Having just returned from our recent trip to the Philippines, we would like to take the time to thank everyone for their prayers and support for us while we were gone. We stayed quite busy with our travels and many services that we participated in. It was wonderful to have Brother Steve Schuette and his wife Nicole, along with Brother Jonathan Timm and his wife Roseanne with us. They were a great help to me and a blessing to the people they met. We first arrived to have services with Brother Rolly Andig in Bulacan, Manila. After the services that morning three people were baptized.
From Manila we travelled to the island of Negros. After arriving we travelled to Karabalan to be in services with Bro. Ariola whom we’ve known for many years. This was the first opportunity for me to be in service with him at his church. He has a nice group of people that gathered in for the services. They love to do missionary work out in the mountains near where they live. They have a group of young people that go and sing for the glory of the Lord. We were with this group two different days and had time for some wonderful fellowship and testimonies about what the Lord is doing.
Next we had a night of fellowship and singing with the group in Handumanin. This is one of the first groups that I had fellowship within the Negros area many years ago. Brother Aldoray and his family are always hospitable towards us.
We spent two days with Brother Conception in the city of Sagay where he is very busy with many projects trying to find a way to get the Message to the people of his area. We first met with the dean of a college and his staff. Here Bro Conception is going to be starting a class on moral values using the Word of God as his foundation. Next we went to a house where they have a weekly meeting to pray and study the Word of God. We testified and shared the Word of God with this group and had a time of fellowship after the meeting.
Later in the evening we went to participate in a radio broadcast that reaches to three provinces on the island of Negros. The radio broadcasts twice a week and is a 1-hour program.
Sunday we returned to Sagay to be in service again with Bro. Conception. Some of the people came to be with us in the joint fellowship from Handumanin. The services are currently held in one of the school rooms. There were quite a number of people who had come to listen to the Word of God. Many of these people are new to the Message and have come by way of the radio broadcast.
We travelled next to the island of Bohol for a week of services and fellowship with the brothers and sisters on this island. We were there one year ago and it was nice to see the work continuing to grow. There are many pastors and congregations from the denominational churches who are listening to the Voice of the Prophet with a great interest in the Word of God.
Here we are with some of the new people who are coming together to fellowship with the believers to hear more of the wonderful Gospel that has been delivered to us in this last day. Brother Mario and his group along with some other ministers gathered together to meet with us at their church to hear more about the Message.
We travelled to Bro. Joe Cutin’s which is one of the new churches Worldwide Missionary Outreach has built for the believers in this area. Our van was not able to navigate the roads to the new church so we left the van and continued on foot the rest of the way to the church. There was only a portion of the people who could make it out that night due to the rough conditions. Many more come to their Sunday morning services but we were only able to attend this night. It was quite a remarkable sight as we stood in the dark waiting for the people to arrive as we looked out through the jungle we saw little beacons of light coming from different directions. These were the flashlights of the believers lighting their path so they could find their way to this humble little church.
Next we went to meet with a group who are currently meeting in a house. Brother Sim is pastoring this group and has been working with Brother Felix for some time. We had a wonderful time of preaching and fellowship. Afterwards we had a baptism across the street from the house. It was a beautiful place on the ocean and Bro. Steve Schuette baptized these five souls.
We travelled in the afternoon to Mubini to meet with the school superintendent of a small grade school. We were invited to come and speak to the children about what we were doing, and were asked to have prayer with them when we were finished. After this we went to where Brother Fanny has his services. He currently worships with his congregation under these tarps. The Lord has been adding to this group and they are praying that a way might be made for them to have a building to worship in.
On Friday, our last day on the island of Bohol, we had a joint fellowship at Brother Felix’s church. There was quite a group of people that were gathered together along with many of the new pastors in the area. This is another of the churches that was recently built by Worldwide Missionary Outreach for the believers to be able to come together and worship.
After the service we had a time of questions and answers with the ministers to try to help answer the questions that they had about the Message. Voice of God has recently sent books and pictures to Brother Felix who is responsible for distributing the material to the ministers in this area. They were very happy to be in the services and receive the material while we were there.
Our last Sunday we were in Manila for a joint fellowship with Bro. Rolly and Bro. Benny. We rented this school so we could seat all the people. There was a small group of soldiers who came from the hospital to hear the Word of God, and be prayed for at the end of the service. After the service we had some fellowship and singing and said our goodbyes, until we meet again.
The work never ends; it is but a continuation of the things that God began. We leave with the promise that if we don’t see you again on this earth we’ll meet you in heaven. The memories of the Philippines will remain with us, but there are still other places to go. May we always be busy to do the work of the Father while there is light; the night is coming when we will no longer be able to work. God give us the grace and the strength to continue on for Him. A heartfelt thanks to Bro. Alex Zanoni and Bro. Rolly Andig who went with us to keep us safe and comfortable as we travelled. Also thanks to Bro. Benny Conte and all the WMO Philippine team as well as those at home who sacrificed that we might go.
Bro. Ron Perry