Injuries and being Thankful in all circumstances....because this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus.
So this is our last blog post. We head back to the states tomorrow. Thank you everyone who has kept up with us, and to those who have been praying for the ministry here.
Our last week was challenging, but God has been faithful. We were able to go back to a village for about three days across the river to share the gospel, do children;s ministry, and help build a church for the small group of believers who are being salt and light there. Praise the Lord for how he has encouraged these believers and given them a burden to share their faith.
We then walked to another church, and worshiped with believers there at a village about 3 miles away.
Please pray for the believers in this village...that God will raise up godly men who have a desire to know God and worship him. There are only women and children at this church presently.
Cliff started to feel bad during this trip. We went to the hospital Monday afternoon because he was running a fever and had many rashes and sores on his body. We found out he had staff infection.....he is now feeling much better after taking some medication and his skin infections are healing. PTL!
A few days ago, a guy from the AG Team cut his hand deeply with a machete while working. He had to have surgery. Please pray for him as he travels back to the states by himself today.
There are several other team members who are not feeling well, and are fighting infection. Please pray for them...that God will heal there bodies quickly and give them comfort.
Inspite of the challenges, we are thankful...because God is good and He is in control.
Worthy is the Lamb..... Acts 20:24
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Health Care
Village 1 Health Care
Not this past Friday but the Friday before that, we crossed the river and took a motor bike to Village 1 (I call it village 1 because there is no stinkin' way that I'm going to be able to spell its name). It was there that we hooked up with one of our three Nehemiah rural health care teams. We were there just in time to see them prepare for their first round of village circumcisions. It may sound a little crude to we Americans, but Filipinos aren’t circumcised until they are around the age of 7. But, they don’t get the luxury of privacy, pretty much the whole village was there. The operating table- the local open air amphitheatre stage! Crazy, right? Not so much! This provided a great opportunity for this health care team to gain the trust and appreciation of the community. Instead of being treated as outsiders, they were being viewed as more like part of the village family. As a result, doors were opened to share the Gospel and lives were touched. Praise God!
Village 2 Health Care
After some door to door house-calls and Bible sharing in Village 1 that Saturday morning, we were off again. Back across the river and atop a Jeepney we traveled far into the mountains to Village 2 where the second of the 3 Nehemiah health care teams was located. When we arrived, they had just finished facilitating a free clinic at the BRGY Health Center. They were excited to see us and we were excited to see them. The rest of the day was spent doing Bible study with hungry new believers. Later on in the week, we got to spend more time with this team, doing circumcisions and door to door evangelism. Pray that this team would see a church planted in their community. There are hungry believers there who need a firm and steady foundation.
Village 3 Health Care
After our first day with village 2, we left early on motor bikes headed to Village 3 where the third of our 3 health care teams was located. The road to this village… could I really call it a road at all? They were so that a Jeepney wouldn’t even venture down it. Large logging trucks had cut deep deep ruts into the clay and what was left was, for lack of better words, a mess. Our motor bike fell 6 times… with us on it! But, praise God, no injuries. The ride took about an hour and a half. Finally we arrived in Village 3 where we discovered that we were just on time for Church (House Church with the team). We got the opportunity to stay with this team for 3 days and experience all the things they experienced and we were quite impressed. Their day begins with a hike, about 1k down the side of a mountain to the village spring. After taking a bath and filling water jugs, there was the hike back up the mountain in which case we were just as dirty as when we had hiked down the mountain in the first place. But, praise God this team gets to come alongside the people and do the things that they have to do every single day. We joined the team doing door to door evangelism each day and we even got a surprise invitation to a youth meeting with future BRGY leaders. We were able to share the gospel and our testimonies with them and schedule another meeting with all the youth in the community. Pray that these young people will see Gods love through this team and receive a desire for God’s truth.
After sharing in ministry with this team we went back the way we came, only falling once this time. We stayed with Village 2 team for a couple of days before heading into the city on a Jeepney on some business there. It was a long week, but we enjoyed many many blessings.
Pray that these teams won’t loose steam over the next couple of weeks.
Pray that the people will be open to the gospel.
Pray that Churches will be planted among hungry new believers.
Not this past Friday but the Friday before that, we crossed the river and took a motor bike to Village 1 (I call it village 1 because there is no stinkin' way that I'm going to be able to spell its name). It was there that we hooked up with one of our three Nehemiah rural health care teams. We were there just in time to see them prepare for their first round of village circumcisions. It may sound a little crude to we Americans, but Filipinos aren’t circumcised until they are around the age of 7. But, they don’t get the luxury of privacy, pretty much the whole village was there. The operating table- the local open air amphitheatre stage! Crazy, right? Not so much! This provided a great opportunity for this health care team to gain the trust and appreciation of the community. Instead of being treated as outsiders, they were being viewed as more like part of the village family. As a result, doors were opened to share the Gospel and lives were touched. Praise God!
Village 2 Health Care
After some door to door house-calls and Bible sharing in Village 1 that Saturday morning, we were off again. Back across the river and atop a Jeepney we traveled far into the mountains to Village 2 where the second of the 3 Nehemiah health care teams was located. When we arrived, they had just finished facilitating a free clinic at the BRGY Health Center. They were excited to see us and we were excited to see them. The rest of the day was spent doing Bible study with hungry new believers. Later on in the week, we got to spend more time with this team, doing circumcisions and door to door evangelism. Pray that this team would see a church planted in their community. There are hungry believers there who need a firm and steady foundation.
Village 3 Health Care
After our first day with village 2, we left early on motor bikes headed to Village 3 where the third of our 3 health care teams was located. The road to this village… could I really call it a road at all? They were so that a Jeepney wouldn’t even venture down it. Large logging trucks had cut deep deep ruts into the clay and what was left was, for lack of better words, a mess. Our motor bike fell 6 times… with us on it! But, praise God, no injuries. The ride took about an hour and a half. Finally we arrived in Village 3 where we discovered that we were just on time for Church (House Church with the team). We got the opportunity to stay with this team for 3 days and experience all the things they experienced and we were quite impressed. Their day begins with a hike, about 1k down the side of a mountain to the village spring. After taking a bath and filling water jugs, there was the hike back up the mountain in which case we were just as dirty as when we had hiked down the mountain in the first place. But, praise God this team gets to come alongside the people and do the things that they have to do every single day. We joined the team doing door to door evangelism each day and we even got a surprise invitation to a youth meeting with future BRGY leaders. We were able to share the gospel and our testimonies with them and schedule another meeting with all the youth in the community. Pray that these young people will see Gods love through this team and receive a desire for God’s truth.
After sharing in ministry with this team we went back the way we came, only falling once this time. We stayed with Village 2 team for a couple of days before heading into the city on a Jeepney on some business there. It was a long week, but we enjoyed many many blessings.
Pray that these teams won’t loose steam over the next couple of weeks.
Pray that the people will be open to the gospel.
Pray that Churches will be planted among hungry new believers.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Mystery Truck
Last week we worked with the Water filter Team buildng Filters, and getting ready for our trip to a village very far away where a medical team is working. They requesterd filters so we were going to deliver them to these areas with great need for the gospel and clean water.
But God has other plans....the truck never showed up that was supposed to take us to this village. At first, we could tell the team was frustrated, but it was all part of God's beautiful plan. Since the truck never showed, each day we would go with the Filter team to villages around M.J. Santose to share the gospel and do Bible study.
God is working on the hearts of the people here, and it is such a blessing to watch Him change lives for his honor and glory. We were able to go the "The Village on the Hill" which we have come to dearly love. We have been doing Bible studies with new and hungry for the Word believers there. We are also seeing people come to Christ in this village.
In another village down the road, we met with some ladies who are not believers, but were so grateful and blessed when we shared the gopsel with them. They want us to come back and do Bible study more so they can grow in their faith. Pray for these three ladies....a generation...daughter, mother, and grandmother...who is 80!
R&R - Our Trip to Camiguin Island
The Summer is half over and we can't believe it! It's gone by so fast! We've all worked very hard and the teams have been rockin'; doing door to door ministry, Bible studies, building houses, clearing farmland, planting trees, conducting free medical clinics in far away villages, and building bio-sand water filters. Wheww! So, we felt that it was high time the teams in the Agusan have some much appreciated R&R.
We took the 5:30 a.m. Jeepney into Butuan, followed by a 2 hour van ride to the ferry. The ferry carried us the 45 minuets to Camiguin Island. Camiguin is a resort island just of the coast of Mindanao. We stayed at Ardent Springs Hotel and "Resort." Now, when we say "Resort," we mean; running water, matress, privacy, and AC.
The following day, we took a bit of a tour around the island to all the best spots. We went to the beach for cliff diving at 8:00. We enjoyed lunch (chicken and pork adobo) at the cold springs at 12:00. We took a short tour of an old church and then at 4:00 we swam, and froze, at the falls. The small restaurant we decided to have dinner at was a bit understaffed, but the food was excellent. After a full day, we all slept like babies. Thank God for the re-charge. We praise Him for being our sustainer, our strength.
Last week we worked with the Water filter Team buildng Filters, and getting ready for our trip to a village very far away where a medical team is working. They requesterd filters so we were going to deliver them to these areas with great need for the gospel and clean water.
But God has other plans....the truck never showed up that was supposed to take us to this village. At first, we could tell the team was frustrated, but it was all part of God's beautiful plan. Since the truck never showed, each day we would go with the Filter team to villages around M.J. Santose to share the gospel and do Bible study.
God is working on the hearts of the people here, and it is such a blessing to watch Him change lives for his honor and glory. We were able to go the "The Village on the Hill" which we have come to dearly love. We have been doing Bible studies with new and hungry for the Word believers there. We are also seeing people come to Christ in this village.
In another village down the road, we met with some ladies who are not believers, but were so grateful and blessed when we shared the gopsel with them. They want us to come back and do Bible study more so they can grow in their faith. Pray for these three ladies....a generation...daughter, mother, and grandmother...who is 80!
R&R - Our Trip to Camiguin Island
The Summer is half over and we can't believe it! It's gone by so fast! We've all worked very hard and the teams have been rockin'; doing door to door ministry, Bible studies, building houses, clearing farmland, planting trees, conducting free medical clinics in far away villages, and building bio-sand water filters. Wheww! So, we felt that it was high time the teams in the Agusan have some much appreciated R&R.
We took the 5:30 a.m. Jeepney into Butuan, followed by a 2 hour van ride to the ferry. The ferry carried us the 45 minuets to Camiguin Island. Camiguin is a resort island just of the coast of Mindanao. We stayed at Ardent Springs Hotel and "Resort." Now, when we say "Resort," we mean; running water, matress, privacy, and AC.
The following day, we took a bit of a tour around the island to all the best spots. We went to the beach for cliff diving at 8:00. We enjoyed lunch (chicken and pork adobo) at the cold springs at 12:00. We took a short tour of an old church and then at 4:00 we swam, and froze, at the falls. The small restaurant we decided to have dinner at was a bit understaffed, but the food was excellent. After a full day, we all slept like babies. Thank God for the re-charge. We praise Him for being our sustainer, our strength.
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