As many know, we’ve spent the last nine weeks going through intensive discipleship training in preparation for an outreach to Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, the Philippines and the surrounding areas. We are now only 18 days from departure. I wanted to write a bit about logistics, needs, and plans so that you can pray for us specifically.
First, we have two more weeks of training. We will be discussing relationships this entire next week. I cannot wait because I believe much of our journey as followers of Jesus, if not all, is based on relationship. Moreover, our ministry, FJ Ministries, is in part about families coming together to minister to families around the world. The entire story of mankind begins with God creating us to enjoy relationship with him, man’s decision to break that relationship, and then God’s work through the rest of history to restore His relationship with man. Then, God’s solution to our separation, Jesus, instructs us that our most important duties are to develop relationship, loving and true, with God and with others. Pray that we will have more of God’s heart revealed to us and that it will prepare us to be more effective ministers of the message of reconciliation He has committed to us.
Second, we still have more preparation to do. We, as a group, are about 10,000 pounds short of the necessary funds for our outreach. That is about $20,000 U.S. But, to illustrate how God is answering prayers every day, just this past Thursday an amazing thing happened. Four people from our class have been going each Thursday to a nearby church for a ministry and prayer luncheon. This week, a woman who also attends the same luncheon stopped them and asked if she could donate to our outreach as she believed God was directing her to do so. Of course they said “yes,” and expected a very generous donation of 20 or 30 pounds (about $50). She proceeded to write them a check for 2000 pounds, which is about $4000! So, whereas just a couple of days ago we still were about $24,000 short of our needs, today we stand just $20,000 short.
Twenty Thousand Dollars may sound like a lot, but each of the ninety or so people who are travelling from other countries to the Philippines to serve the Filipino people are spending almost $3000 each to go and to have food, clothing and medicine to provide to those who have need. It would be a huge blessing to us to see this remaining amount come in soon. Ask God if there is anything He would like you to do; I can facilitate any donations to the outreach and for Americans it can be tax-deductible giving.
Third, we leave on the 27th and 28th of June, in two different groups. We will fly out of London at 9:30 p.m., travelling all night and all morning on the 28th into Seoul. We then fly to Manila that evening. The next morning, the 29th, we will fly into Cagayan de Oro. We need your prayers for safe and comfortable flights and opportunities to share God’s love with those who travel with us.
Fourth, we are travelling into areas that have high outbreaks of malaria and dengue (“ding-ee”) fever because of the great amounts of mosquitoes. There are also many locals infected with Hepatitis. Pray that we will be protected from illness and be able to administer much needed medicine to many in the areas we will be going. And, pray that God will use us to heal people supernaturally as needed to bring people to Him.
Finally, we will be ministering to people who are in complete poverty. Some live on what is known as Smoky Mountain, a city dump where those who are homeless squat and build “homes.” Some are orphans and/or delinquent boys who live at the Tahanan Boys Welfare Center, a “jail” and place for boys who have no where else to go. We will also be travelling to neighboring villages and into the mountains to tribal areas, going from house to house, sharing God’s love for them and inviting them to meetings and dinners. Pray that we will be effective ministers, administering physical, emotional and spiritual comfort to everyone we meet in the name of Jesus. Pray also that we will minister to the Church in the area, helping to bring them to unity in Jesus and a greater knowledge of the Father, so that we can leave a stronger Church behind that can continue the ministry after we return.
Given the way we are standing in the picture it is almost impossible to identify them by rows. Therefore, I just want to list everyone’s name here for your prayers. This is just the CDTS class, with most of the children not in the picture because they were in school. It doesn’t include all who are going from the base to the Philippines.
Ok Ja, Maged, Cindy, Nikky, Alan, Justin, Chang Su, Dawn, Charles, Alison, Vicky, Marcel, Boaz, Helen, Kathryn, Sue, Dave, Sue, Rick, Liesbeth, Bryan, Regan, Tara, Alli, Clare, Patrick, Nicky, William, Elena, Loren and Lonnie. The children not pictured are Jessica, Tanner, Keaton, Levi, Elesha, Anna, Thomas, Abby, Alex, and Tim. There also are others from the base not pictured who will teach and conduct primary health care, a few additional staff members from The King’s Lodge and teams from Australia and even Edmond, Oklahoma (our good friends, Reid and Michelle McCarty and their three children).