Two of the youngest members of the Mission Love Seeds mission staff in the Philippines are Benedict and Pia. They hold a package every child living in poverty in the five villages supported by MLS will receive for Christmas this year. Included are a coloring book, crayons and a pencil with a message, “Jesus loves you”.

By Barbi Carroll

A makeshift house built from bamboo, torn tarps and leaky roof made of rusty pieces of metal or thatch is the usual dwelling for most people in the Philippines. This type structure offers little more than shack.
Bugs, ants, mosquitoes, gnats and snakes occupy the residence with the family. Yes, snakes. It is not uncommon for a cobra to crawl into the little hut.
But thanks to The Grace Foundation of Destin and other supporters of Mission Love Seeds, all that is about to change.
Days are bad enough, but the nights are hell. The heat and mosquitoes, along with lying on the dirt floor, make sleep nearly impossible. Babies play and sit on the dirt floors with no clothing. As a result, worms and other parasites are common ailments in young children. No matter how hard a mother tries to keep the hut clean, eventually the children get sick. Rain, which is frequent and heavy, makes life nearly unbearable, but there are no options available in this village, until recently.
Destin-based Mission Love Seeds received a grant from The Grace Foundation of Destin to build two homes, and the houses are already built. Each house serves one family, an average of six family members, but in time will affect the lives of the whole village of Galilee and surrounding areas.
The houses will make living conditions more sanitary and much safer. Houses are built to withstand strong winds from typhoons and storms that blow through the village. Floors are concrete and the roof is made of steel trusses and metal. Each house has good, solid doors and windows. The block construction keeps out much of the heat, water, insects and pests.
Kitchens are built outside the house, yet attached, so families health will not be affected by the smoke and fumes from cooking on an open fire inside the home. Families can cook under the roof when it rains. The kitchen has vented concrete walls, steel trusses and a metal roof.
The homes are painted bright colors, which make a big difference in the landscape.
In addition to housing, Mission Love Seeds, through the generous support of The Grace Foundation, churches and other supporters, has built a church, school, outdoor cooking grills for community cooking facilities, and two water purification systems in the village of Galilee
Cost of each house is $3,500. Each family must build their own home with help from others in the village. Mission staff will assist and provide supervision and technical assistance in the building process. Once a house is built, that family in turn will help build the house of his neighbors.
What a change from living in a shack! These little houses seem like mansions to the people who live in them. It is hard for people in the United States to understand how these parents feel when they hear that someone they have never met is assisting them to build a new home. Plans are to construct 90 of these homes in the village of Galilee.
If you would like to donate to make a home possible for a family in the Philippines, please send your contribution to Mission Love Seeds, PO Box 1717 Destin, Fl 32540 or for more information, contact Mission Love Seeds at missionloveseeds@cox.net.
Barbi Carroll is co-founder and president of Mission Love Seeds.

This article first ran in The Destin Log.

COMMUNITY IN ACTION: Teens (from left) Ashley Wagner, Maya Dupas and Summer Allen gave of their time to help Mission Love Seeds collect food for Harvest House.

Mission Love Seeds, along with the help of volunteers, held a food drive Nov. 19 to benefit the Harvest House food pantry. In less than two hours, a truckload of food and toiletries was collected plus $120. Barbi Carroll, founder of Mission Love Seeds, said another food drive is planned in December to meet this overwhelming need in the Destin community.
Signs were posted throughout the Indian Bayou Country Club community, and people who wanted to help were able to drop their bags of food at the Mission truck parked at the entrance to Indian Bayou.
“Many walked from their homes, with their children, carrying their gifts,” Carroll told The Log.
Volunteers helping with the event were Ann Hadsall-Allen, Ashley Wagner, Maya Dupas and Summer Allen.

This article first ran in The Destin Log.

HAPPY PLACE: The Galilee Daycare School/Library is adorned with murals both inside and out.

Generous Heart Ministry, based in Destin, has been interested in education since it began in 2003 and works globally to help those in the greatest need.
One of the organization’s first programs was to help single mothers and their children with medicine, housing, food and clothing. The next year, they began to give scholarships to orphans in other countries and educate about human trafficking.
“Generous Heart has a strong desire to help educate young people and has been sponsoring scholarships to girls in other countries for many years,” Jane Carron, president of Generous Heart, told The Log. “Education is the key to better opportunities.”
The group has given more than 50 scholarships to children in 14 countries, including the United States, Peru, Kenya, Argentina, Uganda, Mozambique, Latvia, Estonia, Thailand, India and Haiti.
Generous Heart partners with other local organizations to better help those in need. Other the years, they have partnered with Mission Love Seeds to feed a village in the Philippines and at Christmas they helped collect more than 500 toys for foster children in Okaloosa County.
Each year, Generous Heart chooses a local and a global project. Their most recent project was the building of the Galilee Daycare School/Library for Mission Love Seeds in the village of Galilee in the Philippines. Generous Heart provided full funding, from the walls to the desks, to the teacher and school supplies.
“I would love to go some day to visit the village and the children,” Carron said. “There are people in the village who did the murals. They are beautiful. It makes such a happy place for the children to learn.”
The new building is more than even Carron could have imagined.
“This project will touch hundreds of lives for many years,” she said. “The locals worked very hard to give their children a place to go to school. This project is one fishing village helping another village learn to fish.”

This article first ran in The Destin Log.

By Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker

Adequate schools are often scarce in many of the villages in the Philippines — a factor that contributes to continuing poverty. It is not uncommon for young children to walk several hours each way to attend school. Many of the schools that do exist are overcrowded and buildings are made from collections of bamboo and loose sheet metal with dirt floors. Although these structures are unsafe, they continue to be used because there is no alternative.
Dilapidated or overcrowded schools are not conducive environments for successful learning and academic development. Without clean, bright, well-constructed classrooms to complement competent teachers and quality learning materials, children will not be able to reach their true educational potential.
The first stage of a child’s life, from 0 to 5 years, plays a crucial role in determining chances in later life. At this age, children benefit enormously from positive interaction with adults and other children. Through good quality care, emotional and social development can all be enhanced. Furthermore, early childhood education and care offers an opportunity to lessen the effects of poverty.
In early March 2011, Barbara Carroll, president of Mission Love Seeds, met with Jane Carron of Generous Heart Ministry. Carron expressed an interest in building a school in the Philippines, but at that time Mission Love Seeds had no plans for such a project. Funds were committed to the completion of the church/multipurpose building and a library, which was to occupy the lot next to the church.
Shortly after this meeting during a mid-March 2011 trip to the Philippines, the mission team stopped by a one-room school to allow 13-year-old twin boys traveling with the team to visit a school in the Philippines and compare it with the boys’ school in the USA. The room was so small the children were crowded and sharing work space. Many of the parents were waiting outside the small school to walk their small children the long distance home. The Mission team distributed school supplies, lollipops and balloons to the children. The teacher invited the entire team to participate in the classroom activities. While the children were dismissed for recess, the team and teacher discussed the problem of the overcrowded classroom and possible solutions.
When the teacher was asked if there was a larger facility, could he teach in another location, the answer was “of course”. Our team met with the teacher again just before leaving the Philippines to finalize his employment and he committed to begin teaching in June 2011; however, there was no school building in the village of Galilee.
Upon returning from the Philippines, Mission Love Seeds did not have funds to build a school, but there was great faith that a building would be completed in time for school to start. God’s plan to build a school was already in process before the mission team left for the Philippines. When Jane Carron became aware of the opportunity to fund the school, she immediately committed to the project. A revision of the library project allowed for a daycare school/library building to be built at the existing location.
Mission Love Seeds and the people in the Philippines are truly blessed by the commitment of Generous Heart Ministry. The school was fully funded, from concrete building, steel trusses and metal roof to brightly colored bookshelves, tables, chairs, and educational murals on both the inside and outside walls. In addition, the teacher’s salary was funded for the full year. Each child received a new uniform, a backpack, books and school supplies. The building and all materials were ready by the start of the school year in June. The completed building is now used as the Galilee Daycare School/Library.
If you would like to partner with Mission Love Seeds, consider a monthly pledge to sponsor a child or a one-time donation. Contact Mission Love Seeds, Inc. at 850-650-5583.
Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker is president and co-founder, with her husband John, of Mission Love Seeds.

This article first ran in The Destin Log.

FIRST OF MANY: The first house Mission Love Seeds built in Galilee, Philippines, was for Willy and Vanessa Garbo and their seven children.

Destin-based Mission Love Seeds began in 2004 to help feed families in the Philippines. But since that time they have expanded their ministry, and now have helped people in Destin, in Appalachia, Ky., hurricane victims in Mississippi, victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and, most recently, victims of tornadoes in Alabama.
In addition to churches, schools, water purification systems and clinics in five villages in the Philippines, MLS has now started a project to provide houses for 90 families living in the village of Galilee. Each house has an average of six family members. With one completed, a recent grant from The Grace Foundation at Grace Lutheran Church will build two more.
“The homes will be given by the lottery system,” Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker, president of Mission Love Seeds, told the Log. “The houses will provide safe shelter for the families during storms and a safer living environment.”
In recent storms, many families lost their lives because their homes, 8 x 8 or 10 x 10 shacks with dirt floors and no rest room, could not protect them from the mudslides and heavy rains.
When families cook, smoke fills their small homes and they breathe the smoke, which causes serious lung diseases in both the children and the adults.
The new houses will have safer cooking facilities. The kitchens will be built outside the house, yet attached, so the smoke and fumes will not affect the family’s health, but they can still cook under the roof when it rains.
“The kitchen has vented concert walls, with steel trusses and metal roof,” Carroll-Hawbaker said. “The kitchen is completely open on one end to allow the smoke to escape, without going into the house. There is a door that can be shut to close the house off from the kitchen.
“In time, the lives of the whole village of Galilee and surrounding areas will be affected by the new houses. These houses will make living conditions more sanitary and much safer.”
In addition to being a shelter from storms and making everyday tasks safer to perform, the houses will bring a feeling of hope and peacefulness to each family through the bright, cheerful colors they will be painted — yellow, pink, blue, green or lavender with white trim.
Fely Zapanta, the Mission Love Seeds coordinator in the Philippines, will obtain necessary permits and legal assistance, supervise procurement of materials and oversee construction.
“Each family will build their own home with the help of skilled labor in the village,” Carroll-Hawbaker said. “Once a house is built for a family, that family will help another family and keep paying it forward until all 90 houses are built. It is anticipated that construction on each house will be completed in less than 30 days, and the impact of this project will be immediate.
“We believe each dollar invested in a physical structure is another opportunity to serve the community and increase the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is anticipated this will have long-term influence in the area.”
If you would like to donate to the build-a-house program or other programs Mission Love Seeds sponsors, contact Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker at 850-865-1055, John Hawbaker at 850-865-6161 or email missionloveseeds@cox.net.

This article first ran in The Destin Log.

By Pam Griffin

Hard work by people in the village of Galilee in the Philippines plus prayers, donations and supplies from people in Destin equals a mission accomplished.
Greeted by songs from the children as they entered the village, members of this year’s mission team for Mission Love Seeds’ annual trip to the Philippines included Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker and her husband, John, founders of MLS; Earl Baumgardner and his twin sons, Benjamin and Brock; and Suzy Sims.
More than 800 children and adults attended the dedication of the fourth church built by MLS in the Philippines, and children again sang during the event.
“The church was so overflowing, many sat on handmade benches outside while others looked through windows to hear the mission pastors’ messages,” Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker told The Log.
The Hawbakers and photojournalist Baumgardner, who represented The Calison Foundation, were there to cut the ribbon. The Calison Foundation and the Baumgardner family provided the land where the church was built and a portion of the building funds.
Among other contributors were The Grace Foundation of Destin, Destin United Methodist Church, Destin United Methodist Women, Grace Lutheran Church, Generous Heart Ministry, Inc. and Stiles C. Enterprises, Inc. Others contributing to the church were Crawford and Judy Jones, Lisa Snuggs, Bernice R. Shanklin, Sarah Fudge, Ralph Johnson, in memory of his wife Thelma “Fran“ Johnson, John and Robin Collins, Larissa and Steve Herda, Donna Stiles, Barbara Roberts Tolliver, Mary Ann Roberts, Shirley Constable, Ray and Tina Watson, Louise Fressell, William Christenson, Wendy and Donald Ross, James and Caroline Wasson, Lisa Fulmer, Margaret Spears, Melanie Eimers, James and Vanessa Reid, Patricia Smith, Rosa Hill, Marjean Boyd, Barbara Beecher, Shelly Wilson, Sue Calhoun, David Gant, Debra King, Terry and Ann Allen, Margie Burke, Maliga Pillay, Rosa lee Marshall, Gerelyn Jordan, Kristi Rockwell and Fran Merrell.
“Many thanks to everyone who helped to make this beautiful church possible,” said Carroll-Hawbaker. “With so many friends and organizations who contributed time and funds to make this endeavor possible, it is impossible to list everyone. Please forgive me if I left out your name. It is overwhelming to see a community participate in a project like this.”
Baptism
Pastor Zoscimo Mabuti baptized more than 65 children and adults Feb. 27 at a remote hand-built swimming pool in the mountains of Binayuyo. The pool sits at the foot of a natural waterfall and was a perfect setting for the baptism service. Members of the Mission Love Seeds team drove more than an hour and then walked 35 minutes up into the mountains to reach the site. Water buffalo pulled a homemade skid with heavy items, such as food for the lunch and sound equipment, over the most rugged terrain. More than 300 people enjoyed lunch after the baptism.
“The natural beauty of the mountainous terrain added to the exceptional baptism service,” Carroll-Hawbaker said.
Medical mission
Mission Love Seeds also sponsored a medical clinic on Feb. 24 in the remote village of Admiral. Approximately 325 children and adults were treated for various illnesses. The team, headed by Dr. Editha Regalado from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, included 15 doctors and interns and one social worker. Since 2007, the University has partnered with MLS to provide medical services to this area.
“Without the dedicated services of these medical practitioners, it would not be possible to provide the much needed medical treatment,” Carroll-Hawbaker said. “What a blessing Dr. Editha and the doctors are to Mission Love Seeds.”
Doctors and interns donate their time, and the mission provides transportation, lunch and facilities to house the clinic. Medical treatment and medications are provided at no cost to the villagers. A temporary pharmacy allows families to receive medication at the conclusion of the exam. Tuberculosis, flu, fever and cough are common diagnosis among both children and adults.
“In the event the appropriate medication is not available, we obtain the prescription from another pharmacy, which may be several miles away and not obtainable by the villagers,” Carroll-Hawbaker said.
The event also includes an art contest, a “Mission Love Seeds God Talent” contest that includes singing and dancing, and a nutritious lunch for everyone.
“Clothing and shoes donated from many residents in the Destin area were collected and shipped for distribution to both children and adults who were there,” Carroll-Hawbaker said. “And Mission Love Seeds personnel were excited to see firsthand a water purification system that was installed in 2010 and made possible by a grant from the Calison Foundation. This water system contributes to less disease and clean drinking water for the village residents.”
Carroll-Hawbaker said that much was accomplished during this year’s mission trip, and thousands were touched in many ways by the visit from the mission team. Both children and adults are healthier since MLS became a part of their village life and “many people came to know the love of the Lord through the actions of our mission teams and staff.”
But the work goes on — 365 days a year.
If you would like to make a donation or learn more about their work, contact Carroll-Hawbaker at 850-865-1055, email missionloveseeds@cox.net or visit missionloveseeds.org to see the work they do.

This article first ran in The Destin Log.

By Pam Griffin

Mission Love Seeds is on the move again.
The faith-based organization in Destin is collecting supplies to help tornado victims in Eclectic and the surrounding areas in Elmore County, Alabama, as they try to piece their lives back together after a violent line of tornadoes raced through the area last week.
“We can’t control when and where tornadoes strike, but we can control how we respond,” Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker, founder of MLS, told The Log.
MLS responded in Pearlington, Miss., in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, when Destin residents donated more than 200 huge truckloads of supplies and furniture to help put lives back together. They also helped in Haiti after the earthquake.
“Now, let’s show Alabama what a giving community Destin is,” Carroll-Hawbaker said.
Humanitarian photographer and Destin resident Earl Baumgardner witnessed first-hand the devastation caused by this EF-4 tornado, on the ground for more than 15 miles in the Lake Martin area of Central Alabama. Six people died in Elmore County, including two in the Lake Martin area.
“Personally, the mother and aunt of a good friend of mine died in the tornado,” Baumgardner told The Log. “We arrived late that night to try to find the cabin (near Lake Martin). The area was completely unrecognizable and we searched most of the night and could not find the cabin as it was completely blown away.”
Alice Herren Lee and Becky Herren Woodall, two Tallassee sisters, died in that cabin.
Mission love Seeds is now collecting non-perishable food, breakfast bars, snacks, Gatorade, cleaning supplies, flash lights, batteries, needles and thread, tarps, pillows, light weight blankets, wash clothes, towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and other personal hygiene items, wipes, Neosporin, bandages and other first aid supplies, children and adult diapers, diaper cream, baby powder, baby formula, laundry detergent, detergent, toiletries, heavy duty trash bags, chain saws, insect spray, new under clothing for men, women and children, school supplies and sunscreen.
Cash donations are also needed to help with expenses for large truck rentals and fuel to deliver the supplies to Alabama.
“We have been asked to please not bring water or clothing at this time since there are hundreds of thousands of bottles of water and piles and piles of clothing already on the ground in the area,” Carroll-Hawbaker said.
Mission Love Seeds will work closely with the families in Elmore County.
“The needs will change on a daily basis, much like what happened during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,” Carroll-Hawbaker said. “We will begin asking for everything to help set up homes, ranging from dishes to furniture, in the near future.”
The mission is also in need of a warehouse or storage space for about the next six months where donations can be stored until a truckload is ready to take to Alabama.
“We want to get going as quickly as we can and get the donated items to those who need them,” Carroll-Hawbaker said.
For more information or to make donations, contact Carroll-Hawbaker at 850-865-1055, John Hawbaker at 850-865-6161, email missionloveseeds@cox.net or visit missionloveseeds.org.

This article first ran in The Destin Log.

Photo by EARL BAUMGARDNER | WATCHFUL EYE: Fely Zapanta, coordinator of Mission Love Seeds in the Philippines, stands behind Brock and Benjamin (front) Baumgardner as they help prepare food to distribute to the people of the village.

Our names are Benjamin and Brock Baumgardner. We are 13-year-old twins and residents of Destin. We recently spent six days on a mission trip to the Philippines in February 2011. Our mission group, Mission Love Seeds, was founded by Mr. John Hawbaker and Mrs. Barbi Carroll-Hawbaker of Destin. We traveled to Southeast Asia to help build a house and dedicate churches in the villages surrounding Antipolo, Philippines.
Our first day was in the village of Galilee where we prepared for our multiple church dedications. At the ceremony we cut the ribbon that symbolized the opening of the church. During our dedication we each gave a speech, which we felt a little unprepared for, but still felt a strong sense of pride. After the ceremony we gave out food, candy and clothes to the villagers.
While visiting Ms. Fely, the coordinator of the Mission in the Philippines, we helped prepare a native dish called Pancit. We chopped various vegetables such as onions, carrots and a native vegetable similar to cucumbers. The ingredients were mixed together into a pasta-like dish, which was healthy and tasted very good. After the church dedication the prepared food was distributed to several hundred people.
After the dedication we contributed to the construction of a house for a villager named Willie. We were assigned many jobs, including helping mix and plaster the concrete onto the building. We also assisted with installing windows and painting the base color of the house. Although we couldn’t see the project to completion, we knew we had an important role in the construction process of the project.
Along with our community service, one of the significant activities we took part in was interacting with the village children by playing games such as basketball and pool. We also took a lot of photos with the village residents who all had a good sense of humor. For example, whenever we tried to speak their language they would all start laughing for some odd reason. Strangely enough, several of the villagers had a Facebook and have “friended” us since returning. In addition to our community service we observed a medical mission in the village of Admiral, which provided basic medical care for those in need.
This trip opened our eyes to the everyday pleasures that we take for granted. We also discovered how much we have in common with those in third world countries. It was an amazing experience to observe another culture’s customs and traditions. We believe that the mission has made a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Benjamin and Brock Baumgardner are the sons of Earl and Charla Baumgardner of Destin. They are home-schooled.

This article first ran in The Destin Log.