It was quite enjoyable this year to have family to celebrate Thanksgiving with. It was truly a blessing from the Lord. Not only did we have Larry, Kim and the grandkids but ten dorm boys to celebrate with us, three of whom never have had a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner before. We had a great meal, and it caused me to remember what a wonderful Lord we have and serve, so much we have to be thankful for.
I spoke yesterday at Hill Crest Bible Chapel here in Antipolo. It was a part of my regular schedule to speak there once a month, while we were still living in the Manila area, so it was nice to see them all again and to share with them from the Word of our precious Lord.
These few days here in Manila have given me many hours to meditate and contemplate the work of the Lord in our lives over the past couple of years. To reflect once again on how the Lord has led, opened doors and provided opportunities for service all along the way, has cause my heart to swell once again in Worship. This morning as I sat on the porch of the Faith Dorm and looked over the city while it still lay in silence, I was remembering all the years the Lord has given to us here. What a blessing to remember His faithfulness!, and to remember how much He has changed us over those same years. It also provides encouragement and hope, as well, for the time which still lays ahead. To remember, once again, that “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” That He does not change, and there is “no shadow caused by His turning.” What confidence that gives as we move into the months ahead. His mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness is indeed great. So, as we travel back up the hill to Baguio in the next couple of days I return with a refreshed soul and an encouraged heart.
Thursday we will continue the bible study at Mines View in the letter to the Ephesians. It is a purely expository study, which I love. We will continue to observe the long sentence which draws our attention to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and their work in our redemption and future hope. To know that we have “redemption in His blood, the forgiveness of sins” is a wonderful truth that we too often take for granted, when in reality it is the greatest of works done in our lives and that which has placed us In Christ forever…wonderful truth.
The bible school at Baguio Gold will be on hold until after the first of the year. This Sunday is a joint fellowship with the saints from Baguio Gold and Navy Base. The men will once again do some evangelism in the mining area, and the ladies will enjoy a time of prayer and teaching together. Then on the 14th Navy Base will celebrate its anniversary and the following Sunday the assembly at Baguio Gold will celebrate theirs. So the month holds a lot of activities along with the regular Christmas celebrations and programs.
Thank you all so much for your prayers for us. May I ask, if it would not be too inconvenient for you, please take just a moment at the end of this note to pray for us, for the Lord direction for the months that lay ahead for the conferences, bible schools and special studies I will be teaching in the next couple of months. Lots of preparation will be necessary and we desire that the Lord use us not only to feed the mind but the soul, so please pray with us to that end.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Greetings to you all once again. Yesterday was another wonderful Lord’s Day here in the mountains. The time of worship with the assembly at Navy Base was wonderful. It seems the Spirit was continually leading our hearts to the greatness and wonder of His person and how that praise is due to His name. I feel as if I joined the “ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands” in the heavenly places crying out, “worthy is the Lamb that was slain”.
Yesterday afternoon we spend a couple of hours with the saints down in Baguio Gold. The roads going down were a bit sloppy due to some rains yesterday but very easily passable. We finished up chapter 5 of Hebrews and I was much encouraged to see these faithful saints coming out, yet once again, to spend a two full hours, non stop, in the study of His precious word. We will return on December 7th to begin a series with them on Sunday mornings and on that afternoon we will be having a joint fellowship with them and the saints from Navy Base. Due to the busy season upcoming with an anniversary Sunday for Navy Base on the 14th, and an anniversary Sunday for Baguio Gold on the 21st, then the holidays, our next session of Bible School will not be until January 4th. We have four hours of classes remaining for this session.
Tomorrow morning (Nov. 25) we head down to Manila. Joyce has a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon then we will have dinner with Rose Brooks and spend the night with Larry and Kim Keating at the dorm at Faith Academy. They are doing very well and the Lord is allowing many different challenges and decisions into their lives as they faithfully serve him there. So keep them in your prayers as well.
We also will be checking out the doctors and procedures needed for one of the ladies at the assembly in Baguio, as I mentioned in my last note to you, she is in need of surgery on her vocal cords and we want to see what is involved in making that happen for her sometime over the holidays. So please keep that in your prayers.
Thanks again for praying. It has been such an encouragement for me to know that you are keeping up with the “goings on” here and keeping us before the Lord. Drop us a brief note if you have a moment, it would be an extra encouragement to hear from you.
Our next trip to Sagada is in the works, so please be praying for that as well.
Yesterday afternoon we spend a couple of hours with the saints down in Baguio Gold. The roads going down were a bit sloppy due to some rains yesterday but very easily passable. We finished up chapter 5 of Hebrews and I was much encouraged to see these faithful saints coming out, yet once again, to spend a two full hours, non stop, in the study of His precious word. We will return on December 7th to begin a series with them on Sunday mornings and on that afternoon we will be having a joint fellowship with them and the saints from Navy Base. Due to the busy season upcoming with an anniversary Sunday for Navy Base on the 14th, and an anniversary Sunday for Baguio Gold on the 21st, then the holidays, our next session of Bible School will not be until January 4th. We have four hours of classes remaining for this session.
Tomorrow morning (Nov. 25) we head down to Manila. Joyce has a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon then we will have dinner with Rose Brooks and spend the night with Larry and Kim Keating at the dorm at Faith Academy. They are doing very well and the Lord is allowing many different challenges and decisions into their lives as they faithfully serve him there. So keep them in your prayers as well.
We also will be checking out the doctors and procedures needed for one of the ladies at the assembly in Baguio, as I mentioned in my last note to you, she is in need of surgery on her vocal cords and we want to see what is involved in making that happen for her sometime over the holidays. So please keep that in your prayers.
Thanks again for praying. It has been such an encouragement for me to know that you are keeping up with the “goings on” here and keeping us before the Lord. Drop us a brief note if you have a moment, it would be an extra encouragement to hear from you.
Our next trip to Sagada is in the works, so please be praying for that as well.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Greetings once again to you all, and thank you for your faithful prayers on behalf of the Lord’s work here among us.
This past week we completed session three in the evening bible school series on the book of Hebrews. This session covered chapters 7-9 of the epistle, and it was indeed quite a challenge to complete all those wonderful verses in ten hours of studies. But, what a blessing it was to once again remember the greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ. To be reminded yet once again of the greatness of our Savior’s priesthood, place of service and sacrifice, and to remember once again that it is “not with the blood of goats and calves but with HIS own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all having obtained eternal redemption”
This morning we had the men’s breakfast fellowship at the chapel and continued in our study on the value and importance of Worship. It was a wonderful time as we spoke of the greatness and glory of our God once again and exalted the person of His blessed Son. The time ended, as always, with all the men on their knees worshipping the Lord. It is such a time of refreshment and blessing.
Tomorrow (November 9) we will begin the second session of bible school down in Baguio Gold. We will be covering chapters 4-6 of Hebrews with the saints there. This bible school will run for the next 5 consecutive Sundays from 3 t0 5 each Sunday afternoon.
This coming week we also have the regular studies on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in various homes. Next Sunday I will be teaching at Navy Base in the morning and then at Baguio Gold in the afternoon, so I would appreciate your prayers once again as His precious word is shared; that the Spirit of God would take His word and apply it to the hearts of His people.
On another note for prayer, one of the women of the assembly at Navy Base is in need of some surgery next month. She has some damage to her vocal cords and will need some lazar surgery down in Manila. Please be praying for this.
Again, thank you for your continued prayers and support of the Lord’s work here among us, we are seeing His wonderful hand at work and rejoice in Him.
This past week we completed session three in the evening bible school series on the book of Hebrews. This session covered chapters 7-9 of the epistle, and it was indeed quite a challenge to complete all those wonderful verses in ten hours of studies. But, what a blessing it was to once again remember the greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ. To be reminded yet once again of the greatness of our Savior’s priesthood, place of service and sacrifice, and to remember once again that it is “not with the blood of goats and calves but with HIS own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all having obtained eternal redemption”
This morning we had the men’s breakfast fellowship at the chapel and continued in our study on the value and importance of Worship. It was a wonderful time as we spoke of the greatness and glory of our God once again and exalted the person of His blessed Son. The time ended, as always, with all the men on their knees worshipping the Lord. It is such a time of refreshment and blessing.
Tomorrow (November 9) we will begin the second session of bible school down in Baguio Gold. We will be covering chapters 4-6 of Hebrews with the saints there. This bible school will run for the next 5 consecutive Sundays from 3 t0 5 each Sunday afternoon.
This coming week we also have the regular studies on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in various homes. Next Sunday I will be teaching at Navy Base in the morning and then at Baguio Gold in the afternoon, so I would appreciate your prayers once again as His precious word is shared; that the Spirit of God would take His word and apply it to the hearts of His people.
On another note for prayer, one of the women of the assembly at Navy Base is in need of some surgery next month. She has some damage to her vocal cords and will need some lazar surgery down in Manila. Please be praying for this.
Again, thank you for your continued prayers and support of the Lord’s work here among us, we are seeing His wonderful hand at work and rejoice in Him.
Monday, October 13, 2008
October 14, 2008 Update - in Manila
Greetings to you all in the precious name of our wonderful Savior, He whose grace knows know limits and love knows no depths. It is wonderful to have such a Savior. Like one wave after another breaks on the shore, so does His grace and love without ceasing.
I was saddened by the home call of three brothers in the Lord this week and last. Last week my dear friend David Van der Noot went home to be with the Lord he loves and served so faithfully. I will always remember his zeal for evangelism and will continue to hear his voice singing, “Thank you Lord for saving my soul….” But, we know that he is rejoicing with his blessed Lord even as we type these words.
Following that we learned of the death of Noel, a brother whose family have been a special part of our lives for so many years. His suffering is past and He beholds now the face of the Savior who loved him and gave Himself for him. We will be attending services for him later today. (Tuesday).
We had planned while we were in Manila to visit today with Chito, a brother in the Lord who has been a part of the assembly in Baguio over the years. He was an active evangelist and recently sought to train and equip the saints at Navy Base to share their faith. The lessons he taught them and his active example encouraged many. We learned yesterday that the Lord has also seen fit to call him home to his reward. “O Lord Jesus how long, how long ere we shout the glad song, Christ returneth, Hallelujah, hallelujah Amen…”
We are extending our stay in the Manila area in order to visit with the families here who have lost loved ones. We plan, Lord willing to return to Baguio on Wednesday or Thursday as the Lord leads.
We were able to visit with Phil and Mary Parsons at the worship and celebration of the Lord’s grace and provision for the newest building at Faith Academy. It was such a wonderful time of true worship and thanksgiving to our wonderful Lord. It was great to briefly visit with Phil and Mary as well.
We also had the privilege of spending time with Marc and Rosa Grant as they were visiting the Philippines as well. They also are dear friends that we have known for many years it was good to see them again.
The work in Baguio continues to go well. This week there will be studies on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, as well as visiting and a study on Saturday afternoon. I will be speaking the next two Sunday mornings at Navy Base on Zechariah 3 and 4. The mini Bible schools for both Navy Base and Baguio Gold will be beginning soon as well, so please keep those things in your prayers.
We had a brief visit with Kim and Larry and the grandkids in order to celebrate Abby’s 2nd birthday. They are all doing well, and well immersed in the work of being dorm parents, which is an all consuming work.
Joyce is doing well, and we thank you all for your continued prayer for her, and for the work the Lord has placed in our hands.
I was saddened by the home call of three brothers in the Lord this week and last. Last week my dear friend David Van der Noot went home to be with the Lord he loves and served so faithfully. I will always remember his zeal for evangelism and will continue to hear his voice singing, “Thank you Lord for saving my soul….” But, we know that he is rejoicing with his blessed Lord even as we type these words.
Following that we learned of the death of Noel, a brother whose family have been a special part of our lives for so many years. His suffering is past and He beholds now the face of the Savior who loved him and gave Himself for him. We will be attending services for him later today. (Tuesday).
We had planned while we were in Manila to visit today with Chito, a brother in the Lord who has been a part of the assembly in Baguio over the years. He was an active evangelist and recently sought to train and equip the saints at Navy Base to share their faith. The lessons he taught them and his active example encouraged many. We learned yesterday that the Lord has also seen fit to call him home to his reward. “O Lord Jesus how long, how long ere we shout the glad song, Christ returneth, Hallelujah, hallelujah Amen…”
We are extending our stay in the Manila area in order to visit with the families here who have lost loved ones. We plan, Lord willing to return to Baguio on Wednesday or Thursday as the Lord leads.
We were able to visit with Phil and Mary Parsons at the worship and celebration of the Lord’s grace and provision for the newest building at Faith Academy. It was such a wonderful time of true worship and thanksgiving to our wonderful Lord. It was great to briefly visit with Phil and Mary as well.
We also had the privilege of spending time with Marc and Rosa Grant as they were visiting the Philippines as well. They also are dear friends that we have known for many years it was good to see them again.
The work in Baguio continues to go well. This week there will be studies on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, as well as visiting and a study on Saturday afternoon. I will be speaking the next two Sunday mornings at Navy Base on Zechariah 3 and 4. The mini Bible schools for both Navy Base and Baguio Gold will be beginning soon as well, so please keep those things in your prayers.
We had a brief visit with Kim and Larry and the grandkids in order to celebrate Abby’s 2nd birthday. They are all doing well, and well immersed in the work of being dorm parents, which is an all consuming work.
Joyce is doing well, and we thank you all for your continued prayer for her, and for the work the Lord has placed in our hands.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Update, Sep 29, 2008 In Manila
Greeting to you all once again, this time from Manila. This past week was an interesting one in several aspects. As a storm raced through, just north of us, again we received the backlash of monsoon rains which caused several landslides on many of the roads and trails throughout the mountains.
In a mining village near-by 14 were killed as the earth gave way beneath them. So the trail up to Lowakan Atamok remains closed to us and we have not been able to have a bible study there now for several weeks.
The study on Tuesday was cancelled because the home we meet in had water flowing through it on Monday and they were still cleaning up. Wednesday’s meeting at the chapel went on well, and a good group was out, the rains having subsided by Tuesday afternoon. Thursday evening, I started out up the road that winds from our house to the chapel and the fog was so bad that I needed to turn around and go home, so I missed the study on Thursday, the rains began again in earnest that evening.
We traveled down to Manila on Friday morning and encountered several landslides along the way, many of which left rather large boulders in our path. But the crews were out clearing a single lane so that all were passable by the time we arrived. Our trip to Manila was without incident, for which we thank the Lord. We have traveled down here for the last regular appointment that Joyce has with her doctors. If all is well we will not need to see any of them for another six months, which would be wonderful.
We spent the weekend with Kim and Larry, and I get tired just watching them and all the responsibilities they have as dorm parents at Faith Academy. They had such a full weekend!! But they are doing well and seem well adjusted now to life at Faith.
I had opportunity to speak at the assembly in Cogeo on the Lord’s day. It was good to see them all again. In spite of some problems they are continuing to look to the Lord for His strength.
We head back to Baguio tomorrow morning and have studies scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday this week, if the weather co-operates. We are anxious to get back over to Atamok, so please keep that in your prayers.
Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read these short updates. We know you are praying, and that is such an encouragement to us. Ken
In a mining village near-by 14 were killed as the earth gave way beneath them. So the trail up to Lowakan Atamok remains closed to us and we have not been able to have a bible study there now for several weeks.
The study on Tuesday was cancelled because the home we meet in had water flowing through it on Monday and they were still cleaning up. Wednesday’s meeting at the chapel went on well, and a good group was out, the rains having subsided by Tuesday afternoon. Thursday evening, I started out up the road that winds from our house to the chapel and the fog was so bad that I needed to turn around and go home, so I missed the study on Thursday, the rains began again in earnest that evening.
We traveled down to Manila on Friday morning and encountered several landslides along the way, many of which left rather large boulders in our path. But the crews were out clearing a single lane so that all were passable by the time we arrived. Our trip to Manila was without incident, for which we thank the Lord. We have traveled down here for the last regular appointment that Joyce has with her doctors. If all is well we will not need to see any of them for another six months, which would be wonderful.
We spent the weekend with Kim and Larry, and I get tired just watching them and all the responsibilities they have as dorm parents at Faith Academy. They had such a full weekend!! But they are doing well and seem well adjusted now to life at Faith.
I had opportunity to speak at the assembly in Cogeo on the Lord’s day. It was good to see them all again. In spite of some problems they are continuing to look to the Lord for His strength.
We head back to Baguio tomorrow morning and have studies scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday this week, if the weather co-operates. We are anxious to get back over to Atamok, so please keep that in your prayers.
Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read these short updates. We know you are praying, and that is such an encouragement to us. Ken
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