Legacy – Hanging on Your Family Tree
Legacy – Medelin’s Story
Sometimes, family is not built by blood, but by love, faith, and the people God places in our lives at the right time. My story started long before I met LCP.
In 2009, our family experienced a tragic massacre in Tanjay that left our lives broken. I am the sixth child out of eight siblings. After the tragedy, my parents went to Manila to find work and left us under the care of our older sister in Bais. Life became very difficult for us. One of my sisters worked in a bar and became pregnant, while my brothers became involved with people who sold illegal drugs. None of my siblings were able to finish elementary school.
At a very young age, I already carried responsibilities that no child should have to carry. When my sister abandoned her daughter, I became the one who took care of her. Because of this, I was forced to stop studying. My parents’ income was not enough to support us, and I experienced physical and verbal abuse while living with my older sister together with my younger siblings, Melanie and Jeffrey. I still remember one night when my sister drove me out of the house at midnight after another fight over food. Hungry and afraid, I walked alone through a dark sugarcane field looking for somewhere safe to stay. After several minutes, I saw a small house lit only by a lamp. The family inside was singing and playing guitar. They welcomed me warmly, gave me food, and let me sleep there that night. Later on, they even invited me to stay with them. They encouraged me to return to school, but instead, I chose to work in the sugarcane fields so I could help provide for my younger siblings. I earned only two pesos per bundle of sugarcane sticks. I used my small earnings to buy milk, slippers, underwear, and food for Melanie and Jeffrey.
In 2010, my parents returned and brought us to Dumaguete. We lived in a small broken room that cost only 500 pesos a month to rent. For years, we moved from one place to another. During those years, I envied children my age who could wear uniforms and go to school. There were many nights when I questioned God, “Lord, is this all my life will ever be? I want to finish school.” I prayed those words with all my heart, even though I had no idea how my dreams would ever happen. I spent my childhood gathering firewood, fetching water, babysitting, and collecting junk to sell just to survive.
Then one day, everything changed
The School on Wheels staff came looking for out-of-school children, and through a referral, I was given the opportunity to study again. Without hesitation, I immediately said, “Yes!” Looking back now, I realize that moment was God answering the prayer I cried out months before. Through School on Wheels, I met Auntie Janet & Uncle Martin Miller.
Auntie Janet started as a volunteer, but over time, she became so much more than that to me. She intentionally taught and guided me, celebrated my birthday with my very first birthday cake, and loved me like her own daughter. Later, Auntie Janet and Uncle Martin chose to sponsor me.
Sponsorship changed my life
LCP became more than just a program to me. Through School on Wheels, I learned how to read, write, dream, and hope again. I moved into the shelter and there I experienced safety, care, guidance, and love. Through the scholarship program, I was able to continue studying despite poverty and hardships. Even during the seasons when I returned to live in the community with my family, LCP never left me behind. They continued monitoring me, following up on me, checking on my studies, and reminding me that someone still believed in my future. Looking back now, I realize how faithful God has always been in my life. Every time I thought my story would end in pain, hopelessness, or brokenness, God made a way for me through the people He used. He answered my prayers through LCP, through School on Wheels, through the shelter, through sponsorship, and through Auntie Janet and Uncle Martin who became my family across the ocean.
I was enrolled in elementary school as a 12-year-old fourth grader. I experienced bullying because of my age, but I endured it because I desperately wanted an education. Later, I lived in the shelter together with my younger sister. There, I witnessed the work of our social worker, Auntie Hazel. Watching her compassion and dedication inspired me deeply. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to become a social worker too.
Life continued to challenge me through poverty, separation from family, and uncertainty, but I used my struggles as motivation. School became my safe place. I worked hard and eventually graduated junior high and senior high school with honors.
When it was time for college, I initially planned to take another course because it was more practical. But Auntie Janet told me:
“I will support you because you deserve to reach your dreams.”
Because of her encouragement, I pursued Social Work.
As a freshman, I often felt like I did not belong in university. Still, God continued opening doors for me. During college, one of the hardest moments of my life came when Auntie Janet was diagnosed with cancer. Even while going through chemotherapy, she never stopped supporting and encouraging me.
Then came February 14, 2025. Valentine’s Day. I received the heartbreaking news that Auntie Janet had passed away. I spent that day making flower bouquets for my university friends, hoping to spread happiness. But later that evening, the woman who loved me like a daughter, who believed in me when I had nothing, was suddenly gone. If I had one more chance, I would have told her that she turned a poor, lonely little girl into a woman full of hope, purpose, and love. Even after Auntie Janet passed away, Uncle Martin continued supporting me. He came to Dumaguete, comforted me, and helped me process the grief of losing someone who had become my second mother. Through him, I continued to feel the same love and support that Auntie Janet gave me for many years. Through every hardship, I held on to the dreams they helped me build.
Uncle Martin attended my graduation, and while I was happy, part of my heart longed for Auntie Janet to be there too. Everything I achieved was inspired by her love and sacrifices. Today, I now work as a community social worker in the same sponsorship ministry that once changed my life. Sometimes I look back at the little girl who cried because she could not go to school, who worked in sugarcane fields just to survive, and who questioned if God still had a plan for her life. Now, I understand that God was writing my story all along. He remained faithful through every hardship, every prayer, every tear, and every season of my life. I used to be a child praying for someone to believe in me. Now, by God’s grace, I became that person for others too.
LEGACY – Uncle Martin’s Story
In 2012, I first came to the Philippines as an Australian Aid volunteer. I was assigned to an agricultural project where I helped develop bio-fertilizer as a more sustainable product for local farmers. My wife, Janet, accompanied me and, not wanting to stand idly by, she quickly discovered the Little Children of the Philippines (LCP) and became a volunteer in her own right. In total, Janet and I spent three wonderful years in Dumaguete as volunteers. During my third year, I assisted LCP with website design and the planning of their 25th Anniversary celebrations. Even after our volunteer service ended, we remained regular visitors to Dumaguete. Very quickly, Janet and I fell in love with LCP and the incredible work they were doing for children in the community. Janet became deeply involved with the “School on Wheels” program.
This initiative was created to help children living in extreme poverty who had never attended school. The children were collected early each morning and brought to LCP, where they received a basic education and a nutritious lunch before being taken home later in the day. The aim of the program was to prepare these children for formal schooling; a goal often achieved through sponsorship. It did not take long for Janet to identify Medelin as a child we wanted to sponsor. She was a delightful young eleven-year-old girl who spoke no English but showed a strong desire to learn.
What followed was a long journey of determination and hard work as Medelin struggled to catch up on the years of education she had missed. We followed her progress closely and continued to visit Dumaguete frequently. Medellin made it her mission never to disappoint us, and her excellent grades reflected her dedication. Beyond her academic success, she became a popular student and remained devoted to helping both her parents and LCP.
For Janet and me, Medelin became like a second daughter. When the opportunity arose for her to attend university, we were determined to help her achieve her dream of studying Social Work, a qualification she could use to give back to children and communities in desperate need of support. Her excellent grades helped earn her a place at Silliman University, where she truly flourished.
She worked so hard yet always retained her joyful spirit. Janet and I could hardly wait to attend her graduation. Sadly, my dear wife Janet passed away in February 2025 and never realized her dream of seeing Medelin graduate. Medelin was devastated by the loss, but it only strengthened her determination to succeed. In April 2026, our dream finally came true when Medelin graduated with Honours. I felt incredibly privileged to attend her graduation ceremony. Janet would have been immensely proud.
