Dear FRN friends, I was thrilled recently to learn that in one of our Davao City churches, we now have a fifth-generation disciple! So I asked the fourth generation to share her story:

I am Geniel, 18 years old. Before I encountered Christ in my life, I was just a shy girl who was afraid to step out of her comfort zone. I didn’t like socializing with a lot of people, and I was more comfortable staying at home. Whenever we went out, I would always stay beside my mother and remain silent. I grew up as a church-goer, but it didn’t affect my relationship with God because, at that time, all I cared about was being there because my mother was there.
But God, in His gentle way, began changing my life when I became a teenager. Ate Bee invited me to Imago Dei (youth ministry). At first, I didn’t understand the purpose of it. I didn’t want to socialize with a lot of people.
However, God began to work deeply in my heart. I realized that I am a sinner, that Jesus died for my sins, and that I needed Him. I repented, confessed all my sins to Him, and surrendered my life.
Even though I still face many trials and challenges, I now face them with faith because I know God is always there—guiding me, strengthening me, and helping me overcome everything. God also placed people in my life who are willing to guide me: Ate Bee, my leader who leads me toward the right path, and Ate Mara, my discipler who continues to teach me and walk with me as I grow in my relationship with Him.
Through Christ, I began to discover my gifts as He helped me accept who I am. Because of His work in my life, I am now able to teach in the children’s ministry and serve in the worship team—things I never imagined I would ever do. I will forever be grateful for how Jesus transformed my life—from a shy, fearful girl into someone who now walks in courage because of His love.

(Ate–pronounced ah-tay–means ‘older sister.’ This testimony was slightly edited by me for brevity and clarity.)
Pictured: Marc teaches Geniel (middle, white shirt) and her family every Saturday morning. Marc took over that weekly opportunity from me when Gina and I moved to Luna, Apayao.

BTW, Paul mentions four discipleship generations here in 2 Timothy 2:2:

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

.

.

As you consider your end-of-year giving, please look at our ‘wish list’ at the end of this post.

.

.

A WIDE-OPEN DOOR FOR THE GOSPEL

We took a girl in our Luna church to her high school one morning, and I was surprised to see how far it is from her home—5 KM (3 miles). We already knew she walks to and from school sometimes, even in the heat or in torrential rain. And there are hills to go up and down.

Many students walk to and/or from school every day.

Gina and I realized our afternoon schedule is usually flexible. So we decided to use the 14-seater vehicle God blessed us with—plus my experience as a school bus driver (2011-2013)—to volunteer to take kids home from school. The school’s principal (on the right) gratefully approved our plan!

We can’t do it every day, so we offered to do it every Mon, Wed, and Fri. We will teach the kids from the Scriptures on the way home every time. AND, best of all, they invited us to teach God’s word every Friday on campus to about 100 high school students!

.

.

We’re thanking God for six baptisms here in Luna during the past three months!

.

.

Pictured: My son Isaac’s debut playing keyboard for the Luna church’s worship team. He did great!

Isaac is 30 years old. He had been serving the Teen Challenge ministry in Phoenix, but he felt the Lord leading him to join our mission. He is adapting well to the entirely new way of life. Isaac is not complaining about any of the many adjustments and discomforts of life here.
He’s quite talented. Isaac’s 5th-grade school taught him violin. From that, he taught himself guitar, bass, and keyboard. (I taught him drums.) Also, Isaac brings a passion to reach Muslims for Jesus. Muslims make up about 7% of the population in the Philippines.
To illustrate how much Isaac loves God’s word, yesterday we spent about six hours on the road. During at least five of those hours, we discussed chapters in Philippians and Revelation, verse-by-verse. I’m thrilled at what our Lord has done in his life.

.

.

Sometimes long-term saints (like me!) need to rekindle the fire inside us. Prescy (in the baseball cap) is helping these ladies in our Davao City churches do just that. Some of them had not done public evangelism or visitation for a long time, but they’re doing it now!
To be honest, I was recently convicted about this. After a month in the USA, I realized it had been several weeks since I had given out even one church flyer. I said, Lord, light my fire again!

.

.

Our Davao City friends are growing in boldness. These young men have been witnessing one-on-one every week in a local park for months, but now they are preaching to groups, and then openly praying for their souls! Urgency! Passion! Faith!

.

.

I looooooove this! Seeing so many Indians in a church building! It’s a gathering designed to bring Indians closer and closer to following Jesus. Most of the people here are Indians.
(There are always more than 1000 Indians in Davao City studying medicine. What a harvest field!)
Please pray for the saints in Davao City to lead Indians to our Lord. They will host an evangelistic Christmas party just for Indian med students.

.

.

While I was in the USA, the work of God continued in Luna. Here Gina taught public school teachers about the parable of the sower. Gracy, who came from Davao City to help Gina, assisted here and in many other ways.

.

.

Here Gracy ministers at a home:

.

.

Lori Joy (grey shirt) was saved in Luna about seven months ago, and since then she has been a wonderfully joyful and grateful servant. Here she teaches our younger kids with Vianca’s help.

.

.

I was delighted to meet with many saints during my few weeks in the USA. All of them have asked about the three small church plants, which is good to ask about. But I usually try to steer the conversation to something more important, something that those churches are subservient to:

Doing everything we can to reach unreached peoples with the gospel.

During our 12 years in the Philippines, we have

–taught in several missions-oriented seminaries and para-church organizations,

–sponsored Filipinos to study in those organizations,

–supported several Filipino missionaries in unreached cultures,
–sent out a full-time missionary to unreached peoples from one of our churches, 
–won Indians to the Lord who are now ambassadors for Christ in India,

–raised up churches that are missions-minded, and

–sent out our church members on many short-term missions.

There are plenty of churches in the Philippines. But there are not enough Filipino Christians who are reaching out to unreached people groups. Their potential is great, but the goers are few. Our calling is to change that.

.

.

Our friend Ebi in India is doing what he does best: Public evangelism… which can be dangerous there. In fact, the government recently turned off the electricity at their church building during an evangelistic event. And neighbors have been harassing them.
Yes, per local custom, Ebi removed his shoes to preach. It’s holy ground!
If you would like to support Ebi and their church financially, that would be a blessing. Just write to me at jgapinoy@gmail.com and I’ll introduce you to him.

.

.

What a blessing it is to see how God is using our own Mara Joy, of Davao City, as a full-time missionary. She’s with a team that travels a lot. Their mission is twofold: Reaching out to unreached people groups (UPGs), and training churches near UPGs how to reach their neighbors.
MJ gave up a career as a schoolteacher in order to advance the gospel.
I still remember MJ as a skinny kid who, with her younger sisters, gave me weekly Visayan language mini-lessons back in 2016. Now she’s in full-time ministry.
(I can’t publicly show any photos of her with the people the team serves.)

.

.

Ministering at a memorial service for Aida, the cancer-stricken lady whom we baptized in August here in Luna. She would be pleased at the gospel being preached at her home.

.

.

Our end-of-year list of needs:

–Our Bacalso, Davao City church desperately needs a better facility.

–A 14-seat vehicle for our Davao City churches would be a huge blessing.

–We would like to provide driver training and licenses for disciples. Then they would be able to find better employment, and they could use that skill to serve the Lord.

–We would like to sponsor more Filipino missionaries who are doing excellent work in difficult places.

We so appreciate our sponsors!
To those who give, thank you so much! 

We could never repay you for your generosity to Filipinos Reaching Nations, 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!