Imagine you’re in your car, going through an automated car wash. Suddenly everything gets dark, and the car wash noise pumps up 10X louder… not to mention the incessant crashing and banging noises you suddenly hear. That’s what it was like in our bedroom from 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM during the biggest typhoon Luna Apayao has seen in several decades.

Some of the devastation in our town.

Thankfully our home only suffered small things breaking, besides the messes everywhere. I thought this was fascinating:

This storage shed moved 30 feet and ended up here… without breaking the glass! Gina and I are are debating whether it slid, flew, or rolled. Only God knows!

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Most of our church members had much damage to their homes. We visited all of them, offering prayer, encouragement, and some cash.

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Thank God for this hand-pumped well! It’s a lot of work, and the water is not really clean, but it’s better than having no water. (We also have purified water for about 10c per gallon.) During the extended brownouts, our electric well pump wasn’t working, so it was my job to keep all our buckets filled with water for bathing, laundry, dishwashing, etc.

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Gracy (next to Gina in the pic) felt like the Lord was stirring her to come from Davao City to serve in our mission for a month. We are grateful to have her. She had no idea what she was in for! Besides all the ministry stuff she knew she’d help us with, she worked hard helping us clean up after the typhoon, which hit a week after Gracy arrived.
BTW, in the photo is our Sunday afternoon Bible study.

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Disciples are rising up. None of our Luna church members were born again when Gina and I arrived in January, but they are learning. Here, Jun and his wife Ances testify to some workers about how Jesus saved them.

Shania–our niece’s daughter–and her best friend Keisha are using their social media influence for God’s glory. I think they have about 40 followers from all over the Philippines. I asked the girls to send their followers to my weekly online evangelistic Bible study. It seems like most of their followers are joining every Thursday night, plus they’re inviting others who are not saved.

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While Gina and I were in the USA, our dear friends Jayr and Chona did a great job caring for the Luna church. Here are Chona and Jun doing evangelism…

…and here the saints are ministering to Agta children.

In the Ilokano provinces, many people use Mountain Dew bottles to decorate outside or make signs. As they say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” so… “Naragsak A Paskua” means “Merry Christmas” in Ilokano. Later I will put Christmas lights in each bottle.

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My favorite part of visiting the USA was seeing my son Isaac. Here, he’s downloading sermons into a flash drive. I’m so blessed by his hunger for God’s word.

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We’re thankful for the people who showed so much kindness and hospitality while Gina and I were in the USA. For example, Joe and Rosie allowed us–Isaac, too–to stay in their Colorado ranch for a week. Very cool (literally)!

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Our Buhangin Road church in Davao City is doing well.

They recently had an evangelistic event wherein our many young people brought their (mostly unsaved) parents to church to honor them. What better way to honor your parents than to wash their feet?

I remember when Marc was a shy kid who only used to come to our home for the food. But he was gloriously saved, and nine years later, he’s preaching a sermon in a multi-church Davao City meeting. I wish I could’ve been there.

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It’s been about six years since the Catalunan Pequeño church has been meeting in this venue. We have been trying very hard to find a better-yet-affordable location. Not only is this place too small, it’s subject to the weather, and it’s very hard for visitors to find. Please pray for a better venue for this church.

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One of the missionaries whom we’re trying to send out was rejected by the country’s immigration officials. She did nothing wrong, but she was betrayed by the employer she hoped to work for. The other missionary has learned that the country she is aiming for has cracked down on immigration, so that the couple who was supposed to ‘sponsor’ her is no longer qualified to do so. Obviously I can’t say much publicly about those situations, but if you want to know more to guide your prayers, ask me at jgapinoy@gmail.com

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