Isabel Leyte 28 April
Sunday service in SOS church planting mission
35 youth & adults attended, 26 children
Most of the are ready for water baptism
Bugallon, Pangasinan 27 April
34 baptized in water
Palino Pugo, La Union
27 April
Eight (8) new believers followed Jesus Christ through Water of Baptism
22 April
Bible studies scheduled: 23
Bible Studies conducted: 22
Total attendees: 34
Received Christ as Savior: 15
Praise the Lord.
Looks Like a Church!
Aguilar - Sunday:
We invited all our contacts and their families to a fun and fellowship on Sunday. This was not a church service, but it sure looks like a church!". We played some fun games, and the Pioneer Pastor introduced himself. Then we served a lovely lunch to everyone.
After just 7 days, 56 people have prayed to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior - in the town of Aguilar alone. Many Bible Studies are underway, to disciple the new converts. This whole family has recevied Jesus, and they had fun at the fellowship event. They are so eager for the nightly Bible Studies in their home. The children are supposed to be in bed, but they never are. They love to hear a worship song played on an iPad, and hear more from the Word of God.
The team of volunteers enjoyed a few hours break oon Sunday afternoon, taking a half-hour jeepney ride to the beach.
Pray for the team of 18 SOS Volunteers who continue the Bible Studies, as David, Trevor and jenny head back to Manila.
After just 7 days, 56 people have prayed to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior - in the town of Aguilar alone. Many Bible Studies are underway, to disciple the new converts. This whole family has recevied Jesus, and they had fun at the fellowship event. They are so eager for the nightly Bible Studies in their home. The children are supposed to be in bed, but they never are. They love to hear a worship song played on an iPad, and hear more from the Word of God.
The team of volunteers enjoyed a few hours break oon Sunday afternoon, taking a half-hour jeepney ride to the beach.
Pray for the team of 18 SOS Volunteers who continue the Bible Studies, as David, Trevor and jenny head back to Manila.
Saturday report from Pastor Lew + update
Today
our team of 3 is scheduled to do a Bible study at 2.30pm with an old man we met
Monday. His name is Hosue (Joshua). Please pray we can find his house (only a
general idea where on the highway it is) and that he remembers the appointment.
Then at 7pm we have a BS with the married couple running a restaurant, where
she just finished 19 years working in Singapore and he was a political refugee
from Burma who lived in Canada for 23 years. She is Christian, he is Buddhist.
I've asked her to invite her brother's family (husband, wife, 3 boys) and her
16-yr old niece. We'll have worship and I will share the gospel. Please pray
that her husband will understand and receive Jesus along with her family. She
is 43 yrs old and wants to have a baby, so there will be special prayer for
that as well.
A few hours later…
Praise
the Lord! We found the house. The father, mother, 23 year old son named Jester
and 4 younger kids from the mountain listened to the bible study. Then Jester,
who heard about Jesus for the first time last year, asked about Mark 16:16 and
if we needed to be baptized to be saved. I was able to explain about sin,
Jesus' death on the cross, and how baptism was a step to take after you believe
in Jesus. At the end of the study I asked the parents and Jester if they wanted
to believe in Jesus. The father and Jester both said yes. Praise the Lord! The
next step will be baptism, maybe next week. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Update from Aguilar - David, Trevor & Jenny
Four guys in their late teens and early twenties hang out near their houses every day. So we challenged them to have a Bible Study with us - they acepted the challenge. The leader of the group - RJ - invited everyone into his house. In the picture RJ can be seen leaning forward, taking it all in. The others' names are Loydd, Richard and Anthony. Pray that they will be open to receiving Jesus. Pray for RJ, the leader, that he will influence his friends. These guys live near gambling strongholds of the town - pray that they will not be drawn into this.
Report from Pastor Lew Belcourt - in the mountains
Thursday
18 April. Update from Palina Pugo, La Union: today our team conducted
18 Bible studies. 37 people attended. Of these 26 received Jesus as
Savior during the Bible study. 2 were saved yesterday, so total
salvations 28. 3 people are scheduled for water baptism tomorrow.
Living
conditions are challenging--20 people in one house with one toilet,
cold water with a dipper to bathe, very sporadic phone coverage. Food is
basic but good and healthy. No stomach issues.
We've played basketball 3 times with local teenagers and had fun with them. Yesterday our group did a Vacation Bible Study and 38 children attended.
The people here are friendly. It's a rural area, so I walk up mountain paths, through rice paddies and river beds. There is one 2-lane highway that is the only road--everything else is a path off of the highway. About 250 houses in this area, along about 2 miles of highway.
We've played basketball 3 times with local teenagers and had fun with them. Yesterday our group did a Vacation Bible Study and 38 children attended.
The people here are friendly. It's a rural area, so I walk up mountain paths, through rice paddies and river beds. There is one 2-lane highway that is the only road--everything else is a path off of the highway. About 250 houses in this area, along about 2 miles of highway.
From Livia and Venus in Bugallon
Today is our 3rd day to visit our good contacts whom we had 1st Bible Studies (BS) ysterday. There were 3 BS that I and ibu yayu conducted but these are in groups of people. The last (3rd) group, we only have 3 adults in that group yestrday but now we were able to share the message about Jesus, the Savior of the world to 9 adults..their children who were curious to see us had caused their mothers to come out and join the 3 adults that's why we had 9. Then I was able to gather 14 children (1-12yrs.old) for a Bible story lesson and parents scheduled it @ 9:30am tomorrow. So we left the compound at 5:30pm and went to buy crayons and pencils and bond paper ready for our children BS tom. I'm so excited. God is working so amazingly.
From Anne, Maree, Kim & Neil
DAGUPAN: The team is doing well today - Wednesday 1 7th. - Maree taught this morning at the mothers group. She did a great job. A prayer request for Maree is that her legs are very swollen and not reducing in size very much with this heat. The new accommodation will help, but at the end of yesterday her mobility was not comfortable. - Kim & Neil were out with Pastor Gabby from Roxas sharing bible studies. - At the front of our accommodation is a little canteen and the owner Sister Tess is a Christian who has been very kind to us each day. Today we asked if we could do some bible study with her and her husband and (Pastor) Neil led them through "Bible Based Belief". He did a terrific job too. He is blowing himself away. - Neil led devotions this morning that was so powerful and passionate!!!! A real natural. - Kim and I are off to bible study with the 20 mothers we met yesterday afternoon at our seminar. FD Harrison is overwhelmed a bit. The team already had over 100 good contacts to follow up and the teaching sessions today and tomorrow (4 more to go) will reach about 30 people each time. This is not like any SOS they have ever had before. Please pray for Field Director & Assistant Field Director. It's a great challenge to have. We will be very busy for the next few days.
Pastor Lew reports from Palino Pugo
Tuesday report from Pastor Lew: We had a good day today. Our team of 3
people One Bible study with 3 adults, 3 kids. The topic was 'Bible-Based
Belief'. The next 2 days will be 'Repentence' and 'Salvation Through
Jesus'. At the end of the third lesson we ask them to make a decision to
follow Jesus and start the discipling process.
Some of the team played basketball with about 10 teens from 5-6pm, one was from the Bible study. Tomorrow we hold a Vacation Bible Study at 4pm for all the children we have met.
Today we also met an American who lives here with his Filipina wife 4 months of the year, then is in Oregon the rest of the time. Nice couple, really unchurched, both professionals retired from Hewlett-Packard in California. Her mother is 89 yrs old, a local, but has dementia and is bedridden. We are asking Linda's permission to pray for her mother.
Our results from Monday's activities: our teams met 108 people, of whom 64 agreed to have Bible studies. The Palina Pugo area has about 2000 people total, so we are making an impact. Praise the Lord!
Some of the team played basketball with about 10 teens from 5-6pm, one was from the Bible study. Tomorrow we hold a Vacation Bible Study at 4pm for all the children we have met.
Today we also met an American who lives here with his Filipina wife 4 months of the year, then is in Oregon the rest of the time. Nice couple, really unchurched, both professionals retired from Hewlett-Packard in California. Her mother is 89 yrs old, a local, but has dementia and is bedridden. We are asking Linda's permission to pray for her mother.
Our results from Monday's activities: our teams met 108 people, of whom 64 agreed to have Bible studies. The Palina Pugo area has about 2000 people total, so we are making an impact. Praise the Lord!
 |
| Pastor Lew, Herman and Steve - in Palino Pugo |
An Aguilar Afternoon - Trevor Phillips
.JPG) |
| With Wilfredo at local 'Baranguy' house |
Jenny & I
(Trevor) are getting used to life in Aguilar, our target town. As I write this
the team is enjoying afternoon siesta to escape from the heat of the afternoon
sun, a couple of dogs are wandering around our yard, and a gentle breeze is
blowing through our rest area. It is
also election time here so every so often a bus, van or tricycle goes past on
the main road blaring campaign music or slogans for their favourite candidate,
Filipino style! Yesterday we walked the
busy main road into town to seek contacts for bible studies. We are teamed up in pairs; I am with Pastor
Russell who is staying on as the pioneer pastor for the new church. It was a
special time to be asked to pray for healing for one of our good contacts Wilfredo,
who was experiencing extreme pain and swelling in his hand and up his arm. Wilfredo has invited us to come back to his
house on Saturday to meet and conduct bible studies with his wider family; amongst
his children he has two sons who are seafarers and he expects one to be at home
on vacation by then. Please be in prayer
for the many religious people here to meet and experience Jesus truly in their
hearts. Thank you!
.JPG) |
| House the team is staying in (behind tree, to left) |
Meeting the people - in Palino Pugo
Pastor Lew from Indonesia reports:
Update for Monday morning, 15 April: My Filipina partner, Mary Jane, is a 21 year-old children's pastor. Together we walked up and down mountains and valleys to meet people and invite them to study the Bible with us. We approached the first house with fear and trembling--but no one was home! At the second house we met a woman with 7 children, whose husband was working out of town. We introduced ourselves and started talking. It seemed natural to ask if she had a Bible in the house, and if she would allow us to come back and study it with her. She said yes! Then two of her children spent the next two hours taking us to every house on the mountainside. No one else was home until the last house. The lady was related by marriage to the children's mother, and agreed to join the Bible study as well. The result of our first 3 hours: 1 Bible study with 12 total members in two related families (and about 7 houses to follow up on later). The first lady also suggested that we gather all the children in the area for a Vacation Bible School program, since the children are on summer break through June. We will try to schedule that to start this week also. Praise the Lord!
 | |
| The Peioneer Pastor at Palino Pugo - Pastor Paul Santos & wife & 11 month old baby. |
First day of Field Work
Mitz is a pedicab driver who we met on the roadside. A young pastor from Manila, Pastor Rey, is on the left. Mitz shared with us his many poblems and wept openly. He confessed that he turned to alcohol for comfort. We prayed for him as we stood on the roadside, and agreed to meet later in the day before he starts his nightly drinking. We know that God loves pedicab drivers! We even believe that Mitz will be in the core-group of believers in the newly planted church - he has many friends and contacts in the town. The only problem is he still a drunkard and not yet saved. But this will change, and we need your prayers for Mitz. Thanks!
In the mountains, and in the towns
The mountains of Palina Pugo - where it is a mountain-climb to the target houses ...
The streets of Aguilar, with the Spanish-built Roman Catholic church in center of town. The team is walking in the town to introduce ourselves, to pray over the town, and to get the lie-of-the-land. Trevor is wearing his Aussie Outback Spectacular hat - quite a hit with the locals!
The streets of Aguilar, with the Spanish-built Roman Catholic church in center of town. The team is walking in the town to introduce ourselves, to pray over the town, and to get the lie-of-the-land. Trevor is wearing his Aussie Outback Spectacular hat - quite a hit with the locals!
Newbie's on Mission: Update 1
As newbie's to the mission field there are so many things I could talk about but Neil and I are so thankful for God's provision and protection. We are blessed by the people we are traveling with and the amazing Filipino people. Their hospitality and humor is truly awesome. One experience we had was what Anne has termed a "newbie blessing" and this beautiful man of God Pastor Saul drove us the hour from Agoo to Dagupan City in theair conditioned comfort of his car whilst the rest of the team traveled in a bus.
The place we are staying in is a Children's Shelter and the kids are lovely. They are at bit uncertain about us but are starting to become more friendly -- apparently the power of the camera phone brings out even the most hesitant of child. They were very curious about all our baggage and bedding when we were unpacking.
We are so blessed to be here and so thankful to God for bringing us even when it seems so different and strange. Each time we are felt out of our comfort zone God has rained down his mercies even in the smallest of ways whether it is a cool breeze or a cold drink but we will continue to rely on him as we do his work on earth.
The place we are staying in is a Children's Shelter and the kids are lovely. They are at bit uncertain about us but are starting to become more friendly -- apparently the power of the camera phone brings out even the most hesitant of child. They were very curious about all our baggage and bedding when we were unpacking.
We are so blessed to be here and so thankful to God for bringing us even when it seems so different and strange. Each time we are felt out of our comfort zone God has rained down his mercies even in the smallest of ways whether it is a cool breeze or a cold drink but we will continue to rely on him as we do his work on earth.
Its\ is very hot, slowly getting well after bronchitis. Very one has been looking after me well. It has been very interesting being at the beginning of the SOS experience and meeting the full team, hearing their enthusiasm, and witnessing, and watching their energy.
Here is a photo of part of our team
Maree
Here is a photo of part of our team
Maree
I sit in my room with the young people worshiping outside my room.
We were woken at 5am with the Catholic Seminary across the road ringing the bells for early morning prayers. That was a good reminder for me to pray for these next days as we start our evangelism. We pray for open heaven over the target area.
International Team goes to 4 Target towns
The Indonesian Team led by Pastor Lew Belcourt has been assigned to two towns - Palino Pugo and Bagallon.
Pastor Lew reports:
Today Steve, Herman and I (Lew) arrived with our team of 20 church planting volunteers and the pioneering pastor in Palino Pugo, La Union, a remote area of northern Philippines on the way to Baguio City. We will reach out to the 1500 people who live in the mountains here. Unfortunately no signal here at the base camp. I have walked up the mountain a little way to get signal and check messages before going to bed. The two houses that are our base camp are the only ones for about 1 kilometer. I can see the lights of houses at the top of the mountain-that is our target area. I have been invited to preach in a local church, will travel 30 minutes by motorcycle to get there. Livia and Venus arrived safely in Bugallon this afternoon, and after cleaning the school classrooms in which they are sleeping, were resting. Please pray for us--this will be challenging! God bless you.
Venus reports thateveryone had good sleep last night. The boys and ladies have separate classrooms at the Bugallon Elementary School.
Pastor Lew reports:
Today Steve, Herman and I (Lew) arrived with our team of 20 church planting volunteers and the pioneering pastor in Palino Pugo, La Union, a remote area of northern Philippines on the way to Baguio City. We will reach out to the 1500 people who live in the mountains here. Unfortunately no signal here at the base camp. I have walked up the mountain a little way to get signal and check messages before going to bed. The two houses that are our base camp are the only ones for about 1 kilometer. I can see the lights of houses at the top of the mountain-that is our target area. I have been invited to preach in a local church, will travel 30 minutes by motorcycle to get there. Livia and Venus arrived safely in Bugallon this afternoon, and after cleaning the school classrooms in which they are sleeping, were resting. Please pray for us--this will be challenging! God bless you.
Venus reports thateveryone had good sleep last night. The boys and ladies have separate classrooms at the Bugallon Elementary School.
Venus and Livia
The Aussies are in two towns - Dagupan City and Aguilar. Anne Cock reports|
Dagupan is a well established orphanage / boarding school with many inroads into the community already. We woke at 4am with the Catholic call to prayer broadcast from the seminary across the road. I'm excited to be here and start our time with worship today. (Neil & Kim and Marie are together with Anne)
Jenny and Trevor Phillips are together with David at Aguilar. 21 team members are living in the various rooms of this house, seen in the early light of dawn
Filipino SOS Volunteers learn from the manual what is expected on an SOS team. Then they are tested on their knowledge. Here are the winners of the test.
They are given a USB drive loaded with resources for pioneer pastors, and Bible helps. The USB drives were prepared from Pastor Rey Calusay's library, with the help of the Gateway Baptist Church Life Group that meets at John & Jan Manning's house.
Now they are on the road by bus to 5 different target towns - to put it all into practice! Stay tuned ...
They are given a USB drive loaded with resources for pioneer pastors, and Bible helps. The USB drives were prepared from Pastor Rey Calusay's library, with the help of the Gateway Baptist Church Life Group that meets at John & Jan Manning's house.
Now they are on the road by bus to 5 different target towns - to put it all into practice! Stay tuned ...
Aussies & Indonesians ... in the Philippines
Five people from Indonesia and seven from Brisbane met for the first time on April 11. Pastor Rey Calusay was our teacher, and we learned the basics of SOS church planting. We talked about the structure of the SOS teams that we would be joining, and the principles of spiritual warfare. We ate Filipino food in the food court at the mall and we started to adapt and acclimatise.On April 12 we rode the bus for 7 hours to La Union province to one of the training venues in the town of Ago-o. Zenadia Calusay is training 100 people of all ages. On April 13 they will go out to 5 different target towns where churches will be planted. We will be going with them - another bus ride!
We will be assigned to one of the towns in the province of Pangasinan. Everyone is waiting to know their assignment. Watch this space...
Team training in Manila
We have arrived well and are now getting ready to drive to Agoo. a 7 hours journey north of Manila. Yesterday we had some team building time and some great teaching from Pastor Rey about spiritual warfare. Luke 11:14-22 and Ephesians 6. A good and timely reminder of who we are in Jesus and the battle that He has already won in heaven.
We are excited and anticipating open doors for meeting and teaching and leading people to know Jesus. This is so different from our everyday lives.... Thank you God. Help this experience to rub off on us and inspire us as we return to Australia.
Preparing for SOS 2013
A Filipino meal in Brisbane Australia helps to set the scene.
Pastor Rey Calusay comments: "Fantastic.. there is nothing more inspiring to see than the koinonia/partnership in the furtherance of the gospel.. praise the Lord."
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