From Jehovah's Witness to Jehovah's daughter

She could ignore the witness of her customer.

But her 10-year-old daughter was another story.

The single mother of three daughters in Dipolog City, Philippines, welcomed some new clients to her hilot business. A hilot is a therapeutic massage that has medicinal value to it.

The couple arrived while Emelda was having a Bible study with her church, the Jehovah's Witnesses. The group left when they realized she had a paying customer. As she massaged the wife, the husband presented the gospel to her.

"I was afraid because she was mad when I told her that there is heaven and hell," the husband told us."I just pray to God,that the Holy Spirit will soften her heart and will not get mad."

Emelda had no response, but two of her daughters, ages 12 and 10 who were listening, did. They received Christ that day.And they became little missionaries.

The girls started attending the service every week, without their mother. And the couple kept going back to get the hilot.

"My wife always cried for the two girls when they told my wife about what her mother is telling about the Bible Baptist believing Christians," our friend told us. "We just prayed and fast and never feel tired and lost hope for her."

Mrs. Evangelist wasn't the only one crying.

"My wife again shared to her and she cried,she told us for how many months now since the start of school here,her 10 years old daughter never stop of asking her to go with them to church," he told us.

Later, when Emelda arrived at the church, she told our contact about the youngster's persistence. "When she attended church she just made testimony to my wife how she was convinced by her daughter and cried much."

Finally, God heard the prayers of the church, and the mom heard the pleas of her daughter. Now, Emelda is our sister. She received the Truth, confessed Jesus as her Lord and Savior and was baptized last week. Now, she has invited her friends and neighbors and family to be a part of her new church family.


Once she held onto the false teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Now she is Jehovah's daughter through her faith in Jesus Christ.


Every week, her new church gets a reminder of the particular grace of God given to this dear woman.

"And the funny part also," our friend tells us, "every time we fetch them in her house during Sunday we have to pass by the church of Jehovah's Witness."

Sound of music

On Dec. 16, 2011, Pastor Deo Begafria and his family survived Typhoon Sendong. Mercifully, though nearly 1,000 people died, Pastor Deo and his wife and children were spared in the storm that hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City so hard.

Pastor Deo and his wife Maria assess the situation.

If you have followed us, you know God provided Bibles, hymnals and clothing for the family and church. The Bibles and hymnals are on their way, hopefully to arrive soon, and Pastor Ken Tuck was able to provide some money for clothes during his trip in January.
We are going to show you some photos of the damage the church building endured. 

Pastor Deo tells us the church still meets in the same building. The members just cleaned out the mud and kept right on worshiping there. 

As we have said, God has allowed us to provide Bibles and hymnals, as well as clothing, and most of those things are still on the slow boat to the Philippines. 

Mud covers the floor of the church

However, there is one more need for which Pastor Deo has been asking our help. The church lost its electric organ. A new one can be bought for 25,000 Philippine Pesos. 

The 25,000 pesos translate to slightly less than 600 US dollars. (The price is roughly $582, but once we add in the international transfer fee, the grand total will be about $600.)

So, let's pray for this need with the church. There is some urgency, because the church anniversary is coming up May 22. Pastor Deo and the church would love to be able to have the sound of musical accompaniment for the anniversary service.

A view from inside the church.

We appreciate your prayers for this wonderful church family. We also will gladly accept any gifts you would like to make toward purchasing this electric organ. If you want to make a gift, please contact our friends at  Love in Action Ministries. You may contact them through the website, by mail to Love in Action International Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 85 Dothan, AL 36302 or by calling            334-494-4995      . Please make sure to designate the gift for Pastor Deo. 


Thank you for your time, and it's great to be back online. 

Debris from the church building is
seen next to the wall.

Building up Obadiah

The last time we wrote about our friends in the Philippines, we told you how God provided a lot for the Obadiah Learning and Development outreach school in Punta, Dipolog City. We praise God for His provision. 


We see here a photo of the lot. You will notice one thing about it. The only structure on it is the one created by God, namely the tree. So ... it's time to pray again!

The future home of Obadiah Learning and Development

The church can build the school for only 150,000 pesos. That's a little less than $3,500 in US currency. What will those funds buy?


"We are praying that only plywood will be the wall," said Bro. Joel, "and galvanized iron will be the roof and the flooring will be cement. That would be 7 inches from the soil. We are praying for 4 rooms."


We already have some funds for this project. $100 was given for the school, bringing the need to only $3,400. So, let's join together and pray for these funds to be realized. On a personal note, I would love it if we could have the funds ready before I make my trip in five weeks. Can we pray for that together?


Please remember, if God lays it on your heart to help with these needs, please contact Love in Action Ministries. You may contact them through the website, by mail to Love in Action International Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 85 Dothan, AL 36302 or by calling 334-494-4995.

'Look to God, not America'

When I visited the Philippines last May, Pastor Mario Montero in Punta made a point of preaching a sermon with the above title. I was sitting off to his right, and he reminded his congregation that God was the supplier, not the United States, or (by implication) anyone from the United States. 


At one point, he said, "Look to God, not America." When he said, "God," he pointed to the sky. When he said, "America," he pointed off to his left. Then, with a laugh, he pointed to his right, almost directly at me. 


The point was well made. It is tempting for pastors and churches in poorer countries to think Americans can do amazing things. True, God has blessed us greatly, and many of us want to help our brothers and sisters in foreign lands. But even we need to be reminded where our help comes from. It comes from the Lord. We can become so self-satisfied, we think we are the provider instead of God.


That's why we are so excited to share with you a story we just received, where Homegrown Harvesters was unable to provide an answer, but God did.


Our friends at Obadiah Learning and Development, the school and children's ministry outreach of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, have had to do a lot to get the church multipurpose building in order for their school to be held every day. The teachers must remove the pews and set up the school many times each week, as the school meets in the same place the church services are held. 


In addition, the church building is too small for the assembled church. Last year, we wrote a story and showed you photos of the discipleship time that could only be held during dry weather. We tried to raise money for a new lot and a new building for this church, but God never provided an answer to this dilemma.


Through us, anyway.


Late Wednesday night, our friends from Obadiah Learning and Development told us about an answer to prayer. The grandparents of one of the children served through the school saw the leaders breaking down and setting up the school. These grandparents own a lot near the current church building. They were moved to pity, and they had a solution. 


These grandparents have agreed to let the Obadiah Learning and Development school host the school in their building. Our excited friends at Obadiah let us know this news late Wednesday night. "The kids have their own home school now!" Bro. Joel told us.


But the blessing goes beyond the school.


"And the more blessing is,we will use this also for the Sunday school for the church every Sunday for the kids, this is our commitment," Bro. Joel said. 

There is more.

"We will use this also for the discipleship,there will be no problem now if it rains!" Joel told us. 

Let's praise God for this answer to prayer. There are still some papers to sign and some more hurdles to leap. And, we should still pray for a new lot and a new building for the church in Punta. But while we pray, we can praise God for answering a prayer.

And we can rejoice that God is still answering prayers. God is capable of using whomever He chooses, whether Amerkano or Filipino. Let this answered prayer remind us, too, to heed Pastor Mario's advice. Let us seek God for the answer to our prayers and reject self-reliance. Indeed, let us look to God, not to America, not to ourselves, for the answer to prayer.