Emergency need

Prayer warriors, we need everyone's prayers for this urgent matter. The details are a little sketchy, but this is what we know to the best of our abilities.

One of our pastors serves in a high-risk "critical" area of Muslim Mindanao. Apparently, the church performed the wedding (our source called it an "elopement" of a young couple in the church. However, the girl's parents are Muslim.

The Muslim family has gotten angry and is demanding an exorbitant dowry. (In the Philippines, you pay the dowry to the bride's family.) The family is demanding a dowry of 153,000 pesos. This is a poor area of Mindanao, and there is no way the church can afford that amount. That is just a little less than $4,000 US. The penalty for failure to pay this dowry will be that some of the church's young people will be put in prison by the Moros. That's the threat, though we expect this particularly violent sect of Muslims to react with more violence than their initial threat.

This makes no sense to us in the West, but it is a reality these people are facing. The offended family has given some grace and allowed the "damages" to be paid in installments. The first amount to be paid is 15,000 pesos, and after the pastor solicited funds from the barangay (think "village"), they were able to raise only 4,000 pesos. So, they have three weeks to get the final 11,000 pesos. That is roughly 300 pesos needed in three weeks. (The number is actually a little less, but we round up to account for transfer fees and fluctuating exchange rates.)

We will try to update this as often as we can in the near future. But please pray, because this need is urgent. We understand this pastor has had a great impact in his area lately, and there is no way Satan is happy to hear of people leaving Islam for Isa (the Arabic name for Jesus).

Folks, this need is urgent. Please join with us in serious prayer. Let's show these Muslims that Christians around the world will help their brothers, and maybe this act of generosity by us will lead to a bigger harvest in the field of Muslims.

If you desire to help financially, we will be glad to have your help. As always, you can contact our friends at Love in Action if you want to make a tax deductible gift.

In a related point, there is a church member of this pastor's flock who used to be a part of the Moro National Liberation Front sent to kill the pastor. Now this man desires to be a missionary pastor. God is doing tremendous things. Let's join with Him in His work.

To the praise, glory and honor of Jesus Christ our King!

Nowhere to go

Our friends in the Philippines often live in conditions we cannot imagine. Pastor Mario Montero, his wife and his four children live in a small room above the church.

The kitchen and sleeping area for this family is smaller than most of our bedrooms in the United States. They don't complain; they work and serve the Lord while living in a small area.

But lately, the roof has started leaking. We would say it only leaks when it rains, but on Mindanao, it always rains. Even though the adult daughters sleep down inside the church now, there is not much room for the pastor and his wife and two small children to go to avoid the water.

The repairs can be done for only $1,300. But for this church in Punta, which ministers primarily to the poor, this amount is hard to reach. Let's join with them in praying for this amount of money. (Full disclosure: This amount of money includes repairs to church benches, but we don't know how much is roof and how much is benches. Since they need both, we ask for the whole amount.)

If you desire to help financially, we will be glad to have your help. As always, you can contact our friends at Love in Action if you want to make a tax deductible gift.

Many thanks for your prayers, and for your gifts. May our Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you!