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All posts for the month October, 2020

In Matthew 9:37-38, we read:

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

So Jesus wants his followers–including you and me–to pray for more laborers.

In the very next chapter of Matthew, his disciples became the answer to their own prayers when Jesus sent them into the Lord’s harvest.

We at DCO always pray for more laborers to reap the Lord’s harvest, and we also try to be the answer to our own prayers by preparing future laborers.

We believe Filipinos have a key role in reaching the unreached peoples of the world with the Gospel. For more on that, please click “What is DCO?” above.

 

mtri mtrbikes mt

The leader of this outreach–delivering school supplies to a very remote animist tribe–said we could post photos, but he asked us not to say the name or location of the tribe.
We drove the load in our vehicle for about an hour, and then we had to get on several motorcycles. It was amazing how much stuff they can tie down on a bike going through very rough terrain and crossing streams.
So it was another hour on the bikes up the mountain to get there. Sometimes it was too steep for the bike and a passenger, so passengers had to climb those parts. By the time we got home, my body was sore all over, but my heart is full of joy from seeing what God is doing in this tribe.
alla
Thanks to a generous donation, we bought a lot of Bibles some time ago. We have been giving them out carefully (so they wouldn’t end up collecting dust) but generously. The latest bunch went out to Allan, a pastor who has several converts who need Bibles.
Yes, this is how folks ride motorcycles in the Philippines! I see things like this every day. 🙂
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bee move
Helping Bee and Cathy set up. Recently they both felt individually called to move out from our home, and they were joyfully surprised to learn that they each had the same burden. They said they were feeling spoiled here; they needed to live more simply and frugally to prepare for their future missions. We found a studio for them near Gem Village, which will facilitate their continued ministry there.
Others have also moved out from our home lately. We’re giving Gina a few weeks of peace before we bring others to live in our home. 🙂 We’ve had housemates for most of the past four years (up to 16 living with us in 2016).
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mission serm
We preached missions on 10/11 to both our Pequeño congregation and our Buhangin congregation (pictured). In Buhangin, many wore clothes of various cultures.
Please pray for guidance and provision. We believe we will send out at least one missionary within the next five months.
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preach constr
Proclaiming the gospel to construction workers (on their lunch break), plus some others.
We’re negotiating a deal with the foreman there. We hope to be able to give the workers a free lunch once a week in exchange for us teaching them an evangelistic Bible study while they eat.
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map
Since many of you have told me you pray for us (thank you!!!), these are the weekly preaching and teaching locations for our ministry. On “Sundays” the meetings are in Buhangin.
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lites
Our New Valencia friends are excited and very grateful for the rechargeable lanterns they received (thanks to our donors), since there’s no electricity in their homes.
Now they can meet and discuss God’s word at night.
(They have a neighbor who has electricity. The neighbor allows them to charge the lanterns there for a small fee.)
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friends
A month ago, when I got to church, I learned that I had a flat tire. I was going to change it after church, since being in church kept me busy. But Oning, Jay-R, and Ronny sneaked out when I wasn’t looking, during the last part of the service (small group time), and they changed it for me.
I’m so blessed to have such good friends.
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food distr food dist food dis food di food d
We had been going to the very poor rural community Marilog three or four times every year, but this year we were prevented because of the pandamic. But we finally were able to go again on 10/1. We distributed food and the Word of God.
My wife Gina led worship, and then I preached, with Donna translating.
Bee was the emcee (as always).
Thanks to our sponsors, 20 moms received rice, eggs, kids’ vitamins, sugar, laundry soap, canned meats, drink mix, noodles, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, shirts, socks, and toys.
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kimbapt
I love baptisms!
Congratulations on your new life in Christ, Kim!
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talisa
Great things are happening in the Talisay neighborhood every week. Also, twice a month, Gina teaches the moms from Talisay in our home. Plus those ladies are faithful to join us in church every Sunday.
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fan
When the stand on your fan breaks, you don’t need to throw away the fan. 🙂We used spare wood from some benches we are building.
With no air conditioning in a tropical climate, we thank God for fans!
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gv
Prescy teaches the ladies of Gem Village.
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gecko
This little guy hung on for about 3 miles (5 KM).
He kept talking to me in a British accent about car insurance.
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bday
W o w .
I think 9/18/2020 was the best birthday party of my life.
I have so many wonderful friends here who simply smothered me with generous compliments and honor and love all day! Written greetings, spoken honor, even many short videos expressing love! I’m overwhelmed.
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)
This is very true!
In 2013, I left my son and daughter in Chandler, AZ, USA, which was so hard to do, but I have a very big, loving family in Davao City, Philippines.
I keep asking God, “P L E A S E help me to be as good as everyone thinks I am.”

Gina and I would love to talk with your fellowship group, Bible study, or church via Skype or Facebook chat. We could talk about whatever you’d like: the Philippines, our mission, our personal testimonies, or to urge folks to prayerfully consider serving the Lord in another culture. I think it would be encouraging for your group–it would certainly encourage us!–and it might inspire more prayer supporters and financial supporters for Davao City Outreach. And it would be a chance for us to “see” the US again for a while.  The time factor should be easy enough to work out–in the US, your evening is our morning.

To those who give, thank you so much!

Here are the ways you can donate:

https://nations.ph/donations/

We could never repay you for your generosity to Davao City Outreach, but certainly “you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:14)

Please forward this website to others who might be interested.

Please pray that God will send more laborers into his harvest field.

Please do not write to me here. Your message would get buried in the 1000s of spam messages. Please contact me via jgapinoy@gmail.com. Thank you!