Health Update:
Thank you all so very much for your prayers concerning my health over the past eight months. Yesterday I had a check up at my cardiologist and for the second month in a row I had a perfect EKG, perfect blood pressure, and my heart sounded strong with no irregularities in its rhythm. She changed my medications to a low maintenance program and scheduled a stress test for this morning. I passed the stress test this morning with flying colors. All was within the normal ranges for which we praise the Lord. She has canceled the need for an angiogram, angioplasty and any need for by-pass surgery. I am feeling great. I have been back to walking over an hour on most days, up and down the many hills at Camp John Hay, even doing a bit of jogging, with no ill effects. So once again I thank you all for your prayers. I have lost over 30 lbs and reached my goal weight last week. We had been praying since the beginning of this new adventure that the Lord would allow, if it was His will, for the meds to do the job so that we could avoid the cost of surgery or angioplasty, He seems to have graciously answered those prayers.
The work is going well. This week I am teaching on Wednesday night in the book of 1 Peter, Saturday night on Propitiation, and three times on Sunday. Once on “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…” from 2 Timothy 2. Once on Exodus 35, both down in Baguio Gold. And then once on the Ordinances of the church, at the bible school session at Navy Base. So we have been keeping busy with preparations.
Kim, Larry and the grandkids are now visiting in the States for a few weeks. The end of the school year for them at Faith Academy was, as always, a hectic time. It was a bitter sweet time, as they had to say good bye to several seniors and yet it was good to have another year completed. They had to move into a new dorm before leaving for the summer, which added more stress to an already stressful time of the year. We are praying that they will have an enjoyable and restful time at home. We spent last week in Manila helping them with the transition.
While in Manila the transmission on our car went. We were so very thankful to the Lord that it occurred while we were IN Manila and not on the roads coming down. We have had a surplus transmission installed and it seems to be working fine. The selector is messed up a bit, but the transmission itself seems to be working and shifting well.
Thank you all once again for your prayers…The Lord is so very good and kind to us, to give us so many friends and family who pray for us. Thanks as well to those who have supported us, the Lord has used you over and again to meet the needs of not only us, but many of your brothers and sisters here.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Ken
Friday, June 11, 2010
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Update, May 2, 2010
Greeting once again to you all from Baguio City. We thank you all for your continued prayer and support of the Lord’s work here amongst us in Baguio and the surrounding areas.
This past Saturday we had a wonderful time at a resort being built by one of the brothers and his family down on Marcos Hwy, one of the main routes in and out of Baguio. The site is located in the mountains and is actually surrounded by mountains and affords beautiful views in all directions. This resort has been dedicated to the Lord and we were the first to be able to use it for our assembly outing. It was actually a combined outing this year with both assemblies, Baguio Gold and Navy Base. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and singing. In the morning we had a brief meeting which was followed by a baptism in which 12 young people were baptized. All those baptized were in their teens or above and there were six girls and six boys. Four were from the Navy Base assembly and eight from Baguio Gold. What a blessing!! Following the baptism we had a brief time of prayer to dedicate these young lives to the Lord. It truly was a blessed time. Then it was a time for swimming, lunch and relaxation. A few of us got together and began to sing…I enjoyed that time very much.
On Sunday this week I spoke down in Baguio Gold both in the morning and afternoon, and used three languages to communicate the Word. I am truly blessed to be able to spend time with those lovely saints. This week they asked if I would be willing to come down two times a month on Sundays to speak. We had already been thinking and praying about asking them if they would like us to come down an additional Sunday, so it was really a confirmation to our hearts when they asked. So beginning next month we plan, Lord willing, to spend both the first and third Sunday of each month with the saints down in Baguio Gold.
We have one more week of bible school to teach at Baguio Gold to end the first semester of classes with them. Then we will take a two or three week break from teaching the bible school classes and then begin the third semester with the folks at Navy Base. It really has been a joy for me to teach these classes, we pray that they have been a help and encouragement to the saints.
I was asked this week to speak later this month at a local Baptist church. So we will be speaking there on the 23rd of this month, please keep these things in your prayers as we prepare all the lessons for the bible studies and Sunday morning meetings. Please also continue to pray for the ongoing bible school sessions.
The school year is winding down at Faith Academy in Manila so Kim and Larry are very busy for the next several weeks. Please remember to pray for them as they finish out the year and have to say good bye to 7 of the boys who will be graduating this year from their dorm. Please continue to pray for them as well as they contemplate a move to a different dorm for next year. They will be moving from an off campus dorm to an on campus dorm and will be changing from an all boy’s dorm to a co-ed dorm. So there will be new challenges ahead for them.
Thank you all so much once again. It is through your kind prayers and support that we are enabled by our Lord to continue in our service here for Him. May the Lord richly bless you all and may you continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our wonderful savior.
This past Saturday we had a wonderful time at a resort being built by one of the brothers and his family down on Marcos Hwy, one of the main routes in and out of Baguio. The site is located in the mountains and is actually surrounded by mountains and affords beautiful views in all directions. This resort has been dedicated to the Lord and we were the first to be able to use it for our assembly outing. It was actually a combined outing this year with both assemblies, Baguio Gold and Navy Base. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and singing. In the morning we had a brief meeting which was followed by a baptism in which 12 young people were baptized. All those baptized were in their teens or above and there were six girls and six boys. Four were from the Navy Base assembly and eight from Baguio Gold. What a blessing!! Following the baptism we had a brief time of prayer to dedicate these young lives to the Lord. It truly was a blessed time. Then it was a time for swimming, lunch and relaxation. A few of us got together and began to sing…I enjoyed that time very much.
On Sunday this week I spoke down in Baguio Gold both in the morning and afternoon, and used three languages to communicate the Word. I am truly blessed to be able to spend time with those lovely saints. This week they asked if I would be willing to come down two times a month on Sundays to speak. We had already been thinking and praying about asking them if they would like us to come down an additional Sunday, so it was really a confirmation to our hearts when they asked. So beginning next month we plan, Lord willing, to spend both the first and third Sunday of each month with the saints down in Baguio Gold.
We have one more week of bible school to teach at Baguio Gold to end the first semester of classes with them. Then we will take a two or three week break from teaching the bible school classes and then begin the third semester with the folks at Navy Base. It really has been a joy for me to teach these classes, we pray that they have been a help and encouragement to the saints.
I was asked this week to speak later this month at a local Baptist church. So we will be speaking there on the 23rd of this month, please keep these things in your prayers as we prepare all the lessons for the bible studies and Sunday morning meetings. Please also continue to pray for the ongoing bible school sessions.
The school year is winding down at Faith Academy in Manila so Kim and Larry are very busy for the next several weeks. Please remember to pray for them as they finish out the year and have to say good bye to 7 of the boys who will be graduating this year from their dorm. Please continue to pray for them as well as they contemplate a move to a different dorm for next year. They will be moving from an off campus dorm to an on campus dorm and will be changing from an all boy’s dorm to a co-ed dorm. So there will be new challenges ahead for them.
Thank you all so much once again. It is through your kind prayers and support that we are enabled by our Lord to continue in our service here for Him. May the Lord richly bless you all and may you continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our wonderful savior.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
April 6, 2010 - Pics
Easter Sunday morning we gathered together at the chapel at Navy Base for an Sunrise service, Breaking of Bread and breakfast. It was a sweet time of remembering the Lord and of fellowship. This was followed by the family bible hour.
Pics below as follows:
Mr and Mrs. Badilla, They were both in fellowship when the work began back in the 1960s
Ronald, Lean, and Joyce following Sunrise Service
Wini Mata, and Tatay and Nanay Badillia Breakfast following Sunrise Service Easter Sunday morning
Breakfast, nice and hot.
Family from the bible study at Tip Top.
Jethro and Jairo Mata
Some of the Young People at the assembly
Zeny, such a blessing
Wonderful, sweet fellowship
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Update - March 30, 2010
He is risen!!! What wonderful words to still proclaim.
Someone the other day said, “I think the symbol of Christianity should be the empty tomb” This coming week here in the Philippines men and women will be reenacting the story of the cross. Some will whip their backs until they are open bloody wounds. Others will carry crosses in long processions down the main streets of many towns and cities throughout the country. Some will even have themselves literally nailed to crosses. The words of the great hymn come to mind as I type. “Jehovah lifted up His rod, O Christ it fell on thee. Thou was’t sore stricken of thy God, there’s not one stroke for me. Thy blood beneath that rod has flowed. Thy bruising healeth me.” He has done it all. Oh how we praise Him. So sad to see many who have been deceived and who are deceiving themselves into believing that somehow they can atone for their own sins. So the message of the gospel of grace still goes out to a lost world.
The work here in the mountains of Central Luzon is going along well. We continue to thank the Lord for His faithfulness. It seems to me, that so often I begin letters this way. It is wonderful to continue to experience His hand at work and to see His blessing in His work here. This past Lord’s Day the worship time, as we remembered our Lord, went on for an hour and twenty minutes, and no one seemed to mind. One of the men of the assembly arose after the meeting and was so surprised that we had spent so much time…and he said; “That was a sweet time of worship.” It was such a blessing. Several men shared and the lifting up of Christ was so very evident. We praise the Lord that when many are abandoning the worship time or changing it into a more “organized” time that the saints here still simply enjoy allowing the Spirit to lead and that the men are standing and participating. It is a blessing. We also have a new hymn book we are using for that time which contains just hymns of worship. So every song given out is exalting our Lord and His finished work. The men’s fellowship is still working through the book “Worship” by A.P. Gibbs, it also has been a blessing.
We recently finished the second “semester” of classes of mini Bible school at the assembly at Navy Base. We call them “semesters” for lack of a better word. Each “semester” runs for five consecutive Sunday afternoon, each lasting between one and a half to two hours. In the first “semester” we covered the universal church, the local church, elders, deacons and the priesthood of all believers. In the second “semester” we covered spiritual gifts, and the role of men and women in the assembly of the Lord’s people. The third “semester” will be starting sometime in May, Lord willing. Next week we will begin teaching the same course down in Baguio Gold, so we would appreciate your prayers.
The weekly home Bible studies continue to do well and are producing fruit for His glory. There are studies in homes each night of the week with the exception of Sunday and Monday evenings. Different men are taking up the responsibility for these various studies. I am currently teaching the Friday study down in Fatima, a small village about 20 minutes east of Baguio. Last week we had 13 out at the study which was an encouragement.
The men’s fellowship, ladies fellowship, couple’s fellowship and youth fellowship are meeting on Sunday afternoons on various Sundays throughout the month. We are much encouraged at what the Lord is doing in the lives of His people. The saints here are such a blessing to us. They love the Lord and it is so evident in their lives.
Many have asked regarding my health. I am doing much better, for which we thank the Lord. However, I will need to get some issues with my kidneys taken care of before any further treatment can be sought for my heart. We appreciate all who have been praying for us, and for your kind emails and words of encouragement. Joyce continues to do well, and to date remains cancer free. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for her.
Someone the other day said, “I think the symbol of Christianity should be the empty tomb” This coming week here in the Philippines men and women will be reenacting the story of the cross. Some will whip their backs until they are open bloody wounds. Others will carry crosses in long processions down the main streets of many towns and cities throughout the country. Some will even have themselves literally nailed to crosses. The words of the great hymn come to mind as I type. “Jehovah lifted up His rod, O Christ it fell on thee. Thou was’t sore stricken of thy God, there’s not one stroke for me. Thy blood beneath that rod has flowed. Thy bruising healeth me.” He has done it all. Oh how we praise Him. So sad to see many who have been deceived and who are deceiving themselves into believing that somehow they can atone for their own sins. So the message of the gospel of grace still goes out to a lost world.
The work here in the mountains of Central Luzon is going along well. We continue to thank the Lord for His faithfulness. It seems to me, that so often I begin letters this way. It is wonderful to continue to experience His hand at work and to see His blessing in His work here. This past Lord’s Day the worship time, as we remembered our Lord, went on for an hour and twenty minutes, and no one seemed to mind. One of the men of the assembly arose after the meeting and was so surprised that we had spent so much time…and he said; “That was a sweet time of worship.” It was such a blessing. Several men shared and the lifting up of Christ was so very evident. We praise the Lord that when many are abandoning the worship time or changing it into a more “organized” time that the saints here still simply enjoy allowing the Spirit to lead and that the men are standing and participating. It is a blessing. We also have a new hymn book we are using for that time which contains just hymns of worship. So every song given out is exalting our Lord and His finished work. The men’s fellowship is still working through the book “Worship” by A.P. Gibbs, it also has been a blessing.
We recently finished the second “semester” of classes of mini Bible school at the assembly at Navy Base. We call them “semesters” for lack of a better word. Each “semester” runs for five consecutive Sunday afternoon, each lasting between one and a half to two hours. In the first “semester” we covered the universal church, the local church, elders, deacons and the priesthood of all believers. In the second “semester” we covered spiritual gifts, and the role of men and women in the assembly of the Lord’s people. The third “semester” will be starting sometime in May, Lord willing. Next week we will begin teaching the same course down in Baguio Gold, so we would appreciate your prayers.
The weekly home Bible studies continue to do well and are producing fruit for His glory. There are studies in homes each night of the week with the exception of Sunday and Monday evenings. Different men are taking up the responsibility for these various studies. I am currently teaching the Friday study down in Fatima, a small village about 20 minutes east of Baguio. Last week we had 13 out at the study which was an encouragement.
The men’s fellowship, ladies fellowship, couple’s fellowship and youth fellowship are meeting on Sunday afternoons on various Sundays throughout the month. We are much encouraged at what the Lord is doing in the lives of His people. The saints here are such a blessing to us. They love the Lord and it is so evident in their lives.
Many have asked regarding my health. I am doing much better, for which we thank the Lord. However, I will need to get some issues with my kidneys taken care of before any further treatment can be sought for my heart. We appreciate all who have been praying for us, and for your kind emails and words of encouragement. Joyce continues to do well, and to date remains cancer free. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for her.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Update - Feb 27, 2010
Once again I send you all our greetings from Baguio, which this past month has been celebrating Pangebenga, the flower festival. Today is the day of the big parade in town which will feature several floats made entirely of flowers. This also means that there are lots of tourists and visitors in town which makes getting around a bit more difficult.
Last Lord’s day we began the second semester of classes in Ecclesiology at the assembly at Navy Base. We had 11 out for the class, which is encouraging, and there are others who will be joining us this coming week. Currently we are studying Spiritual Gifts which often times sparks lots of questions. Our desire is to see the saints focused on what the gifts are and if they are exercising their gifts than to focus on the controversial gifts. But we will see how the Lord leads. Following the study on Spiritual Gifts we will look at the New Testament ministers, and those who serve the Lord on a full time basis to see what the scripture teaches concerning them.
Last week one of the former elders from the assembly in Baguio Gold was called home to be with the Lord. He had been sick with cancer for several years, so it came as no surprise. Although I personally did not know him well, he was a source of blessing to many over the years. I was disappointed that I was unable to attend the services for him, since they were down a steep set of stairs, which I am still unable to climb. We drove a group to the location, but after examining where the home was, I had to turn back. This is very discouraging to me, but I know the Lord has His purposes, and we will continue to trust in Him for our health issues.
The mid-week studies are continuing on. Wini, one of the elders at Navy Base, is teaching at the studies at Tip Top, and with the Reed Basket parents. Reed Basket is a pre-school program held at the chapel. Ronald has been teaching the study at Mines View, and I have been teaching the study at Fatima, and on Wednesday nights. Wini and Ronald have been sharing the study at a home in the former Navy Base compound. We still see fruit from these studies and so are encouraged. So please be praying for these dear brothers in Christ as they prepare and teach these classes.
The youth group had a good outing last Sunday afternoon up at Camp John Hay, the former US base here in Baguio. They enjoyed a good time of singing, and sharing and many were out so it was an encouraging time for those leading the group.
We had a lovely couple’s fellowship at our home a couple of weeks ago. We hosted a sit down, candle light dinner for the couples, which was preceded by a time of singing hymns and followed by a time of sharing from the word as we sat around the table. It was a nice relaxing and enjoyable time of fellowship. The couple’s fellowship will be attempting to meet every couple of months. Next time we will be beginning a study in marriage with them, so you can keep this in your prayers as well.
Many of you have inquired about my health. The result of the heart monitor I had to wear for 24 hours was not good. So my cardiologist wants to schedule an angiogram to find out exactly where the blockages are, and then follow that up with angioplasty as needed. The only problem is that in order to do the angiogram I had to have my kidneys tested. I had an ultrasound and blood work done both on my kidneys and liver a couple of weeks ago. The results were not good. I have two rather large stones and my Creatinin levels are high. So the cardiologist said that if she did an angiogram on me now I would have immediate renal failure. So now I am going to a urologist. He has prescribed some meds to take to try and soften or dissolve the stones which may be the reason for the high levels of Creatinin in my kidneys. On the bright side, my liver was good, which is important because the meds I need to continue to take for my heart can have an adverse effect on my liver, which does not seem to be the case at this point. Thank you all for your prayers. It has been an eventful month and your prayers carry us through. We are looking to the Lord for all of these things trusting Him for His care and will to be done.
Again thank you all so very much for your prayers and support of the Lord’s work here in the mountains of Central Luzon. It would be nice to hear from a few of you, just to know that you are reading the updates and are praying. That would certainly be an encouragement to us.
Last Lord’s day we began the second semester of classes in Ecclesiology at the assembly at Navy Base. We had 11 out for the class, which is encouraging, and there are others who will be joining us this coming week. Currently we are studying Spiritual Gifts which often times sparks lots of questions. Our desire is to see the saints focused on what the gifts are and if they are exercising their gifts than to focus on the controversial gifts. But we will see how the Lord leads. Following the study on Spiritual Gifts we will look at the New Testament ministers, and those who serve the Lord on a full time basis to see what the scripture teaches concerning them.
Last week one of the former elders from the assembly in Baguio Gold was called home to be with the Lord. He had been sick with cancer for several years, so it came as no surprise. Although I personally did not know him well, he was a source of blessing to many over the years. I was disappointed that I was unable to attend the services for him, since they were down a steep set of stairs, which I am still unable to climb. We drove a group to the location, but after examining where the home was, I had to turn back. This is very discouraging to me, but I know the Lord has His purposes, and we will continue to trust in Him for our health issues.
The mid-week studies are continuing on. Wini, one of the elders at Navy Base, is teaching at the studies at Tip Top, and with the Reed Basket parents. Reed Basket is a pre-school program held at the chapel. Ronald has been teaching the study at Mines View, and I have been teaching the study at Fatima, and on Wednesday nights. Wini and Ronald have been sharing the study at a home in the former Navy Base compound. We still see fruit from these studies and so are encouraged. So please be praying for these dear brothers in Christ as they prepare and teach these classes.
The youth group had a good outing last Sunday afternoon up at Camp John Hay, the former US base here in Baguio. They enjoyed a good time of singing, and sharing and many were out so it was an encouraging time for those leading the group.
We had a lovely couple’s fellowship at our home a couple of weeks ago. We hosted a sit down, candle light dinner for the couples, which was preceded by a time of singing hymns and followed by a time of sharing from the word as we sat around the table. It was a nice relaxing and enjoyable time of fellowship. The couple’s fellowship will be attempting to meet every couple of months. Next time we will be beginning a study in marriage with them, so you can keep this in your prayers as well.
Many of you have inquired about my health. The result of the heart monitor I had to wear for 24 hours was not good. So my cardiologist wants to schedule an angiogram to find out exactly where the blockages are, and then follow that up with angioplasty as needed. The only problem is that in order to do the angiogram I had to have my kidneys tested. I had an ultrasound and blood work done both on my kidneys and liver a couple of weeks ago. The results were not good. I have two rather large stones and my Creatinin levels are high. So the cardiologist said that if she did an angiogram on me now I would have immediate renal failure. So now I am going to a urologist. He has prescribed some meds to take to try and soften or dissolve the stones which may be the reason for the high levels of Creatinin in my kidneys. On the bright side, my liver was good, which is important because the meds I need to continue to take for my heart can have an adverse effect on my liver, which does not seem to be the case at this point. Thank you all for your prayers. It has been an eventful month and your prayers carry us through. We are looking to the Lord for all of these things trusting Him for His care and will to be done.
Again thank you all so very much for your prayers and support of the Lord’s work here in the mountains of Central Luzon. It would be nice to hear from a few of you, just to know that you are reading the updates and are praying. That would certainly be an encouragement to us.
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