16/08/2025
It’s been a long week. Most of you have heard by now what has happened at (and to) the Philippines Baptist Orphanage in Mexico, Pampanga. The orphanage was raided, and the children were taken away, due to accusations of abuse.
I want to first say that there’s not an ounce of me that believes it. I met Pastor Jeremy, around 5 years ago. As an organization, we were praying to connect with Pastors who had a heart for orphan care. I will tell you from experience, finding someone like that is a very difficult task. But the Lord led us to Pastor Jeremy. He had already started the orphanage and had roughly 45 children at the time. But in getting to know him and his heart for orphans, he wanted to do more because the orphan problem in the Philippines was (and is) out of control. After much prayer, the Philippines Orphanage Foundation felt led to partner with him and help him grow the ministry. I was impressed that he already had so many supporters and to come alongside him with the others felt like an honor.
Over the last 5 years, the orphanage grew from around 45 children to over 150. POF does not accept the credit for this as we, along with many others, saw the same thing – a Pastor and church that sacrificially love the precious orphans of the Philippines and had the fortitude to pour out their lives for them. Then, with one rather cruel act, it all came to an end.
There are videos circulating online of the actual event, and it is so very hard for us to watch, as is true for anyone who views it. We know those children. We met them, played with them, ate with them…..Pastor Jeremy’s drive to help them inspired us to continue to support them. He never turned away a request from the DSWD to accept another child. Not once. Additional land was even secured to create a separate campus for the girls.
Of course, with such a large group of young children who have had so much trauma in their life already, there will be moments that are hard to manage. But the policy of the Philippine Baptist Orphanage is to discipline by speaking with the children first and if that doesn’t work, then time-out. If someone used spanking or other means of discipline and that was brought to Pastor Jeremy’s attention, he would have managed it immediately. He loves those children too much to allow that.
We are so grateful for your outpouring of support and love for the unjust treatment of Pastor Jeremy and the children of the orphanage. We are unsure of what will happen next, but we know that God will work everything together for good (Romans 8:28) and that He is a defender and father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5).
Please join us in praying for the following:
1. The restoration of the orphanage and for all of the children to be returned.
2. For Pastor Jeremy, his family, and the church – for their increased strength and persistence, for peace in their body and soul, and for keen awareness of His presence in the coming days.
3. For the children who were taken away – for their peace and comfort, and for them to have excellent recall of the principles of faith they were taught.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts – may God mightily bless each of you. More to come.
