Together!

New beginnings amongst the rubble

This little girl and her family were some of the ones we saw, talked

with and helped two weeks ago when we returned

from Manila after our time up there for our

missionary conference.

After spending some time in Cagayan with the flood victims,

we came home to Lapoc and the last two weeks we’ve

been immersed in the many facets and twists

of missionary life:

Discipling the church leaders...... 

A big area of our ministry involves discipleship.

We both spend many hours each week with the men and women

who are involved in ministry and in outreach.

They come to us with reports on the work the Lord is doing through

them, with questions about scripture or for counsel on how to

deal with certain problems they are facing, or just for fellowship.

Using our muscles..........

Last week we worked as a group of believers on cleaning the church

building and it’s surroundings.

Paul’s muscles ached after spending the afternoon cutting off

thick brush in the field.

Children’s ministry.........

Watching the children grow up in the church is one of our joys!

We believe that this next generation of believers will

have great faith in the Lord Jesus and be used

mightily of Him!

Part of our ministry involves discipling and helping

youth leaders and scripture teachers for the school.

We are developing a lot of new study materials for kids at this time

and also making changes in how Young People’s ministry is being done here in

the Lapoc church:  mainly in more discipleship of the young people

themselves and getting them involved in leading Bible Study

groups with their peers and with the younger kids. 

Praise:

·         Ben and Leonie arrived safely back this week and

they have started teaching Jubab Grade 8!

·         We are so thankful for spiritual refreshment and rest

while we were in Manila.

·         God is growing His church here and overcoming all

obstacles!

Prayer:

·         A new outreach starts this Monday – pray for the

Bible teachers as they go out.

This new outreach is a long way away and is in the area of Talid-talid.

Thank You......

for your involvement in this work here!

We need your prayers

and we praise God for your partnership

because the only way to get this job done is:

Together

Christmas at Lapoc

We have found, as you would have too in your lives, that our Christmas expectations may not always turn out the way we anticipated or wanted.  And even when things ‘go’ the way we wanted, we may not ‘feel’ the way we wanted!

For us personally, particularly here on the mission field, we have had Christmases in the past that involved celebrations with family, Christmas parties to attend, lots of fun, our kids laughing, presents, good food.....and we have also had other Christmases that have been lonely and hard and some – when we were new on the field and new in Cauyunan – where Christmas passed without us even hardly noticing. Back then we lived in a time where the days and dates lost significance in the face of the isolation and the struggle for souls.  

This year in Lapoc was no exception to ‘different’ as life is. This year’s Christmas was a time of joy but also of grief. I can’t remember a Christmas before where we cried so much. 

The one thing though, that has always been the same every Christmas – the celebrated ones and the not celebrated – is our Lord’s faithfulness to His promises. Jesus already told us that we would have grief here on this earth BUT that we will see Him one day and also that no one can take away our joy! And it’s true! Our joy in Him has always been with us and cannot be take away. John 16:22

The GRIEF:

Our neighbour Rito’s twelve year old son Yoyong died from

suspected typhoid and was buried on Christmas eve

just before our church conference started.

He said to his mother, Nelda, just before he died that he wasn’t

scared because he knew he was going to heaven.

He died with a smile on his face, was buried Christmas eve, and his parents

were in church the next day – knowing Jesus’ joy

even through their grief and tears. 

Destruction, lost lives, broken and grieving families remain in the wake

of the flood they are calling “Washi”.

Those among them who are believers, testify to their joy in the Lord.

Other families who we love very much experienced sudden calamity

on Christmas eve and on Christmas day that was brought

on by reasons other than flood or typhoid.

They are still suffering and experiencing huge damage to 

relationships and to their ministry but it is joy in the Lord

that can keep them going.

The Joy:

The church conference (Dec 24-26) brought lots of visitors!

The young people loved it!

We had 5 families billeted at our home which made for

busy bathrooms, a busy kitchen and lots of great fellowship!

Seventy people, including many young people were baptized during the church conference!   

Max and his wife Bheng and their family were back home on a visit from the place they’ve been sent to as missionaries

and Max was able to help baptize some of the people he has led to the Lord!

Our 7 month old granddaughter Jhamaica caused a few of our tears to

turn to smiles! How could it not with her gorgeous smiles and her love for cuddles?

So in the middle of grief, suffering, lack of sleep, sickness (Paul and Jubab both

had the flu as did many others), various kinds of trials,

weariness that seemed to seep to our bones,

 crowds of people, visitors from many places,

the Word being preached, baptisms.........

the Lord did what He promised to do:

He gave us a joy that no one and nothing can take away!!

And that is what Christmas 2011 meant to our family – different but the same joy!!