We promised in our last update to
introduce you to James and JingJing Ladrada, ages 31 and 26, and their little
boy Jepoy who are the newest missionaries to be sent out from the Tumpagon
church, and here they are!
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It is never easy saying goodbye and this
was James and JingJing’s goodbye message to their church in Tumpagon which they
said with tears and with hearts very full of conflicting emotions – excitement
about the new journey before them, sadness at leaving home and family,
trepidation as JingJing’s due date approaches in two months for the birth of
their second baby and the unknowns of giving birth in a strange place – these
feelings and more are very familiar to all who have left father and mother,
brothers and sisters, houses and lands.......to serve the Lord in a far-away
place.
They have been here in Lapoc for 9 days
now, and they will be in the adjustment period for a time where everything is
fresh, exciting, strange, lonely, weird, unsettled, unknown, tearful.....for
awhile. They don’t feel at home, they don’t have their close friends or Mum and
Dad and Jepoy is wondering where all his friends are. So please pray for
them.
We praise the Lord for the way the
vision that the Tumpagon Church have along with all the other Dulangan
Churches, to send out missionaries and to support them and back them in
every way they can.
And as well as introducing you to James
and JingJing who will be helping out here in Lapoc, we also want to give glory
to the Lord for the many other lives He has used for the furtherance of His kingdom.
If we went through the list starting back from 1992, when the church in
Cauyunan sent their first missionaries, Totò and Charlita Sanditan, to Nangcaon
right up until this last week when Tumpagon sent James and JingJing here to
Lapoc .......well this would have to turn into a book. We praise God for each
dear family who left all and went to the places where God called them:
Totò
and Charlita Sanditan
Bugsuk
and Elsa Duwang
Udi
and Jen Sacalon
Jupi
and Gagang Mahognay
Rey
and JingJing Endag
Biduk
Gican
Rodil
and Annie Sinan-a
Lita
and Eloy Amba
Duyduy
and JenJen Alderite
Gabril
and Isling Sulatan
Max
and Bheng Luminda
Richard
and Diding Tamomoc
Ruel
and Irene Daging
They are our heroes and each of them
have been greatly used. Some of them finished their course and have returned to
their home churches or gone ahead of us to heaven, others are still in the heat
of battle on the field, others got knocked down in the race but have picked
themselves up again and have dusted off the dirt they got tangled up with and
they are walking with God again.
But today we want to specifically
mention three very special couples who served in Buyungon and have just
returned home to their home churches, having completed the task to which their
elders commissioned them. These couples are:
Duyduy and Jenjen
Alderite who were sent by the elders of the
Lapoc Church in 2008 over to Buyungun to serve for four years with Aussie
missionaries Steve and Ros Baird, and to help them establish the already
existing tiny nucleus of believers there, to help with teaching the Word and
discipling and training of the potential church leaders within the church
there.
They went there as newlyweds, and their
first child Kyle, was born there. Their missionary training and cross-cultural
training (working in a mixed team of cultures) took place on the job which is
difficult. They went through many hardships and trials and sometimes wanted to
quit, but they hung in there and God really used them in an incredible way.
Jenjen discipled the women in the church and trained scripture teachers all the
while, going through adjustments to being married, being a new Mum, and being
far away from her own Mum and Dad and sisters. Her brother was brutally
murdered last year, but in spite of this horrific tragedy, they still kept
going and served to the end of the time the elders had asked them to.
Duyduy served and served and taught and
taught and there are many believers there as a result of his ministry and also
six men who he had a big part in training as bible teachers and future
potential church elders who he has now left to Steve as precious spiritual
capital to build upon. Duyduy and Jenjen are back here in Lapoc
serving in leadership capacity in the church.
Eloy and Lita Amba and their son Greggie, were sent by the elders of the
Cauyunan Church, also in 2008 to join the team in Buyungon with Steve and Ros
Baird and with Duyduy and Jenjen. Their job was to help with maintenance and to
set up a clinic and to train health workers. They completed this task as the
clinic there is functioning and there are health workers who can continue on
the care of the sick and even some who have begun to understand a bit about midwifery.
While Steve and Ros were in Australia,
Lita managed all the funds for the ongoing expenses of ministry which is a big
job in itself and which she handled with integrity and wisdom.
They went through the same experiences
as Duyduy and Jenjen, feeling strained and out of place at times, working
through trials and hardships, wondering what was around the corner and if they
could make it. But through the grace of God, they did make it and were able to
return home to their home church in Cauyunan feeling a sense of thankfulness
that they had finished the task the elders had sent them to do.
They were welcomed back to their home
with a big family get together as they come from a very large family and they
are now back involved in the Clinic ministry in Cauyunan and Lita is involved
in women’s ministry, teaching and discipling other women.
Lita by the way, delivered Jenjen’s
first baby during their first year in Buyungon which helped them to bond as
they had not previously known each other apart from just as casual
acquaintances before they suddenly found themselves having to work together on
a very close basis for the kingdom’s sake!
Max and Bheng Luminda and their three children went to help out in Buyungon during the time
Steve and Ros were in Australia for home assignment. They took to missionary
work like ducks to water and just loved it!!
If it wasn’t for the ministries they had
left in their home church of Tinaytayan where they are really needed, they
would have loved to continue on. In a few years when their church has some
stronger leaders and they can leave again, we can see Max and Bheng and their
family going out on another mission trip. They are faithful servants of the
Lord and have served Him ever since they first put their trust in Him going on
8 years ago.
In spite of Max’s failing eyesight (he
has Retinitis pigmentosa) which is slowly eating away at his sight, and
in spite of poverty and difficulties, they are some of the most faithful
co-workers you could find.
They are much loved in their church and
their church is planning a big gathering to celebrate their return last Sunday
afternoon.
So this is a message of recognition for
these 4 families and their lives and their ministries and for the way God has
used them mightily and continues to use them! And it is a message also of
thanksgiving for the other missionaries who only got mentioned by name but
whose lives would fill books to tell of all that God has done through them and
because of them.
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the
ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it brings forth much
fruit.....” Jn 12:24 These dear ones died to self and brought forth
much fruit.
P.S. We have ongoing outreach work
and ministry continuing almost daily, weekly.........some are involved as
full-time as missionaries, others go out for the day, others go and stay out
overnight or two nights. Many miles are travelled every week......many hundreds
of people being taught. If you would like to be involved in this, we have a
ministry fund called the “Tala-Andig Outreach Program” (TAOP) that you could
contribute to. Just let us know.
P.P.S. Are we proud spiritual
parents or what????!!!!!!!! To tell the truth, our hearts are just
overflowing with pride and joy!!!!!!
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