I want to tell you about Mellete and Byron. Mellete came to know the Lord through Michelle, a member of our church. She was very bold in sharing the word of God in the work place and because of this, Mellete heard the truth. Mellete recently married Byron, who is from Hawaii. They were introduced through mutual friends. Byron is a mature believer in Christ and has a ministry back in Hawaii. I believe God has a great plan for both of them because they are faithfully serving Him. Mellete was one of the leaders who accompanied me on the mission trip to Davao. She was very passionate about the work and I thank God for that. I continually pray and thank God for her and her husband. May they stand strong together in faith and be a blessing to the Lord’s ministry—to others and to their families.
- Pray for Mellete and Byron, that they will stand firm in the Lord
Last November 5-7, I, along with my wife Nhel and ministry leaders Chris and Mellete, went on a mission trip. We stayed in Davao for almost a week as I conducted a three-day seminar for the pastors. The theme for the seminar was “Wisdom for Successful Ministry”. It was a wonderful and heart-warming experience to preach among my fellow pastors and to share with them what the word of God had been teaching me. It is rather true that some pastors lose their vision. Some forget why they became pastors in the first place. I know others who have wanted to quit for a long time, but feel responsible for the people in their flocks. And there are those who look at pastoring the church as a job. But this calling is far from that. So I preached to them the biblical principles of ministry and what a biblical pastor should be and do. Many pastors’ eyes were opened. One even approached me and told me he was on the verge of giving up. He had even written a resignation letter, but he has changed his mind because of what the word of God says. May the Spirit continue His work in the hearts of each of the pastors who were present.
At the end of October and beginning of November, there are four birthdays in my family. My son Jayson’s is October 31, Hope’s is November 2, mine is on the 3rd, and Rhea’s is November 4. We have always celebrated all four together on one day, usually on the 3rd. The children, while growing up, would always ask why we couldn’t have a big extravagant affair with food and friends, but I have always tried to teach them that birthdays aren’t about food, gifts, and friends. It’s about thanking God for His goodness to give another year of life to live. So they have agreed to this and realize it now for themselves.
I continually thank God for the lives of my kids and for my life. I thank God that they are growing spiritually mature in Him. Together, we thank God for all the blessings He has showered upon us, and in turn, we pray we will be blessings to others. We thank God for providing for all our needs and for keeping us safe for another year. We pray 2015 will be as fruitful and fulfilling as 2014. Thank you for praying with us.
- Pray for the ministry, that it will continue to impact the community and reach other provinces as well
- Pray God will lead the ministry in 2015
Pastor Diosdado