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. 

Ken Health Update June 12, 2010

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