Praise God for His answered prayers

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. -- Revelation 4:11


This verse was the subject text of the midweek sermon at Pastor Mario Montero's church this week. It is appropriate that we praise our God and Saviour this week.


We asked you to pray yesterday for Pastor Bhoys family, the victims of violence in the Philippines. Praise God, Pastor Bhoy's wife, brother and sister-in-law all received the necessary transfusions, and they will all be released within two days, doctors estimate. Pastor Bhoy's wife has been released.


The story of the provision for the transfusion is one of amazing sovereignty and providence of God, but we will ask you to trust us on that one for now. Still, we rejoice in this good news.


Of course, there are still health issues to be considered, so please continue to pray for their recovery. Also, our dear brothers and sisters still have a burden for their people. Please pray for their protection, boldness and fruitfulness as they share their faith. 


On another topic, we do ask for prayers for Punta. Parts of it have been affected by flooding, still held over from the Typhoon Sendong disaster. Rains have continued, the waters have risen again. No damage to the church, but some of the members' homes have been affected.


Thanks to all who prayed. May we continue to see God work through this ministry. 

Urgent prayer request

We are in dire need of prayers for a friend in the Philippines. Pastor Bhoy Baguinda, whom we mentioned yesterday, is facing a severe crisis. We mentioned his wife was in the hospital, and now we know why. His wife,  brother and sister-in-law were stabbed by Muslims while they were sharing the Gospel.

They are all in critical condition in the hospital. The three family members are awaiting blood transfusions. Please pray for the survival and restoration of these dear members of our Christ family, for the provision of the hospital bills, and for the salvation of those who attacked. Will update when we can.

Edit: Also, please pray for his eldest children who are in Manila attending college and are far from their mother at this time.

Remembering the forgotten

We have a few praise reports and prayer requests to bring before you.


First, we want to pass along the news from Pastor Valentines "JoJo" Begafria in Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte. Earlier this month, they had their "kinder's recital," where the children performed. As is the case with these churches for whom God has given us a special burden, they used the service as an opportunity to evangelize the parents and family who would attend.


Pastor Valentines had the following prayer request of us: "I praise God for the victory, to God be the Glory all the parents heard the gospel and heartily followed in the sinner's prayer.Please pray that the holy spirit will continue to work in their heart that the gospel being planted in their heart will grow and will lead them to follow and serve the Lord.Thank you once again for the prayers and please pray that God will continue to use me and my family fruitfully in the ministry that God has entrusted to us, and for my son's study he will be in grade school next school year." Just a note, the conversation was through Facebook message, so we have preserved the spelling and grammar as it was sent to us. (We journalists feel a need to declare all those kinds of things.)


Pastor Valentines reminded us of something else. In America, with computers everywhere, we think people have the same access to technology all over the world. But our ability to contact Pastor Valentines was an exception this week. We were able to contact him this week because he was in a particular place and a friend lent him a computer. He reminded us that "by friday we will go home to postigo and I cannot reply to you those days. computer shops are far distant in our place, we need to go to sindangan for that." Do you catch that? This pastor is laboring where computers are "far distant" from them. How many missionaries around the world, to say nothing of this part of the Philippines, labor anonymously in fields far from the technology we Westerners take for granted? How many labor without any outside help from Western mission agencies? We know of some, but how many more are there?


How do these missionaries reach their people? Again, Pastor Valentines gives us insight. He asks us, "Please pray for our ministries here:house to house soul winning, bible studies,tracts distribution,children's outreach,feeding program and kinder school.Please pray for the victories, genuine salvation of the children and their parents and specially fruits that remain." How can we not join with these men? How do we justify ignoring these men who reach their villages and towns with the Gospel?


Another man who is less forgotten is one we have mentioned before. Pastor Bhoy Baguinda serves in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay. His two children are in college now in Manila, and even though they are attending a Christian school where they do not have to pay tuition, they need support that Pastor Bhoy has been unable to give them. Manila is a long way from Payao (several islands away), and these two college students have daily needs. Please understand, these pastors often have trouble supporting their families, especially as they start out. Wouldn't it be great if we could help them put their children through school and release a burden from them? 

In addition, we learned yesterday that Pastor Bhoy's wife has been confined to the hospital. We don't know anything other than that, but we do ask you to pray for Mrs. Nelly. We don't know what the issue is or the severity of it, but we ask your prayers.

Another prayer request brought to us today is that of Pastor Clemente Gumapit. You may remember many months ago we helped his church buy property. The landlord was trying to sell the property out from under them, and we helped raise the necessary funds. However, because of some property laws and division of lots (stuff we don't really understand), it was not possible for them to purchase the lot they rented. They were able to buy another lot in a better location, and the landlord was willing to let them continue to rent until they could build on the new property.

Pastor Clemente has asked us to pray that the church building might be built soon. The plan is for a church and parsonage. The materials and labor for the entire project is a little more than $34,000, but the parsonage can be built for around $500. Pastor is praying that he can move his family to the property soon, so let's pray for this $500 for the parsonage. Then we can pray for incremental progress to start building the church. As of now, the pastor and his family are growing crops on the future property so that they can make good use of it while they wait on God's provision for the building. 

We realize there are many things in this entry, and it may be hard to process them all at once. But if you take only one thing away from this entry, consider this: Let us remember our forgotten brothers and sisters who are reaching the world with the Gospel. Let's pray for them and pray for the needs they have -- property, Bibles, tracts and other tools to reach their world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's remember them and pray for them and consider if we can give our support for their sakes. 

The Bible tells us that every tribe, tongue and nation will be represented in heaven. What tremendous opportunity we have to be a part of fulfilling that promise from our God. 

Storm stories

Earlier we rejoiced that our contacts in the Philippines had survived the terrible Typhoon Sendong that hit southern Philippines last week.

Today, however, we received word about some the situations in the area that was harder hit, and we are deeply saddened to pass those things along.

First, we ask you to pray for Pastor Deo Begafria. he serves in Cagayan de Oro, one of the hardest hit places. He, his wife and their three children survived the storm and floods only by getting to the roof of their church building. The entire contents of the church were washed away, and they had no place to meet on Sunday. Please pray for Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Church Barra, Cagayan de Oro, as they try to build back their church.

Another church was also destroyed in Iligan City. Pastor Ruben Sulapas had his church destroyed. At this time we are not certain of the name of this church, as it does not appear to be a SBBC church. But we do know the pastor's name, and we ask your prayers for his church.

We are certain both pastors have seen their churches suffer great losses, but we know of two members in particular in Iligan City whose families were devastated. Both men are Bible translators, trying to bring the word of God into the native dialect. One man lost his wife and three children; they found the bodies for all of them. The second man had his three children swept away. They are missing and are presumed dead.Since the city is on the coast, many of the missing may never be found, because the water sweeps so many bodies into the Iligan Bay. This man's wife had a nervous breakdown over the disaster.

We are deeply saddened to learn of these situations. As we know more, we will let you know. Clearly, when we hear about two churches being destroyed, our first thought is to try to find a way to help our family there. Please pray with us as we seek God's direction in this tragic and urgent matter. 

News from Cagayan de Oro

Just a brief update today, but we have heard from a friend in Cagayan de Oro, the town hit hard by Typhoon Sendong.


This comes to us from a sister, a member of Living Word Bible Baptist Mission. She asks us to pray for the situation there, and we will. She only had a few moments to chat, so we did not get much information, but we do pass along her requests.


They are as follows:

• Prayer for the Thanksgiving service Dec. 27. The church will have a guest speaker, and she asks that we pray for the love gift for the speaker, food, and salvation of visitors.
• The church will have baby dedication Dec. 30. Our sister and her husband will have their baby dedicated at the service, and she asks for prayer for a love gift, food and the salvation of the baby sponsors who will be there.
• When I asked her about the storm, she asked that we would pray that "people would know there is salvation." 

So, let's lift our Sister Jackie to the Lord for these requests, and let's pray for her pastor, Ignacio Daguil. Let's pray for his protection, provision and power as he leads the ministry to that heavily damaged area.

Family day

Some children love the camera

Folks, we wanted to share with  you some photos from the family day at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Punta this week. Unfortunately, the day coincided with Typhoon Sendong, a terrible storm that has left a death toll on Mindanao that is still rising. It passed 500 a few hours before the writing of this blog, and it will keep rising.

The greatest damage was done far from the place where our focus lies, but we will see that there was plenty of damage yet. We know that flood waters bring problems later, too, with mosquitoes and other illnesses, so please continue to lift these people in your prayers.

The family day for the SBBC Punta church is part of the Obadiah Learning and Development ministry. The leaders had planned to do this day of celebration and outreach, and the children were afraid the storm would cancel the day. But the party went on despite the storm.

The day started with some instruction inside the church building.

Children learn on family day

 

From there, they party moved to Infinity Pool. Some people wouldn't swim in the rain for fear of getting wet, but these children did not mind.

Children get their Sprites

The children also received gifts. It was a celebration of their hard work during the term.

Gift time for the children

Most of the children were able to be at the celebration, but two were sick. The ministry needs your prayers, because they plan to have 37 children starting in January, and the Bible instruction and academic instruction serve as outreach tools for the church. They have seen the ministry bear fruit, and we ask you to join with us in praying for the ministry. Funds are always needed.

However, the day was not all fun. As the next photos show, the damage from the storm was serious. We know some of the children involved in the ministry had their homes affected. Please pray for this area, and pray for the affected families. Also, please pray for this particular ministry. Prayers are most important, but we are praying, also, for financial support for this ministry.

People wade into the water after Typhoon Sendong caused flooding.

Water abundant

Storm can't stop the Gospel

We have some exciting things to share with you about the last few days for the church in Punta, Dipolog City.

First, let us praise God for the safety of our friends there who endured Typhoon Sendong. News reports say, as of this writing, that as many at 69 people died from the storm on Mindanao. We praise God the storm is weakening in the area where our friends in Punta are, but the flooding is still causing damage. In fact, the parents of some of the children ministered to at the family day of the Obadiah Learning and Development ministry are affected by the storm (apologies for the vagueness of that statement, but that's all we know at this point; we hope to update when we can).

Perseverance
But on Saturday, even as the waters rose "up to the knee," a band of believers braved the flash floods to keep their appointment for a time of evangelism. The group hiked to Laoy ("very far" from the church as our sister described it) to the appointed home Bible study. As our sister told us, the young people would not stop despite the storm, and they arrived at the place where the Bible study would take place.

What happened? Well, God rewarded their efforts by bringing a new sheep into the fold. A young man prayed to receive Christ at the Bible study. Our sister Maryjoy asks us this request, "Pray that the brother will come in church." As you read this, it is Sunday in the Philippines, so let us pray this new brother will indeed join the church for worship today.

Preservation
Pastor Endelito Tamagna, a pastor with a different church but a friend of Pastor Mario Montero of SBBC Punta, got caught in rising waters while trying to cross a river. Mercifully, God provided his protection, and Pastor Endelito made it to the other side.

We hope tomorrow to update you concerning the family day at SBBC Punta. But we wanted to share these items with you now. Please pray for those affected by Typhoon Sendong, and pray that this storm might result in more people brought into the Kingdom.

Various prayer requests

Sometimes, just to keep us humble, God reminds us of our inability apart from Him. Such is the case with some needs our brothers in the Philippines have. As Americans, even the poorer among us have more than these dear brothers often have. So we are often tempted to try to provide all the needs out of our own strength.

Recently, a man committed to donating $100 a month to a particular ministry, and he realized it was not much compared to the need. The lay minister whose ministry will receive it was overjoyed. He said "That is like a million dollars to these kids."

But as you will see, there are some needs that this size ministry can't meet right now. We do not have the monetary answer. So, we must turn our eyes to the One who owns the cattle on the thousand hills. We ask you to pray for the following needs with us. We pray that God will provide for these churches in their need.

Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Punta
This is the church closest to the author's heart. He learned a valuable lesson, because while making his visit in May, he took photos of the lot the church was trying to purchase. The landowner saw the "wealthy Amerkano" taking photos, and raised the price. So, the lots on the front and the back of the church are offered for 1 million Philippine Pesos each. One lot is 400 square meters, and the other is 700 square meters.

Additionally, the church is praying for another lot that is more than 1 hectare (the exact dimension is 11,644 square meters). The price for this lot is 7 million PhP. Now, the cost for the larger lot (based on the current exchange rate, which is always fluid) is about $160,000 US. the smaller lots a little less than $23,000. That is a lot for us, but it's impossible for this church. As James reminds us, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world?" It is especially true for these believers. And these fishers of men are seeing their nets breaking with the attendance and new converts God is providing.

Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Salug
You may remember earlier this year we helped this church buy its property. Just to refresh your memory, the church faced the impending sale of the lot on which their building stood and which they rented. We raised the funds for them to buy it, but because of some title issues, it was impossible for them to purchase the property. So, they bought a lot nearby. Now, we pray with them for a building and pastorium on the new property. We are not certain on the price for the building needs (last time we got an estimate it was around $34,000 US, but that's banking on a foggy memory), but we ask for prayer right now.

Our Filipino brothers don't spend money foolishly when it comes to church buildings. They don't build for aesthetic quality as we tend to do in the U.S. They are content with mounted fans instead of air conditioning, wooden benches and stone flooring. They don't care about luxury; they want a place to meet. Please help us pray for this need.

Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Ozamis
This is the mother church for all these ministries. Pastor Jun Begafria left his island to start a mission church in a rough city. He even had to learn a new dialect, leaving behind his native Ilonggo for the Mindanao dialect of Cebuano. Currently, this church meets in a spacious room on the third floor of a building. Though it is spacious, they would prefer to have their own place to meet and worship.

They are praying for a lot near the airport. It is described as "not less than" 6 million PhP. That translates to roughly $136,000. The measurement of the lot is slightly above 13,500 square meters.

As you can see, those needs far exceed what we are able to provide at this time, and they certainly exceed what our brothers and sisters can raise. But we all pray to the same Father, if we are in Christ. So, let's join with them in praying for these needs.

As always, if you feel led to do more than pray, we do accept gifts through Love in Action Ministries. You can access them through the website in the link, or by writing them to the information below. Please designate your gifts to the Philippines, and if you have a particular church need in mind, designate it further. Also, please consider their ministry to the homeless in the Dothan, Ala., area. 

Love in Action International Ministries, Inc.

P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995

As our Filipino brothers like to say, "God bless you more." May God's richest grace abound to you in all things.

Thanksgiving and praise

Today, we bring a prayer request and a time of thanks. 

Later this week, Bro. Joel and Sister Lea, pictured below, will hold the Thanksgiving celebration for the children of their ministry outreach with Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. Their ministry is going to be called Obadiah Learning and Development, and since that is the name of the future and because we are partial to Old Testament minor prophets, we use that name already.

Sister Lea and Bro. Joel during the anniversary service in May.

As the school term has drawn to a close (and if you want to read more about the ministry, try this link), it is time for the children to have a celebration with their families. Bro. Joel and Sister Lea will provide the food, the entertainment, and (if God provides) a trip to the pool. They are praying also to give individual gifts to all the children and family members (estimated at 100 people). 

Of course, the Gospel will also be presented. 

This event is Friday in the Philippines, but with the international dateline, it will be Thursday for us in the U.S. Bro. Joel asks us to pray for "the gospel witness, good weather, food preparation, transportation and presents." Please join us as we lift our prayers ahead of this event. May God bring in a harvest of souls through the witness of this dear couple.

As always, if you feel led to do more than pray, we do accept gifts through Love in Action Ministries. Their contact info is:

Love in Action International Ministries, Inc.

P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995.

If you decide to give to this particular need, please make a note that the gift should go toward SBBC Punta Children's Ministry.

Most of all, please join us in praying for this event, and for this ministry. Pray God will send us people who have a heart for the lost and see the vision we have here. 

Psalm 23

You have probably heard Psalm 23 all your life, but probably never quite like this. Enjoy the 5-year-olds from the Obadiah Learning and Development school at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. 

Enjoy the video, and please join us in praying for these youngsters, and as we pray for additional support for this ministry. 

Reaching out to the children

Joseph was only 5 years old, but he already understood what he was learning at Shekinah Tutorial Services (soon to be renamed Obadiah Learning and Development), a ministry for children at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church, Punta, Dipolog City.


His father, a drunkard, was heavy on Joseph's heart. So, in typical blunt Filipino fashion, he approached his father. He said, "Papa, please stop drinking, God will get angry.You don't want to go to heaven?"


Now both of Joseph's parents are attending the regular church service, and Bro. Joel, the leader of the ministry, along with his wife, Lea, asks us to pray for them. "Please pray for power and Godly wisdom in our Bible studies with his parents," Bro. Joel said.

Children learn their lessons at the Shekinah Tutorial Services
children's outreach at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church.

Shekinah Tutorial Services is an outreach arm of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church, Punta, the church of Pastor Mario Montero. The name of the ministry is changing soon to Obadiah Learning and Development, and we are always happy to see things named after Old Testament Minor Prophets.


Obadiah L&D is an education program that is also an outreach tool. The ministry teaches the regular school subjects for children ages 4-10. It also provides books, papers, pencils, school uniform, shoes, socks, bags, notebooks,and all school supplies with snacks every day from Monday to Friday and fare to church every Sunday. There is also Bible instruction.


However, there is one condition: All the families whose children attend must agree to a twice-weekly Bible study and agree to attend the morning church service. If they agree to this, then the child is sponsored by the church for the education.

Students write their assignments during class.

How has this ministry been effective? Here's what Bro. Joel told us, "Many received Christ. Baptism is weekly, to God be the glory. Sunday population is increasing, Bible studies are almost every day..whew..Amen and Amen."


He goes on, "Two of our kids had been dedicated in the service for God by their parents.They were from another denomination but they dedicated their two kids at SBBC-Punta,where we preach Christ Crucified. Amazing and so great for God's glory. My wife and I became their sponsors...second parents to be exact."


Bro. Joel and Sister Lea do not turn away a child whose parents agree to the Bible study, and they are handling almost all the Bible studies alone. Indeed, everywhere the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.


But this ministry is not free. Each child sponsored costs about $50 per month. This third quarter, they have 20 children participating. An additional 17 are registered for the quarter beginning in January. The day of this writing, Bro. Joel and Sister Leah were conducting interviews with the families of the new applicants.


If all the children are registered for the next quarter, that will put 37 total children involved in the ministry. At $50 per child per month, that's quite a commitment. But the church is not afraid of it.


"We have to do some sacrificing, but to God be the Glory they are increasing," Bro. Joel said. "We also have to increase our faith, that is why we need prayers, more prayers. My wife and I can't do this alone. The church, you know is a pioneering church, we have to depend on God. We thank God Pastor Mario is backing us and so with the church."

The new applicants are seen here with Pastor Mario Montero (far left).

Can we join together in praying for this ministry? How we rejoice to hear about the salvation of children and their families. As Bro. Joel said, he and Sister Lea cannot do everything by themselves. Please join with us in praying for this ministry. Also, let us pray for sponsors who will help the church in the ministry needs. May God use us to help reach this community with the good news of Christ's love and sacrifice. 

Sister Lea appears with the current scholars. It appears Bro. Joel is in the background.

Sad farewell

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him..." Mark 10:21


The scripture above comes to us from Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler. It stands out to me because it shows the heart of our Savior, even for those who reject Him. There are some who will try to tell you God loves only the elect and despises the unsaved, but here, Jesus clearly loves a man who rejects Him. 


It is very interesting that Mark makes this point, because he was the "transcriber of Peter," our Lord's most intimate disciple. Peter knew Christ's heart for this man. Jesus loved him. Yet, the man rejected. How intense must have been Christ's sadness. He saw what blessings and grace were offered to this man, and he saw the future this man had chosen instead. Christ offered him blessings for eternity, but this man chose the pleasures of this life for a season.


Even so, we lost a member of our ministry. The woman who inspired this ministry has abandoned it and chosen a sinful path. It grieves us greatly. We bear no anger toward her, but we are saddened to see someone turn away from a chance to help churches reach their part of the world. Yet, even as Christ continued in His work after this man whom He loved spurned grace and its blessings, so must we.


So, after a few months of trying to deal with some issues, we are returning to our work. We are so thankful for Love in Action's work as we were away, and we are excited about continuing our work together.


We are praying about some specific ministry works to be done. One that we are especially excited about is the possibility of providing scholarships for the children of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church missionaries. These pastors begin their work with no support at all, and they often have very little money to take care of their families. So, when it comes time to send their children to college, they are often at the mercy of others.


So please pray about this part of the ministry. We also want to start monthly support for missionaries and help with building projects. 


Please check back with us, follow us, like us on Facebook and join with us in prayer and support. We can still help our brothers in the Philippines reach their nation with the Gospel. Will you join us?

Preaching in Moliton

Today we wanted to share with you the outreach that Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta is doing.

We'll let our sister who sent us the following papers tell it in her own words.

Enjoy!

The gates of hell

As some of you may know (and everyone who reads this will find out), my heart goes out to Muslims. The predominant emotion for many seems to react to Islam in fear. But there is no reason to be afraid if you are in Christ. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in Islam. My heart goes out to the millions (perhaps billions) trapped in this false religion.

That's why I'm excited to tell you about one man in our family of missionaries. Now, I won't tell you his name, or any personal details about him for reasons which will soon be obvious. But nonetheless, this man needs our prayers.

First, let us consider something. Most of the money in the Philippines is tied up among a few families, so professionals have to leave the country to earn a solid living. They are valued all over the eastern world in many countries.

One nation where they work is Saudi Arabia. The man we are asking prayer for is one of these who works in Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam. While he is there, he teaches God's word to other Filipino workers, and he shares the love of Christ and the message of salvation in the most Muslim country in the world.

We are sure there are many like him. God has a way of getting His people into the places where people need the Gospel. Please pray for this man's boldness, his protection, and his fruitfulness as he storms the gates of hell with the knowledge of His word.

Thank you and God bless.

Meet our church in Dipolog City

What a joy to bring you testimonies of what God is doing in the Philippines!

The church in Punta, Dipolog City, was the first missionary church sent out by Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City. We are privileged to share with you some stories and photos a sister at SBBC Punta shared with us.

You will see in the JPGs that the church is praying for a bigger lot. We remind everyone, the funds the church needs are $12,000 to buy the property and take care of the legal paperwork. If you feel led to donate, please do so through Love in Action Ministries. Their contact info is as follows:

Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995

Now, for the story of SBBC Punta. Note, we have preserved the language of the sister who sent us the file, but I think you can follow it pretty well. Also, the files are as large as we can run them. I hope they are readable.  

Letter from a sister

It's been a while since we have updated this site. There are reasons why we are not updating as much, so we ask your prayers for this time in our ministry.

First, we want to let you know that we are now officially affiliated with Love in Action Ministries. This move has been a part of prayer for a while, and we are thankful for it.

As you are working to start a ministry, it's amazing to see how God uses people to accomplish His purposes.

I want to share with you a letter from the Sunday School leader for Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis. God blessed us tremendously by the generous donation by the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches publishing division. The GARBC donated enough supplies so that each of the children in the Sunday School classes could have a book. The GARBC donated materials from the previous quarter, and they only charged us the shipping fee (which was not too much, considering).

Here is the letter from the leader of the Sunday School for children at this church. Some information has been edited out.

Good day!

Greetings in the Precious Name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

I am ... from SHILOH BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH Gomez St., Ozamiz City, Philippines. I am the Sunday school teacher in the children's department in our church. ... the recipient of the materials being requested from your good office.

i would like to inform you that the package arrived last Wednesday, Sept. 7, and would like extend our gratitude for granting us these materials. this indeed an answer to our prayers because we are badly in need of these, thank you so much. May God bless more your ministry.

Can we expect some copies of materials/lessons for the next time?

Since there are numerous young lives here who need to be ministered.

May this partnership of ours may lead more precious souls to our Lord God.

Thank you once again and God bless us more!

For His Glory and Honor,

Sis Xxxxx

 

Please join us in praising God for this provision. Also, please pray with us that we can provide more materials in the future. How wonderful would it be to help more children learn about God's word!

Bible Sunday

Pastor Greg (right) and a church brother set up the Bibles
for Bible Sunday this past Sunday.

What if you were a pastor who could not give his new converts a Bible? What if one day, God provided those Bibles for your church?

That's what happened this week at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. Pastor Greg Begafria was able to purchase Bibles for his flock, and they had "Bible Sunday" on July 10. Pastor Greg had to travel about eight to nine hours one way to get the 32 KJV Bibles and 10,000 tracts in their own language. The funds for this project came from  Love in Action Ministries, and we are thankful for this gift.

When you give to Homegrown Harvesters through  Love in Action Ministries, this is the kind of thing you support. Praise God for the gift, and may these tracts and Bibles produce eternal fruit in the Philippines.



A church member gets his new Bible.



Additionally, as Pastor Greg shared with us before, the church recently saw the conversion of a former convict. Pastor Greg told us more about this man, who lives in a village where the church wants to start a Bible study. 

"I hope you still remember one time I have shared with you about an ex convict from prison receiving Christ as his Personal Savior and submitting to water baptism. He lives in this village. His salvation becomes a blessing to his mother and younger siblings and the villagers as well. As of now his family was a constant visitor (together with the neighbors) in the church and has been a prospect for our baptism," Pastor Greg said.

As you can see, God is working through these churches in the Philippines. Please join with us as we offer prayers and financial support for these dear brothers and sisters.

 

Church members show off their new Bibles.



Pastor Greg also told us this about those who received their Bibles, "They are also committing to read and value the Bibles in their hands."

Will you join us in working for God's kingdom in the Philippines? Please, if you feel led to give, do so through Love in Action Ministries. You can do so by using the hyperlink that keeps recurring, or you can use the contact info below. I hope your heart rejoices to see God at work among other people.

 

Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995
 

Church members flood the altar to pray for Homegrown Harvesters
and Love in Action. Will you join in their prayers?

Scripture fulfilled

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. -- Psalm 22:27

How amazing it was for me to see the reality of this promise when I made my two-week and too-short trip to the Philippines. Here I was, worshipping with people whose language I did not speak and who spoke my language well but not perfectly.

I remember one night, we spent all night with a group of missionaries. They had a songbook translated into Cebuano, and they would sing hymns out of it together. One helpful pastor would always repeat the page numbers for me, as if that would help me at all, because even though I recognized some tunes and names, I didn't speak Cebuano enough to sing along.

Still, the reality of this promise was holding true. God was in this place, bringing people separated by culture, language and ocean, and we were worshiping together. How amazing that Jesus Christ understands Cebuano, English, Tagalog and every other language on the planet.

Earlier, we told you about a pastor who was unable to provide Bibles for his congregation. Our friends at  Love in Action Ministries provided a generous sum for this church to be able to purchase their Bibles. This is part of an email we received from this pastor.

By Monday, July 4, I will be going to Iligan to purchase KJV Bibles and tracts that we have been long praying. On July 7, the church will be having its BIBLE SUNDAY. This whole Sunday will be dedicated to preach and school out the church members the importance of the Word of God. After the service, we will be distributing these KJV Bibles to the newly baptized believers.As soon as possible we will give you reports and pictures of this event ( Bible Sunday ).

Our brother was understandably excited about the riches our friends were able to provide. The church is far away from the place where they must get the Bibles (about a 6-hour drive one way via bus, not the safest ride one has ever taken). How amazing it is for us to see this reality! Just as God promised through David thousands of years ago, we are witnessing the turn of "all ends of the world" to God through Jesus Christ.

When you join with us, you provide the ability for these churches to continue reaching the world around them. I hope and pray you will get a vision for what God is doing in the Philippines, and for what God is calling us to do at Homegrown Harvesters.

Once again, we are praying specifically for Pastor Mario Montero's church in Dipolog City. An adjacent lot would allow the pastor and his church to expand their ministry. It will only cost $12,000 for the lot and the legal paperwork to get this land transferred to the church.

Please join us in reaching this goal. As always, our ministry partners at Love in Action Ministries are handling the funds for us. Please contact them through the hyperlink above or through the info below and designate your gift to the Philippines. We are thankful for Love in Action Ministries' help with this and other projects.

May God richly bless you in all things.

Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995

Late-night thoughts

It has been harder to write these blog updates than I anticipated after my return from the Philippines.

Truth is, we are seeing the challenges ahead of us. I have not been at home for more than a week now, at least, not consistently. So it's been hard to write about things as I would like.

But we can certainly use all the prayers you can muster. We are facing some challenges, and we would be foolish to think we would avoid them. As you might imagine, starting a ministry that cuts across a rather large ocean, different cultures and different languages has some challenges. But we press on, knowing that God is with us.

In that vein, we ask you to join with us in praying. We are still seeking to help the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City, purchase their land. They are seeking a 430 sqm lot that is next to their current lot. They have outgrown their building, and they are seeking to purchase an adjacent lot so they can grow without having to move far away.

For only $12,000, we can purchase that land for them. If you want details on the needs, you can check earlier blog posts. But right now, I just want to ask you to pray and give, if at all possible. These our brothers and sisters have no way of saving and purchasing this land. If we don't do it, who will?

As one of my favorite authors, K.P. Yohannan asks, so ask I you, why do you think God put you in the United States? Was it to spend so much money on luxuries? Or did He give you money beyond what others in other parts of the world will ever know so you could help expand His kingdom in another country?

This church in Punta cannot invite people to the church, because it's too full. The new converts must be discipled away from the church, outside of the care and direct oversight of the pastor, Mario Montero. We have a chance to change that. Please consider whether you can make a difference in this church's life.

As always, we are thankful for our ministry partners at Love in Action Ministries. They handle the funds for us, since we are not an organized ministry yet. You may contact them  through the information below, or through the hyperlink.

Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
334-494-4995

Thank you for your prayers, and thank you for any gift you can give.

May God richly bless you.

Just a visitor

Sometimes, you just hear some good news and want to share it. Here's what one of our pastors wrote to us this week, about an event that happened during last Sunday's service.

We will simply quote from what our pastor said, and let him tell the story.

"To God be the glory, I am so happy sharing the good news to you. Yesterday, on our Sunday service, a certain walk in visitor came to join the church service. I don't know whether he is a christian or was an unbeliever, so I decided to share him the gospel of salvation to verify his status. I was so struck because upon introduction, he informs that he is an ex-convict, a paroled juvenile from prison. He was on bars for about 2 years and he is just 21 years old. After the service we talk and we fellowship and he was able to received Christ as his Personal Savior and immediately decided for water baptism. I am just so happy and thankful to God for leading such poor soul to walk by the church yesterday morning. I see the greater blessing of soul winning because what if I were not able to share him Christ, his life would still be in a mess.That was perfectly a miracle from God. I am so happy that God, one step at a time has answered my longings and prayers for souls saved."

This is why we do what we do. Because of stories like this. This particular church is situated on a key thoroughfare in its city.

The sad part of this story, though, is this man and others like him would have to wait months to get a Bible, if he got one at all. But we are happy to report that through the generosity of a particular couple, we will be able to help this church supply its flock with Bibles.

But that's not enough for us. All across this ministry, churches are planted and new people are converted. But because these churches are mission churches, the funds are often lacking. My own fiancee had to wait two months before she could get a Bible.

How many times is this story repeated across the island? How many churches see a new convert but can't get him or her a Bible? What are we doing about it?

Well, if you would like to help us, you may.

As always, you can give through Love in Action Ministries. They are our ministry partner, and their passion for reaching the world with the gospel is a feature for which we are most thankful.

If you would like to give toward this particular need of buying Bibles and tracts for the churches, or if you wish to give a general gift to the ministry in the Philippines, or if you wish to give to their needs as they minister to the homeless in Dothan, Ala., you may contact Love in Action Ministries through the information below, or through the recurring hyperlink.

Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302
To contact us by phone, call:
334-494-4995

We also have a praise report to share. One of the prayer requests submitted to us months ago was the need for children's Sunday School literature for the mother church in Ozamis. There are four children's classes, three divided by age and a fourth "for visitors who need to know they need salvation," as our contact told us. (Really, how can you not love these people?)

We are blessed that a ministry within an association of Baptist churches collected enough leftover materials to supply this church's need. They donated all the materials and only charged us $70 for shipping. We are grateful for this group's willingness to help, and for their charity in donating the materials. We pray we will be able to do this every quarter, so will you join us in praying for this part of our ministry? Also, join with us in praising God for His provision.

Indeed it is coming to pass as Isaiah said, "Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea." The Lord Jesus is being praised all around the world, even in the "isles of the sea." May we rejoice to see this day!

Jesus likes to be asked

Well, it has been a while since we have updated the blog. No excuses for that, but nonetheless we are back now.

The most important thing we can ask of you right now is prayer. Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. Pray for us as we have to make decisions about which needs are most urgent, how to maintain accountability, and how to expand our network of interested parties.

Our friend at Love in Action Ministries, Ken Tuck, made a wise suggestion. He and his wife, Martha, have started praying for God to provide us with people whose heart is for international missions. Now, in the body of Christ we know there are different passions and functions. Some are bold witnessers (my fiancee clearly falls into this category), while others have giftings for building up the church. Similarly, God has called us to different interests and different focuses. Some are passionate about their families, and some are passionate about God's work in their own countries. But we need people who have a passion to see Christ's kingdom expanded outside of the United States, people who see what is happening in the Philippines and want to be a part of it.

Will you join us in praying for that? Please pray that God will provide us with the right people who have a heart for the work going on here. We need more people with a vision for what God is doing.

Also, we have so many needs, we don't know where to start. The most important thing we can provide for these dear brothers and sisters is a place to meet. That is such a struggle for these pastors, and we need to find a way to be able to support them. One of our churches meets in a partially finished building. Another has outgrown its building. Another we helped purchase land, but soon they face the end of their lease at their current building and are without funds to build their new building. Many of them are planning to start aggressive outreaches, but they need funds to do them.

We are confident God will direct us, and He will meet our needs. But we are mindful, too, that He does these things in response to our prayers. There is a moment in C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia (you will forgive me, I do not own the books and am going off memory) where two children go on a mission for Aslan the King Lion. They arrive without necessary provision, and one child says to the other, "Shouldn't he have provided for us?" And the other child replies, "I think he likes to be asked." Now, those are not exact quotations, but you get the point. We are confident God has brought us these ministry opportunities, and we are sure of His provision. But our Lord Jesus Christ likes to be asked.

So, will you join us in asking Him? We ask Him for wisdom, for accountability, for faithfulness, for provision and most of all for fruitful ministry for these churches. Again, as we state so often, these are not merely humanitarian needs we are trying to meet. These are real the needs of brothers and sisters in Christ whose mission is to reach the various people groups of the Philippines to Christ.

Please join with us in prayer. Pray also to see if you are being called to be involved with us more.

If you would like to join our email list, please send an email to homegrownharvesters@yahoo.com. Also, please spread the word about us to your friends and your church groups. We need more prayer partners. The more the better.

Prayer partners

Folks, we have a vision for our ministry. We know where we want to go. We know what we want to do.

But we have no idea how it will happen. That's OK. If we knew, we could do it. But since we don't know, we must rely on God to lead us.

So, I'm making this plea for prayer partners to join us. Will you become a prayer partner with us?

I don't know if you've been able to gather this from recent posts, but we are blessed to be a part of something amazing. God, through Jesus Christ, is reaching people on the island of Mindanao, a southern island in the Philippines.

What do you know about Mindanao? Perhaps not much. But if you were to go to the website for Voice of the Martyrs and check on their "restricted nations" link, you would see a dot over the island of Mindanao (the red dot that is about halfway between Australia and China). This is what the website says about Mindanao, "The Philippines has a Muslim minority trying to establish an independent Islamic state on the island of Mindanao. Muslim groups already control six provinces on the island. Several of the Muslim terrorist organizations in the Philippines have been linked to Al Qaeda. Though the Filipino people predominantly profess Christianity, Christians living in areas influenced by Muslim and communist guerrilla organizations face threats, kidnapping and death.

"Category: Hostile Nation
"Religion: Statistics are unavailable for this region.
"Ideology: Islam
"Head of State: Acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong

"Persecution of Christians is increasingly common. Islamic terrorists are believed to be responsible for several bombings in train stations, buses and other areas in Mindanao. The terrorists believe killing a Christian will get them into heaven. In August 2009, Christian villages were attacked and burned. Churches and houses throughout the region have been burned and worshipers harassed. An 18-year-old Christian boy was kidnapped, tortured and killed as a warning to other Christians."

Now, we must point out that of those "professing Christianity," very few are Biblical, evangelical churches. Predominantly, the "Christian" population is Roman Catholic. There are also Jehovah's Witnesses, who may call themselves "Christian" but are not. A very small minority of the group calling itself "Christian" comes from Biblical, true Christianity.

Aside from the Muslim population, there are people in the mountains who, if they have any religion at all, are very animistic. As one pastor told us (he is a member of the mountain tribe and after his conversion returned to his people to proclaim the gospel), they "worship the trees and the rocks." There is even a religion devoted to deifying Jose Rizal, the Philippines' revolutionary hero (like George Washington in the U.S.).

The point is, this is a mission field. And the churches we tell you about are reaching these people.

Consider that the first Shiloh Bible Baptist Church was founded in Ozamis City, a place notorious for gangs and violence. But a rough, drinking son of a hired killer met the grace of Jesus Christ head on one day because of Pastor Jun Begafria's mission church. That man led his family to Christ, and is now a missionary pastor.

We could tell you about another man who had to flee his city because Muslim persecutors killed his father and brother. Now this pastor ministers to the Subanen tribe in the mountains, visiting cave dwellers and bringing them the gospel.

We could tell you about a ministry that started because some faithful laypeople witnessed in the village of Moliton while going about their regular business, another mountain community, and people became saved. Now, two lay members of the church in Punta take turns driving their motorbikes up muddy roads to preach the gospel to these precious souls. They alternate weeks making the trek. You can see a photo from one of the trips on our Facebook page.

There is the story of the fisherman's daughter, who always wanted to know if she had done enough to please God. She was a faithful Roman Catholic girl, but she never had assurance of her salvation. Then while at college, she met the Saviour! Her family rejected her at first, but now most of her immediate family (and many extended family members) are believers.

We could go on and on, and it would be our joy to share these testimonies with you. There are more being written now as we speak. The precious thing about these churches is they haven't been infected by the church-growth strategies of the United States churches. They just believe that if they witness, God will save people, and the church will grow. They don't even know about human strategies, so God works through His grace because they only trust Him for the results.

God is moving through these our brothers and sisters. And we want to be a support to them. Our goal is twofold: We want to help them purchase buildings and land for their churches (or help them with the rent) and provide support for these pastors. When they begin their ministry, they do so with no support. They sometimes suffer extreme hardships to reach their nation with the gospel. So, we are praying we can be a support ministry for them.

Folks, the way God will accomplish the finishing of the Great Commission will be through indigenous missions. The greatest way we can be a part of that ministry is to support men and women who are being used by God to reach their nation. This is the time for us to support our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

You've seen our goals. They are impossible. But that's OK. I want no part of a ministry I can accomplish. What an eternal waste of time. Everything in me wants to be a part of a ministry that God accomplishes.

So, we're asking for prayer partners. If you want to be a prayer partner, you can do several things. First, pray! Second, if you want to get regular updates from us, send us an email. Send an email to homegrownharvesters@yahoo.com. We will update you with prayer needs and particular focuses of our ministry. There are some things we don't feel comfortable sharing here for which we would like to have prayer.

Also, please "like" our Facebook page. That way, you can see the updates as they appear there. Also, you can follow the blog here. We have two followers so far, so there is plenty of room for more.

Furthermore, please let your friends, your churches, your small groups know about us. This isn't about Homegrown Harvesters. This is about a part of our family, a part of the body of Christ that is seeing amazing things happen, and we have the opportunity to be a part of it. But we can only do this through prayers. More than anything, we need to humbly seek our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so He can lead us into the way we should go. This is His church He is building, across all nations and languages and seas. He is the One who can make our work last into eternity. Join us as we seek Him.