Same-Sex Marriage

   

 

My Dear Co-Workers in the Gospel and whoever else who may see this article on line,

As you no doubt know we are currently in a same sex marriage debate and postal survey in Australia and almost every time you turn on the television you will hear about this debate.

God designed the rainbow and it is an incredibly beautiful sign. Something we can look at with awe and remember that it signifies the promise God made to mankind that He will never again destroy every living being through a world flood as He did in the days on Noah. If you would like to read about this event please look at Genesis chapter 6 through chapter 9 with particular reference to the creation of the rainbows in Genesis 9:8-17 and the purpose of this beautiful sign.

God created marriage also which is even more beautiful than a rainbow (in my opinion). We can read completely how God created a man from dust and then a woman from the man’s rib which would complete him and give him joy and fulfillment in more ways than one. To be his companion and partner as he passed through life. I have been married for 33 years and for most of that time Deb’s and my marriage has been utterly beautiful. As we continue to experience our God designed marriage, we stand in awe at this creation of God. God created marriage to be between a man and a woman. This is not negotiable and can be plainly understood as we read through the early chapters of Genesis. It is not God’s plan that 2 men or 2 women use His invention of marriage as it was not designed for them. Marriage is sacred and is an ordinance for only 2 people of opposite sex. Just like the rainbow, marriage is God’s design and it is beautiful.

So we have a beautiful rainbow that has been hijacked to the extent that it signifies today to most people something totally different than God intended and something that God opposes.

And now, during these very days, some in Australia are trying to change God’s marriage design as well.

I will be voting NO without doubt as I do not want to and will not go against God’s plan.

I believe that Satan hates the rainbow, marriage and all of God’s promises and will continue to try to destroy all of them, right up until the day that our Lord Jesus returns to get those that have been saved through His giving of His life on the cross as payment for our sin. I will not agree!

So in short – Vote NO. 

As for how we personally look on homosexuals: Well they are people the same as we are and God loves them as much as He does me and He desires a relationship totally as much with them as He does with me. They can come to God through Christ just like I did some 35 years ago.

Just last month we invited a homosexual man to have lunch with us and we enjoy his company. We have shared God’s word with many homosexual people and have seen some get saved by placing their trust in Jesus. We have also seen homosexual people change their practices as they have matured in Christ, and they have married people of a different gender to themselves and have had children. In one of our outreaches in the mountains, 2 homosexual men who are living with each other are currently listening to God’s Word after many, many years of being together. We will see what God’s powerful Spirit will do in their lives if they are saved.

So we are not homophobic nor do we hate homosexual people – quite the opposite. We do want what God wants though and we will strive for it – even though we fall short at times ourselves in different areas and fail and can even be hypocritical.

There is so, so much more that could be said but it has already been said and you have heard it already. My encouragement is that we just look to God’s word when we make this vote.

If you disagree with me – please do it quietly as I am not writing this article to get into a debate or hurt anybody or to cause conflict. But we live in a democracy and I don’t agree with gagging people through anger and vilification when they do not agree with Same Sex Marriage that is contrary to God’s design.

Heaps of Love to you (even if you disagree with me)

Paul

PS ---- this is a circular letter that has been written by Paul Howells and is not aimed at any individual in particular. 

Personal stuff.....!

It was our beautiful son’s first birthday ever in his life without us last week (Sept 7). This was very sad for us but probably pretty okay for Jubab!  His days seem to be very full and he told us today that he has been tired, tired, tired!! But he looks good whenever we see him over video calls and he is enjoying his bible school studies.

There are weekly sports activities at college like flag football and soccer which Jubab is really enjoying and it gives his mind a chance to unwind, catch the fresh air and have some fun.

During our trip to Australia from Aug 4-Sept 9, we were able to do everything we hoped we would be able to and even more. God hugely blessed our visit there and we had many special times with family: joyful times and some painful times mixed together.

It was so good to see Paul’s Mum again and to see her looking good in spite of a very painful time she’s been going through as she waits for knee replacement surgery.

We spent time with Paul’s little sis and her family and my little brother and his family and got to see nieces and nephews which we loved!

My Mom had been going through some tough times with the aftermath of Dad’s battle with cancer and because of her exhaustion after caring for him so bravely and tirelessly to the end…… she was over exhausted to the point she couldn’t sleep well and her heart was playing up. It was so good to be with her on the trip back home to Brisbane after she’d away for 3 weeks with my brother and his family in Perth. It meant we could go with her to her doctor and monitor how she improved with the medications he gave her, and we were able to go visit Dad’s grave, help Mom choose a headstone and help Mom sort through some of Dad’s things. It made me miss Dad so much more to be back at Mom and Dad’s home, seeing his toothbrush and comb and shaver in the bathroom and all of his things……we even ate the last of the groceries that he had bought during his last shopping trip with Mom, even some potatoes and onions were still left. So as you can imagine, there were many moments when the tears felt very, very close and often spilled over.  I don’t know if God told Dad that we planted lavender and azaleas on his grave that day, where his earthly body lies waiting for the resurrection, and if Dad would have thought it was good use of our remaining time here on earth if he did know, but that thought made me smile and get teary at the same time. It made us feel a bit better anyway, that his grave looked a bit more cared for while we wait for the dirt to settle and the headstone to be made.

It was another painful time to say goodbye to Mom and leave her knowing there is still so much to do and she is still very weary and dealing with a lot of the aftermath of stress, but we hope we can visit her again before too many months go by and we know God is caring for her and providing for her and that she will get through this.

We got back to the Philippines the day before yesterday and Paul came down with a stomach bug of some sort – not too bad but keeping him feeling a bit miserable. Yesterday we took the day to re-group, buy some groceries and rest a bit….. but today (HURRAY!!!!) we are back into the translation work with the team in Lapoc and we are hoping to have the Gospel of John totally finished by next week!! Matthew chapter 2 is being drafted as well. 

It was our 33^rd wedding anniversary while we were away – we were actually on a plane flying to Australia that day but we count ourselves hugely blessed to have been married for 33 years and to have spent all of those years in missions!!!  

Today is Sept 13, 2017……. The rest of this week holds a lot more challenges, daily chores and daily choices and decisions, a lot to get done on the translation but with the promise of our Lord Jesus that He will be with us always………..

(It’s sort of a quirky anniversary photo but we thought we’d share it with you anyway!)

Gorgeous children.....!

Gorgeous children from the San Aquino church, praising God with their beautiful little voices yesterday. Paul preached his heart out there for one and a half hours on John 18 and 19, our newest portion of translated scripture! Starting today on the very last book of the Tala-Andig New Testament that we have to translate - the Gospel of Matthew!!

Paul and Deb's week......

This last week since arriving back from Australia, we have washed off a lot of ink (thanks to the printer we packed in our suitcase inside 3 layers of plastic bags and a waterproof duffel bag which still managed to leak ink through onto some other stuff), we’ve gotten a bit of rest, gotten our house back into working order and have got back into translation again. God has given us amazing progress -- We finished John 17 and well into the process for John 18-20.

Also last Thursday our daughter Jen and her hubby Udi came out to see us and cried with us about Dad’s (Grandpa’s) passing away and we were able to share with them all the details that they were wondering about.

Paul also did a trip in to Lapoc and got some work done in there and I was able to do some gardening that I’d been wanting to do for some time.

On Friday we made a long overdue visit to the dentist and also had a day of unexpected but very welcome visitors including Angel and Marjun with their newborn baby Clint (photo above) who I just loved cuddling with. That day was a real delight!

So today we are launched into a new week – another big one Lord willing on the translation. It is amazing and surreal to be getting so close now to finishing the Tala-Andig New Testament.

Also please pray for us as we make another trip back to Australia on August 24 for 16 days. We had already bought the tickets for this trip a couple of months ago, feeling the Lord urging us to go and see Paul’s Mum who hasn’t been well (we haven’t seen her for 2 ½ years) and also to go and visit my Dad and Mom as we thought Dad’s time was almost at an end here on earth. As you know the Lord did take Dad and we were able to do an emergency trip home and were able to communicate with him before he left. God’s plans are perfect.

So we have the tickets to go first to Perth and then to Brisbane and then home here again to the Philippines so we will go ahead also with these plans. My Mom is currently in Perth with my brother and his family so we will see them briefly but then spend 4-5 days with Paul’s Mum and the rest of his family also. From there we will go with my Mom to Brisbane and help her with whatever she wants us to do. It is probable that we will help her pack up the house and she will move to Perth permanently. Anyway we will be there and help her in whatever capacity she wants us to during that time.

Thank you so, so much for all your prayers for our family as we go through this time of grieving and adjusting to the loss of Dad and for the many things that have to be done so that Mom can be settled in this new part of her journey.

Our last days with Dad.....

This was our last photo with Dad. Taken about 2 hours after we arrived. We had long delays with our flights and a frantic message as we were driving from the airport saying, “Sis, how far away are you? Please hurry…..” We were wondering what God’s plan was for us and if we would arrive too late, but God gave us the beautiful gift of 2 hours with Dad where he was able to respond to us before he lapsed into unconsciousness. All that night and the whole next day our family was at Dad’s bedside, holding his hands, talking to him, keeping him as comfortable as we could. His breathing was very labored which was heartbreaking to listen to.

At 10:50pm on Sunday evening, July 23^rd, 30 hours after we arrived, our Lord Jesus took Dad and brought him into His own presence. Dad died very peacefully with our arms around him, and we give glory to God and are so thankful for His plan for Dad’s last days. During Dad’s last week on earth, he was still able to have his weekly bible study and drive Mom to the grocery store for their weekly outing which was amazing. Only for his last 3 days was he confined to bed, and in his own home as he wanted it to be.

Since Dad passed into glory, our family has just clung together, sharing our grief, our memories of Dad, and working through all the things together that we face now that Dad is no longer here with us. Mom is very tired but is doing okay and keeping strong. 

We have been cushioned on all sides by the outpouring of love and prayers from all of you! Thank you so, so much!  All I can say is that there has been so, so much LOVE.

Paul and I plan to return to the Philippines on August 4 (1 week after the funeral). We praise God that we were able to be here with Dad and our family during this time. Mom will probably be going to WA with Bobby at about the same time we go to the Philippines. I wonder what God’s next chapter is for us all.

For those of you who can attend, Dad’s funeral is on Friday, July 28. We are having a memorial service at Kingsridge Baptist Church, at 11:30 am at 12 Portia St, Kingston. At 3:00 pm there will be a viewing at the Mt Gravatt Cemetery Chapel which is at 582 Mains Road, Macgregor followed by the burial at 3:30.

About my Dad....

My Mom just called this morning as Paul was on his way up to Lapoc. She said that Dad is not responsive this morning, and is not waking up. Dad has been progressively getting weaker and weaker with his cancer the past weeks and his pain has been increasing terribly. Thankfully I was able to contact Paul and he turned around straight away and arrived back home a few minutes ago.

Right now we are trying to book tickets to get to Brisbane as quickly as possible. The palliative care doctor said we should return home as soon as we can and encouraged us to talk to Dad on the phone which we did and we heard his voice although it was very weak.

Just wanted to let you know. Our hearts are very heavy right now, tears falling as we write this. Please pray for our family and pray for all the travel details. It is so comforting to know that Our God is not taken by surprise and has a plan.

Like FAMILY.....

Many of the people in this photo were part of the very first group of believers in Cauyunan that put their faith in the Lord about 26 years ago!!! The bond that binds our hearts together with theirs is so deep and so special, we can’t even begin to describe it to you. They know stories about us and we know stories about them that could fill book after book. It is no wonder that when we are with them, the only way to describe it is that we are FAMILY.

Our time with them last Sunday was so, so amazing and so joyous. A commissioning service was held for one of the ‘little girls’ of Cauyunan (not so little anymore) and her husband, who the churches there sent out this week as their newest missionary family. Please pray for them – Aybi and Jerrum and their little daughter Shine: for safety, for good relationships with their new team, and that they will stay close to the Lord.

Praise the Lord with us for one of our brothers Kikì, who has recovered from leprosy after 4 or 5 years of suffering terribly from this disease. He and his wife sang during the church service and brought many of us to tears.

The progress on the translation work is going awesomely – THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!!!!!

We reached our translation goals last month and please pray that we will reach our goal for the month of July of finishing up to and including John chapter 17.

Just in closing, we had a real experience of ‘cops and robbers’ here last night. Just as we were boiling the kettle and getting ready to have a quiet cup of tea before bed, the place erupted into gunfire so loud and close we thought at first it must be fireworks just outside our home. It turned out it was the police chasing a highway robber, peppering his escape route with bullets. He didn’t get away it turns out, but ended up being shot in the foot and then arrested.