(I’ll finish this later.)
Since our last report, we have baptized eight teens in Luna, and they are all members of the Agta tribe! Reaching that tribe is one of the reasons Gina and I came up here in the north after ten years in the south. Please pray that God would use these teens to reach their families and others for Jesus.
Just yesterday we also had a baptism in one of our Davao City churches. Backstory: Several members of the Yonson family were saved in 2016. Since then, we have been praying for the oldest sibling Nico. He finally took the plunge yesterday (literally and figuratively)!
Our Luna church just hosted a conference for Agta tribe workers who want to reach their communities for Jesus. Led by Jordan and his wife Michelle. They have been doing amazing work among the Agta for many years.
One of several huge issues we’re dealing with now is the road being built next to our home. We can handle the noise, the dust, and the occasional vehicles blocking our driveway. But the worst part is how there is often deep mud blocking the way. We can’t drive through it. And the half-mile dirt road out of here is just as bad in several places. Prayers appreciated!
One of my favorite stages in a new church’s growth is when they start to do public evangelism without the pastor even knowing about it! Some of our saints have begun telling students, ‘Join us and we’ll buy you snacks.’ And then they talk about Jesus. Besides the ones pictured, others have also been doing this. I love it!
Recently Gina and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.
“Let’s go to a fancy restaurant!”
Well, there are no fancy restaurants within a three-hour drive from here. 🤣 The same with fancy hotels.
So Gina was happy to just watch a clean movie with me via Tubi on the computer that evening.
I’m so blessed to have such a girl who isn’t ‘high maintenance’ (though I’d love to treat her as if she was).
Here’s to the next 20, Dearest! ❤
My mother-in-law is so sweet. Whenever Gina is out-of-town, Mommy Helen sends me notes like this one. <3
(“Opo” loosely translated is “Yes, Ma’am.”)
We had a big storm in August, and the floor in the home of Mon and Bing got wet. Bing slipped and had a nasty fall that gave her severe pain on the lowest part of her back. It was difficult for her to move or do anything… and she has three adorable little bundles of energy to care for.
At church I learned about her injury. Husband Mon and I prayed for her, and I told her what I always say: “Don’t say you feel better just to be nice. I want to know if God worked a miracle.” She said she really did feel much better, but there was still a little pain. Then we prayed again, and BOOM suddenly she was sobbing, speaking in tongues, and totally healed! The pain never came back. God gave her a physical and spiritual makeover! Since then, Bing has been doing ministry she had not done before. A work of God’s grace!
I got to see another side of Isaac before he left for Davao City. He loves babies!
Now hurry up and get married and make me a grandpa!
Just kidding. Only do that in God’s timing, Son.
(He’s in Davao attending a missions-oriented seminary, and he’s also studying the Visayan language.)
I bought airfare for our soon-to-be missionary to Vietnam, who will be there before the end of the year. BTW, in case you remember how we tried to get a worker into Thailand but couldn’t (who is now our missionary to Muslim tribes in the Philippines), don’t worry. Vietnam is much easier to get into. In fact, this laborer has already ministered there. But of course we still need your prayers.
THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY AS MISSIONARIES!
On August 9, 2013, Gina and I arrived in the Philippines. During that time we and our disciples here have:
–taught for many semesters in missions-oriented seminaries and para-church organizations,
–supported many Filipinos for study in those organizations,
–given monthly support to many Filipino missionaries in cultures unreached with the gospel,
–ministered to more than a hundred Indians studying medicine here, some of whom are now ambassadors for Christ in India,
–raised up three churches that are missions-minded,
–sent out our church members on several dozen short-term missions–several of those internationally–and
–raised up two full-time missionaries from our converts.
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 (ask me about that), but the goers are too few. Our mission is to change that.
We could do very little without our Lord using our donors to bless our mission by praying and giving. When you help Filipinos Reaching Nations, you are advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ.