Amongst Hong Kong’s harbors and hills, and its towers of steel and glass, live 160,000 Filipinos. They are seen in the little plazas, shopping in stores, standing in elevators, riding boats and buses, and caring for children. More than 90 percent are women, Filipinas, working as domestic helpers in Chinese households. Many are lonely and need Jesus.

Filipina domestic helpers make up one of the largest minority groups in Hong Kong. On Sundays, they are found sitting on mats on one of the main streets that is blocked off to give them a place to gather on their only day off. Even the buses are rerouted to make room for them.

These women have a demanding job, cleaning, marketing, cooking, and raising the children in many Chinese households. They also have great potential for the Kingdom of God. Serving in this critical role, a Christian domestic helper can influence the next generation in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities that was absorbed into China in 1997.

REACH has ministered to these women through Jo Ann Ray who settled there in 1987. She knew few people and fewer Filipinas, but the Lord directed her to domestic helpers of new friends she made. Many were professing Christians but never taught to have a quiet time or to do the basics of the Christian life.

After several years, Jo Ann began partnering with a church that served Filipinas and began doing Bible study with several women from the church. One of her co-workers is a pastor, Ruth Tablada. Under Ruth, Jo Ann helped with discipleship, evangelism and leadership training. Several Sundays a month, they go out and share the gospel. Jo Ann says many are listening even though they don’t act like it.

In spite of her own ignorance and weaknesses, the Lord matured women, brought teachable hearts, and placed several in leadership positions in the Hong Kong Union Church.

There is a high turn over of Filipinas in the ministry due to two-year contracts where they work. Amazingly, the Lord kept a lot of the leaders in Union Church stable, which greatly helped the advancement of the gospel. Many of the helpers ministered to, who return to the Philippines, are a great resource for their local churches and are evangelizing and discipling friends and families.

From the beginning, Jo Ann’s ministry also extended to Hong Kong’s native population and international residents through referral and day to day contact. She was asked by a Chinese girl who became a Christian through the Navigator ministry in the U.S. to do Bible study with her. She grew, and God is using her to mentor other women. One of them is poised to serve the Kingdom strategically in a restricted area.

Additionally, Jo Ann made periodic visits to the Philippines to encourage and develop key women leaders. Some of these women have led significant ministries and were invited individually to spend a month with Jo Ann in her apartment in Hong Kong for personal development, cultural exposure, and ministry experience outside the Philippines and Hong Kong.

Currently Jo Ann is based in the U.S. for an indefinite period of time to help her ailing mother. However, she continues to maintain contact as a mentor, as a friend, and as a resource person through email and the telephone. They pray together over their use of time, seek refreshment in God and direction in ministry.

Life-to-life contact is Jo Ann’s strategy. The lives she touched continue to bear fruit in Hong Kong and beyond its borders and have become co-workers in the Kingdom.