DAVAO CITY CHURCHES REPORT:
A recent service at our Buhangin, Davao City church.
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These awesome people have been meeting here for church every Sunday for years. Just a cement slab underneath with a tarpaulin overhead. We’ve been praying and looking for a better facility.
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Our churches in Davao City ministered to the kids (and parents) in a neighborhood. The saints
–fed everyone
–distributed gifts to everyone
–gave extra gifts to winners of games, and
–preached the gospel
Everyone was blessed… including me! The leaders in the Davao City churches prove again and again that I’m not needed there.
One day I will not be needed here in Luna.
God is our Source!
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Compass Christian Church Davao City’s Hermeneutics series, 1:00 to 6:00 PM for five Sundays. Next week is the final one.
After morning church, these saints eat lunch in the building and just stay there all day. Hungry to learn the Scriptures!
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Prescy’s disciples are growing in the Lord, and they are leading Bible studies that Prescy used to lead… which frees up her time to minister to Indians! Davao City is home to more than 1000 med students from India. Our churches try to lead them to Jesus and disciple them. Then when they go back to India, they carry the word of God to their cultures which are unreached with the gospel.
Millions of Indians live their whole lives without ever seeing a Bible, a church building, or a Christian.
I would rather see 100 Indians saved this year through our churches than 500 Filipinos. Because those Filipinos can be saved in 5 years or in 10 years, but every Indian student’s opportunity to hear the gospel is very limited.
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I’M SO HAPPY!
While I continue to be the lead pastor in our Davao City churches, we have three onsite main leaders there who are responsible for everything. I call them my Peter, James, and John. 
Because of my surgery months ago, we brought Marc, one of those leaders, here to do what I couldn’t do during my recovery.
At the same time, the other two leaders spent nine days in Cebu. They were invited to help an evangelism team (pictured).
What I’m so excited about is that the ministries in Davao City flourished while the three leaders were gone! Other disciples were leading church services and worship and Bible studies and visitation and outreaches!
Two years ago, when Gina and I left Davao City to plant a church here in Luna, it was a huge step of faith for us to leave “Peter, James, and John” in charge of the Davao City churches. Now even they are expendable. 
At least for a while.
God is good!
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LUNA CHURCH REPORT:
We thank God for our church “van.” And we especially thank God for the people who fill it every Sunday morning. (There’s no public transportation in our town on Sundays.)
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During the hard-rain-every-day season, when the wind heads west, we get wet when we go from one room to another. Life is an adventure! 😁
Yes, these small studio apartments are our office/storage, the kitchen, and a bedroom. The plastic table and chairs outside? That’s our living room. 😊
“Dear, I’m going to the kitchen.” “Bring your umbrella!” 🤣
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Twins separated at birth? Actually, my favorite nickname for Isaac when he was little was “Monkey-Boy.” He’s doing really well as a missionary! I think Isaac loves Filipino food more than I do. He has adapted without any complaints to the lack of typical American luxuries. Isaac is learning Tagalog. He plays keyboard for the worship team. And he has already spent a few hours doing evangelism to local college students by himself.
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As often as we can, we take students home from their high school, because it’s so far from their homes, and they don’t have transportation. What’s in it for us? We get to teach the word of God to them for 10 to 15 minutes. (Most are unchurched.)
Lord, give us fruit!
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What an honor it is to teach teachers!
We teach Christianity and the Bible to public school teachers every second week.
Puzzling facts:
–In the USA, you can’t do this… BUT you can rent public school rooms to have church in.
–In the Philippines, you can teach God’s word during public school hours (with certain restrictions), BUT you can’t rent public school rooms for church services. 😲
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Our Luna church has prayer meetings now.
Um, Gina, I don’t like the design of the Imago Dei t-shirt. It looks like “I’m a Goddess.” 🤣
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I stole a quick pic during another prayer meeting as Joanna (in green) led the prayer. She’s 13, and she knows how to touch Heaven!
In this prayer meeting, we had people in their teens, 20s, 30s, 50s, 60s, and 70s! Next time we’ll recruit some folks in their 40s. 🙂
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Ministry to Agta children. Big thanks to our donors. We received plush toys and clothes in big boxes shipped from the USA. The kids were delighted.
We love singing with and hanging out with these beautiful kids.
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Some of the ladies in our Luna church on Valentines’ Day.
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It was long before sunrise. I was in my office/storage room. I heard a scraping sound outside. Then I heard it a few other times. Finally I went out to investigate.
The lid shown here had been leaning against the pillar. Apparently a frog jumped against the lid, trying to get an insect. Then the lid fell on the frog. And every time the frog moved, the lid scraped.
Well, it was pretty easy to catch that frog!
Yes, I have instituted a catch-and-release program with the
many frogs that invade our property every night. I catch them with that net, drop them in the container, and later dump them in a far-away rice field. The number of frogs has greatly diminished, but I am sure there will always be a few.
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EVEN KIDS WHO REPENT CAN REALLY BE FAITHFUL:
April was 12 when she was saved 10 years ago, and she’s still faithfully serving the Lord today. She did not grow up in a Christian household. She never heard the gospel until she heard it from us. April has led some of her family members to the Lord! We thank God for her!
PICTURED: April’s baptism in 2016.
It’s been 10 years since 16-year-old Marc taught his first Bible study. Actually, “Discovery Bible studies” are designed so that even fairly new Christians can lead them. DBS is very effective in encouraging growth.
Now Marc is a preacher and a disciple-maker. We’re blessed by his life.
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Gina and I really appreciate the prayers, the encouragement, the help, and the donations for FRN!
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!
