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AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDER OF EVERLASTING HOPE, A KID’S CANCER CENTER IN CEBU CITY

Word on the Street recently had the opportunity to interview for a home or center for kids from other islands or the province
Kristina Andersen, the Executive Director of Everlasting HOPE, a to receive medical care while in Cebu. These kids and their
non-profit pediatric cancer facility in Cebu City, Philippines. Read families came from so far away and didn’t have anywhere to live
her story about how God slowly but surely called her to full-time or a network of people to support them. This first child’s life,
missions work. even though he just lived to 10, has impacted many lives to
come. He inspired our mission. If I hadn’t met him, I still
What was your life back in the United States like? wouldn’t have known fully what I was called to do here. God
When I first came to the Philippines, I was still in nursing school used his life to affirm my calling.
in the United States. After I graduated, I worked for about one
and a half years as a nurse in America, but I travelled back and Any advice for someone headed for cross-cultural
forth between the Philippines and the United States. Eventually I service?
felt the leading to quit my job, sell my things, and move Don’t bring your entire culture to another country, but be open
permanently to the Philippines. and willing to adjust to the culture you’re in. Try to understand
what they are doing and why their culture is the way that it is. It
How did God prepare you to be a missionary in the would be helpful to know the language. Also, have a support
Philippines? system - a group of people who help you process things and
He had to work in my heart to be willing to let go of the things check in on you as you go. I have a sending church in the United
that were comforts in America and give me an urgency and States that gave their blessing and sent me. Be willing to make
passion for the Philippines. Taking multiple trips also helped yourself vulnerable and have an accountability system.
prepare me to stay here long-term. The first time I came I
thought I was going to be a labor and delivery nurse, and so my Any humorous incident involving the Pinoy culture
goal was to bring skills I learned in Cebu back to America. or language?
However, the next time I came for six months and that is when People still tease me about using the proper way to say things. I
He started working in my heart with street kids and poor say “walay pasayan”(no shrimp) instead of “walay
communities. sapayan” (you’re welcome)!

How did you receive your missionary call? Thanks, Kristina, for your continued service and dedication to
The very first time I came to the Philippines, I had no clue where God’s work in Cebu. Find out more about the ministry at
it was on the map! I didn’t even own a passport and had never everlastinghope.org or on Facebook at Everlasting HOPE Cebu.
travelled overseas. Because of my past, I didn’t think I was
qualified to be a missionary, but God kept giving me
opportunities and growing me. He showed me He could use all
of my brokenness and all the things I went through for His good
as a missionary. So, when I was in a missions training course,
they talked about how Abraham was called to go to a land that
he didn’t know where he was going and God would prepare it
for him. That was when I really felt that I was supposed to go!

Why did you leave your former life to serve kids with
cancer in the Philippines?
In 2014, as I was working with street kids, I started encountering
a lot of them who were experiencing medical crises. They
weren’t kids with cancer, but their families were unable to afford
their medicines and hospital bills. During that time, I met the
first child here with cancer. As we were working with him and his
family, we saw that there was a huge need for emotional
support, spiritual support, and advocacy for them to access
resources from the community and government agencies.
Within four months’ time, that child passed away. I thought
about opening a hospice center, but soon discovered the need