Homegrown Harvesters

Anniversary services nearing

2012-02-23T23:30:00.000-10:00

Once again, we want to pass along some information about the anniversary services for some missionary pastors in the Philippines. The anniversary services are times of particular evangelistic outreach with extra services. Some of the upcoming anniversary services and the needs are listed as follows:

Pastor Ronilo Buyog -- Poloanco -- April 6 Pastor Buyog has a need for 1,500 Philippine pesos to finish the construction of the church's coconut-wood pews. In addition, let's pray for the church, the pastor and the services during the anniversary.

Pastor Valentines "JoJo" Begafria -- Leon B. Postigo -- April 24 As a side note, if you are opposed to Valentines Day for any reason, just remember it as Pastor Valentines Day. The Pastor in Leon B. Postigo was born on that day and bears the saint's name. His anniversary service is coming up on April 24, and he asks the following prayer requests, "Please help us in praying for our 2nd church anniversary this coming April 24, 2012.,victory, genuine salvation of the visitors and provision of our financial needs.God bless!"

Pastor Raffy Begafria -- Tampilisan -- May 27-28 Pastor Raffy sent us his request, "We are praying for our 2nd anniversary on May 27-28. We need 30 thousand pesos and mini evangelistic crusade. Our goal is to invite 100-150 persons to attend. We are also praying 20 pieces plastic chairs worth 10 thousand pesos and we pray also for our church lot worth 130 thousand pesos. In addition to that we are also praying that someone may sponsor the schooling of our eldest son Nathan this year."

We trust you will join with us in praying for these anniversary services and the other needs. 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.

Let's meet Pastor George

2012-02-16T01:49:00.000-10:00

A funny thing happened to Assembly of God pastor George Rubio during his ministry days.

He became a Christian.

For many years, the pastor in Zamboanga del Sur on the island of Mindanao in The Philippines struggled with the question, "Can I know I am saved?" Fortunately, he met his cousin, Pastor Mario Montero, one day and they had a great conversation.

"He teached about the doctrine of Salvation so I was convience and after that he was the baptizing me and my wife," Pastor George said in an email to Homegrown Harvesters. His spelling has been preserved. "So that’s the way I understand about Salvation , In Ephesians 2:5,8, 'For by grace I am save.'"

He added, "When I was in pentecostal, I don’t know if I am save." How does he now know of his salvation? "So therefore I thank the Lord because I am received Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior in my Life," he said. How great a blessing now for this dear pastor to know he is saved without any doubt.

So what does a pastor do after he gets saved? He keeps preaching, of course. Pastor George leads the work at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Mahayag, and he has an extension in Molave.Both of these places are in Zamboanga del Sur.

These ministries are on the same lots where Pastor George preached as an Assembly of God pastor, but now the churches are missions from SBBC Punta. However, the lots are still registered with the government under the Assembly of God Church of Molave. In order to transfer the titles of the lots to the SBBC ministry, the church must file certain papers with the government. The required fees total 35,000 Philippine pesos. That's about $815 US based on today's exchange rate.

Let's join Pastor George as he and his church pray for the funds to transfer the title of the lots to the current church. And praise God that a preacher got saved!

Is that a bridge or a roof?

2012-02-14T23:54:00.034-10:00

This is the Sindangan Bridge, the longest in Zamboanga del Norte province of Mindanao, Philippines. It runs almost one kilometer in length. It runs over a mostly dry riverbed, and many poor families have taken advantage of the structure for an available roof.

Pastor Greg, pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Sindangan, estimates 25-30 houses, representing many family members, use the road for a roof. Here is what he tells us:

"But I see that this case is also dangerous especially recently wherein floods is hitting our province of Zamboanga del Norte. I am afraid for their situation because I know that the place wherein they are living is a former river that is now dead but when strong floods come, this will be very prone that the flood waters will come back to its original route and would harm this people. I am praying that through the children's bible class that we conduct here we will be able to reach the children as well as their parents God's word and preach to them salvation through Jesus. Please help us pray for them."

The flooding Pastor Greg mentions is a very real possibility even now, because a new tropical storm is threatening Mindanao, the island where most of the pastors with whom we have a relationship live. You may remember the damage done to other areas of the island during the last typhoon in December.

The children learn about God's word in Sindangan.

Pastor Greg is thankful that the church was able to extend some outreach to the families recently, extending the children's Bible study to include these children.

Pastor Greg also told us about the burden on his heart to reach Datagan, a village within the municipality of Sindangan. Datagan is in the mountainous region, so remote that there is no way to drive there. "The only access to get there is through walking or riding horses or carabaos (from the proper or center of the village)," Pastor Greg said. "We have to cross 7 rivers to get there and I am sad that some portions of the place is till untouched by the gospel. I am praying that God will give us the capacity and strength to reach them."

He is burdened to blitz the area with the gospel, using tracts, open-air preaching and things like that. These are his prayer requests:

"We are praying that God will provide us additional loud speakers, microphones and megaphones," he said. "We are praying also for lots and lots of gospel tracts to be handed to these people. We are also praying for 20 additional plastic chairs needed for the village saturation. Our church workers and volunteers are still small in number but I am praying that God will stretch their spiritual capacity to be involved in this ministry."

We will close the blog entry with some photos from Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Sindangan's baptism service, just because we like to show photos of baptisms. Recently, four people were baptized. That's why we help the pastors; we help them reach the lost in their country. Let's join with them in praying for these many needs.

Update on Pastor Aries

2012-02-09T12:49:00.000-10:00

We want to praise our God for His provision! Thanks to the kindness of our friends at Love in Action Ministries, we have a sponsor for Pastor Aries. We are so grateful for the burden God put on the heart of this family who will sacrifice for this pastor in Manila.

Pastor Aries wrote to us to express his gratitude. We will publish part of the letter below.

God is really good all the time..and He uses people,kind people .....For The Love in Action,,,your doing a great Job..you're helping a lot of missionaries around the world..you're refreshing wounded soldiers of Christ in the ministry...I'm praying you'll continue doing that to be great partner of every ministry(mission) all around the World until our Lord comes and someday all of us will be rewarded by our Good Lord..in Heaven..Thank You very MUch...to All..

There are many, many more missionaries such as Pastor Aries who would be greatly helped by monthly support. As Pastor Aries said, we are "refreshing wounded soldiers of Christ in the ministry." Indeed, may we continue doing that, as Pastor Aries prays we will do, not only for him, but in ministries around the world. Let us work until Jesus comes.

We should mention the building situation for Pastor Aries now as well. The building where his church meets (and probably where his family lives) is owned by an elderly lady who is trying to sell. The cost for the building is 500,000 Philippine Pesos (a few dollars short of $12,000 US). Let us join our prayers with him as well for this matter.

Malnourished in Manila

2012-02-07T11:46:00.000-10:00

¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? -- James 2:15-16

Who is a missionary? Is it someone who leaves the West and goes to a foreign land? Or can it be a man who leaves his home to minister in another part of his home country? Do we care about those types of missionaries?

Let us meet Pastor Aries. He left his home on the Philippines island of Mindanao and moved to Manila, the nation's capital city. Actually, he serves in Taguig City, part of metro Manila. He left as a missionary from Pastor Mario Montero's church in Punta, Dipolog City. Instead of his native dialect, he must speak Tagalog in Taguig City. Philippines students learn their own dialect, the national language (Tagalog) and English throughout their school days, so he had some exposure to Tagalog, but still, it is a different environment for him, even within his own nation.

His monthly support is 4,000 Philippine pesos. The rent and electricity for his home and church (same building) are about 3,000 pesos a month. That leaves about $24 a month for all his needs, and the needs of his wife and 6-month-old son. In metro Manila, where the cost of living is higher than on Mindanao, that money does not go far.

Recently, Pastor Aries has had some serious health issues. He battled the mumps a few weeks ago, and then last week he had to be put into the hospital for dehydration.

"They said maybe because of malnutrition," Pastor Aries said. "That's why I am easily hit an illness like that."

Pastor Aries is an adult, but his weight is down to about 100 pounds, very small for an adult man. But is he bitter?

"Oh maybe this is part of the missionary life, hehehe," he said. "Getting thin for a while."

It would take so little money to support our pastor friend there in Manila. How many of us in the West are far from malnutrition? Even $50 or $100 a month would do wonders for this dear brother in Christ, who is suffering to bring the gospel to the people of Taguig City.

Please pray for this brother, and consider whether God might have appointed you to be a helper to this cause.

Praying for direction

2012-02-04T13:44:00.002-10:00

We would ask you to pray for direction as we explore an opportunity. The folks at Obadiah Learning and Development at Punta, Dipolog City, offer a tremendous service in their outreach. They have a school in the church building, where the children are taught regular academic subjects as well as Bible lessons.

In addition to the teaching, the school provides food, uniform, shoes, books, paper, pencils and fare to weekly church services. Plus there are quarterly fees. In non-fee months, the cost per child is about $36 per month. When the government fees are due, the cost is about $50 per child. Right now, we have 13 students who need the regular $36 in expenses, plus four more who are waiting to register. They will need $50 this month to include the fees.

Perhaps you would like to sponsor a child for this ministry. We will work on a schedule to know what months the fees are due, but please consider if maybe God would have you sponsor a child through this ministry. It reaps eternal rewards. If you are not led to give, then we would appreciate your prayers.

Please pray for us as we consider this aspect of the ministry. Please also pray for God's provision. We need about $460 by the end of next week for 13 of the students, so please pray God will provide it. He provided in January, and we pray for His provision this month, too. Also, we would like to get the additional four students registered and provided for, and that cost is about $200. Please pray God would supply those needs.

If you think you can help, 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 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 334-494-4995 end_of_the_skype_highlighting . When you contact them, please designate the funds for Punta Children's Ministry.

Blessing the children

2012-02-01T17:43:00.000-10:00

Once again we want to share with you the ministry of Obadiah Learning and Development. The children's ministry is a school and outreach tool for Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. Some quarterly fees and expenses are due for 13 of the children. The fees are 500 pesos, and the expenses are 1,000 per student. The money is due by the end of the second week in February, which is very soon.

In addition, there are four students awaiting registration. Their fees and expense will be 2,000 pesos each. Please pray with us that God would provide for all these children's needs.

The total need of 27,500 pesos is just short of $650 US. Please pray that God would provide this need for these children.

If you think you can help, 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 . When you contact them, please designate the funds for Punta Children's Ministry.

Mahalo and salamat. :)

Children's needs

2012-01-30T00:58:00.000-10:00

Wow, what an amazing two weeks we have had. Our friends at Love in Action Ministries had an amazing trip to the Philippines. There are many wonderful developments out of that trip, and we hope to be able to share them with you soon. You can read about their wonderful trip here.

We want to let you know about a prayer request we have now. Our friends at Obadiah Learning and Development have four children awaiting sponsorship for the Christian School. Each child's sponsorship costs about 2,000 Philippine pesos, which translates to a little less than $50. Please pray for these children to be able to receive the education at the Christian school. The cost for these children includes daily snacks, clothing, trips to church for the children and their families and government fees. The children and families pay nothing for the education they receive. Please pray for this ministry to be able to register these children soon.

Also, it will be time for quarterly fees soon. And there is the monthly cost of the school. Please continue to lift his ministry in your prayers.

If you think you can help, 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 . We appreciate any help you can give us. And we always seek your prayers.

God's provision

2012-01-14T01:27:00.000-10:00

Today, we celebrate God's provision. We mentioned in an earlier blog entry that Pastor Clemente, in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte, faced some situations about the land where his church meets. We helped his church purchase land last year, and we were praying for two things this year. First, the land owner needed the year's rent for some personal needs, but the church was unable to pay it.

We are happy to report the rental payment has been donated by a generous donor. We know this is a big relief to Pastor Clemente.

We continue to ask your prayers for the building on the new lot. Our friends at Love in Action Ministries have agreed to help us raise the funds to get the building started. The church plans to build a parsonage on the land, so Pastor and his family can move in there, and then they will build the structure of the building. The cost for the parsonage is about $1,300.

Please pray with us as we seek to raise the funds for this particular need.

While we are at it, we ask you to also pray for Ken Tuck and his family, who are traveling to the Philippines next week. Ken, who is the president of Love in Action Ministries, will be preaching several times at different churches and will be speaking to pastors there.

Praise God for the answers He has provided. May we see more of them soon.

Anniversary needs

2012-01-10T11:12:00.000-10:00

Today we want to pass along a prayer request from a pastor in the Muslim areas of Mindanao.

This week will mark the 10th anniversary of this outreach to the hostile Muslim areas. Pastor Bhoy there has prayed for $300 for the anniversary service that will be this Sunday (Saturday if you are in the Western Hemisphere).

During my trip to the Philippines in May of 2011, I spoke at a couple of these anniversary services. They are all-day affairs, and they are opportunities for outreach. Many unsaved people are invited and subsequently attend these anniversary services. But there is a significant cost involved, with the food preparation, the gifts to guest speakers, etc.

So, let's join Pastor Bhoy in praying for this need. The time is short.

Also, please pray with us for the protection of the service. Pastor Bhoy's family was attacked last month while evangelizing, and the hostile Muslims of the area might look upon this service as an opportunity to cause more damage. So please pray for the protection of this service, as well as the provision of funds. God bless!

Updating Pastor Bhoy

2012-01-09T15:19:00.000-10:00

Some have asked about the status of Pastor Bhoy's family, who were attacked by Muslims during an outreach last week.

We are so happy to report the three members of the family all received their blood transfusions and have all left the hospital. Please pray for this pastor and his family for their continued boldness among the Muslim population of Mindanao, Philippines, and for their protection.

Please also keep this particular Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in your prayers. They are celebrating their 10th anniversary in this hostile area this coming Sunday. There are some financial needs associated with the anniversary service, which is an intense day of outreach and evangelism as well as encouragement and fellowship for the church.

Thank you to all who continue to lift us up in prayers. We know the time is growing short for us to be able to work in the Lord's field, so let us make the most of our time and join with our brothers and sisters in reaching their part of the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Land troubles

2012-01-09T00:37:00.001-10:00

We have an update on a prayer request from Pastor Clemente Gumapit, a member of the Tausug tribe who left his past behind to follow Christ. Now, he is a pastor to the tribal group of his birth.

In 2011, God provided for us to help their church purchase a lot near their current building. The current building and parsonage rests on a rented lot.

God has not as of yet provided for us to help them build on the new property. The land owner has been kind enough to let them continue renting on the old property, but now the annual rent is due.

The land owner has been requesting the year's rent every week, and the church is unable to pay the rent. Please help us pray with them for the ability to pay the rent. The rent is 2,500 Philippine Pesos, slightly less than $60 in US currency.

Our hope is we can provide the rent to allow us to buy some time to help with the church and parsonage on the new property. The parsonage can be built for around $1,300 US currency. There is some irrigation work to be done in addition to materials, etc.

When the parsonage is built, the plan is to lay a foundation on the church building and have a temporary structure for the church while the permanent structure is built.

There are many needs, as you can see if you follow these blogs, in this still new ministry God has burdened us with. We ask you to pray for this particular one today. Please join with us in praying for our dear brother and his church.

Children's needs

2012-01-04T01:39:00.000-10:00

We have written recently about the Obadiah Learning and Development center at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church - Punta. The church there educates children ages 4-10, providing clothes, snacks, education and Bible instruction for the children, as well as Bible studies for the parents. They have seen tremendous fruit born out of this ministry.

The church does not charge the students or their parents anything for this education. They had 20 students for the first term, but as the second term is starting, they have 17 more added. The ministry must pay $50 per student to the Philippines government per year. So far, of the additional 17 students, the ministry has been able to pay the government fee for only four of them. That leaves 13 students who are left out of this ministry at this point.

We're not going to do a sappy, emotional appeal here. All we ask is that you pray God will provide the funds. Our friends there do not want to have to turn any children away. The total need is $650. We have a pledge for $100 already, so please pray that the remaining $550 would be provided by the end of the week, so the students can start with Monday's classes.

Again, we appeal to you to pray for more who see the vision for this ministry. That is our biggest need. Please pray with us and for us for more people to understand the call to reach the Philippines for Christ.

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 want to give to this need, please designate Obadiah Learning and Development ministry.

We thank you for your interest in reading thus far, and we ask you to join us in praying for Homegrown Harvesters and these churches in the Philippines who are reaching their world for Christ.

Praise God for His answered prayers

2011-12-30T01:00:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-29T00:13:00.002-10:00

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

2011-12-28T01:03:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-20T01:22:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-19T00:52:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-18T00:42:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-17T00:40:00.001-10:00

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

2011-12-14T01:15:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-13T00:54:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-06T11:18:00.000-10:00

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

2011-12-02T13:15:00.001-10:00

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

2011-11-29T12:18:00.000-10:00

"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

2011-09-21T12:31:00.000-10:00

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

2011-09-12T23:54:00.000-10:00

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

2011-09-09T12:45:00.000-10:00

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

2011-09-08T19:40:00.000-10:00

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

2011-07-11T00:41:00.000-10:00

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

2011-07-06T16:13:00.000-10:00

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

2011-07-06T00:27:00.000-10:00

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

2011-06-29T00:08:00.000-10:00

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

2011-06-27T00:07:00.000-10:00

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

2011-06-15T00:43:00.000-10:00

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.

God's answers

2011-06-10T23:50:00.000-10:00

I will admit, I can be weak in faith at times. I suppose all the emotional highs of my trip have to be balanced by emotional lows now. As I sit and look at all that is before us, I admit to being a bit weak.

Tonight, I was having such a moment. Despite all evidence already given to me, I asked God, "God, I need to know You're with me on this." Again, there have been many instances where God has shown me that. But I am human, and as Psalm 103 reminds us, God "knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." So, once again God in His mercy answered me.

Less than half an hour after I made my petition, I received an email from Pastor Greg Begafria, pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Sindangan. You may recognize the recurring family name of "Begafria" as we continue these posts. The Fabulous Begafria Boys are all from the same family (some brothers, some cousins), and they are all ministers on Mindanao.

I had the privilege to meet Pastor Greg during my trip. I even was blessed to speak in his church. But his email to me was a blessing. Part of his email reads as follows:

Pastor Greg preaches
at his church in Sindangan

"The church is glad upon sharing you the good news. We have just baptized this morning 5 souls. To God be the glory! All of them were young people in high school.Thanks a lot for praying and for bearing with the missionary’s burden - that is all about souls being saved and follow Christ in obedience to water baptism."

What a wonderful confirmation! Praise God for answered prayers, sometimes immediately after I have made a request. How wonderful is our God!

Now, Pastor Greg has several prayer requests to add.

Monthly goal of baptism and more souls saved (the church goal is 150 baptisms this year).
High school ministries expand with the start of the school year (it starts in June in the Philippines). Particularly Sindangan National High School and Sindangan National Agricultural School are schools where the church hopes to have ministry. Perhaps these five new souls will be part of those outreaches!
Praying for Christian children's books to assist with their outreach to children.
Praying for the new opportunities for Bible studies with the military detachment. If you didn't see our post from a day ago about the fruit God is producing through military Bible studies in Ozamis, please check it out.
Soul-winning youth camp in December (we will tell you more about this need at a later time).
Church lot (we will tell you more about this need at a later time).

So please, join with us as we praise God for these five souls who publicly proclaimed their allegiance to Jesus Christ. And also join with us as we pray for these needs for Pastor Greg Begafria and the church in Sindangan. Also, please join your prayers with ours as Homegrown Harvesters tries to follow God's leading.

Do they not have a soul? Learning from Pastor Jun

2011-06-09T19:12:00.000-10:00

There were many highlights to my trip to the Philippines last month. I met many amazing people and shared many exciting experiences. Of course, I got engaged and baptized my mother-in-law, and those experiences are hard to top.

But for ministry purposes, my conversations with Pastor Jun Begafria certainly were among the highlights of the trip. Pastor Jun is the founding pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City, the mother church for all the SBBC churches. He left his native island more than 15 years ago to plant a church on Mindanao. He had to learn a new language (though Tagalog and English are official languages, the islands have different dialects) and a new culture and adapt to a new surrounding. Now, the church has sent out 24 missionaries, and it has a goal to send out many more.

Pastor Jun speaks in Tampilisan.

The first time I heard pastor Jun was May 25 in Tampilisan. He was the final speaker at the first anniversary service for the SBBC church there (his brother Raffy is the pastor in Tamplisan).

Very early in his message, God answered a prayer. As I have read and reread the works of K.P. Yohannan, the founder and president of Gospel for Asia whose ministry has greatly shaped my understanding of what Homegrown Harvesters should be, I recall that he urge Westerners to find out the vision of any ministry we want to support. So, a question in my mind for a long time has been, "What is the vision of the SBBC work?"

It didn't take long for Pastor Jun to answer that question. He spoke passionately about the eternal value of reaching souls for Christ. He pointed out that in the Zamboanga Peninsula, there are close to 4 million people and very few churches. Across Mindanao itself, there are 24 million people.

He spoke passionately about the need to continue in the work. He told about a study he and some others had done to assess the need on Mindanao. He reported that in a certain geographic area (the names of the cities meant little to me, and I ask you to forgive me for not knowing exactly the places of which he spoke), there were no Baptist churches at all. In fact, the gospel had done little to penetrate these Muslim areas.

As he spoke, he told of the indifference of some people to whom he had spoken. "That's under the arm of Mindanao." "They're Muslims." "It will be hard."

Then, with tears and shouts, he uttered words I will never forget. "Yes, they may be under the arm of Mindanao. Yes, they may be Muslim. Yes, it will be hard. But do they not have a soul? Will they not go to hell without the gospel? What price is too high to save a soul?"

There it was! Before I could ever ask him, in the first sermon I ever heard him preach, Pastor Jun told me what I had wanted to know. Providence of God again, as has often happened in my journey with this ministry. It would be one thing if Pastor Jun answered a question I asked him; it's another thing entirely for him to answer the only question I wanted to know, and to do so without me asking him.

Beyond the answer to my prayer, though, is the reality of what he said. Please understand, parts of Mindanao are off-limits to Westerners. There is no way for someone, especially a white man, from the United States to plant churches in these places on Mindanao. But God has raised up Godly men from that nation to take His word and His gospel to them.

There were many other evidences of God's work during the time I spent with Pastor Jun. The following day, I was blessed to speak with him at his home before the prayer meeting. He told me of other Americans who wanted to help, and as he described the best way that we could help, he listed several things that were already on my heart.

Case in point, he told of one American who encouraged him to travel to the United States to tell churches of the work God is doing. He had an incredulous look as he recounted telling the man, "Do you realize how much that would cost? It would take all of our church resources. It's better for me to stay here and minister." Of course, a faithful reader of our blog would know that our burden is to be the voice for these missionaries. How we will get to that point remains to be seen, but we trust God will provide what He has burdened our hearts to do.

Another time, a missionary was there who was still trying to raise support. The man had raised about $2,000, and Pastor Jun asked him, "Why don't you take half of that and give it to missionaries who are here. Just $1,000 can support 10-15 missionaries." Understand, this missionary's support was more than double what 10-15 indigenous missionaries would need to do their work. How much more work can 10-15 missionaries do than one missionary?

In addition to his duties on Sundays and Thursdays and his travels to the various anniversary services, Pastor Jun is also actively involved in Bible studies in the city of Ozamis. One of those places where he is able to hold Bible studies is the military base.

He shared with me a story from those Bible studies. The very day we spoke, he had a woman approach him and thank him for the Bible studies. This woman was a stranger to him, but she was so thankful to meet him.

She told him she was the wife of a certain officer, and "for 21 years, every time he went to the base, I had a black eye." But within the last year, the beatings stopped. She became curious. After asking her husband what had happened, he told her, "Come to the Bible study and you will see."

This officer had committed his life to Christ about six months earlier, and the change was so different, his wife noticed. After attending the Bible studies with her husband for a short while and seeing the change, she, too, prayed to receive Christ.

He shared another story similar to that one of a long-time drunk who stopped drinking all of a sudden, alarming his wife, and now both of them are members of Christ's family.

You see, when we ask for support for these churches, we are asking you to join with them in reaching their world. Right now, most of our focus has been on helping buy land or build buildings. But we hope to be able to offer monthly support to these men.

Even in a bigger church, such as the one in Ozamis, there are needs. Fares for taxis or tikads; bus fare; rent on the building; food and clothing for the pastor and his family. These are legitimate needs that come up, and often the pastors lack the resources to meet those needs.

Pastor Jun speaks in his church in Ozamis.

Pastor Jun's passion is evident, even in a short meeting. He spoke about the opportunities before them to reach the Muslims on their island. We must point out that some of the missionaries from the church are former Muslims. Some of the missionaries from their church were at one time Muslims, and they are now missionary pastors to their own people.

As you read this next part, keep in mind that Mindanao is home to at least two Muslim terrorist groups. Al-qaeda has a presence there, and Abu Sayyaf is one of the militant separatist groups on the island. There may be more, but I know of those two.

As Pastor Jun was talking about the vision in front of him, his eyes lit up and he said, "Mindanao Muslims are very respected in the Muslim world because they are so fierce. If we can reach them with the gospel, if Muslims around the world see them come to Christ, we can reach the entire Muslim world."

Read that again. And again. I want you to understand what he said. Right now, God has granted this family of churches the opportunity to do something that would shake and shatter the world of Islam. Do you want to be a part of that?

I must point out the contrast of his mindset and that of many American Christians. Instead of posting articles about the impending doom of our country by sharia law and highlighting the dangers Islam poses to our temporary and short lives, he is rejoicing that he lives near violent, passionate Muslims because he sees the opportunity to reach the whole Muslim world for Christ. Mercy, which heart is more in tune with Christ's?

I have to ask you to consider this. How do you look at Muslims? Do you see dangers to your American comfort, or do you see men and women who are trapped by a false religion and whose only destination is hell unless they hear and believe the gospel? As Pastor Jun asked us, "Do they not have a soul?"

Oh that we would have that heart! Oh that we would see Muslims moving into our country as a mission field, not as a threat to our way of life! Oh that we would consider the mercy of God, that we live in a country with easy access to the gospel, whereas these immigrants did not have it. Perhaps God is moving them to our nation to give us a chance to share the good news with them!

That's a sidebar. Back to our topic now. When you give to help support these pastors, you are a part of the work God is doing there. And whether they are reaching the Muslims, the Catholics, the Jehovah's Witnesses or the animistic tribes of the mountain areas, these pastors are reaching people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

As always, we remind you that if you are interested in helping us, you may give a tax-deductible gift through Love in Action Ministries. They are our partner ministry in Dothan, Ala. Please contact them to donate. Just mark on your donation "Philippines." Every bit of your gift will go toward the work in the Philippines. On a related note, please pray for Love in Action Ministries founder Ken Tuck as he battles some health issues. We pray for a speedy recovery.

To contact Love in Action Ministries, either use the hyperlink provided or see below.

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

To close, I will show you a banner hanging in Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis. It really says it all about the ministry. Will you join us to help reach the untold millions?

Hanging in the church in Ozamis

Helping our brothers in Dipolog City

2011-06-06T02:26:00.002-10:00

Pastor Mario Montero started his ministry months after his conversion. He doesn't flinch when he tries to explain how, a week before his church celebrated its ninth anniversary, he battled a crowd control problem.

"It's all by God's grace," he said. "I started with no literature, no Bibles, nothing. I didn't even know how to win a soul. I slept in the bus. It's all by God's grace."

On May 31, 2011, Pastor Montero and his flock at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, a barangay of Dipolog City, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, celebrated their ninth anniversary. Nine days earlier, on a warm Sunday afternoon, he talked with Homegrown Harvesters about the ministry.

The church has approximately a hundred members. And in the lot and building the church now owns, there's not much room left. This fisher of men is seeing his nets breaking. As they planned the anniversary, they realized they could only invite 400 people. If they put up a tent over the back, set up chairs under the mango tree and squeezed as much as they could.

As you can see, there's not much room left. This is the service Sunday, May 22, 2011.

"We would love to invite 3,000 people, but we have no room," Pastor Mario said.

Pastor Mario is a man of many talents. Before he converted, he worked in a monastery making images of the saints. However, through the witness of Pastor Jun Begafria, pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis, the mother church for the SBBC family, Pastor Mario was converted on Oct. 16, 1994. One year later, he became a full-time missionary, going out to Lopez Jaena.

In 2002, the call to Punta came, and he and his family moved down to Dipolog City to start a mission work. Pastor Mario is the elder statesman of the SBBC missionaries. He was the first missionary sent out from Ozamis, and he has paid a steep price.

The life of a pioneering missionary is hard. The years have not been kind to him. Years of sacrifice have taken their toll. When he preaches, he has a persistent cough. During my visit, he battled a fever. A few years ago, he watched his oldest son die of malnutrition.

"No money for medicine, malnourished it broke my heart,but none of this things move me," he wrote in a 2006 email to an American pastor.

When I asked him about it, he huffed a two-word answer, paused for several seconds, and resumed talking about the ministry. My journalism professors would chide me, but I let it pass. I was looking for a story; he was looking to talk about ministry.

As there have been trials, there have also been lessons learned. One of those lessons is to use visual aides in his sermons. The Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family uses the King James exclusively, and though there are efforts to translate the KJV into the Visayan dialect, those projects cost money. Also, as he explained to me, "Filipinos understand the sermons better when you give them something they can see."

All good sermons come with outlines. Pastor Mario's are done on tapestry and stretched across the wall behind the pulpit.

Sermon outlines in Punta adorn the wall.

Once they are used, they do not go to waste. In fact, as we were talking, the church members were taking part in the discipleship time. We were fortunate, because it was a sunny day. During discipleship time, the church members practice teaching/preaching from the streamers. Men, women, even children learn to defend their faith by teaching lessons from the streamers.

It was exciting to see the different people teach the lessons, because they each saw something different from the outlines. With multiple scripture references, the teacher can take different angles as he or she follows the outline.

The adult men take turns teaching about the necessity of witnessing.

Is it effective?

"Everyone knows how to witness," Pastor Mario said. "Everyone knows how to teach the Bible. We have teachers who were converted by their students because the children know the Gospel so well."

In fact, to combat the issue of a lack of space, the church members hold off-campus Bible studies and extension services in places such as Moliton and Manukan.

One dear lady, in her 60s, is such a soul-winner, she only rests on Sundays. She holds a series of Bible studies every Monday with some assistance from some other church women.

A teacher teaches the children about

the sheep and the goats

At the extension services, the men who are not called to be pastors but who nevertheless are able to preach use Pastor Mario's streamers.

Another teacher instructs the children

As one career missionary to Manila told me, "When I first saw the streamers, I thought, 'I don't need that. What is going on here?' But then after a while, I understood how useful it is."

This dear brother is a body builder to support his family, and he preaches and teaches in Manila. He still misses home, though, and said he often calls home and asks Pastor Mario to preach the sermons to him.

Another missionary, this one who ministers among the Subanen tribe in the mountains, explained it this way, "When we have the drawings, they can see what we are telling them. We tell them Jesus died on the cross, but they are able to see it. We tell them He came out of the grave, but now they can see it (on the streamer). They understand."

Even the youngest get a chance

to show what they have learned.

My conversation with Pastor Mario was on May 22. As you can see from the photos, the streamers were stretched over buses and across walls outside.

On May 29, there was no way they could hold discipleship. As is often the case. The rains came. Rain is no small matter when there is only a dirt road leading to your church. The photo below is the exact same spot where the photo above of the teaching the pink streamer was taken. One week, teaching and discipling. The next, nothing. Such is the case for our brothers in Christ.

But we're not just telling sad tales. We are praying for solutions. In fact, one is just a short hop away.

The end of the property line
and the wall of the church

Just a few inches away from where the current church rests is a vacant 500sqm lot. It is priced at 500,000 Philippine Pesos. This translates roughly to $12,000 U.S. For $12,000, the property and all the paperwork can be completed.

As we always say, first we would ask for your prayers. Only God can raise this money to His glory. So please pray for this need. It is not the only one we have, but it is at the top of the list right now.

As you pray, ask yourself this question: What if your ability to learn the Bible depended on the weather? What if your pastor had to say, "Don't invite any more people. We're too crowded."?

If you are interested in helping us as we raise this money, you may give a tax-deductible gift through Love in Action Ministries. They are our partner ministry in Dothan, Ala. Please contact them to donate. Just mark on your donation "Philippines." Every bit of your gift will go toward the work in the Philippines.

To contact Love in Action Ministries, either use the hyperlink provided or see below. May God richly bless you for your consideration and your gift.

The adjacent lot in question

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

More of the lot

Such great blessings

2011-05-27T17:44:00.000-10:00

I have been in the Philippines more than a week, and we have met some great men of God. These missionaries are working tirelessly among their people to bring them the Gospel. It is a humbling experience when seven pastors meet your airplane, and when they ask you to speak at their churches and their prayer meetings. I have been blessed to speak in Ozamis, Punta (Dipolog City), and Tampilisan. I will speak in Sindangan this Sunday then in Punta again on Tuesday. I have spoken a total of five times already (twice in Punta, then on Thursday, I spoke at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Ozamis and at a missionaries' prayer vigil following that meeting).

I am so blessed. After the Thursday night service at SBBC Ozamis, my future mother-in-law told her daughter (and my fiancee) she wanted to be baptized. She had prayed to receive Christ about two years ago, and she decided after the Thursday service she wanted to be baptized. When my fiancee told their pastor (he traveled with us to this meeting), Pastor Mario Montero commissioned me to baptize Mrs. Javier. So, after I preach at Sindangan on Sunday, we will travel back to Punta, Dipolog City, where my mother-in-law will be baptized.

I have met so many Godly men these nine days. It has truly been a blessing. Pastor Mario gave us some wonderful, God-given advice about our ministry, and we will accept the advice. The future of our ministry will be to support the churches in their attempt to get property/buildings and to have monthly support. These pastor missionaries begin their ministries with no support at all. Sometimes, the cost is very high when they perform their ministry. These are the greatest needs.

As per Pastor Mario's advice, we will no longer try to raise funds for the anniversary services. Pastor Mario has been in ministry for 12 years, and he advised us that the anniversary services and other church projects are designed to let the people pray and see God raise the funds. His fear (and we agree) is these pastors and their flocks may learn to rely on Americans instead of God, so we will limit our fundraising to helping with church lots and buildings and monthly support for pastors.

As one of our pastors, Pastor Greg Begafria shared with us, often times, the need for a building and lot take up so much of the pastor's time, the ministry can suffer. So, our call from God is to assist these men with these needs so they can do the work God has called them to do.

We will be updating with prayer needs and building information in the coming weeks. Some needs are urgent, and we want to help these pastors as soon as possible.

Please keep us in your prayers. We look forward to what God will do.

I'm here

2011-05-20T17:39:00.000-10:00

Not much time to update, but I made it safely. I will update more later, but please continue to keep the ministry here in the Philippines in your prayers. God is working among the pastors here to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their own people. Please pray that God will supply the needs for these pastors and the lay leaders who also work to reach the people. Please pray as we seek to be able to raise funds for these dear brothers.

Well, I don't have a lot of time, so I will wrap this up. Please keep the prayers going! Aloha.

Praying big prayers

2011-05-17T10:55:00.000-10:00

Today, we want to share with you a prayer request from the southern part of Zamboanga. Preacher Leopoldo Yungod believes in asking for grand things when he prays.

This man was sent to Suba-nipa, a port that connects Olotangga with Mindanao (we are using our source's spelling of Olotangga, though there appears to be an alternate spelling), in 2010. In the most recent prayer list sent to us by our source from the mother church in Ozamis, Preacher Leopoldo made some bold requests.

The mission's goal for 2011-2012 is "300 souls to be saved, added to church and serve faithfully." Before the first anniversary set for Nov. 21-22, the goal is "100 saved and baptized."

We share this one with you because there's nothing you or I can do except pray for this. Sometimes, in our American self-sufficiency, we want to focus on what we can do for people. Sometimes, we think that when we give or raise funds, it is our money and our wisdom and strength that provides. But in any case, it is always God who provides. Even so, only God can bring 300 souls out of spiritual deadness into faithful, loving service, and only God can add 100 souls before November.

Will you join us in praying for this mission?

Flights of fancy (but I'm traveling coach)

2011-05-16T00:56:00.000-10:00

It has been a while since we updated you, but that has not been because we've been lacking in things to talk about. Actually, the last several days have been very busy. As I write this, I am three days away from making my first trip to the Philippines. Lots of Bibles, some Sunday School materials, many boxes of chocolate covered macadamia nuts, even found room for some clothes just for the fun of it.

But before we talk about the trip, I want to remind everyone of our financial needs. Now, we don't ask any money for ourselves. Perhaps God will one day make us a full-time ministry, but right now, that is not the case. We exist solely to bring financial help to the Shiloh Bible Baptist family of churches, located primarily on Mindanao in the Philippines. All of your money donated through Love in Action Ministries goes to these pastors and missionaries. So, when we talk about "financial needs," we are talking about the needs of these dear brothers in Christ to help them continue their ministry.

We have many needs, and we are praying about a few projects. Two at the top of our list right now are the SBBC in Tampilisan's building situation, and the SBBC in Dipolog City's need for a new lot.

Tampilisan's need is $1,250. They need that to finish their building. They have part of the building, but they are missing some key pieces. Essentially, they have a roof and some support structures. But they are missing a ceiling, a floor and walls. Plus, they want to build a pastorium for Pastor Raffy Begafria. All of that is only $1,250. But that's about $1,250 more than these dear people have. Our original goal was about $2,200, so God has provided a good portion of this need. But the need is still there.

Our other need is for the lot for SBBC in Punta, Dipolog City. This church has about 100 members, more than their building can hold. They have been praying for a long time to be able to purchase an adjacent 500sqm lot. With cost of the lot and cost of the paperwork, the church needs $12,000. (As far as how much they are able to raise on their own, see the above statement for our brother in Tampilisan.) With this project, we are offering the ability to donate per square meter. Each square meter can be purchased for only $24. If 500 people send $24, we will get this need met quickly. Obviously, there may be many who can give more than that, but please consider if you can give toward this need. Pastor there is Pastor Mario Montero.

Both of these pastors will be preaching at an engagement party on May 24. The bride-to-be will have many of her unbelieving family in attendance, and she has asked these pastors to preach the Gospel at the party so her family can hear about God's love through Jesus. These pastors will explain how God provided Jesus as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins, and how Jesus was raised up from the dead so all who believe on Him can be justified from their sins and have the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit.

Once again, all gifts should be given through Love in Action Ministries. They are a ministry to homeless people in Dothan, AL, who proclaim the gospel among the poor. As we always do, we ask you to please consider supporting their ministry as well. They are more than a charity; they do share the Gospel with the poor and homeless, and they have seen fruit in their ministry. The contact information is available through the hyperlink and is listed down below.

Now, about my trip. I earnestly desire your prayers. I will be spending two weeks in the Philippines, meeting many people and speaking many times. In fact, I will be preaching in four services, twice on Sundays in Punta, Dipolog City, during Punta's anniversary service (May 31) and during the anniversary service in Tampilisan (May 25). I would appreciate any and all prayers for those meetings.

Also, I will be able to meet many of the missionaries at the monthly meeting. I have been asked to give my testimony there at the meeting. Please pray for the contacts to be made and the fellowship there.

Finally, I mention this last because I prefer to keep this blog about the ministry, but there is a personal aspect to this trip. That is all I will say about it, but I would appreciate prayers there as well.

Thanks for all the prayers, for Homegrown Harvesters, for the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church network of churches, for the pastors and for everything else you pray for. Please consider whether you can give. We are confident God will raise the money in His time. Consider whether you may be part of His answer to these people's prayers. We will try to update the blog as best we can during the trip, but it may be a bit of a challenge at times. But we look forward to sharing testimonies of God's grace and His work going on in the Philippines.

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

Missionary reports

2011-05-11T16:13:00.000-10:00

If you're like me, you grew up in church hearing the reports of missionaries. They would come from distant lands, telling reports of God's grace extending to other nations.

The missionaries we support will never be in your church. They will never visit the United States. In fact, if not for this website or others like it, you might not hear about them at all.

These men were born and raised in the Philippines. They came to Christ and were burdened to see their people come to know Him. They look like, talk like and act like the people they are reaching. They needed no language school or years of cultural training, and they were able to avoid the cultural faux pas that are common place when a Westerner tries to make a new mission.

Of course, we are not criticizing the faithful traditional missionaries. Whoever brings the Gospel into a new place should be supported and thanked. We praise God for all who are taking the Gospel into all parts of the world.

But the indigenous missionary movement is the way God will complete the Great Commission. We are excited to be a part of the work God is doing through this family of Baptist Churches in the Philippines.

Since these brothers have the benefit of being in their mission fields all the time (whereas Western missionaries have to return home to drum up support), we want to be their helpers. We want to serve them. The issue with these men and their families is often a lack of support. Their sending churches are faithful to support them, but the funds they have are often not enough to meet their needs. Some have paid tragic prices for their obedience to Christ.

That's where Homegrown Harvesters comes in. We feel called of God to be the support arm for this particular work of God. We want to be those traveling missionaries, representing faithful servants who will otherwise have no chance to raise their funds.

Please pray for us, that God will give us the desire of our hearts for this ministry. To God be the glory in all things.

Continuing needs

2011-05-11T00:34:00.000-10:00

We begin today with a praise report. God supplied the initial need of 20,000 Philippine Pesos for Pastor Raffy Begafria's church in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. This will allow the church to pay for their expenses related to the church anniversary service May 25. We will be at that service, and Pastor Raffy has even requested us to speak there. So please keep that service in your prayers.

This church is still meeting in an incomplete building, but we are praying to be able to raise the remaining funds as soon as possible. We have a goal of 75,000 PhP, which is roughly $1,750 US. We have received a gracious gift from Love in Action Ministries of $500, so the remainder of our goal is $1,250 (journalists doing math is a scary thing). If you would like to give toward this goal, please contact Love in Action Ministries, because they are handling the finances for us. We praise God for their help as we try to raise funds to come alongside these national brethren to help them reach their people with the Gospel. You can contact them through the hyperlink above, or by the contact info down below.

We are also still praying for Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. This church has outgrown its building and is seeking to purchase an adjacent lot to the building. The cost for this lot is 500,000 PhP, which is roughly $12,000. For this need, we have broken down the giving to a square meter purchase at a time. Each square meter costs only $24. So, consider what you can do with $24.

As always, we need your prayers first and foremost. So we ask everyone to pray. But beyond that, if you can give, we thank you ahead of time. This is not a charity to help people with their earthly lives. This is a joint operation to help our fellow brothers in Christ accomplish their ministry. When you give, you allow forgiven sinners just like you to carry the news of Jesus' death and resurrection to people who might not otherwise hear it.

Now, if you desire to give to this need, you need to go through Love in Action Ministries. They can provide you with a receipt for your gift. Please specify in your gift that the money should go to the Philippines. Contact information for Love in Action Ministries is as follows:

Love In Action International Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Dothan, AL 36302

334-494-4995

info@loveinactionministries.com

Thank you, and God bless.

Submerged Subanen

2011-05-06T10:54:00.000-10:00

There are many tribes in the Philippines, and one of them is the Subanen tribe. Located on Mindanao, this church, Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Salug, reaches out to these people. In fact, Pastor Clemente Gumapit is also a member of this tribe. After his conversion, he returned to his people to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many of the tribal members participate in the animistic native religion. There are also many who are Roman Catholic, the predominant religion of the Philippines.

But on April 27, this church celebrated the baptism of six people. The majority of SBBC Salug are members of this tribe. Indeed, John the Revelator saw in his vision worshipers of our Lord from "every tribe." Surely, that includes the Subanen.

Below are some photos from the April 27 baptism service. To God be the glory!

Change of plans

2011-05-03T16:23:00.000-10:00

Aloha to everyone.

God continues to provide for us, and we are thankful for that. We have $300 toward our goal to help Pastor Raffy Begafria in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. Our overall goal for this church is $2,200, which will finish the church building and allow it to fund its anniversary service in only 22 more days.

Since the tornadoes in Alabama have put many in a bind, we are changing our focus just a bit. When we hit $470, we will have enough to cover the anniversary service expenses for the church. We will still seek the money for the total funds, because this church is still meeting in a partially finished building. But the anniversary service is May 25, and these believers use these services as evangelistic meetings. So we want to help them get their immediate needs met. We pray, of course, that we may reach the grand total, but please pray with us as we try to raise this final $170.

Please remember, we are accepting donations through Love in Action Ministries. If you can help us, donations given through Love in Action Ministries are tax deductible.

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

God's provision

2011-05-02T01:47:00.000-10:00

There are many thoughts this late night as I am writing.

Clearly, fundraising for our ministry is not on many people's minds in my home state. Alabama has been devastated by tornadoes. Most of our donors from earlier projects came from Alabama, so we would ask you to pray for our projects for which we are trying to raise funds. Also, please pray for those affected in Alabama.

The immediate project for Homegrown Harvesters is for Pastor Raffy Begafria in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. The church building is not complete, and we are praying to raise $2,200, which would allow them to finish their building and provide funds for the church for its anniversary service. The anniversary service, which will involve a celebration of God's work and an evangelistic outreach, will be held May 25. Pastor Raffy will also be preaching the Gospel on May 24 at an engagement ceremony, so please pray for the lost people who will be there and will hear the good news of Christ's salvation.

Even as the funds are slow to be collected, God is still providing. The mother church in Ozamis City has been praying for children's literature for Sunday School. It's hard to call it miraculous, but God has providentially provided for these materials. We would ask your continued prayers, because these materials are promised at this point, but not tangibly here. So, please pray that they would arrive before my trip to the Philippines set for May 18. Also, please pray for that trip.

We did not ask for this one, but God provided it anyway. After she learned about what we were trying to do, a woman in our church asked, "Do you just need children's material?" She had been saving her adult Sunday School materials for years apparently, so she went home and brought back about 30 student books for the evening service. She also gave us a lot of other materials (devotionals, tracts, pamphlets), so we thank God for her generosity.

My final thoughts tonight rest on the biggest international news of the day, the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. His death was a victory for justice but a tragedy for eternity. It should make us sober as we think about a man who will forever be lost, forever without hope, forever without comfort, experiencing only God's wrath. We must realize that we are as deserving of hell as bin Laden is. His eternal punishment would be ours without God's grace through Jesus Christ.

Some of the pastors in this family of churches minister among the Muslim groups in the Philippines. Al-Qaeda even has a presence in the nation, and one of the pastors was a member of al-Qaeda before he converted. We don't expect al-Qaeda to be rejoicing today or in the coming weeks, so please pray for these dear brothers who minister among some of these groups. Pray for their safety and their effectiveness. Let us remember this: Every terrorist, every Muslim is one witness away from being redeemed for eternity.

In Christ,
Micah

Letting the dead bury their dead

2011-04-26T11:01:00.000-10:00

²¹ And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. ²² But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. -- Matthew 8:21-22

When I was younger, this call to salvation bothered me. Why wouldn't Jesus let a man go to his father's funeral? It seemed awfully callous and rude. After all, shouldn't we honor our father? Wouldn't we be sad if our father was dead?

It may help us to understand the nature of the culture in which Jesus taught and lived. There was a common phrase in the day "I must bury my father," and it meant, "Let me wait until I have received my inheritance." Perhaps a man was being offered a chance to buy a field. But he had no money. He might have to wait until he received his inheritance before he could purchase it. So he would say, "I must bury my father."

This disciple claimed to want to follow Christ, but he wanted to wait around until he could receive his inheritance first. He wanted Christ, but he wanted the security of his inheritance also. But Jesus challenged him to forsake his sin and follow Christ. That is the salvation call to everyone.

Make no mistake; this passage is a call to salvation. He is challenging the man's desires. Will he desire to save his soul by following Christ, or does he desire the safety and comfort of this earthly life?

In that context, Jesus' answer makes sense. Notice what He tells this man. The pursuit of wealth and longing for inheritance is a pursuit of death. Taking comfort in worldly belongings is the pattern of the dead, of the damned. We must flee from it if we are to be saved!

Even in a believer's life, we are faced with similar choices. Will we follow Christ when He calls us to a new ministry, when He gives us a chance to use our money for His kingdom and His purpose? Or do we say, "Let me first bury my father. Let me first secure my needs. Let me first take care of this situation, then I will give myself to You."?

This is a challenging thought, because if we are constantly waiting for our inheritance, we may prove to be outside the kingdom. Even if we are believers, we may forfeit heavenly rewards. But if we are first and foremost concerned about His kingdom, we await an inheritance beyond our imagination. Furthermore, we won't be able to or want to or need to bury our Father to gain our true inheritance.

With that in mind, we remind you of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. Their anniversary service is coming up soon, and we need to raise $2,200 for them to complete their church building and pay for some expenses related to the anniversary service. Pastor Raffy Begafria and his church will celebrate their anniversary service May 25. We need the money raised soon, because it is almost May already. Please, join us in praying for this need.

If you feel led to give toward the goal, please remember our friends at Love in Action Ministries. They are helping us by collecting the funds for us. Any gift given through Love in Action Ministries is tax deductible. Just specify in your gift that you intend it to go to the ministry in the Philippines. Contact information for Love in Action Ministries below.

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

Gold and silver

2011-04-21T22:01:00.000-10:00

⁷And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. ⁸The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.-- Haggai 2:7-8

You may notice in our blog entries, we tend to shy away from asking directly for money. Instead, we ask you first to offer prayers for us and for our brothers and sisters in Christ who happen to live in the Philippines.

There's a reason for that. As these verses remind us, God owns all the silver and the gold. It's His. It all belongs to him. All the pesos, loons, dollars and euros in the world all belong to God. It is right for us to first ask God to provide. After all, if He's not in it, then we're wasting our time. Even if we could cause you to give, it wouldn't mean anything if God wasn't behind the gift.

So, we ask you to pray. We bow before the sovereignty of God, and we trust Him to provide.

Now, if after you pray you decide you want to give, we will gladly take it. After all, our brothers and sisters there are the ones worshiping in buildings with no walls or trying to cram more than they should into a building that is too small while heavy rains fall. We do want to see God provide; that's why we are doing this.

Just to remind you of our two needs. Pastor Raffy Begafria and Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, need $2,200 before their mission anniversary celebration May 25. They need these funds to add the walls, ceiling and flooring to their church, construct a pastorium and to supply the needs of the anniversary service. The anniversary service is often a time of evangelism and outreach, and the Gospel will be presented.

The other need is in Punta, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. There, Pastor Mario Montero's church is outgrowing its building. They have been praying for the ability to purchase the lot next to the church building. The cost of this 500 square meter lot is 500,000 Philippine pesos, or 1,000 pesos per square meter. Those 1,000 pesos translate to roughly $24. So, when you are praying for this need, see if God is leading you to help. Only $24 can help this church purchase its new lot.

Please pray for us. Pray that God will "shake the nations...and fill this house with glory." May He provide the needs for these precious fellow believers.

If anyone is led to give, if you are a part of God's work of moving His silver and gold from one place to another, then please contact our friends at Love in Action Ministries. The contact info is below. They are the ones handling the money for us at this time. All donations are tax deductible, and when you give, please make a designation to the Philippines. If you have a preference between Tampilisan and Dipolog City, please note that as well. If you only designate Philippines, we will use it for Tampilisan, since it is the more immediate need.

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

A meter at a time

2011-04-21T00:58:00.000-10:00

In a recent post, we told you about our need in Tampilisan for Pastor Raffy Begafria's church, where we are trying to raise $2,200 for the church to have its building completed and to be able to provide for its church anniversary.

That need is still immediate, and we strongly ask you to pray for us and give if you are so inclined.

We have another need from another of our churches that we would like to share with you. Many of the prayer needs we will share are from missionaries who have just started their work. After all, the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City sent out 14 missionaries in 2010.

But this need is a different one. Pastor Mario Montero is the missionary pastor at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. He was the first missionary sent out from the mother church, and his church is outgrowing its building. They have about 100 members, and they continue to grow. However, even with an additional wing provided by some good friends of ours recently, they are too numerous for their building.

They have been praying for a while for God to provide money to buy a 500 square meter lot adjacent to their current property. If God provides for the new lot, they are planning to use the current building as housing for visiting pastors or as a school to teach children about God's word.

The cost for this property, including land price and paperwork fees, is 500,000 Philippine pesos. Fortunately, even a journalist's math skills can compute that price per square meter as 1,000 pesos per square meter. How much is that in U.S. dollars? 1,000 pesos is roughly $23.19 (as of today, but it can fluctuate, of course), so let's call it $24.

If we look at the total price (close to $12,000), it can be staggering. But ask yourself this, can you purchase a square meter for $24? Perhaps you can give more, or perhaps you can offer us your prayers and no financial gift. Either way, we long for your prayers. But all it takes to help a church is $24.

The situation in the Philippines is this: These churches have a passion and a willingness that far exceeds their budget. Pastor Mario's church in Punta, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte has many outreach Bible studies. Older women go out on Monday; some men hold Bible studies in police stations on Saturdays and there are others of which we are ignorant. We hear almost weekly of people praying to confess Christ and receive His salvation during these outreaches.

They do all this work without always having adequate funding. Oh, that we would see the needs and opportunities ahead of us! If your heart is stirred at all to give toward these needs, then please contact our friends at Love in Action Ministries. Our friends there have graciously agreed to help us by handling the money. Any gifts given through Love in Action Ministries are tax deductible. Just specify in your gift that you want it to go to the Philippines. If you have a preference between the church in Tampilisan or the church in Dipolog City, please specify. Otherwise, the gifts we receive will go to the more immediate need in Tampilisan. But 100 percent of your gift will go toward the needs in the Philippines.

Also, we would be doing wrong if we didn't make this request. Love in Action Ministries is doing us a great service by handling the money for us. Please consider giving to their needs as well. They are an outreach ministry to the homeless in Dothan, Ala., and just hours ago I read a report from their ministry where two people prayed to receive Christ during their midweek service. These dear friends understand the word of our Lord's brother, when he asked us rhetorically, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?"

If the hyperlinks above do not work, we have included the contact information for Love in Action Ministries below. Above all else, please pray. If you feel led to give, we thank you in advance. May all we do expand Christ's kingdom.

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

Christ's betrothal

2011-04-20T00:44:00.000-10:00

¹Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.²In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. -- John 14:1-4

We know that the church is called the "Bride of Christ" in the Bible. We who belong to Christ look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:9. But did you know Christ betrothed Himself to His bride? It occurs in this passage above.

We need a little help understanding the customs of Israel at the time. Back in the ancient Near East, the father would choose his son's bride, and there would be a ceremony whereby the couple was betrothed. They were committed to each other, but they were not married. (Note by way of reference in John 17:6 that Jesus confesses the Father "gave him" the disciples, and by extension the church that would spring from their testimony of Christ, v. 20 of the same chapter, to see the parallel of the Father's choice of the bride.)

After the betrothal, the bridegroom would return to his father's house and create an addition to his father's house for his bride. When he had the place prepared, he would come to claim his bride, and it would be a joyous occasion.

Look at our verses again with that picture in your mind. Where was Jesus going? He was going to His Father's house. For what purpose? To prepare a place for His bride. Notice, also, that His path to preparation went through the cross. The only way we can have a place in the Father's house is if the debt of our sin is paid. Indeed, our Saviour paid a great price to ransom His bride.

Is there room in the Father's house for the bride? Jesus said there were "many mansions." Even as a bridegroom would add a place into the house of his father, so Christ has put "many mansions" in the house of His Father. There is room, room for a glorious bride indeed!

It is at this time of the year we celebrate His sacrifice for us. It is proper for us to consider this question: Are we betrothed to the King? If you are not, please consider that there are many places left. The gate is not shut. Run to Him to seek His mercy! Then you will be ready to rejoice when He returns to claim His bride.

Building God's house

2011-04-19T00:25:00.000-10:00

Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? -- Haggai 1:4

Haggai the prophet confronted the people of Judah, after they returned from the Babylonian captivity, to remember God's house. They had spent their money and efforts to rebuild their own houses, but they left off doing God's work.

Let us consider that for our lives. Do we spend our time on our own houses, or do we seek to build God's house? What is God's house today? I think primarily, it is building the Kingdom of God. That is His house now. This was the subject of our Sunday School lesson this past week, and as I was studying it in preparation for the class, I was battling questions of my own. I was worrying about my finances and the future, and I got a gentle reminder from God to focus on building His house, and He will take care of me.

So, it's back to the work God has called me to do. I want to share with you a need we have. Please pray for Pastor Raffy Begafria and Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. Right now, the church building has a roof and some columns, but nothing in between. The church needs walls, ceiling and flooring, and they want to build a parsonage. The church is meeting there in the partially built building, but they would like to have a completed building.

Now, our brothers and sisters in this part of the Philippines are praying for this work to be completed in time for their church anniversary, which is May 25. As we have said before, the church anniversaries are important outreach times. The day is marked by fellowship, food, guest preachers and evangelism.

The costs for the completion of the church building is 75,000 Philippine pesos, and the church is also praying for an additional 20,000 pesos for expenses related to the anniversary itself. In total, those expenses (95,000 Philippine pesos) are just under $2,200. The exchange rate varies, but as of this writing, the total was 2,192.88. So, we'll call it $2,200.

Please, folks, we ask you to join with us in praying for this need. This need is timely, because the anniversary service is just more than a month away. But we know God answers prayer, and we trust Him to meet this need.

If you feel led to do more than pray, we are so grateful to say, Love in Action Ministries is joining with us again to help us raise the funds. For those of you who forgot, Love in Action Ministries is a ministry to homeless people in Dothan, Ala. We are so thankful they are willing to collect the funds for us as we seek God to build our ministry. We at Homegrown Harvesters are not able to give tax receipts, but Love in Action Ministries is able to do so.

So, if you feel led to give to this need, please contact Love in Action Ministries . When you give, make sure to designate the funds for the Philippines. If you don't feel like looking at the website, here's the contact info:

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

We say thank you again to Love in Action Ministries , and we encourage you to consider helping them out in their ministry as well. Please pray for their ministry to the "least of these." May God hear our prayers and answer out of His abundant grace!

The nephew

2011-04-16T11:00:00.000-10:00

One of the pastors in the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family of churches in the Philippines is a member of the Tausug tribe. That may mean little to us, but the Tausug tribe is fiercely Muslim. In fact, they were the first people in the Philippines to convert to Islam, so their ties to Islam go back centuries.

We hope to tell the pastor's story completely one day, but for now, we will focus on the conversion of his nephew. We are purposely not identifying this pastor for security reasons. Though he ministers among his own people and is not doing so anonymously, we still would prefer not to cause undo trouble for our brother.

Not long after this pastor converted, he received a visit from his nephew, who was also a Muslim of the Tausug tribe, but he lived in Malaysia. He must have been surprised to find out his uncle had abandoned the family religion, but at the same time, something must have been noticeably different, too. After a while, the Nephew converted. It was no light conversion either.

Like all believers, he wanted to share his faith with those he loved. That meant trying to convert Muslims, and to a Muslim, anyone who converts out of Islam is considered to have committed blasphemy. Under sharia law, blasphemy is a capital crime.

So, when some tribal leaders approached the Nephew's mother about enforcing the law, she consented. The Nephew was shot, and the bullet caught him in the spinal cord. However, he did not die right away. He was taken to a hospital, where he stayed for many months.

About a year after his shooting, he knew he was growing close to the end of his life. So, he called his family and close friends to hear him. When they arrived, "he was able to preach Jesus,the Savior of the world whom God sent to us," our source tells us.

What was the result? Again our source tells us, "Then, his family were convinced and understand why he converted into Christianity.They all accepted Christ, and he said, 'I'll go first and we'll see you guys in heaven one day.'"

After pronouncing that blessing on his newly converted family, he asked to be put back into the bed, where he went to sleep for the final time.

Now, Uncle Pastor continues his work in a predominantly Muslim area of Mindanao. He faces persecution, but mercifully, God has protected him and many of his converts so far.

Men like Uncle Pastor are why we are praying about this ministry. We cannot infiltrate the Tausug people. In fact, Westerners are strongly advised to avoid the parts of the island where this tribe dominates. But God uses one of their own, miraculously saved, to reach them.

Please pray for us. Our vision is to be able to recruit sponsors for these indigenous missionaries, so they can do their work without being concerned about financial burdens. Will you pray for us, that God will provide the right people to join the work? Will you pray for Him to give us wisdom as we seek to follow Him in this work? Will you pray for men like Uncle Pastor, who daily live with their lives in peril as they try to reach their own people with the Gospel?

We thank you for your prayers.

Do you have Christ's hunger?

2011-04-14T03:23:00.001-10:00

³And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. ⁴But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. -- Matthew 4:3-4

I love the book of Matthew. It is my favorite Gospel account. For many reasons, I enjoy reading it. It is the most Jewish of the Gospels, and it blends the two Covenants together so beautifully. Also, the author of the Gospel is a forgiven turncoat who was redeemed to be one of the original apostles. Furthermore, the book records five extended discourses by Jesus. We read Jesus' words; we hear His sermons.

But today, let's look at the record of Jesus' first temptation. Notice the devil comes to Him as He is fasting and tries to get Him to make bread out of stones. There are a lot of applications and implications in these two verses, and many knowledgeable and capable Bible teachers can pull many diamonds out of these verses. But right now, let's just look at Jesus' answer.

It is subtle. Do you see it? How do we live? What keeps us alive? Is it bread alone? We are kept alive by God's word! The words of God keep us alive. That is certainly the point in Deuteronomy 8:3, the source for Jesus' quote. Let us ask ourselves, do we eat bread to stay alive, or do we rely on God's word? Are we striving and working and sweating to eat bread, or do our lives revolve around God, whose words truly keep us alive?

Jesus used the image of eating as an illustration on many occasions, but there's an interesting parallel in John's Gospel. We remember the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus spoke to her while the disciples had gone to buy bread. She is one of the first converts, and the interaction between her and Jesus is one of the greatest accounts in the Gospels.

After the woman leaves Jesus to go tell her friends she has found the Messiah, the disciples express their concern that Jesus has had nothing to eat. So we pick up in John 4:31, "³¹In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
³²But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
³³Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
³⁴Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."

Notice, it can be true that the tempter and our closest friends may sometimes be in league together. In both of these passages, Jesus was tempted to look away from His primary purpose to fulfill His physical needs. Both times He refused.

This exchange, though, is very interesting. Jesus tells the disciples that He has meat (or food) they don't know about. The disciples, obtuse as always, are trying to figure out who fed the Messiah. I have to imagine Jesus was a bit frustrated at their lack of understanding. Think about it. The disciples had been pursuing the matter of finding bread, while Jesus was pursuing the matter of saving a sinful woman.

Jesus has to spell the situation out for the disciples just as He did for Satan. There's something more important than food. Don't miss what Jesus says in verse 34. His sustenance is found in doing the will of God. That's where He gets His provision. Of course He still needed to eat, but His hunger was not for food; it was for the will of God the Father to be fulfilled. And what is God the Father's will? What has Jesus just been doing and what is He about to do in the following verses? He is saving souls! In the verses prior, He is redeeming an adulterous woman; in the verses to follow, He will redeem many who believed by her testimony.

Do you hunger with Christ's hunger? Is the redemption of the lost what you long for? Or are you with the disciples, spending your energy finding bread? What sustains you, doing the will of the Father or doing the will of the stomach? Do you recognize that you live because of God's words, or do you long for your next meal?

May we learn to hunger as our Savior did! May we long to see God's purpose fulfilled even as we long to fill our bellies!

Salud to Salug

2011-04-12T12:15:00.000-10:00

We have more updates on Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. We are thankful for the prayers and gifts.

We told you about the situation in Salug, where this church of believers was facing the selling of the lot on which their church meets. Praise God, He raised the money this church needed, but He also provided in ways we could not have foreseen. But God, who is sovereign over all affairs of men, knew what was needed and provided for it.

The original lot was under what is called "Mother title." That appears to be somewhat similar to an undivided interest in the United States. Basically, the lot was part of a larger property, and the original was never legally divided even as other parts of the lot were sold. So, the church could have bought the property but would not have received a title. Clearly, this would have been troubling.

However, God provided another lot, a bigger lot, actually, for less money. That meant, through the funds we raised, the church could buy the new lot and still have enough money for the paperwork and legal fees that go into property purchase. Furthermore, this new lot is closer to the highway, giving the church more visibility. Another blessing, the landowner where the church meets will allow them to worship in their current place until they have everything ready at the new property.

There are still some needs. Pastor Clemente Gumapit and his church are praying for the water system and the church building on the new lot. They believe they can use some of the materials from the existing church to build their new church. Please continue to pray for this church, both for its needs and its ministry.

Below are some photos of the work being done at the new lot. Enjoy!

Work begins

Work continues

Perhaps lunchtime is near

Burning off the rubbish

I believe that's a machete. They work well.

Ladies working as the smoke is in the background.

Victory in Salug

2011-04-11T12:09:00.000-10:00

Today we bring you photos of the transfer of property from a private landowner to the church at Salug. Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug is a mission church to the Subanen people of the Philippines, on the southern island of Mindanao. Subanen are a tribe of aboriginal people in the Philippines (similar perhaps to our Native Americans here in the United States). Pastor Clemente Gumapit is a member of this people group, and after his conversion, he felt a longing to reach his own people with the Gospel.

Through your prayers and your gifts, we were able to help this church of Subanen believers purchase property for their church. Here are some photos of the official changeover, and some photos of people eating a big pile of food.

Anyway, here are some photos, sent to us by Pastor Clemente.

Pastor Clemente signs papers to transfer the property.

Legal papers make the transfer official.

Prayer before dinner.

Time to eat!

When you think of international missions, do you realize that nations across the world have various cultures in them? That's why indigenous missions are so important. To us in the United States, the Philippines is a country. But to those who live there, it is a country with many different people groups, and each one must be reached with the Gospel.

Remember John's vision in Revelation 7:9, "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." Not just all nations, but all "kindreds" in the King James Bible, translated "tribes" in other versions. Jesus has His own among every nation and every tribe whom He will save. Please join us in praying for and supporting these missionaries among their own people, as we see Christ fulfill His purpose among them.

'Untold Filipinos still untold'

2011-04-11T00:16:00.000-10:00

The title for this post was taken from a banner viewed in a video a source sent us from the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City. This church is the mother church (also called the sending church) for these churches. The video was a celebration video of the church's 15-year anniversary.

The banner is a challenge to the people to remember the priority of telling their countrymen of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The same lady who sent us the video also sent us an updated prayer list. Near the top of the prayer list, under the subhead "Goal for this Year 2011," is the following request: "20 missionaries sent out."

Yes, this church has a vision to send out 20 more missionaries by the end of the year. In 2010, the church sent out 14 missionaries. In total there are 24 missionaries sent out, not including some of the missionaries sent out by the daughter churches. SBBC in Punta, Dipolog City, for example has two missionaries, and we do not yet have the information on them.

So, if we add those two missionaries to the 24 we know about, and we add the 20 for which SBBC Ozamis is praying, that will make 46 missionaries in this family of churches. What are we praying for at Homegrown Harvesters? One day, we want to be able to raise support for all 46 of these missionaries, plus as many others as God provides workers in the field.

Now, understand, the "we" of us at Homegrown Harvesters right now is two people living in two different places. But as Pastor John Piper reminds us, "Let us be careful of asking God for too little." We are small now, almost nonexistent. But we want to be helpers, servants alongside these dear brothers in Christ who are reaching their countrymen with the Gospel.

Please join us in praying for what looks impossible right now. But we know that the only way to see God do the impossible is for us to be in an impossible situation. The Bible verse atop the prayer list is Jeremiah 33:3, and it reads, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Let us call to God for this work on our hearts, and let Him show us things which we know not.

Anniversaries upcoming

2011-04-08T12:19:00.001-10:00

It has been a little while since we posted here. We just want to update you on some more prayer needs.

As we discussed in a previous post, the anniversary services are times of great outreach and evangelism, as well as a time to celebrate the work God has already done. For example, at the recent anniversary celebration at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug, close to 10 people prayed to receive Christ and two families were baptized.

We have two anniversaries this month and two in May for which we should pray.

Pastor Greg Begafria, Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, April 19
Pastor JoJo Begafria, Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte, April 26
Pastor Raffy Begafria, Tampilisan and Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, May 24-25
Pastor Mario Montero, Punta, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, May 31

You may notice a recurring family name among the missionaries for whom we request prayer. The Begafria family are many pastors.

We would note this: Pastors Jojo and Raffy Begafria are praying for some funds to help make ready for the anniversary service. Pastor Jojo is praying for 5,000 Philippine Pesos, and Pastor Raffy 20,000 pesos. As this article is written, the exchange rate is just below 43 pesos per dollar. It's not a lot to us in the United States, but it can make a lot of difference in the Philippines.

God will provide. Let's just pray for it and see how He accomplishes it. Also, please pray for these services, that God would be glorified and souls would be saved.

More than just money

2011-04-04T13:41:00.000-10:00

We continue to rejoice over what God has done for our brother, Pastor Clemente Gumapit in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte, in the Philippines. We were able to raise the money for Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug to keep its property and church building.

You may ask, though, why do we do this? Why do we want to help pastors in the Philippines? Why does it matter to us whether a church in the Philippines keeps its property or not? Further, why do we envision being a prayer and financial support ministry for people who we may never meet this side of heaven? Are we just compassionate toward the needs of our brothers in Christ?

The answer is fairly simple. First, we do have the clear commands of scripture to share with those in the family of Christ who have less financial means than we do, especially when they are in need. There is certainly that element there. If a family of believers is suffering need, then we are to share with them when we have the ability to do so.

But there is another reason we help, and it goes beyond the family ties. Throughout the world, God is using indigenous missionaries to complete the Great Commission. Ministries such as Gospel for Asia (whose ministry opened my eyes to the reality) have such a great impact for the Kingdom. The mother church in this family of churches we want to help is Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City. The church has sent out 24 missionaries, many of whom have started churches. Some started Bible studies in different places, but for those who started churches, they all bear the name Shiloh Bible Baptist Church.

Of those 24 missionaries, the sending church sent out 14 new missionaries in 2010. How long would it take us to send 14 missionaries to the Philippines? Actually, some of these missionaries even have crossed into other countries, including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Try getting a Western missionary into Saudi Arabia. But God is not without His witness. (OK, I'm getting sidetracked, as I tend to do when I get excited.)

The point is this: If I wanted to be a missionary to the Philippines, I would have to learn a lot of dialects, build relationships with people from a new culture, avoid countless cultural pitfalls, and return to the U.S. every once in a while to raise funds. But for the fraction of the cost, I can support these missionaries who are already in the culture and are very able to lead their own nation to Christ. They know about the various people groups, the different dialects, the cultural taboos, things it would take us years to learn, if we ever learned them at all.

But we do not just send money. We send prayers. These are not "Filipinos" we are trying to help. These are fellow believers we are trying to help. These are men just like us who were once in sin but have been brought to know Christ through faith in His death and resurrection. These churches are made up of men and women who justly deserve hell but are now redeemed by Jesus Christ. They carry the message to people we would never meet and would never see. In fact, we probably don't even know a lot of these people exist.

As much as we hope to provide funds on a regular basis in the future, and as much as we rejoice in being able to help out this time with Pastor Clemente, the money is not all we send. Prayers are essential. Consider the following list of prayer requests from some SBBC missionaries (these are only some of the requests):

Pastor Greg Begafria, Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte

Church lot 270,000 Philippine Pesos
20 souls saved

Conceivably, we could help answer the first request, but only God can answer the second one.

Pastor Jojo Begafria, Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte

Philippine Peso 5,000 budget (that's $115.61)
Curtains
1 hectare lot for church building
12 families saved and baptized this year

Again, we can help pay for a lot, we can buy curtains, we can send $115.61. But can any of us save 12 families and bring them to baptism? No, but we can join in praying for the salvation of these 12 families Pastor Jojo was burdened to request.

Pastor Emony Tagaan, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur

Building construction and materials -- ongoing (20,000 PhP, or $462.43 in the U.S.)
10 families saved and baptized

Less than $500 for their construction and materials (consider how much our church buildings in the U.S. cost) seems so easy for us, but can we save and baptize 10 families anywhere, much less in the Philippines? Of course not, but we can lift our prayer for God's mercy to change the lives of 10 families in Dumingag (maybe if we each prayed for 10 families, God would give 10 families per person praying).

Pastor Rolan Tigao, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay

1,000-sqm lot
More supporters for the ministry

We put these here to show you Pastor Rolan is praying for supporters for the ministry. That is what we hope to be, to help lift the financial burdens for these men so they can focus on their calling.

Pastor Jerry Antipolo, Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte

Guitars and kitchen utensils
Financial needs and victory
More souls saved and baptized
Unsaved loved ones and good health

Again, how hard would it be to help them with guitars and kitchen utensils? But you see, these men are not only seeing their financial needs, but the spiritual ones as well. Do we not share his pain of having unsaved loved ones? How often do we pray for more souls to be saved and baptized?

Pastor Dandy Begafria, Molave, Zamboanga del Sur

Church building this year
20 families added to the church this year

I love bold prayers. May this church have its building this year, but even more so, may it see 20 families changed by the power of the Holy Spirit and brought into fellowship with these believers.

By now, you should be able to see the point. As important as the financial needs are, just as important is our need to join with them in prayer. Pray that we will be able to lift some of these financial burdens from them.

If they are not having to be concerned about the church lot and where the rent will come from, then they can focus on those spiritual matters. That's why we want to help support them. But we must not think we are doing all our duty if we send money and do not lift them in prayer. May we send more than just money to these precious fellow laborers in the work of Christ.

Giving thanks

2011-04-02T18:53:00.001-10:00

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" -- Luke 17:15-17

After a day like we had on Friday, we would be dishonoring our Savior if we did not offer Him thanks. If you were unaware, we reached our goal of $3,000 for Pastor Clemente Gumapit's church in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. It will take us a few days for checks to clear and the like, and we still need to continue to pray that all things go well as we move the money to the church, but as we pray we must also give thanks.

Of course, we are thankful to everyone who gave. We are thankful to Love in Action Ministries for their help in raising the funds. We are also thankful for the sources in the Philippines who alerted us to the need and others who investigated the situation for us. But more than anything, we are thankful to Jesus Christ, who raised the funds through His sovereignty over all things.

Consider this. Homegrown Harvesters is His. Love in Action is His. These churches in the Philippines are His. His ministry saves souls in the Philippines; His ministry raises money for the church; His ministry saves the souls of the poorest of the poor in Dothan, Alabama. All who gave to this need did so because Jesus led them to it. In Him we move and live and have our being. He is the source of all good things.

If you gave to this need, we thank you so much. If you prayed for it, we thank you so much. Please continue to pray, as we will have many more needs. But as you do, thank Jesus for our victory here.

Urgent update on our church brothers and sisters Salug

2011-03-30T13:36:00.000-10:00

Aloha everyone,

We are still praying for and seeking donations to help our brothers and sisters at Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte. Some time ago, the property which the church has rented for eight years was put up for sale by the land owner. The church needs to raise 120,000 Philippine Pesos (a little less than $3,000 U.S.), but that's not likely to happen without our help.

We are thankful for Love in Action Ministries, a ministry to homeless people and prisoners in Dothan, Ala., that has agreed to help us raise the funds for Pastor Clemente Gumapit and his church. So far, we have raised $1,300 of our $3,000 goal.

Recently, we got some updated information about the situation there, and we need to intensify our prayers. One of the church neighbors has the money and is willing to buy the property. According to our source, the neighbors mock the church and even have their drainage canal open toward the church property. Some of the waste water has gotten into the church building. Fortunately, "the land owner is patiently waiting for the church to buy because he knows it's God's work," our source told us.

First, let us pray for God's favor on this landowner, who is waiting for God to provide. As we understand it, he is selling the property because of family needs. Thankfully, he is waiting to see if God will provide for the church to buy it. If this man does not already know Christ, we pray that he will. We also pray for him to be blessed for his patience when there are other buyers available.

Second, let us increase our prayers for the property. As you share this prayer request, please consider whether you can give to help out our fellow believers. Remember, in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, Anglo nor Filipino. All who have trusted Christ's death and resurrection as just payment for their sins are part of God's family. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Please consider helping your family, if you are a part of Christ's family. If you can't give at this time, then please commit to praying for us. God will raise the money, of that we are certain.

Below are some photos of the church taken at its anniversary service March 29. Babies were dedicated, several pastors spoke, and close to 10 people prayed to receive Christ as Lord and Savior. There were also two families baptized during the celebration.

This is Pastor Jun Begafria, pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Ozamis City. His church is the mother church for all the SBB churches in the Philippines. He celebrated his birthday in March.

One of the pastors prays a prayer of dedication for a young child.

The choir sings a song.

The entrance to the building in Salug.

As you see, God is doing a work in the Philippines. If you are able and willing to give to help these our brothers and sisters, please contact Love in Action Ministries, where you can write a tax-deductible check. Just indicate the gift is for the Philippines, and 100 percent of your donation will go to help this church.

May God richly bless you. Thank you for your time.

Photos from Shiloh Bible Baptist in Dipolog City

2011-03-30T01:54:00.000-10:00

Hello friends!

Today we share with you some photos from Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. Homegrown Harvesters, thanks to the help of a generous friend, was able to help this church add onto its structure. The church added a wing to the building. An anniversary service is planned for May, so please keep the church in your prayers. We also have some other photos from the church to illustrate some of the ministry work. Photos taken by a dear sister in the Lord.

Children learning from a banner. Pastor Mario Montero makes use of illustrations in his sermons.

No matter what language it is, there's never a better sight than this.

A lovely teacher illustrates her point to the class.

Here's the wing addition being put up. We were able to provide the money less than two weeks ago, and the church members started work immediately.

Here's the roof going overhead.

Work continues.

Work continues on the wing of the church building.

More work is done. The church is outgrowing the building, but added seating space under a roof gives the church a little space to grow. Please pray for a lot also for this church.

Happy anniversary

2011-03-23T12:41:00.000-10:00

Anniversaries are special times for all of us. Whether it's the anniversary of a wedding, a first date, a child's birth or a new job, we tend to mark out certain days for rememberance.

It is the same in church life. For the churches that we are praying for in the Philippines, it is no different. This coming week, two of the churches will celebrate anniversary services, and we would ask you to join us in praying for them.

The first will take place March 28 in Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay. Pastor Nestor Burtanog and Shiloh Bible Baptist Church of Siay will celebrate their first mission anniversary. A couple of points are worth noting here. First, if you are in the United States, remember we are about a day behind the Philippines. So, even though the 28th is a Monday, it will feel like Sunday to us. Second, these anniversary services are similar to our revival services in the States. They are a time of celebration as well as a time of evangelistic focus. Pastor Nestor was ordained by Pastor Samson Turno of Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay. Let us pray for this day that is coming up soon. This church plant is relatively new, so let's pray with them that this anniversary service would be fruitful for the Kingdom.

One day later, on March 29, Pastor Clemente Gumapit and SBBC Salug, Zamboanga del Norte, will celebrate their eighth anniversary. As we noted in a previous blog, Pastor Clemente asked this request for prayer for the anniversary service, "Please pray for souls saved and follow the Lord in water baptism during that day." As we are sure you recall, Pastor Clemente's church is the church for which we have been seeking prayers as they try to purchase their church lot. This is a good time to remind you of our goal. We are at $1,400 of the approximately $3,000 we need to help the church purchase its lot. (The total need of 120,000 Philippine Pesos is slightly less than $3,000, but with fluctuating currency exchange rates, it's better to be on the safe side.) Anyway, please continue to pray as we seek to raise the funds. If you are interested in giving, please contact our friends at Love in Action Ministries.

This is not an anniversary in the same way the others are, but on March 30, Shiloh Bible Baptist Church Ozamis City, the mother church for all the SBBC churches, will celebrate Pastor Jun Begafria's birthday. His birthday was actually March 20, but the celebration will be at the end of the month. In addition to his Sunday preaching duties, Pastor Jun also leads Bible studies throughout the week at different locations, including among the military. Let us pray for his continued health and effective ministry.

Answered prayers and continuing needs

2011-03-21T01:02:00.001-10:00

We are pleased to continue giving you updates on how God is working. If you have been following us at all, you know we have been asking for prayer for one of the churches in the Philippines. Just to refresh your memory, Homegrown Harvesters exists to pray for (and we hope one day to offer regular financial support) the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family of churches in the Philippines.

One of these churches in particular is in the town of Salug. They have been forced to seek about $3,000 in order to avoid being removed from their church property. This seems like a small amount to us, but for these people, there is no way to raise the money. We are thankful today, because God has provided $1,300 so far toward this goal. We ask you to continue praying for this need, and we are excited as we continue to see God provide.

We are thankful that Love in Action Ministries is helping us raise the funds. Since Homegrown Harvesters does not have the ability to give tax deductions for gifts, Love in Action is handling the financial part of this need. So, if you feel led to give toward this need, please contact Love in Action. As we regularly do, we also ask that you consider giving toward this worthy ministry for their regular needs. They do a great work in Dothan, Ala.

We also have some praise reports as well. First, we mentioned last time about Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City. This church was seeking roughly $600 for an addition to its building. We are thankful God provided the funds for that project.

Another request came to us recently, and before we could post it, God provided. One of the churches was praying for 20 King James Bibles. When this was announced at our church out here, a lady volunteered to purchase the Bibles. They will be in Hawaii this week, and we will either ship them soon or carry them with us during the trip in May. The trip is another prayer request for another day.

One final thought before we close. The church in Salug is having its anniversary service March 29. This is the prayer request the pastor asked from us, "Please pray for souls saved and follow the Lord in water baptism during that day." May we join our prayers to this worthy request.

Let us praise tonight

2011-03-16T00:42:00.000-10:00

Sometimes, you are just amazed at how God works. Truly, when we follow Him, we learn that our own strength and resources are not at all what He uses.

If you follow us at all, you know we have been asking for prayer for two churches and their property. One is in Dipolog City, and the need there was for $600 (roughly) to add a wing to the church. Let me tell you something about this church.

The church sits on the property of the pastor. It has enough room for about 100 people, but that's not always enough room. Overflowing church buildings are nice in romantic thought, but when heavy rains fall, they are not so ideal. Our church in Dipolog City, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, wants to add a wing to the building. They especially want to have the wing done by May, when the church anniversary will be conducted. Part of the thrust of the anniversary service is an evangelistic outreach, so the church wanted to have extra space for the lost who might be there for the service.

You will notice I said there "was" a need. Praise our Father in heaven, we have had someone donate the money for this particular need. It is amazing to see how God works things out, to see how God moves in circumstances and relationships and the details of life to accomplish His purposes.

We thank our God and Father who provided for this need. We thank Him for guiding a church full of people to pray and fast for this need.

Our other prayer request is for the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug, also on the island. We are praying with them as they pray to raise approximately $3,000 for their property. Our friends at Love in Action Ministries are helping us raise the money. They are accepting the donations for us and will send the money to Pastor Clemente Gumapit. As of right now, we have $500 raised toward our goal. Please pray as we continue to seek God's provision. We know if we ask Him, He will provide. We are excited to see how He will provide. After the last 24 hours, we are reminded once again that He is with us and will provide for His will to be done.

In the name of Jesus Christ, who saves sinners and puts them in places of blessing, we thank you for your time and consideration. May Christ be real to you today. If you do not know Him, seek Him today and find forgiveness for your sins.

Wise building

2011-03-13T13:19:00.000-10:00

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." -- Psalm 127:1

I remember the first time I heard this Psalm discussed in depth. I was driving to my parents' house the day my ex-wife moved out. I was listening to the radio, and James MacDonald and Walk in the Word came on the radio. His entire sermon was based on that Psalm.

Now, consider that day. My heart was shattered, and as I pulled up to the redlight in Montgomery, Ala., that first verse came on the radio. It's hard to describe the emotions I had that day, but I was certainly aware that God was speaking to me. Certainly, it is frustrating to try to build what God is not building.

As we begin this work, we ask you to pray for us at Homegrown Harvesters. We are small right now. We have a vision we believe God is giving to us. But we want to make sure that we build our "house" of ministry as God wants it. Please pray for us, that we will only build what God builds. In fact, pray that we will not build anything. Pray that we will only be the tools God uses to build His work here.

In Christ,
Micah Lewter

Reminders

2011-03-10T14:40:00.000-10:00

Aloha good folks. This post is a reminder of our two needs we are facing right now.

First, is the $3,000 our friends at Love In Action Ministries are helping us raise for Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug. This is an urgent need, and we ask you to help us. Pastor Clemente Gumapit and the church there have been worshiping at this site for seven years, renting a plot of land. The church built its building on the property, but the landowner is forcing them to buy the property or move. We need your help. Please consider giving to this need. If you feel led, contact Love In Action Ministries through the hyperlink here. If you are reading this on the Facebook link, then you can also check out the Love In Action Ministries Facebook page for contact information. If you give through Love In Action Ministries, you can get a tax-deductible receipt. We ask you also to consider helping Love In Action Ministries on its own, because it does a tremendous work in Dothan, Ala.

Our second need is also urgent. Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City, is seeking $600 to add a wing to its building. The construction needs to be done by May, because the church will have its anniversary service then. Its anniversary service will be a time when many of the other church missionaries and pastors visit, and they will use it as an outreach opportunity. Right now, the church seats only 100 people, and these fishers of men are hoping to add to the building before the nets break. We do not have any ministries helping us raise the money for this project, but if you want to give, please contact us and we can tell you how can help. You can contact us at our e-mail address, or if you are reading this on the Facebook page, send us a message through Facebook. We will reply promptly. Understand, we at Homegrown Harvesters are not yet able to give you tax deductions. But we pray that God will bless you abundantly if you help us raise this money.

Below is a portion of an email we received from one of the parishioners of the church in Dipolog. She has been praying for years about this kind of ministry, and it is exciting to be a part of the ministry God put on her heart years ago.

God's work is great and definitely need more laborers, not only laborers but also need resources to touch the great victory and more people will get saved. We know that God is coming back soon, but we do a little work in His work. Here in the Philippines, we are trying to maximized our man power, but we can't go beyond that since we are lacked of resources to use. We are praying God will equip us for His glory and honor. I am so excited in prayers and in action in this ministry. ... I know God has in-store a wonderful and amazing things when we do our part. He is mighty and able to when we are willing to be used.

Our brothers and sisters in the Philippines are willing to do whatever it costs to reach their countrymen, but they are not always able. God has blessed us in the West with financial gains. Please, please consider giving to help our family there reach others for Christ. What cost could be too great to change someone's eternity?

We are praying to meet both of these goals by the end of March. Please pray and seek God for these needs. May God's grace abound toward you today.

Exciting ministry partnership

2011-03-07T00:35:00.000-10:00

What an exciting time to be writing to you. We apologize for the space of time since our last update, but we have been researching some things and wanted to make sure we could provide you with accurate information. We are excited to bring you some news today.

You may remember a couple of weeks ago we brought you the story of Bro. Clemente Gumapit, pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug. If you're new to Homegrown Harvesters, let me remind you of our purpose. We are a prayer ministry lifting up the needs of the Shiloh Bible Baptist family of churches in the Philippines. We pray that we will one day be able to raise support and provide substantial help, but right now, we are primarily a prayer ministry. Thus, we offer prayer requests and ask you to pray for these our brethren in the Philippines.

One of the churches we want to help is the one we mention here, that of Bro. Clemente. He contacted us with an urgent need about the church's property. The owner of the land where SBBC Salug meets has told them they must buy the property or move. They currently rent the property. The land owner is charging them 120,000 Philippine Pesos, which is a little less than $3,000, to buy the property. But the church has no way of providing that money itself.

Today we are happy to report that God has brought us a partnering ministry. Love in Action Ministries has agreed to raise the funds for us for this need. Since we at Homegrown Harvesters are not able to offer tax exemptions for any gifts, we are so grateful to LIA for their willingness to help us. Our goal is to raise the $3,000 by the end of March. So, we ask you, if you feel led at all to help us, please contact Love in Action Ministries. When you do, specify in your gift that you want to give toward Bro. Clemente's church building. Love in Action has promised to direct 100 percent of designated gifts to the church's need.

At this time, we would like to also ask you to pray for and consider supporting Love in Action as well. If you are not familiar with them, they are a ministry devoted to helping the homeless, with whom they also share the gospel. They have seen fruit from their ministry among the homeless and those in prison. We would be wrong if we did not thank them and encourage you to support them in your prayers and with your giving as well. We are truly thankful for their willingness to help out.

The need in the Philippines is urgent. Bro. Clemente was thankful for our good news, but now he is asking us to pray that God would protect the gift. Let us join with him in his prayers.

But if you're able, we urge you to consider helping out financially. We in America are blessed so greatly. Please pray and ask God if you can share some of your wealth with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Philippines. (If you live in the United States, you are wealthier than most of the world's population; any amount will help tremendously.) Imagine if you faced the threat of losing your place of worship. We have a chance to help some fellow believers. Please seek God and let Him lead you in what you should do.

Many thanks for your prayers and your support.

Now I must give a personal note. We are a fledgling ministry now, but we have already come under attack. It is no coincidence that as God starts moving, Satan wants to attack the people who are trying to participate in this ministry. So, we ask for your prayers as we battle the spiritual side of things as well.

Blessings and grace to you all.

Midnight meetings

2011-02-23T18:28:00.000-10:00

So, an engineer, a store clerk and a pastor are in a church at midnight. But this is no joke.

After Wednesday night prayer meeting, our friends at Punta, Dipolog City, met to talk about some needs for the church. There are some longterm needs (such as new property and a new building as well as some parts for their truck they use to bring guests to the church).

But there is an urgent need. In May, the church will celebrate its anniversary (incidentally, I will be visiting the Philippines at the time of the anniversary celebration), but instead of doing it on a Sunday, the celebration will be on a Tuesday. That means more people can visit, especially other pastors from among the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family.

The extra people, though, means the church will need to have some extra space, adding a wing to their building. So, the pastor, the engineer and the store clerk measured the building at midnight (it's not safe to travel home after midweek prayer meeting, so most people spend the night at the church; there, it's OK to sleep in church). They woke up the carpenter to get an estimate.

The total need comes to 25,000 pesos. According to http://themoneyconverter.com/usd/php.aspx, those 25,000 pesos come to less than 600 USD.

So, folks, let us pray for this need. The anniversary services are much like our American revival services, it seems, so there will be opportunities for the lost to come to Christ.

Again, we can't ask you for money for this need, because we don't have tax-exempt status. However, we do ask your prayers. This money needs to be raised soon, because May is less than three months away.

Happy Monday

2011-02-20T13:28:00.000-10:00

While most of us in the U.S. are still celebrating the Lord's Day, it is already Monday in the Philippines. The Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Punta, Dipolog City, has a regular outreach scheduled for today. A women's group travels around to various places and conducts Bible studies.

Some recent testimonies:

One day, heavy rains trapped two saleswomen in a house where the Bible study was to be held. These saleswomen could not leave the house before the Bible study, so they stayed to avoid the rain. They responded to the Bible study and were converted.
On one particularly fruitful day, 20 people prayed to receive Christ in one day.
A few weeks ago, these ladies saw a man pray to receive Christ after hearing their presentation.

In addition to these testimonies, there were several seeds planted in the weeks and months past. As this blog is being written, the women are getting ready for their day of witnessing. Let us pray God will be with them, and that He will provide fruit from the seeds sown.

A prayer request

2011-02-19T01:18:00.000-10:00

Throughout the short life of Homegrown Harvesters, we have seen the hand of God often.We have seen the sovereignty of God as we have made contact with various people. It happened to us again this week.

One of our sources in the Philippines suggested we contact a certain pastor. His name is Bro. Clemente Gamupit, and he is the pastor of Shiloh Bible Baptist Church in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte. Bro. Clemente responded to our contact by telling us two things. First, the church has been praying for prayer partners in the United States. Second, the church had "a lot" of prayer requests. But one request in particular is urgent.

For the last seven years in the ministry, the church has met at one spot, renting a lot and house. However, the owner of the lot gave the church one year to buy the lot or else find a new place to worship.

The cost of the lot is 120,000 Philippine Pesos (roughly $2,800 in U.S. money). That sum is too much for the church to raise by itself in the amount of time given. But Pastor Clemente shared his faith with us, saying, "We know their is no impossible with God. Luke 1:37.We know that in the right time He give us that lot." Since the church was praying for Western prayer partners, you can be a part of the answer to that prayer. Let's join with these fellow heirs of salvation and see how God will also answer their prayers for the money to raise the funds, or provide a new place for them if that is His will.

Bro. Clemente also asked us to pray for their eight-year anniversary church service scheduled for March 30. For this anniversary celebration, he asked us to pray for the following:

100 souls to be saved and follow the Lord in water baptism. He also added, "We are in [the] last days, and many souls not hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. So please help us pray for this coming big event."
15,000.00 Pesos for the food and pastors' accommodations. (That figure converts to roughly $345. These events tend to have visiting pastors speak, so they need funds to provide for the out of town pastors.)

Folks, let us pray for this pastor, his church, and the work going on in Salug. If you join in prayers with this ministry, you will be the answer to this church's prayer. Come, be a part of the work of God by joining in prayer for this family of believers. Let us pray for this property issue, and may we especially pray for the salvation of souls during the anniversary celebration. As Bro. Clemente reminds us, the day is far spent, and the night is fast approaching when no man can work. Let us do the work of Him who sent us while it is still day.

Mourning with joy

2011-02-12T01:43:00.000-10:00

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." -- Psalm 116:15

What a wonderful reality is expressed in this verse. The moment we fear the most is the most precious thing to God, if we know Him. The saddest time for us on earth is the happiest time for God, if we are believers saved through Jesus Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection.

One of our Homegrown Harvesters received his eternal reward this weekend. Pastor Gaga Egos, of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, died around 6 a.m. Saturday. (If you're in the U.S., that was sometime Friday afternoon, depending on where you live). We don't know any details of his passing, except what was relayed to us by a dear sister in Christ. She said in her email to us, "Do mention his immediate family as well as the church in prayer to be comforted." Certainly, we can lift our prayers for the family and church family of this man. Our source told us she believed the church has been ministering for more than 15 years. Another sister told us Pastor Egos was a kind man who preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.

We at Homegrown Harvesters know nothing of his age or his family. We don't know if he has young children or adult children, or what their needs might be. But we trust the word of God, that when we don't know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26). So let us join with our brothers and sisters in Liloy and mourn with them, even as their pastor weeps no more.

How shall we pray?

2011-02-10T21:03:00.000-10:00

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." -- Colossians 4:12

How should we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world, whether in the Philippines or in Africa or South America or other parts of our own nation? What is the best way to pray for them? This verse gives us a good model to follow.

I'm always struck by this particular book, because we see the apostle Paul's love for all believers, even ones he never met. Indeed, the church at Colosse was not founded by Paul (2:1). In fact, these people had never seen the apostle. Yet, when Paul was in prison, Epaphras came to him to let him know about some struggles the church was having, and the apostle wrote this short but powerful letter.

Let us pause a minute. As we are engaged in our ministries, it is easy and natural to love those to whom we minister. We rejoice in their salvation, in their victories and in their progress. Also, we are saddened by their trials and failures. But what about those we never met and may never see? Are we passionate about the lives and spiritual battles of our fellow believers in places we have never been and may never see? Well, Paul was passionate about the Colossian Christians' spiritual growth, and he wrote this short but powerful letter to guard against some false teaching that had crept into the fellowship.

As he draws his letter to a close, Paul reveals to us the heart of Epaphras. Epaphras appears to be the pastor of the church (1:7), and is perhaps even its founder. But look at what the quoted scripture tells us about Epaphras' prayer life for his church, and let us follow that model as we lift up these churches in the Philippines.

Passionate prayer
Epaphras' prayer is described as "laboring fervently" in prayer for the church. It is not passionless, mindless prayer. He is passionately praying for the church. He is laboring, working in his prayers. And he is not laboring the way we sometimes labor at a job we hate; he is burning up in his labors in prayer for these people. Even so, let us labor fervently for those in the church, whether our local church or churches we do not know about.

Pointed prayer
Notice, his prayer has a point. He is praying for the church that the members "may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." How interesting. How amazing. What a prayer that is indeed. That should be our prayer, too, for us and for others.

Let us pray that prayer, with passionate urgency, for our fellow believers, where ever they may be. Let us pray that specifically for our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. May they stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Relying on God

2011-02-09T12:51:00.000-10:00

Welcome back! It is exciting to be at the beginning stage of this ministry, and we will get to see where God leads us.

As we shared yesterday, our hope is eventually to be blessed by God to provide financial aid to this family of churches and their missionaries. Think about it, we in the U.S. train our citizens to travel to foreign lands, learn a new language and a new culture and try to bear fruit among the native peoples. How much does that cost us? Would it not make more sense to support local pastors and missionaries who already know the culture and language, or at least know enough about it to adapt if they are in cross cultural missions within their greater geographical group? Indigenous missionaries cost far less, and they bear more fruit.

But that discussion is for another day. Right now, we want to focus on the beginning of this calling of God in our lives. My ministry partner in the Philippines has been praying about this kind of ministry for years. I, (Micah speaking), was drafted into it. I'm like Saul on the Damascus road or John MacArthur sliding down the freeway on his back. (If you're not familiar with that story, check out http://www.gty.org/; he shares his testimony in various resources. If you don't find the testimony, there are plenty of other resources there that will enrich your spiritual life.) I never prayed for this ministry, but through many providences, I discovered both the need for and wisdom of this type of ministry. An enlisted soldier and a drafted soldier have the same duty, and I pray God may make me faithful to this, His calling.

I am like every man in this regard: I love to be the solution to every problem (unfortunately, I often tend to be the problem to every solution instead). With the financial needs of these churches, I would love nothing more than to give them money or immediately start fundraising. But two problems with that arise: First, I cannot supply all the needs, and second, we have a long way to go before we can start fundraising (we need a minister of red tape to help us out).

I am indebted greatly to K.P. Yohannan and his ministry Gospel for Asia for my understanding about this type of ministry. (If you are not familiar with GFA, please go to the website and order your free copy of Revolution in World Missions.) GFA raises funds for indigenous missionaries in India and other parts of Asia, but Yohannan makes a point of saying that the missionaries need more than our funds, they also need our prayers.

So, that's where we will start. We cannot ask you for money now. But we can ask for your prayers. We are just starting out. We need prayer warriors who will join us in praying for the ministry. We also need people who will promise to pray for the churches and missionaries.

I have had to face my limited resources, so that God could remind me of His unlimited resources. This ministry will never succeed if it is up to my abilities and wisdom and resourcefulness. But if we rely on God and His promises, and if we seek Him in prayer, then we can see Him do great things. Will you join us in praying? Will you join us in seeing God provide? Will you add your prayers for the work God is already doing in this nation?

I pray that you will.

Welcome!

2011-02-08T13:39:00.000-10:00

Welcome to Homegrown Harvesters! We are dedicated to supporting through prayer the indigenous missionary movement of the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family of churches in the Philippines.

We are praying God will use us to help support these churches. The mother church in Ozamiz City, on the southern island of Mindanao, has sent out 23 missionaries in the Philippines, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. In the future, we hope to be used by God to bring financial support to these brothers and sisters in Christ. But for now, we offer our prayer support.

We plan to bring you prayer requests from the churches, as well as testimonies from the various ministries. To give you a sample, look at some of the prayer requests we have so far.

Ozamis City

Souls to be saved in every service
Power of the Holy Spirit in every service
Church members

Prayer life
Spiritual maturity
Fruitful life
Responsive heart and dependable attitude

Dipolog City
In this church, God has produced amazing results. Yet the church meets on the pastor's property in a building that is too small. When the storms come, it can be a bit of trouble. The church has its eye on a piece of property, which is being sold for about 500,000 Philippine Pesos. That is only about $12,000 U.S., but the church is a long way from being able to raise the funds itself. How many of our churches in America spent $12,000 on the parking lot? Let us join with them in prayer, as they buy the property meter by meter, trusting God the whole way.

Look at those prayer requests and consider how we pray. When is the last time we prayed for souls to be saved in every service? How often do we pray for the Holy Spirit to be in every meeting? How minor is $12,000 to most of our churches, perhaps even to some of us who read this?

Right now, we're only asking for prayers. But as you go through your day, consider our fellow believers in this nation, where God is at work. Will you lift your prayers to God on their behalf? Will you pray for the 23 missionaries? Will you pray for souls to be saved in ever service, both in their church and in yours? Will you pray for the Holy Spirit to be in every service, at their church and yours?

Let us pray. Let us pray.