Trip update

Havent done a great job of posting updates of the trip thus far.

For time sake I will do this in the form of some bullet point thoughts/facts/observations/requests

• Interesting that 2 years in a row Rochester got hit with a storm while I was gone. That doesn't bode well for you Rochestarians once we move here :)


• Bro. Jun and Sister Joyce spent the last few days traveling to Bocolod to see her family and have some meetings while there to try to pick up some support. They just returned - safe and tired (22 hour boat ride plus the land transportation)


• Pray for their support so they can continue and expand their ministry


• Their are 44 jails in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) - Plus New Bilibid Prison (30,000 inmates there alone) - they have works in the Prison and 6 of the jails. They had to temporarily abandon a couple other works they began because of transportation costs and logistical issues. It really takes so little to support such a national family relatively speaking and with their love for Christ and faithfulness in ministry, there are few better investments in the cause of the gospel.


• Pray that more laborers and support would be raised so the rest of these jails can be reached with the true gospel of Christ.


• Pray that local churches here in Manila would get more involved in supporting and participating in this ministry so these inmates could be discipled effectively, held acocuntable and then have a church willing to support and encourage them on release - you might expect that this undertaking is not always met with the most enthusiastic of responses.


• Other requests - Preaching tonight at LaLoma Baptist


• Tomorrow to women inmates at Manila City Jail


• Friday - New Bilibid prison - not sure what is on the agenda yet for Saturday and Sunday


• Leave on Monday - safety in travel


• My family - prayer for endurance and encouragement - the 4 girls keep both of us busy - Steph has her hands full by herself!


• Spent a great day Sunday with Bro. Jack and Sister Nanette (siblings) at LaLoma


• We spent the afternooon walking through Manila North cemetary - this was eye opening. It is the largest cemetary in the Philippines - it is enormous and you would get lost in it very easily. The crowd of people there was staggering, there were some funeral processions but the the truth of the matter is that many, many people live in the cemetary - including families with small kids. Every Saturday morning, Nanette (if she is not at the jail that day) and her Sister go with a group to this cemetary and hold extension classes with the kids (like sunday school). Praise the Lord that while physical resurrections are not happening there - spiritual ones are!


• Since I have been on my own for a few days here I have spent alot of time burning through the tracts I stuffed in my suitcase. I have had more people refuse this time around than in times past being in a more affluent business area near the hotel but they still go quite quickly.


• Realized that I have a LONG way to go with Tagalog - the one encouragement is that it only takes a little to build a rapport with people and in this area they speak English quite well. The one compliment I have received is that my pronunciation is better than they hear from many foreigners - I owe that to Rosetta Stone software (advertising plug)
• Many will be surprised to know that I have not taken pictures. I have very few thusfar and with not being able to bring them to the jails/prison - I am not likely to get many now.

I truly appreciate your prayer and support as does our family. God has blessed this trip thusfar and once again I have been placed in different circumstances, around different people and learned new things about the culture, the people, the need, ministry, myself and new and exciting ways that the Lord can work if only we will ask. No time to add more now but probably upon return I will add more testimonies.

Salamat, Inggot, Paalom - thank you, take care and goodbye

Pray for the Philippines

Arrived safe. Decision made thanks to DL Moody

Thanks for praying, I am in Manila and have talked to my wonderful wife since arriving. Wasnt there cute little girls about my kids ages on every plane I flew today to remind me how much I miss my four daughters... well, praise the Lord, they are doing fine.

Tommorrow (should i say today - it is 4am right now) I have the choice of preaching in jail or meeting the president of the Philippines ... really.

She (Gloria Arroyo) will be at a dedication for the new building that our company works with here in the Philippines. It will be a quick handshake and hand a plaque to someone before taking off but I thought it was neat that the opportunity is there to go if I want.

First, let me be clear that this is by no means a requirement or even a recommendation by my company for me to be present - if they thought it would better our relationship or company name then I would be there but if I attend it would simply be as an observer and no more.

Instead I can go to prison and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'll be very honest, I was leaning toward the president as it is such a rare opportunity but then I remembered an account I heard (have not verified its legitimacy) of DL Moody walking with a US president when he saw a man on the street, wallowing in the gutter. DL Moody walked away from the president and went over and got down next to him and pleaded with him to come to Christ. This is no comparison at all and I couldnt tie DL Moody's shoe... it was just that story that helped me refocus and decide that the smelly prison is where the Lord would rather I be. Pray that the Lord will bless the decision and that souls may be saved

1Th 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

For His Glory
aaron