Alfred's Story: "Jesus Never Left Me Alone"

"...but Jesus never left me alone." This is a story of hope, of a child who used to live on the streets but is now given a second chance in life.

An urgent prompting

It was the summer of 2023 when the Lord called me to my first mission trip.

I’m not the kind of person who ever thought they’d be a missionary, but the Lord had other plans. As I sat in church listening to Justin and his wife Beiah talk about the upcoming trip they were leading to the Philippines, I didn’t expect in that moment for the Lord to impress upon my heart an urgency to go.

So, I went.

Little did we know that this would be the first trip of many we’d do together, and we certainly didn't know what the Lord was planning next. Fast forward to 2026 and three to four mission trips later, we have launched Hope Connections.

From strangers to a found family

We met John and his wife, Cecile, in 2024, and we decided to partner with them on the incredible work they were doing in Bacolod City. In the Philippines, the poverty is such that many children do not finish either primary or high school education and so continues the poverty cycle. No education means no stable employment, which means poverty. It puts children at risk of being sold into slavery or left on the streets to beg for food. It forces people into jobs they don’t want to work – harsh labour, minimum wages, long hours. In short, it tears families apart.

John and Cecile were kind enough to allow us to meet the children they care for at Hope Village Community Centre in 2024. And of course, our hearts broke for the children but leapt at the opportunity to help them. These kids have since become like family to us. And praise God that we have the pleasure of calling them family.

In 2026 we took a group of young, enthusiastic 20-somethings with us to meet our family at Hope Village Community Centre. On a hot Saturday afternoon at the worship service, we sat and exchanged stories with the children and teenagers who were present. One by one, they stood before us, eyes filled with tears of gratitude, telling us that they were thankful for Lolo (grandpa) John and Lola (grandma) Cecile and to God for giving them another chance.

Alfred, a seven-year-old boy, was left on the streets with nothing. Alfred's demeanour tells you he’s survived a lot in his short, valuable life. Quiet and understated, he tends to fly under the radar, but he survives amidst the chaos of fighting for attention with 30 other children. The one we least expected to stand and share his story with the group. He took the mic, stood tall and told us in all confidence ‘I was living on the street, but Jesus never left me alone.’ And with that, he handed the mic back and sat down. A child of few words who shared a short but profound testimony with faith and confidence.

I changed that day. Impacted by the profound grace and kindness that God had granted me in allowing me to witness the lives He’s changed through the obedience of one man and his wife. And it was then I knew that we needed to do the same. And so, Hope Connections is committed to honouring the testimony that says ‘but Jesus never left me alone’.

By Elly Knight