“I now have the courage to face life because you introduced Jesus to me. I am eternally grateful,” said Norilyn Ducanes, when asked how GFM’s C.O.O.L. Project was able to help her.

On April 1, 2019, Norilyn opted to work as a household worker in Qatar in desire to give her children a good life. Upon landing at the airport, there was no employer to fetch her. She initially stayed at the foreign agency’s accommodation and was given an employer after- wards. Her then employer was very demanding and required her to work long hours. She was transferred to another employer but she could no longer meet the physical demands of her job. She decided to go back to the Philippines.

She was then placed at the OWWA Shelter and waited for her local agency to issue her ticket so she could go back to her family in Capiz because their house was hit by a typhoon. It was a long wait thus, she voluntarily left the shelter. With her family’s advice, she filed a case at POEA against her agency sometime in November 2019 where Norilyn learned of C.O.O.L. Project. Arriving at GFM, Norilyn was served free lunch and freebies and was referred to our Help Desk. “There, I met Pastor Joe Biasong who gave me direction in filing a complaint against my agency. More importantly, I was enlightened with God’s Word. Now I can overcome any problem that I may face. Psalm 91 says, ‘Kahit anong sakuna ang dumating, iaangat ka ng Diyos.’ I am grateful for my encounter with GFM. They understand the life of an OFW and can give proper advice according to their individual situations.” She shared that since coming from GFM, there were a lot of people sent by God who went out of their way to help her. Norilyn continues to communicate with GFM and vice versa. What is more significant is that she responded positively to the challenge to be referred to our partner church in her hometown. Stories like that of Norilyn’s never fail to warm our hearts and encourage us to continue assisting and reaching out to more OFWs.

– Pastor Dennis Diamante