I am writing this blog post at 39,000 feet, but last week at this time I was riding in the back of a Jeepney having the most amazing week in the Philippines. Part of the reason that it was so amazing is because of a young guy I was riding in the back of that Jeepney with named Towii.

Towii grew up in one of the surrounding areas of Manila. As a city with an estimated 22 million people, it is easy to spend your entire day sitting in traffic just trying to get around greater Manila. But you adjust to this life and plan accordingly.

Towii doesn’t have much, and lives in a part of Manila that’s prone to flooding. But you’d never know it when you interract with him. He has an infectious smile and laugh. He brings a lot of joy into every room he walks into.

The reason I was in Manila is because I was leading a team of people who were serving with Global Surge (www.GlobalSurge.org). Global Surge is committed to do all they can to have a positive impact on the over 70% of the population of Manila that’s below the age of 25. Many of these young people are facing extreme challenges, and Global Surge wants to walk with them and see the positive impact that these young lives could have on the world.

Towii got involved with one of these community outreaches called Honest Deceiver Ministries (HDM). HDM uses street magic as a way open up conversations with people about life and faith. Their motto is that they will be honest about the fact that they will deceive you as a means to make a point. HDM offers free workshops for young people to learn how to do street magic. It provides a safe place to get involved with positive activities, and provides an alternative to drugs and gangs.

Towii is amazing at street magic! He actually serves as the director of his local chapter of HDM. His passion and his humor make him a great showman. He’s larger than life when he captivates an audience. He sees his street magic as a way to rise above his circumstances and make an impact on his community.

Towii reminded me again why I should continue to work so hard at breaking the hold that materialism has on me. I have a lot of stuff, and find myself buying more stuff all the time. Towii has more joy in his small frame than most people will ever find. He took a small group of us to his home. I had the opportunity to meet his mom, and I can say with absolute certainty that the genuine kindness we were shown in his home was so humbling to me.

I’m really thankful for things like Facebook that make it so easy to stay connected. Towii’s friend request made my day. I think there’s a good chance I’ll find myself in Manila again. And when I am, I want to connect with Towii. The lessons that this young guy taught this almost 50 year old man were priceless. Towii honestly deceives people with his street magic, but honestly overwhelmed me with friendship and kindness. We need more Towii’s in the world. I’m looking forward to cheering him on along his journey.

Global Surge (www.GlobalSurge.org) is based out of the Philippines, but works throughout Asia. They take a wholistic approach to bring change into communities through education, after school programs, skills workshops, camps and connection through a local church. Their camps alone attract over 100,000 youth each year! Take a look at their website to find out more!

To learn more about Honest Deceiver Ministries, you can check them out at www.HonestDeceiver.com or you can watch this video…

And speaking of Jeepneys…you have to make sure that you take a ride in one when you’re in the Philippines! I’m a big guy, and the process of me getting into/out of one of these rolling works of art is comical!