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.