Happy New Year!! January 1, 2011

Greetings to you all and Happy New Year!  The Lord has faithfully brought us through another year, praise be to His name.  The year was full of new challenges and blessings for which we give Him thanks.  Thank you all for your prayers for us over the past year, they have sustained us and encouraged us. 

 

Last month was a full month for which we give Him praise.  Both Men’s Conferences went well and we trust the Lord will use His word to bless and challenge the lives of those men who were able to attend.  At the conference in Pangisanan I was given the opportunity to speak for two hours in the morning and another two hours in the afternoon.  At the conference in Bulucan I was the first speaker on Tuesday, so we drove down from Baguio in the early morning and back again in the afternoon.  Larry Keating, my son in law, was able to join me for the trip which was nice. The anniversary celebrations at Navy Base, Dau, and Baguio Gold also went well.  The celebration in Dau had about 300 or so in attendance and I spoke both in the morning and the afternoon.  It was the 50^th anniversary of the work there, what a testimony to the faithfulness of our Savior.  The celebration at Navy Base was such a blessing, as there were several special numbers and in the afternoon a cantata celebrating the birth of Christ.  I spoke in the afternoon on “Making room for the Lord Jesus in our lives”.   Last week we celebrated with the saints down in Baguio Gold.  Our daughter Kim, her husband Larry, Larry’s mother Debbie and our grandkids were able to join us to remember our Lord and celebrate with the saints.  We trust the words that were shared were an encouragement to all. 

This coming Thursday, January 6^th Joyce and I will be heading to Korea for a women’s conference that I will be speaking at.  It is quite cold in Korea this time of the year and I am sure we will be freezing.  But I trust the fellowship of those dear saints will warm our hearts.  We arrive on the 6^th and stay until the 18^th.  Please keep these speaking engagements in your prayers. 

 

Kim, Larry, Debbie and the grandkids were able to come up to Baguio for Christmas.  It was a wonderful time.  It was nice for them to escape the heat of Manila for a few days.  Having family close by is such a blessing especially during the holidays.   

The great holiday news for us was the engagement of our oldest daughter Rachel to Ian Merrit.  Ian and Rachel met at work and began dating about a year ago.  We are excited for the both of them and trust the Lord will bless and encourage them.  A summer wedding is being planned.   

Also our youngest daughter Abby and her husband Daniel are expecting an addition to their family in early June.  We are so excited for the both of them. 

May the Lord bless you in this new year.  Perhaps this year we will hear a shout and be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.  Perhaps this will be the year of our home calling.  Even so Come Lord Jesus. 

Update - Dec 10, 2010

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed. Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.  The LORD is my portion says my soul.  Therefore I hope in Him!  The LORD is good those who wait for Him.  To the soul who seeks Him.  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”  Lamentations 3:22-25

When we consider the background of these wonderfully inspiring verses we realize that all our struggles and discouragements are small compared to what the people of God were facing at that moment in time.  And in the midst of all the struggle Jeremiah could look up and know that the LORD sees and knows.  That He remains his “portion”.  Each day we see the new wonders of the mercies he demonstrated for us on Calvary, each day we experience His grace yet again.  Each day our souls experience His goodness.  He is so very faithful.  May we always remember to wait quietly for Him.  May our souls always seek Him.

We had a very good men’s conference last Saturday, for which we thank the Lord.  When I arrived on Saturday I was told that I would be speaking for two hours that morning from 10-12.  When I finished I was asked if I could speak another two in the afternoon.  The response to the messages was very good, so we thank the Lord for His guidance.  The following day we were back down in Baguio Gold to speak both in the morning and to conduct the bible school in the afternoon.  It was a wonderful weekend and very encouraging. 

This weekend is the anniversary Sunday of the work the Lord began at Navy Base back in the 60s through Ken Engle.  They have a special meeting planned for both the morning and the afternoon.  The children have a program planned and we have a special speaker coming for the morning.  In the afternoon several of the saints have been practicing for a cantata which is being used as an outreach to the neighborhood.  Invitations are going out especially to those who attended the last medical, dental clinic at the chapel.  Following the cantata I will be sharing a gospel message.  Pray for the Lord’s blessing, and for the salvation of souls.

The following week I will be speaking twice in Dau Pampanga at their assembly anniversary.  The on the 26^th I will be speaking at the anniversary Sunday down at Baguio Gold.  On the 28^th I will head down to Malolos Bulucan to speak at the Men’s conference there.  Then on January 6^th we leave for a couple of weeks of meetings in Seoul Korea.  Please be praying.  I have a lot of preparation to complete in the next couple of weeks.  I will be speaking five times at the women’s conference in Korea, which I am very much looking forward to, and then at the various assemblies there as well.

Two Days Later

Update November 9, 2010

As some of you are aware from the last update, a dear saint from the Baguio Gold assembly lost her home a few weeks ago in a fire.  All that she had was destroyed.  Since then a small makeshift home has been constructed from the remnants of her old home.  The old burnt metal sheet roofing has been used to construct a small one room house.  The Lord has enabled us to purchase some building materials to supplement what has already been used.  The roofing was leaking badly so we are going to be able to replace that.  Plus, some of the inside is now being replaced as well, making a sleeping area for her and her seven children. We hope to have them back into this place by the end of the week.  There is still much that needs to be done.  If you would like more information or are willing and able to help this dear sister and her family please let me know.    

Update, November 2, 2010

Greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, November 2, Joyce and I are celebrating our 36^th wedding anniversary.  What a wonderful blessing she has been to my life.  Without her the ministry that we have carried on these past 23 years would not have been possible.  She has been my constant source of encouragement.

This Friday we will head back down to Manila for a Saturday morning CMPI board meeting then turn around at noon on Saturday and head back to Baguio for a Bible Study on Saturday early evening and to teach on Sunday morning and afternoon down in Baguio Gold.  We hope to, Lord willing, begin the next semester of Bible School there on Sunday afternoon, which will run for the next 5 Sunday afternoons.  We will be continuing our study in ecclesiology this time focusing on the Spiritual Gifts and the Role of men and women in the local assembly.  It should be a challenging few weeks.

            Some of the weekly bible studies were canceled last week due to the holidays and some had traveled back to the province to be with family.  We pray that things this week will get back to normal.  I am trying to be good, and listen to my doctor, and not attend all the various studies as I once did, but to be more selective.  Please pray that the Lord would give me guidance in this. 

            December will be a rather full month for us.  I will be speaking at the men’s conference in Pangisanan on the 12^th, then at an church anniversary on the 19^th, and at the men’s conference in Malolos on the 28^th, my wife’s birthday.   That added to the regular schedule of studies and Sunday morning teaching will keep us busy.  We are praying that the Lord would give us a good and fruitful couple of months.

            Our plans are to return to Sagada in January.  We are still seeking the direction and leading of our Lord in this area.  Please continue to pray with us.

            Maria and her family are still without a place to live since their home burnt to the ground almost a month ago now.  Please continue to keep this family in your prayers.  Pray that the Lord would provide all that is needed in this situation so that this family can be settled once again. 

              Thank you all for your prayers. 

October 1, 2010 Safely Back in Baguio

Greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  How wonderful it is to be possessed by such a wonderful Savior.

We arrived back in Baguio yesterday, (Thursday) and it feels wonderful to be home after two months of travel.  We very much enjoyed our time at home visiting with family and with the saints in different parts of the country, but there is really “no place like home”.  We are looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and seeing the saints here once again.  I am looking forward to teaching a home bible study again this week as well as speaking on the Lord’s Day.

October is going to be a busy month for us.  In a couple of weeks we will head back down to Manila for the annual CMPI (Christian Missions in the Philippine Islands) retreat.  We have missed this gathering for the last couple of years for various reasons and are looking forward to some time with other missionaries who are serving the Lord in various other location throughout the islands. Jim Fleming, who served the Lord for many years in Columbia, and is currently the Director of the Emmaus Correspondence work world wide, will be our speaker.  He is also the father of our daughter Abby’s husband Daniel, so we are looking forward to spending some time together.  Following the retreat Jim and Sharon will be traveling up to Baguio with us for a couple of days and then we return to Manila for the 60^th anniversary of the Emmaus Correspondence work in the Philippines, which will be celebrated at the Emmaus Bible Camp in Malolos. This work was started by Cyril Brooks back in 1950 and is the largest overseas Emmaus correspondence work in the world. 

Following that we will be beginning our second semester of Bible School for the assembly down in Baguio Gold on ecclesiology, as well as the regular weekday bible studies and Sunday teaching. 

Be praying for all the traveling we will be doing this next month.  I will have the car in the shop over the course of the next couple of weeks to have several things repaired.  Please pray that the work will be done well and that the car will be back in tip top shape for these coming months.  We plan, Lord willing, another trip up to Sagada soon and need the car to be in good shape before we attempt that 6 plus hour trip across the Mountain Trail.