Update - 3/15

It truly has been a blessing to be back in the Philippine Islands the last couple of weeks although at the cost of my wife having a doubled workload at home. If I could, I would send for my wife and my kids and just stay here now. There truly is so much to do. As I returned to Manila City jail for the first time since '05 the other day I was again amazed at all God has allowed me to see and be a part of in these four trips. As this is likely my last time coming over here for the company, it was a time of coming full circle in some ways. The morning after arriving in Manila the first time - in November of 05 - it was Bro. Jun Monderin that met me at the hotel and took me to Manila City Jail for the first time. I remember like yesterday the smell as we approached, the heat, the sanitation, the overpopulation, the details I was learning about the food alotment for the inmates etc. Nothing has changed in those areas except I find that this time around I see it, smell it and assess it so much differently then I did three years ago. Since then I have been in multiple jails and prisons both in the Philippines and in the states and God has consistently given me an added burden for declaring His glory to the filipino people. When I went in this time we held the meeting outside of dorm 10 - a female dorm that houses 300 women - in one room - with one toilet, which is right next to its one shower - the accommodations have not changed but ya know what has - the inmates! Praise God, it was awesome to preach to these women and hear them respond and watch their attention and reaction to the word of God. God has been working in this place in great ways. The Lord worked in many lives and we saw a number respond to the gospel! As I listened to Sister Joyce better explain the message in Tagalog (understanding practically nothing), I was encouraged to see the compassion and the burden that she and the other servants to the jails have.
We have had a great time with the jail ministry, at the church, on the street and just in fellowshipping with my brothers and sisters. I had the privilege of taking the prison ministry staff out to dinner where we shared testimonies, family moments and praises for what God is doing. Looking forward to going back to New Bilibid prison on Sunday before leaving on Monday.

While I desire greatly to get home to my family - it is also heartbreaking to leave this land and its immediate need. We praise God that He is bringing us back here for good and we acknowledge all that we need to learn and grow through while preparing for the field.
Thanks for all you prayers. Maraming Salamat Po.

Pray for the Philippines

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