My friend Terry recently moved to Manila and has befriended several Jesuits working in the poorest areas of the city. She sends well-wishers back home regular posts of what she's observing as she acclimates herself to this fascinating city of extremes. The Jesuits fund an infant feeding program in an area called Payatas, also known as Smokey Mountain. A recent Terry installment:

Smokey Mountain is a community of 300,000 literally living and scavenging atop a garbage dump. In 1996 a part of the "mountain" collapsed during a typhoon and 200 people were buried and died under the garbage. The Jesuits do "street" Masses in little clearings that some women prepare with tent-like roofs (it's always the women who manage things here--the women who are the centers of the communities). At a recent Mass one of the priests realized that he forgot the little traveling sound system he usually brings, and suddenly out of one these shanties someone pulls out a karaoke machine and in no time the priest has a microphone and speakers hooked up to some sort of illegal looking electrical line. Amid the cacophonous noise--there were roosters crowing and dogs and chickens and children--lots and lots and LOTS of children running around--the services took place.