Giving a bag of rice to a destitute family. Offering over-the-counter medicine free of charge to a man with chronic itchy skin. Providing reading glasses to a man and woman who can't see well. Contributing a bag of VitaMeal to a small 11-month old girl brought in by her mom (she was cute as a button!). Day after day, month after month, Morning Star helps and cares for the elderly, children, and families at no cost to them.

Having a tight secure home means you sleep safely under a dry blanket during the monsoon season. Frail bamboo homes, which collapse and deteriorate over time, can often result in sleeping huddled under a wet blanket. But bamboo homes can be repaired! Volunteers in the Morning Star community, with money for materials for new walls and floors, make homes comfortable and sturdy. This home was repaired by men from Heart of God Fellowship in Dalaguisen!

As in any community, getting a good education can make the difference between poverty and well-being, between hardship and material comfort. Cynthia, the Director at Morning Star, has been lavish in allowing young people to live at the headquarters to be closer to school. Ray, Liwi, Anthony, MayMay - all names of teenagers who are living at Morning Star, close to the school where they can continue in classes.

It is rare for villagers to have electricity, let alone computers. But in the modern world, computer knowledge is critical to obtaining a good job. Students aspire to become nurses, teachers, leaders, and doctors. Morning Star has been fortunate to receive several computers from Caleb Ministries, allowing three work stations to be set up for students of all ages to have access for homework, research, and study. 

During one recent period, 400 kilos of rice were bartered off to help local people who weave baskets and/or picnic plates. They weave the baskets by hand with strips of bamboo, often without a pattern or manual and taking many hours. Priscilla, the main Morning Star assistant, gives them their pay in rice for their items. A middleman in turn picks up all accumulated woven plates and takes them to Manila, selling them to exporters.

School break comes in the spring in the Philippines. Vacation Bible School is offered every year in surrounding villages and towns for grade school children. Hundreds of kids join in the singing, the skits, the lessons, and the fun! Morning Star teens, trained in leadership, provide help with guitars, Bible stories and hugs! And when the week is over, proud children recite memorized verses and receive a ribbon award.

Heart of God Fellowship church was started as a result of scores of children responding to Vacation Bible Schools and outreach ministries. Almost three years later, churches in Lagangilang, Dalaguisen and Laguiben, and Bible studies in several other towns, provide solid instruction, encouragement and Christian growth. And after church at Morning Star, every Sunday, everyone receives a free lunch - no one leaves hungry!

Teenagers throng to Morning Star for the monthly overnight Youth Gatherings! Skit presentations, praise and worship songs, watching the Jesus Film in Ilocano, praying for needs - all play a part of the youth events. Discipleship classes and visitation to outlying villages also strengthen the faith of the teenagers. Assisted by Youth Workers Jephti and Beth, the Morning Star youth are excited with the challenges!