These men and their families have been rescued from hopelessness by Kaibigan Ministry.

You’d never guess these men – well-groomed and fervently worshipping God together at a meeting of Cross International ministry partners in the Philippines – had once been homeless. You’d never guess some had spent their whole lives on the streets, begging and picking pockets. But now here they were, standing before us as living examples of how God can take the worst circumstances and turn them upside down.

These men and their families have been rescued from hopelessness by Kaibigan Ministry, a Cross-supported outreach that provides temporary shelter to street-dwellers, teaches them employable skills and reintegrates them into society, all while helping them develop a personal relationship with Christ.

Here’s a powerful testimony by a former street-dweller named John Rollo:

When I was still out in the streets, I stole food from grocery stores. I ate some and sold the rest. I used to hurt others. Fellow street-dwellers feared me… Then I met Kaibigan Ministry and became a Christian, not because I searched for God but because God never gave up on me. I took courage and surrendered all my transgressions to God. I cried because of sins I had committed that were bigger than myself. Christ changed my attitude toward others and showed me that I, too, was capable of loving.

Kaibigan gave me a job that now provides for my daily needs. God gave me a beautiful wife and a comfortable home. Before, I did not know how to read. Through the Bible studies I can now memorize verses.

John’s life is a perfect example of what we mean when we say we’re in the business of giving a “hand-up,” not a hand-out, to the poor. Our goal is to transform lives – physically, mentally and spiritually.

-Tony M.

Through Christ-centered community transformation and Bible studies, Cross is helping Gawad Kalinga change the lives of thousands of Filipinos from the inside out.

“My whole life has changed,” says 18-year-old John Michael Montilla, one of thousands of Filipinos benefiting from Cross International’s support of Gawad Kalinga, a ministry that revitalizes old, impoverished slums into new, Christ-centered communities. We help replace shacks made of tin and wood scraps with beautiful, concrete homes; clean up polluted streets; and turn a slum culture rife with gangs and violence into a community defined by fellowship and peace. The renovated neighborhoods also offer everything from free medical care to education to Bible studies—things previously unavailable in the slums.

“This is a group of people with a burning passion and love for God,” John Michael says. “This group has helped me become more faithful to God and thankful for the gifts he has given me.”

He also says he has finally met new, true friends—friends who never let him down and who are there for him in times of need. This is a big change from the gang culture that dominated his old neighborhood.

“My life has meaning now,” says John Michael. “This program strengthens my spiritual life, the career sessions develop my self-confidence, and the tutorial sessions are helping me improve my studies and reach my dreams.”

Stories like John Michael’s—of incredible physical and spiritual transformation—remind me of 2 Corinthians 5:1: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

What joy we as Christians have in this promise—that Christ takes us out of our sin and squalor and changes our lives with his love and light. At Cross, we know that this level of dramatic transformation only occurs when Christ is at the center. That’s why we support projects like Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines, who share our commitment to provide long-lasting, holistic change for the poor.

Praise God that the lives of Filipinos like John Michael are being changed from the inside out!

-Annie W.