Brethren, please pray for us!
* Praise the Lord for the great privilege we have to minister in the Great State of Alaska! We had one come recently for church membership and another family moving in that direction. The Bible teaching and Preaching ministry continues as we study the book of Romans, the History and practical applications of our preserved Word of God, and various other studies. We have started a single-military/college ministry - starting with weekly evangelism and meals for single adults after the morning service. Pray for us to make good head-way into the lives of this often forgotten segment of society. Praise the Lord for recent increase of our Wednesday evening service. We have nearly the same attendance Wednesday night as Sunday night. Looking forward to baptizing one child based on a profession of faith this winter. March 2010, the Lord gave us our first church missions trip to the friendly country of the Philippines. Temps were very hot - in the 90's! And the food was great too!
* Philippines' Ministry March 2010 I Cor 6:9 states the gospel ministry is wide open but with adversaries. We served with several Pastors in a 2 week ministry, handing out hundreds of gospel tracts and over 200 New Testaments and Bibles, preaching revival meetings, Sunday services, and ministering at four church locations across the Island of Luzon, centered in the Nueva Ecija region. The Lord guided our steps and brought blessing and salvation. We're so thankful for the dear people trusting Christ as their Savior and the 15 that were baptized shortly thereafter.
* Philippine Ministry observations
- Many good Philippine National Men pastoring churches and serving the Lord. Several churches we visited revealed a lack of song books or few. Men being called to preach with no promise of support but a few dollars per month from their home church. One young man, eager to plant a church told me he can't wait to go to the mountains and reach folks with the gospel! He is a great athlete, musically talented, recent graduate of a Bible Institute, and full of zeal for the Lord of hosts! Pray for Rodolpho!
- Young Pastor Jeff, with wife and baby. We helped launch his evening service. They will live there and minister with daily prayer meetings in the church for the congregation to grow. Pray as there have been previously three Baptist Churches try to grow in that city. Pray for Pastor Jeff and his loving band of 12 believers!
- Pastor Jhun Leabres - host Pastor. Bro Jhun was a great blessing, and full of faith and the Holy Ghost. He works at the local university as a professor so he can support three other Pastors to keep them on the field! His vision is heavenly, as he seeks souls for Jesus. Pray for him as his work might run out. He will be starting his Bible Institute in June 2010 again and train men and women to serve the Lord!
- Shanty-Town kids. My heart was overjoyed as I watched these kids walk 300 meters from the church to come to Sunday School. Their little shacks provide nothing more than a roof over their heads. I had the privilege to preach to them in their class. The Pastor told me many would be there but I was amazed as kids brought kids - 80 kids. We also ministered in public schools witnessing to the teachers. One principal actually prays with his teachers in the morning before class starts!
- Revival Meetings. The Pastor told me he had to stop inviting people to the revival meetings a full week out to ensure there was plenty of seats for the people - 150. Strange phenomenon there - people come when you ask them! We invited 40 to come and all 40 went with us! We had to take two vans. Wish it was like that in America.
- With only about 10 US dollars/equivalent per day these men survive day to day and preach the glorious gospel with courage. Rice is eaten three meals a day with little else. One Pastor houses two Institute students, an Uncle, and his own five kids and wife - all in two rooms. There cooking stove is outside. Their bathrooms are separate/outside rooms. Their church building sits in the middle of a rice patty. Motorcycles are normally driven and sometimes made into three-wheel side cars, called tricycles, to use as Taxi cabs. Our church gave thousands of dollars to make this ministry happen. We continue to give for the ministry there as we are raising money for song books to send over to those wonderful, persecuted, Christian Brothers and Sisters.
- These outer regions in the Philippines are a great challenge but are open to the gospel. I never had one tract rejected until I went into a nicer part of Manila on the way to the airport. The small villages called barrios are an evangelists' dream! People walk towards you and seem interested in the gospel. Had I been able to stay there for a longer ministry we may have started several missions and seen many more saved and baptized. The teachings on the Atonement of Christ seemed to be the "light that came on" for most people in salvation.
- To Pastors in America - consider the Philippines as a wide open opportunity for ministry. There are still entire villages with no gospel witness. Venture out to the remote regions. Romans 15:20, the Apostle Paul, says he reaches the outer areas so he doesn't evangelize just anywhere. He didn't want to "build upon another man's foundation." Ecclesiastes 11:1 says "Cast thy bread upon the water..." though that section may not directly apply to gospel evangelism, when we have opportunity to go through an open door, I Cor 16:9, God may bring the bread back to us in fruit that we have no idea of. I suppose that is why Christ's ministry is one of faith.
Pray for us as we have went fulltime into ministry - no more JOB! We thank the Lord for those who support us in finances as well as prayer. We still need both. I want to experience the gospel ministry by faith in God, relying completely and solely upon the Faithful Creator and His morning mercies.
Lam 3:22-23 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." ~Holy Bible (KJV), 2 Peter 3:18