we have issues that won't go away, and the cure for this is not by limiting the population thru governance or human intervention, but through holding their hand, giving them hope and rebuilding their lives
"We don't need to limit their amount of kids, we need carefully discern the number of children God wants them to have"

When you talk with the impoverished women as to why do they get pregnant?

And they have answers like...

We weren't really thinking, we just needed temporary release that time and now I’m pregnant

OR My husband was drunk and I couldn't stop him

OR It's okay, the more kids we have the better chances that one of them will make it and get us out of poverty

Middle class families carefully plan out their familiesand there is some proof that it's among the poor that population can grow...so we must look to the poor. By creating the homes and relationships in GK, we are really creating with the values the foundation of the culture of life. Which in turn is raising a new generation of people that will be grounded in the values that God has shown us...So we restore the dignity of both the body and soul..

We also protect life through the opportunity of nurturing the poor, so countless of lives are not just saved, but also have seen witness of Christian work and can pass these values onto further generations.

More info on Gawad Kalinga can be found at http://www.gawadkalinga.org

or http://www.ancopusa.org (ANswer the Cry Of the Poor is the US advocacy arm of GK)