As our lives are transformed by the Gospel, there will be evidence of
this in the way we live. The evidence are the fruits of the spirit,
mentioned in Gal. 5:22-23. Practically speaking, there will be a
difference in how married couples treat one another, how parents treat
their children, and how they treat others in the community. Those
around them will notice this change. This has been one of the best
'soil preparation' methods I have seen. In the small communities we
live in, there are no secrets. Everybody knows almost everything that
everyone else is doing. So, when the Gospel changes someones life, it
is immediately evident and genuine, because there is no hiding. One
married couple used to fight with one another, frequently shouting in
anger in range of the listening ears of the community. When the
fighting stopped (or, almost stopped), everyone in the community
noticed. And some people asked, "Why don't you fight like you used to
anymore?". They already knew the answer, because everyone also knew
that the couple had started studying the Bible, and that the fighting
stopped around the same time. Several people came to them and asked if
they could study the Bible also, because they want what this couple
has. And this is the prayer I am praying for myself, that the fruit of
God's Spirit in me would be so attractive to others that it would lead
them to seek Christ.
Marriage Seminar
We hosted a seminar on marriage at the municipal building in the center
of town. We were fortunate to have the head of ABCCOP (Association of
Bible Christian Communities of the Philippines), Chito Ramos, as our
main speaker, and the a leader of the missions department of ABCCOP,
Delfin Angad to assist. About 40 couples attended and everyone enjoyed
learning about what God says about marriage from His Word, and also
learning about one another as husband and wife. A Bible study was
started as a result of the seminar, and we are hoping to see this new
group invite others. Working in partnership with our Filipino brothers
and sisters is the most effective way to reach Filipinos for Christ.
Asia Area Conference
We were privileged to have been a part of this great gathering of
missionaries across Asia. While Jacinda was taking care of a lot of the
organizational details of the conference, we were still able to connect
with a lot of missionaries that we have met in the past and we were able
to make some new friends. World Team has missionaries in the
Philippines, Cambodia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Papua, and this was the
first time that all of us were gathered together in one place. We had
great times of worship and fellowship and learning about one anothers
ministries - the ways that God is moving in the hearts of people all
over asia, the struggles that missionaries face, and God's glory as
displayed in indigenous churches that are being planted. We were also
privileged to have Dan Olson and his daughters Shannon and there as
guests at the conference from Oceanside Christian Fellowship. It was
great to see someone from "home", and nothing beats hanging out with our
fellow Californians! We want to thank all of you who helped financially
so that we could attend this conference.
School Starts
Summer is over for us, and school is back in full swing! This is one of
the best ways that we can be a part of the community, and our kids are
making a lot of friends. This year, Elias is starting to attend
"daycare" which is like pre-school for 2 hours every morning. So far he
likes it, but not enough to have his mom leave him there! Imogen is now
in 5th grade and Arwen is starting 3rd grade. Our teammate Edna tutors
them to help bridge any language issues they may have, and we stay
involved with the various projects they have for their class and of
course, the PTA.
