Let me start with an update on our travels. We appreciate your prayer as our family looks forward to a series of meetings in NYC and Delaware next week. It will be our first journey with the trailer so many new lessons will be learned i'm sure. We had a real blessing the other day when a pastor in Delaware that I had reached out to originally in April and then left a message for in May contacted us just a few days ago asking about meeting as we pass through that area. We praise God that he has invited us to present/preach next Thursday, that was an unexpected blessing.
I also wanted to share a testimony/blessing that I just learned of last night that touched my heart in a great way. My family has a history of working in bus ministry - my dad drove buses for years, my uncle Dave and aunt Dee are still faithful to the bus ministry to this day and my late uncle and his wife Elaine also worked in bus ministry for many years. So I got a call from Elaine last night and she was just thrilled to share what the Lord was working in her heart about. In her years of bus ministry, she always loved doing the "little things" (which we know are not little in God's eyes) to touch the lives of inner city/poverty stricken kids for Christ. Singing songs, story boards, crafts, candy etc. - things to show the kids her love for them and more importantly - the love of Christ for them. Well for years now she has been making various handmade ornaments etc to be a blessing to people and she wanted me to know that the Lord impressed upon her to start making them in abundance for use in ministering to kids in the Philippines when we go! If you have never worked with kids in an inner city or third world country, it is an incredible and humbling sight to see them brought to tears over something as simple as a piece of candy, an article of clothing or a small toy. From Juarez Mexico to Zambia Africa to Manila Philippines - the reaction is the same. To realize that someone loves them, that they would get a blessing they otherwise would not have touches their heart and opens their ears to the Source responsible for the love that was shown them. My aunt went on to share with me how she wants to put John 3:16 on each of these ornaments and that he already has nearly 50 of them made, what a blessing - every one of them made with love and prayer. Until glory I doubt that any of us will know the true eternal impact of the softened hearts, willing hands, creative minds and prayerful lives of many saints like this who have a burden for the souls of others. Praise the Lord for the example that is to all of us, amen?
About five years ago I heard a message on being creative for missions. The preacher gave testimony after testimony of all the ways in which God has touched peoples lives in different areas for missions. There were stories of people giving up certain activities or foods or trips or hobbies in order to do more for missions, stories of those who sold off many belonging and others of people finding creative ways to contribute more to the work of the gospel. I was rebuked and challenged by it and shortly after had the opportunity to challenge the Sunday school class with this concept of "getting creative" to raise money for Bibles to go to Africa. The Lord worked on hearts and a class of about 60 kids and their counselors through prayer, creativity and work raised nearly $5000 in just 3 months. It was because God was in it, He got the glory for it, His purpose of getting His word to Africa was being done and the faith of those kids were increased that this happened. God has taken many of those kids now and grown them into teens that are serving God. Some of them will be in NYC next week preaching on the streets, witnessing and ministering to kids. Be it going to a foreign field, giving "sacrificially", being creative for the comission etc - it is a privilege to serve our worthy King and it is for all of us - our Reasonable Service.
Souls are on their way to hell all around the world and God's will is that none would perish - what more can we do before the harvest is past?
Showing posts with label testimony. Show all posts
Showing posts with label testimony. Show all posts
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thanksgiving in the Philippine Islands
Just a brief testimony about last thanksgiving (don't laugh just because I said brief - it could be)
As most readers here know, I was introduced to the Philippines because I work for a company that has tech support call centers there and I have been sent there 3x by them to train and coach the agents. Last year at Thanksgiving I was in Manila with Brother Paul Perkins. They spent each thanksgiving on the field by driving to Batongas (~2hrs away) and having a traditional thanksgiving dinner with another missionary. So, I had the privilege of joining them. I cant tell you what a blessing that was. I had not missed a holiday with my wife before since we have been married and to be away from her and the kids was tough enough. It was nice to be with some people that love Jesus and to share a bit of the traditional experiences that I would have enjoyed at home.
I cant say though that it was a normal thanksgiving. We did have a big meal but then we all had this great idea of going to pick up some of the men from Missionary Avery's church and play basketball. For the next couple hours we played basketball in 85 and humid weather on an outdoor court at the foot of a beautiful mountain after eating a big meal. When we were finished I was exhausted and was becoming dehydrated. I had already been there a week and a half working all night and being part of ro. Paul's ministry during the days. I recognize now that it was foolish for me to have played since I had to train the new agents that entire night.
Since it was the holiday in the states but not over there the agents would come in but it was the night that I had the entire shift to train them...
As we were driving back toward Manila I tried to catch some sleep but the roads and vehicle are not always conducive for a guy my size to rest. I got back to the hotel in time to clean up and rest for about 30 minutes. When I got to the 37 story skyscraper the call center is in I was quite sick.
HERES THE TESTIMONY
I called my wife almost immediately upon arriving and let her know that I needed to be prayed through the shift because I was miserable. I then said goodbye and headed up to the training room to set up. Within 30 minutes the Lord showed tremendous mercy on mercy by answering the prayer of my precious wife.
I am thankful to be able to spend thanksgiving today with my wife and family. I am thankful for my God that hears and answers prayer, I am thankful for a wife that prays for me and I am thankful that I can eat well today, will not be asked to play basketball today and do not have to train all night tonight, AMEN!
ON A SEPARATE NOTE -
The Philippines and the US have shared the same independence day of July fourth for a number of years.
As I was considering thanksgiving I remember how I was in the Philippines just a couple weeks before thanksgiving in '05 and I was also there on thanksgiving last year - '06. I remember distinctly that the Filipinos did not consider our day of thanksgiving as a holiday and so I thought I would look into whether they have one etc.
I found this blog post that gives you a touch of history if interested. (I did not verify the validity of the information on this post and we know we should not believe everything we read - except in the King James Bible!)
In reading the article though I learned first that it seems that the recognized date for independence day has since been changed for the Philippines.
I see that the official date for thankgiving for them is September 21.
It turns out that they don't make all that big of a deal of their thanksgiving. There was no famous speech given at its inception, the date is nothing to commemorate like the survival of the pilgrims etc.
In fact, it seems like how we might treat a Presidents day or something. The banks are off, maybe some other businesses etc but the rest of us work and no one pays much attention to it.
Christmas in the Philippines is a different story though. That I will leave for another post.
As most readers here know, I was introduced to the Philippines because I work for a company that has tech support call centers there and I have been sent there 3x by them to train and coach the agents. Last year at Thanksgiving I was in Manila with Brother Paul Perkins. They spent each thanksgiving on the field by driving to Batongas (~2hrs away) and having a traditional thanksgiving dinner with another missionary. So, I had the privilege of joining them. I cant tell you what a blessing that was. I had not missed a holiday with my wife before since we have been married and to be away from her and the kids was tough enough. It was nice to be with some people that love Jesus and to share a bit of the traditional experiences that I would have enjoyed at home.
I cant say though that it was a normal thanksgiving. We did have a big meal but then we all had this great idea of going to pick up some of the men from Missionary Avery's church and play basketball. For the next couple hours we played basketball in 85 and humid weather on an outdoor court at the foot of a beautiful mountain after eating a big meal. When we were finished I was exhausted and was becoming dehydrated. I had already been there a week and a half working all night and being part of ro. Paul's ministry during the days. I recognize now that it was foolish for me to have played since I had to train the new agents that entire night.
Since it was the holiday in the states but not over there the agents would come in but it was the night that I had the entire shift to train them...
As we were driving back toward Manila I tried to catch some sleep but the roads and vehicle are not always conducive for a guy my size to rest. I got back to the hotel in time to clean up and rest for about 30 minutes. When I got to the 37 story skyscraper the call center is in I was quite sick.
HERES THE TESTIMONY
I called my wife almost immediately upon arriving and let her know that I needed to be prayed through the shift because I was miserable. I then said goodbye and headed up to the training room to set up. Within 30 minutes the Lord showed tremendous mercy on mercy by answering the prayer of my precious wife.
I am thankful to be able to spend thanksgiving today with my wife and family. I am thankful for my God that hears and answers prayer, I am thankful for a wife that prays for me and I am thankful that I can eat well today, will not be asked to play basketball today and do not have to train all night tonight, AMEN!
ON A SEPARATE NOTE -
The Philippines and the US have shared the same independence day of July fourth for a number of years.
As I was considering thanksgiving I remember how I was in the Philippines just a couple weeks before thanksgiving in '05 and I was also there on thanksgiving last year - '06. I remember distinctly that the Filipinos did not consider our day of thanksgiving as a holiday and so I thought I would look into whether they have one etc.
I found this blog post that gives you a touch of history if interested. (I did not verify the validity of the information on this post and we know we should not believe everything we read - except in the King James Bible!)
In reading the article though I learned first that it seems that the recognized date for independence day has since been changed for the Philippines.
I see that the official date for thankgiving for them is September 21.
It turns out that they don't make all that big of a deal of their thanksgiving. There was no famous speech given at its inception, the date is nothing to commemorate like the survival of the pilgrims etc.
In fact, it seems like how we might treat a Presidents day or something. The banks are off, maybe some other businesses etc but the rest of us work and no one pays much attention to it.
Christmas in the Philippines is a different story though. That I will leave for another post.
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