I’ll never forget the day I arrived in the Philippines and met Ate Helen in person. Having spent the better part of two days in airports and on planes, I was groggy, greasy and jetlagged as I hobbled into the jam-packed Manila airport greeting area with my oversized bags in tow. I’d been preparing for this six-month trip for almost two years and anticipating with great excitement the chance to live and intern in the Philippines; even so, in those first moments at the airport I couldn’t fight back a certain sense of dread for the challenges and adjustments that undoubtedly lay ahead. As I contemplated these things in the back of my mind and felt a bead of sweat roll down my arm, something bright pink and familiar caught my eye in the sea of muted grays and blacks: a “Wheaton Mom” t-shirt worn by a beautiful smiling woman with long straight black hair falling over her shoulders. Little did I know that this woman, a woman whom so many others and I lovingly know as Ate (“sister”) Helen, is one of the strongest people I’ll ever know. She was my host mom while I was in the Philippines, but she remains a dear mother to me even now.

For over a decade, Helen Cervantes has worked for HELP International Ministries, a locally run nonprofit organization aiming to “bring hope to a world in which so many wake up to the bleak morning of despairing deprivation” (you can visit their website at http://www.helpintl.org/). As Shiphrah Birthing Home manager, she’s unfailingly kept the home functioning and stocked with supplies, led hundreds of Shiphrah’s prenatal seminar classes, cooked thousands of delicious Filipino lunches for international midwife interns, and counseled equal numbers of pregnant mothers through complex and often traumatic family situations (see picture of Helen with a few of these moms above). Midwives at Shiphrah often lovingly refer to Helen as the heart of the Home—the idea that things do not run nearly as smoothly when she is not around was a common affirmation among staff. I certainly both heard and experienced this firsthand during my six months at Shiphrah.

Though Helen has done her work with joy and faithfulness for many years, she has dreamt of returning to school earning her college degree for as long as she can remember. Not only would a degree allow her to explore a subject more deeply, but it would also enable her to get a higher paying work position, which would be a huge help as she and her husband Noel try to support their two young daughters (Michelle, 13 and Mai Mai, 4) through school. Amazingly and thankfully, she has received funding for 2-year midwifery school tuition and actually began her degree a few months ago! So far, she is absolutely loving it and raving about the all she is learning and experiencing (see picture of Helen with her midwifery friends above!). This is truly an incredible step and is something that brings joy to so many who know and love Helen.

That being said, for the two years Helen is at school, she is unable to work and therefore she and Noel are unable to meet their daily living expense needs—for transportation to and from school, food for the family, and electricity/water bills, among other necessities. Including the daily commute on public transportation (which is about 2 hours each way with Manila traffic), Helen is looking at 14-hour days six days a week for her schooling. She is completing the accelerated midwifery track, which is two years instead of three, and this means that semesters are jam-packed with classes and internships at hospitals and elsewhere. While Noel is able to make small amounts of money around the holidays selling handicraft boxes and picture frames, steady work is extremely hard to come by, particularly as the Noel spends more of his time caring for Michelle, Mai Mai, and the home since Helen is gone for roughly thirteen or fourteen hours per day.

This is where you come in! Helen is in need of donors who are willing to sponsor her family’s monthly living expense needs while she is in school for these next two years. She will be in school for two sets of 10-month terms, and needs $600 USD per month in order for the family to survive. We have decided to go one year at a time with this project, so are currently aiming to raise $6000 USD. The need is great and every dollar makes such a huge difference in the lives of the Cervantes family. We hope that you will partner with us to make Ate Helen’s dream a reality as she continues in her schooling and works toward becoming a licensed midwife. Upon completing her degree, she hopes to join the midwife staff at Shiphrah, where she knows the community well and has extensive experience.

Please feel free to visit (or revisit!) my blog (http://itsnotmyown.weebly.com/) for more stories and inspiration about this wonderful family. I will be posting periodically about Helen’s progress on the blog, so please do follow this journey as you are willing and able. We are so grateful for your partnership and wish you joy in the year to come!