Archive - White Fields

Summer 2021

The people who attend the Bible study and the children who attend the feeding program longed for a worship service. Every Sunday, more people would share this desire with me. Therefore, I and the rest of the workers decided to hold a house church at their location on Sunday afternoons. This summer we began our Sunday worship service by the grace of God. I thank God for the eagerness I see in their eyes to hear God’s Word. Most everyone took the teaching of God’s Word seriously and sincerely, as evidenced by their rousing response of “amen.” I was astounded that everyone was dressed in their very best church attire. In some places where I have been before, people barely groomed themselves or their clothing for worship. But despite their circumstances, these people are giving their very best for the Lord. My joy and gratitude are overflowing for the successful opening of the new house church on Kauswagan Olango Island.

Pray for this newly opened house church.
Pray for growth and the establishment of a building.

Erenia, one of our church elders, celebrated her seventy-first birthday. Her wish, instead of preparing a large meal for her birthday, was to buy a sack of rice, canned goods, noodles, and other daily necessities to help people in need, especially during this time of the pandemic.

On the day of her birthday, we went to the area to distribute these bundles of joy. I started by preaching the Word of God about salvation. While I was preaching, the workers who were with me were interceding through prayer on my behalf. I thank God for their willingness to assist so this activity would be a success by God’s grace.

People responded positively when I asked if they were willing to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Praise God that many responded, and I am sure thousands of angels were rejoicing in celebration. We distributed the joy bundles to the people and children. They were overjoyed and grateful for the blessing. We also provided snacks for the kids. We estimate about over one hundred and fifty people attended the event.

Pray that the Word of God planted in their hearts would flourish. Praise the Lord of the life of Erenia.

In today’s time, various strategies exist to reach people with the gospel. Sometimes we get creative. I have noticed while on Olango Island that biking is popular. So, I thought to use it to capture the young people’s attention and share God’s Word about salvation. Before we left on our bike ride, I reminded the people to be cautious and alert. Also, to recognize the signs used when turning left or right to avoid injuries. Along the path, we converse with one another. Some of the youth asked questions like why young people sometimes make bad decisions resulting in death. I shared the gospel and spoke about salvation, God’s love, and how to accept Jesus into their hearts to make Him the center of their lives. I could send them comprehending God’s Word. They started to understand that they needed Jesus Christ to fix man’s chaotic life and God could save people’s lives. As we continued to ride, the youth were happy and eager to share what they had learned with other young people.

Another initiative of evangelizing was done by a group of young people who went out to witness. They used the gospel hands, four spiritual laws, and other strategies. Before they left, they prayed as a group, asking God to guide them and give them boldness and courage through the Holy Spirit. Each group of two went boldly to share God’s Word. After approximately two hours of evangelism, the initial groups returned in a happy mood to await the other young people’s arrival for an evaluation.

Each group had a unique experience, some were rejected and avoided due to concerns about covid. Other groups were welcomed into homes. The young people will be starting a weekly Bible study with those who responded positively. Some of the youths were discouraged by the unwillingness of people to listen to them. Despite these experiences, everyone was eager to continue evangelism on another day. I am glad these young people are willing to persevere in doing the Lord’s work, reaching out to lost souls, and spreading the Word of God.

Pray for these teens that God will use them in mighty ways, that they will be a blessing to others, and that they will experience God’s goodness and faithfulness.

June 2021

Every week when I hold my Bible study in one of the barangays in Olanga Island, I noticed an older woman who always sat in the front. Her name is Marecel, and later, I learned that she does not know how to read. Despite this fact, Marecel wanted to hear and understand God’s Word. She wanted to know about the love of God, the plan of God for her life, and the salvation that comes from Jesus Christ. She made every effort to have her daughter read for her during the Bible study to understand every Word of God that she heard. Her efforts were evident as she learned more and felt joyful.

More people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are attending our Bible study. They thirst for truth in God’s Word as they intently listen and ignore distractions as we meet outside the house. The participants are not ashamed even though many people insult them. Their main concern is learning and knowing more about the truth that God gave to the world through the Bible.

Pray for the believers to continue to serve God no matter what happens or what people say to them or about them.
Pray for their desire to be to please God and not man.

Our feeding program continues to spread the gospel, feeding souls while providing nourishing hot meals to those in need in Olanga Island. Due to the covid pandemic, our ministry has increased its feedings to two times a month and increased the number of meals provided. The covid crisis has brought new challenges and a different way of life for everyone. Most of the changes feel daunting and unwanted. The feeding program has been a way to reach the children and feed them nourishing food. The crisis has affected the spiritual and physical health of the children, the youth, and the elderly. Our volunteer workers have seen the kids’ needs as they eagerly form lines directed at the pot of porridge; we suspect most have not enough food for the day. Restrictions from the pandemic have left many unemployed. Parents are feeling inadequate. Some lost their jobs; others have limited work. Quite a few are fisherfolk, but if the wind and waves are strong, they cannot catch fish to sell or eat, especially during typhoons and tropical depressions.

Pray for the fisherfolk in Olango to have safety and blessing in their work.

The growing number of people attending our weekly Bible studies in different places on Olango Island led to the idea of hosting a Sunday worship service. To meet this need, I called a meeting with our church workers and leaders to discuss solutions. I asked for their opinions and suggestions and recommending doing a Sunday service every afternoon. God is so good, everyone was willing to sacrifice their time, effort, and finances to help make this program become a reality. Thus, we now have a Sunday service for people in the morning and afternoon.

Pray for us to find a place to gather together for worship with everyone.
Pray for financial assistance for this growing ministry.

April 2021

At the Amihan public beach in Compostela, Cebu City, six people publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ. We planned the water baptism for a few days earlier, but there were some uncertainties, and I was sick at the same time. Despite all the conflicts, we give glory to God that it was easily rescheduled, and the day went well.

The following people were baptized, Ellen, Rocsan, Angelica, Faye, Kathleen, and Kelly. They spoke about their journey as faithful servants of the Lord. They shared their thoughts and experiences before and after the water baptism. These believers understood that water baptism is the outward act that symbolizes the inward phenomenon of accepting Jesus Christ as real, as God incarnate, and as the sacrificial means by which those who believe in Him can be forever reconciled to God. These people committed themselves to the Lord.

Faye testified, “Despite all the things that I have encountered, such as trials and difficulties in serving God, I continue to serve Him and decide to follow Jesus. After all, I still have a spiritual side that cheers me up from all the struggles I have experienced. Now I decided to be baptized, to completely leave the past that hinders me from serving Him completely. God is big enough to handle my brokenness, and He is willing to embrace and accept me.”

Ellen shared that she believes in the living God. “The reason I got baptized is that I want to follow His commandments. This baptism is an act of my wholehearted repentance and submission unto Him. No turning back indeed.”

All of these believers desire to follow Jesus. They shared that everything felt lighter as they were lifted from the water. For them, this event was not only about being obedient to God’s commission. But to willingly surrender everything to God and leave their old self, leave all the negative things that hinder them from running the race to victory. They were so blessed after the baptism. The Lord has been good to us and blessed us with good weather for the baptism.

Pray for these believers who decided to be baptized publicly and declare their intentions to follow Jesus.

“I am Emie. I live on Olango Island. I am a mother of four and one of the church teachers at the feeding activities three times a week. As I encountered God and accepted Him as my personal Savior and Lord, the course of my life shifted in comparison to when I did not know Him. My character changed from a person who got angry quickly and constantly fought into someone with self-control. Before, I was harsh and argued with my husband when he could not give me what I wanted. I lived this way for years, but now everything has changed.

When I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, I experienced the amazing things God has done in my life and my family. Especially now, God is using me in the children’s ministry as a teacher to these kids thirsty for love and in need of care. As I serve the Lord in this ministry, my desire to reach out and teach children about God has intensified. My heart cries when I see children without slippers (flip-flops), ragged clothes, and physically hungry because of poverty that has only increased with this pandemic.”

I am thankful to Emie, who is sincere in serving God and teaching children about His Word and His love for them. I thank God because the whole family, including the husband, is serving God.

Pray for Emie and her family to grow in their faith.
Pray for Emie as she serves the children; pray for many to come to faith through her teaching and example.

March 2021

As time goes by, more children are being added to the original number of kids we had at the beginning of this ministry. We started by cooking only a pot of porridge to now cooking two large pots of food! Praise God for the kids and their desire to invite friends to hear the Bible stories and for the food. God is working in the lives of these kids. They are consistently attending the Bible study and listening attentively to the volunteer teachers.

I am happy because the volunteers are tirelessly helping and sacrificing their time, energy, and effort to follow where God is asking them to go and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the poor. The workers say that this is a way they can serve God while they are strong and young. They are not bothered by the sun’s heat because they feel joy seeing the children listening to the gospel and accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts.

Pray for God to continue providing for the financial needs of the feeding program.
Pray for wisdom for the teachers and kids attending the children’s ministry.

A woman in her seventies, Jovita, listened to the gospel preached during one of our Bible studies and accepted Jesus Christ into her heart. She has never failed to attend Bible study despite her physical condition; she does not care what people say about her. The most important thing to her is to hear the Word of God. When Jovita was younger, she underwent surgery for her illness, but as she got older, her disease reoccurred. As Jovita heard the stories in the Bible and what God can do for those who ask her help, she has started to hope that God will use someone to help her again have surgery for her illness. Jovita is living with her daughter, who also has her own family.

Pray for Jovita’s surgery expenses and for her faith to grow. Pray for healing.

Last month, I mentioned in my ministry update that several new young people had accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts. They want to serve God and grow in their faith. Now we have a group of young people who are ready to accept Jesus Christ soon. All of these youth want to learn more about the Word of God, so we decided to have a Bible study and look for a place to gather each week.

Pray for the young people to grow in faith and serve the Lord.
Pray for a larger place to gather as a group.

Unfortunately, I was ill for most of last month. I am still recovering my strength. I am exceeding grateful for the volunteers who are willing and able to continue the church activities. I supported them via phone calls and text messages.

The work of God is continuously growing and increasing with new people accepting the Lord. New Bible studies are opening. We rejoice that the truth concerning God and His Word is being taught and understood by the people.

Pray for the new believers to continue seeking and serving God.
Pray for my health, my family, and the ministry God has entrusted to me.
Pray for our country.

February 2021

As we continue our Bible study in Olango Island, I see the children and youth’s eagerness and excitement to hear God’s Word. They know that wonderful thing will happen to them when they receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, despite this decision’s struggles.

At a very young age, the children desire to know God and what He can do in their lives through the study of His Word. We remind them that we study the scriptures to seek and know Jesus as our source of eternal life. They asked for a weekly study in their area because they want to learn more about God’s Word and the excellent plan He has for their lives. These children and youth desire to serve God and put Him at the center of their lives. Praise God.

Truly the Lord touches the hearts of the people who had listened to His powerful word. I pray for more people to come to the Lord and to serve God with all their hearts and lives.

Pray for them to continue attending the weekly Bible study.

Despite the increasing number of cases of covid in our area and the mayor’s protocols to prevent the spread, the children are still being fed through the feeding program each week. We continue to teach the Word of God while following the authorities’ safety protocols.

With the fantastic help of volunteers, the feeding program is successful each week. These volunteers prepare the food and teach the children stories about God. We praise God that these children accept Jesus Christ into their hearts as their Lord and Savior. Currently, they are learning a lot about the Bible and already know how to worship God, sing praises, and pray to Him.

Pray that this ministry will continue to alleviate hunger, not only their physical hunger but also the desire for God.
Pray for opportunities and the ability to provide and meet the daily needs of the children.

It has been a fantastic journey since day one up to now regarding the church building’s construction in Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City. The continuation of the project is possible through prayers and support in so many aspects. I have been blessed by the support and positive response of the church members. Some go early to the site to help with the daily construction, while others help after the Sunday services. Roles were assigned to each ministry at the church. The women cook food and snacks for the construction workers. The youth are responsible for cleaning. The men are building the physical structure. I see so much joy in their hearts while they work despite the heat of the sun. Soon the church will be finished. In the course of time, all things will be fulfilled. To God be the glory.

January 2021

Nine people decided to be baptized in Olango Island. Being baptized is a memorable event in the believer’s walk with Jesus Christ. The Bible talks about water immersion baptism in which a believer makes a public confession of their faith. Jesus led the way in the example of water baptism. These verses were understood by the people in the Bible studies at our outreach in Olango. With these thoughts in their hearts and minds, they decided to follow Jesus by making this public confession of their faith. We scheduled a day for this event.

After our Sunday worship service, we went directly to the beach, with hearts full of gratitude for what our Savior has done for them, and with no doubts, these believers were baptized. Praise the Lord that no one turned back!

Pray for these new believers to continue growing in their understanding and knowledge.
Pray for their faith to be strong and courageous.

On behalf of our ministry, I thank each of you for praying for our church building construction. God’s grace has been with us through this process, and His grace is what we needed the most. We started the process a couple of months ago, and little by little, we have seen it moving forward through the productive hired workers and the volunteers from the church. The women’s ministry also gave their time to provide the workers with scrumptious meals to sustain their physical strength. Currently, we need resources and materials, including cement, hollow blocks, sand, paint, windows, and doors.

Pray for the completion of our church.
Pray for the financial provision for the required materials.

Fishing is indeed a tough job, more so during the monsoon season. Fishermen rarely go out to fish during this time for safety reasons, so fish’s price is high. The feeding ministry on Olango island continues to provide a meal for the children, especially for those going through struggles in their lives. We provide a cooked meal every Saturday morning in Barangay Talima and Kauswagan. On Sunday afternoon, we do the same in the San Vicente barangay. By these meals, we show God’s love and grace to the kids in the community.

The month of January was full of rainy days, but this did not stop us from the children’s ministry and feeding program. The committed volunteers came despite the downpour, and the children were glad and happy for the physical and spiritual food.

Pray for the seeds planted in the hearts of these children to flourish and lead them to seek God as they grow.

A church ministry is an action or service done in response to God’s call on a person’s life. Music ministry uses music to praise and serve God. As our church continues to grow with multiple outreach locations, our need for a music ministry at each spot has arisen. The youth department at the church responded to this need by conducting music workshops at the outreach locations of Olango and Liloan.

The workshops are designed to inform, inspire, and train musicians, singers, and anyone who wants to serve in the music ministry with their gifts and talents. Our purpose was to facilitate a transformative encounter with God by exploring what the scripture can tell us about our hearts within the context of a broad overview of the significant concepts of Biblical worship. The team was composed of the young musicians in our church who taught in Olango and Liloan. It was heartwarming to see the trainees with such passion for learning music for God’s glory. They were thrilled with the opportunity to learn and crave having even more time. Our oldest trainee was Irenea, a seventy-year-old woman who was excited to learn the keyboard. Praise God for their committed and passionate hearts.

Pray for this program will continue to make melodies in their hearts and produce musicians and song leaders that will glorify God.
Pray for the provision of musical instruments in our outreaches.

December 2020

Churches mostly celebrate thankfulness events, anniversaries, and other church gatherings during December. Our church also does an annual celebration during that month, but we decided to do it differently this year; instead of preparing for a thankfulness celebration, we spent these resources purchasing goods to pack into bundles. I saw the initiative and generosity of our church members despite the stressors of the pandemic.

The day came to distribute these bundles to Olango Island. Transportation was a puzzle, but some members eagerly offered their car, and we had enough people to bring bundles to all our outreaches on Olango Island. The recipients were beyond thankful; the joy in their faces was evident and their surprise at receiving something this Christmas.

The bundles of joy were also for families at our outreaches in Pajac and Liloan. Overall, ninety families benefited from the program.

Praise God for the provision and success of the activity.

Seeing the children barefoot in the warm sand on the islands with their beaming smiles made me realize that they are happy despite their situation. But God can transform this temporary happiness into eternal joy through helping hands that minister love to them. Due to the meager income from fishing, most islanders live in poverty. We started our weekly ministry to the children on Olango. Each Saturday, with the help of the church workers and youth, we teach the Word of God, play games, and sing songs.

The fathers are usually fisherman who are away for one to three months to fish. During these times, food in the family is scarce, despite the mother attempting to make a meager amount of money last. Sometimes they primarily eat gathered plants as vegetables. So, we bring cooked food for the children in addition to the spiritual food. The leaders share some, and we budget funds to provide healthy, nutritious food for the children. Financially, we can feed the kids once a week. For most, this meal is a fantastic treat, and they eagerly look forward to our coming. Four youth volunteered to teach the children. We thank God that many of the kids are coming to know Jesus at a very early age.

During this season of giving, our leaders did not expect to be the recipients of gifts. White Fields Ministry blessed the leaders with rice for Christmas. These leaders are dedicated and committed to giving what they have to the needy, and now they were the ones blessed. We express heartfelt gratitude to the generous hearts who gave each of our leaders ten kilos of rice. They are celebrating this year with plenty of rice to suffice for their needs during this pandemic. Praise the Lord!

Pray for the leaders to be faithful and not be discouraged during these challenging times.
Pray for their testimony of God’s love to shine forth to the children and the adults they teach.
Pray for our outreach programs to grow and for more people to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

November 2020

After seven months of not having a Bible study on Olango Island due to the pandemic, we meet together again. My heart was full of joy as I heard one of the attendees stating that the pandemic would not hinder them from sharing and teaching the gospel to the people. He expressed, “they really need to know who Jesus is and what salvation is.” Many people came, and I saw their faces filled with eagerness and joy as they listened. I hope and pray that these believers will continue to grow in their faith and serve God. I pray more people will attend and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

We held a film showing in Kauswagen, and many accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The overwhelmingly positive response challenged my leaders and me to begin a ministry in Kauswagen. It is four kilometers from our existing church with approximately three-thousand people. We felt the burden of sharing God’s Word to the area. We have done house visits and follow-up outreach. Currently, we have two adult leaders and three youth leaders. Several Bible study groups are meeting. Twenty mothers are attending the church service and about twenty children.

Chariz is one of our youth leaders who committed to serve in this place. She comes from a poor, and her mother is a gardener at a private resort. We saw leadership potential in Chariz and encouraged her to serve in the ministry.

Pray for Chariz to grow in her faith and for her ministry commitment to flourish.
Pray for her family and their provision.

As I lead the Bible study for the adults, I also see the children’s spiritual needs. One of the youths in the church volunteered to teach the children’s Bible study. These kids are not only spiritually destitute but also have many physical needs. The families have insufficient food, clothes, or footwear. Most of the children are continually suffering hunger as their parents are unemployed due to the pandemic. Their clothes are worn out, and only a few are wearing slippers (flip-flops). Many parents rely on fishing as their source of income, but this is not sufficient for their daily needs. Their physical condition saddens me, but I see their open hearts eager to hear about Jesus despite their situation. They are excited to attend Bible studies. We had a feeding program after the Bible study. Pray that we can extend help to these families. Pray for a place of land for the construction of a feeding center in Olango.

Many Filipinos needed help after the typhoon Ulysses destroyed their homes and communities in early November. It was even more devasting as it came only a week or so after typhoon Rolly. The families need immediate help, and many lost their houses and family members. Local governments responded quickly, and I challenge the congregation to bring relief goods and clothes to donate to the people in need.

Pray for the ability to meet the needs of the people.
Pray for sandals and school supplies for the children.
Pray for chairs and a tent for our children’s ministry as they sit on the ground.
Pray for open houses for Bible studies.
Pray for wisdom and spiritual encouragement for the church leaders.
Pray for the gospel message to bring hope to the people devasted by the typhoons and other disasters.

October 2020

It is heartwarming to see people caring for each other even during a pandemic. I praise God for using our church as a channel to bring relief goods to the community. The recipients were joyful to receive the blessings, and I thank God for those who donated the items.

Recently I met someone from my past; he is a security guard and a pastor. He works hard for his family of five kids. I admire his desire to do everything for the Lord. I was blessed when he asked me to be the speaker at their Thanksgiving celebration at their house church.

Pray for this pastor’s strength for daily work and ministry.
Pray for provision for his family and church

Last month, my wife and I were surprised when the church members inserted a pastor appreciation moment into the service. A representative from each ministry in the church spoke words of appreciation to us. It was encouraging to hear how God was using us in their lives. We seek to be faithful and serve the Lord with every breath.

Pray for people to continue to seek and serve the Lord even during these times of uncertainty.
Pray for people to put God first and not fear the current situation.

September 2020

After many quarantine months, we were thrilled to meet again, in-person at the church, and do prayer meetings and Bible study. I thank God for the people who were excited to attend. Despite the lack of electricity, there was much joy in our fellowship.

When I visit the Olango island outreach of Talima and San Vicente, I see the eagerness and excitement in the people’s eyes. I feel they miss our Bible study and children’s ministry as they asked when they will resume. I thank God that I can again travel from the mainland to Olango Island.

Pray for God’s protection and good health. Pray for the children’s ministry to grow.

I spent the night before our Sunday worship service at the outreach on Olango Island. It was my first time preaching in this outreach location. For six months, no one was allowed to go to this area except for residents. I was blessed by one of the church members who brought me food as she knew I was at the church. The people were happy to have me visit and preach at the church. The members were eagerly listening to God’s Word.

Pray for open homes for Bible study.
Pray for workers and volunteers.
Pray for the various outreach locations to grow and thrive as the people come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

August 2020

The church members are eager to attend the church for worship. Since our numbers exceeded ten people in a gathering, we split our worship into two service times. We are practicing the guidelines required by the government. Everyone was happy about the fellowship and adapted to the new safety protocols. We may not be able to shake hands or see everyone’s smiles, but we can still connect as a family to worship God. Seeing the enthusiasm of the believers as they worship and serve God brings joy to my heart.

Pray for the fellowship of the believers to be encouraging to each other.
Pray for the church members to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and strengthen their walk with Jesus Christ.
Pray for the daily food and jobs of the believers.

We are finishing the first phase of construction for the church building. The pandemic has made it more challenging, but what may seem impossible to man is possible to God. I put trust in God to finish what He has started. We know that He is faithful to His promises. We thank God for His blessings. As part of the building process, my family temporarily moved into the church office and meeting room as the current pastoral house was being demolished, even though these buildings are still under construction.

Thank you for your prayers for the needs of our church.

Please continue to pray for the construction work to go smoothly and according to God’s plans.
Pray for good health and protection for my family.
Pray for the church outreach to continue to spread the gospel message.

July 2020

My son met a new student at the university. His name is Kazushi, and he came to Sunday church a couple of times this summer. Kazushi studied abroad in New Zealand before and is open to Christianity. He was interested in learning what the Bible says. I plan to start an intro to the Bible study for students and Kazushi.

Pray for Kazushi to continue to attend the church.
Pray for his interest in the Bible to grow and for the study to answer his questions.
Pray for Kazushi to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Ms. Sasaki is in her sixties. She came for a worship service this summer and has attended the church periodically; she is not yet a believer. Ms. Sasaki recently opened her new beauty salon and moved to a new home. We are contacting her by phone and email.

Pray for Ms. Sasaki to come to church often and for her to accept Jesus Christ.

Ms. Yasui is in her sixties and is seeing the doctor regularly due to her injuries after the traffic accident. We learned that she stopped working lately. We consistently keep in contact with her by phone and email. Ms. Yasui does not sound well enough to return to church yet. She is also not a believer.

Pray for Ms. Yasui to fully recover and be able to attend church again.

We resumed our Sunday school a couple of months ago. We do not have any elementary-age children, but we do have middle school and high school students. Miri and Meguru are in seventh grade. Sakyo is in eleventh grade.

Pray for the youth to love Jesus, especially as they are getting older and starting middle school.
Pray for evangelism and our church planting ministry in Kashiba city.
Pray for the reopening of the church activities.
Pray for my son Ye Shin who is in the university; he is taking mostly online courses.
Pray for my daughter Ye Jin and for God to protect her at school from any bullies.

My wife resumed teaching the Korean language, pray for excellent witnessing opportunities. Pray for God’s provision for all our needs, especially the finances for my son’s schooling expenses.

June 2020

Since the government declared a general community quarantine in our location, mass gathering in the church was allowed if people followed the guidelines. Restrictions were still for only ten people, so I had a meeting with my church leaders to discuss the guidelines. They include preparing the thermal scanner, foot disinfectant, and sanitizer. Practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Since the limit was at ten people, we decided to continue having the church fellowships at home and wait for more people to be allowed to meet in a group.

However, the members could not contain themselves any longer and have arrived at church to worship with each other. We still practice the guidelines imposed by the government. Some of the outreach locations have already been meeting in fellowships. They are under the modified general community quarantine.

I have been unable to access the Barili outreach since Cebu City is under Enhanced Community Quarantine. I still communicate with them and I am praying for the believers in this area to continue the work we had started.

I thank God, who is the source of everything. I am grateful to the people who support us through prayers to provide the materials for the church building. The first phase is almost finished. God is worthy of praise for His unfailing provision. God is working!

Pray for the church’s construction needs.
Pray for White Fields ministry and White Fields church planters.
Pray for my family’s health and God’s protection.

May 2020

As a minister of Christ, it is my mission to go and make disciples. It is the reality that throughout this journey, different circumstances will occur that hinder this goal. Our current situation of quarantining with travel restricted to different areas creates some challenges. I continue the ministry in Barili despite the lack of internet connection by calling the believers on the phone. I encourage them to pray and read God’s Word.

In my years of serving the Lord, we do not typically cancel the church fellowship due to calamities. We have experienced great typhoons and other disasters, but we continued our Sunday service. This situation is unexpected, and the first time we have canceled due to a crisis. The government mandate states that people are not allowed to have mass gatherings for the nation’s safety. We were sad knowing that we could not see our brothers and sisters in Christ but decided to do something about it. Since we cannot meet in person, we are conducting the Sunday service using technology in the believers’ homes. As leaders, we send the outline to the parents; they study and share it with their household on Sunday. This method has been successful for the past weeks.

While we have been waiting for things to return to normal, we are making the best use of our time. We are continuing construction of the first phase of our church building here in Pajac, Lapu-Lapu Church, by building the church office. Little by little, it is coming together as we depend on God’s provision for its completion. We thank God for providing the needed supplies but also for His favor since the owner of the current land we are renting has allowed us to extend our time here even though the contract ended.

Pray for the continuous provision for the needs to finish this church project.
Pray for the believers to stand firm in faith and preach the gospel.
Pray for my family and the church planters in the Philippines.
Pray that God will heal the world, and the pandemic will end.

April 2020

When the lockdown started, the government advised all the industries, jobs, schools, churches, and any other institutions to stop gathering temporarily to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Since then, we are no longer meeting in the church building for worship, Bible studies, and prayer meetings. Despite the orders preventing us from meeting in person, we are continuing service and Bible studies in the homes. This method has been successful as the congregation, specifically the parents in each family, read and meditate on the Bible outline that I send them via Facebook messenger, then they share it with their household.

I have also asked some of the church leaders to participate in writing Bible outlines. Each family is worshiping the Lord, and they send pictures, and even videos to our group chat to update one another. I was surprised to discover, after the worship service, that one of the church members had brought their tithes and offerings to the church. Truly God is good all the time.

We have been doing church via the internet for over a month now, using online platforms such as zoom or Facebook live streaming. Most of the members do not have access to the internet; some have wifi but no assurance of a decent connection. Let us pray together through this pandemic that the believers’ faith will not fail.

Pray for the believers to grow in their faith and trust in God at this time of uncertainty.
Pray for the unbelieving family members to see the peace of relying on our Sovereign God and desire to have salvation through Jesus Christ.

In times of crisis, we must continue to be a blessing to others in different ways. This past month we repacked rice to distribute to the church members. With the little help of food we shared with them, they were profoundly grateful and had joy in their hearts when they received it. It was something small but will sustain them for a while; many are struggling to obtain food as they have no source of income due to the quarantine.

Pray for us to be able to meet their needs again as we want to bless them with more food.
Pray for God to sustain those who received the blessing of rice and for their daily food.

We noticed that the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) means that people have more free time. Hence, we took the initiative to continue the construction of the septic tank of the new church building in Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City. We are working a little at a time and are hoping to finish before the heavy rain comes.

Pray for the construction process to go smoothly and be finished as planned.

Families all of the region continue to worship the lord through music and study of God’s word.

March 2020

A month and a half ago, I received a call from my sister, informing me that our mother was in critical condition. I immediately traveled to my hometown to visit my eighty-seven-year-old mother. I stayed overnight and prayed with her. The following day I returned to Cebu. A few days later, my sister called to tell me that my mother had passed away; it broke my heart.

Pray for Jerry Quimat and his family as they mourn the loss of his mother.
Pray for comfort in God’s word.

My family and I went to Negros Oriental and stayed there till my mother’s burial. While I was away, my co-worker in the Lord, Wilfredo, continued the Bible study and house visits for witnessing in Barili.

Earlier this year, COVID-19 invaded our country. Last month the situation became worse, causing panic and fear to the people, and the government implemented rules to slow the spread, including social distancing, the closing of establishments, and enhanced community quarantine. We have noticed that the virus has not only caused disadvantages, but good has come from the situation. Families are reuniting, and people are being brought back to the Lord. We are happy and sad.

We are happy because the five of us in our house have grown closer together, but we are sad as the number of cases seems to be increasing. We spent time together in prayer and worship of God despite the things happening around us.

The quarantine has affected our ministry, we are not able to go to Barili, and the church fellowship has stopped. I am contacting the believers via the phone to provide inspirational messages from God’s Word to strengthen their faith. Even though my family and I stay at home, our prayers are not hindered from asking God to help His people.

Pray for the pastor to strengthen the faith of the believers despite the physical distance between them.
Pray for health and safety for the believers.
Pray for daily food and sustenance during this hard economic time.

February 2020

Work must go on; two years have passed since we started the church plant in my present place of assignment. From the first day of evangelism till now, I have encountered and spoke with multitudes of people in one-on-one conversations. I have traveled from house to house. The people are accommodating as it is our culture to be hospitable, and so welcome me as a visitor. When they start to get to know me more, I share the gospel with them. Some accept it, and others reject it. One of the primary reasons for rejection is the influence of the Catholic church. With those who received the gospel, I start a Bible study in their homes.

As months have passed, persecution arose from the Catholic church against those who joined the Bible studies. The threat is to deny them burial in the Catholic cemetery if they continue to attend the Bible studies. The Catholic churches have control of every burial ground nearby. Because of this, some people who had been attending and hosting the groups have shut their doors to us. We caught the attention and have become an annoyance to the religious leaders. In other locations, we have encountered the same issue. Despite this hardship, we continue to share the gospel, visit the homes, pray for the sick. Several Bible studies of people have dared to pursue the education of God’s Word.

Pray for courage for the new Christians to stand up to the threats of the Catholic church.
Pray for growth as we study the scriptures.

We ask for your continued prayers for our church planting work. Some areas are ready for harvest, but others are hard as a rock. One of these is the community of Barili, located south-west of Cebu province. The situation is difficult, but nothing is impossible with God.

After evaluating the area of Barili, Pastor Cris decided to bring his workers to reinforce our efforts to plant a church. We went to the leaders of the community to inform them of our purpose. We are here to help the community, offering training, livelihood projects, health education, spiritual values, and other programs. Pastor Cris is planning to come twice a month until our church planting ministry is more established. We thank God for the reinforcement team. Psalm 133:1 “Behold how good and pleasant it is, brethren working together in unity.”

Pray for Barili, that God will work in the hearts of people to draw them to faith.
Pray for the reinforcement team to work with unity and wisdom.

In previous reports, I have asked for prayers for our lot and building project in Lapu-Lapu city. We have prayed for a lot as a permanent place for worship. Our lease of contract has expired, and we need to move out of our present place of worship. We have found a lot useful for a church and pastor’s house, owned by a Christian businessman. We are starting the church building, and we depend on God’s provision for this project.

Pray for the completion of this building project.

January 2020

We share the work of the Lord through evangelism, weekly Bible studies, and personal follow up with new believers in Christ. Despite the different problems, difficulties, and persecutions, God is our strength and song, so we continue to serve Him no matter what. Every time we see people intently listening to the Word of God and desiring to learn more, our enthusiasm for sharing His Word grows. The best part is when a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Last year we had more souls added to God’s Kingdom, and we look forward to the next year. We continue to teach the new believers, encouraging them to grow in their faith in Christ.

Often when I share the Word of God with people, I see the genuine joy on their faces as they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But later, when I revisited them, I start to wonder as they seem to be hiding from us. Then we discovered that the leaders of the Catholic church are discouraging the people from any form of involvement or fellowship with us. They do not want people to join us in learning God’s Word.

Pray for God to open the eyes of the people to this issue and to give the new believers courage to stand firm in their faith.
Pray for God to add more people to His Kingdom.
Pray for the leaders of the Catholic Church to stop banning people from hearing the Word of God.

On our way to another place, we stopped to visit Ismalita. She was an old lady who was attending our Bible study but then moved further away. As her physical condition is poor, we advised and encouraged her to stop all the vices that are causing her illness. We prayed with her and shared some scriptures to strengthen her faith.

Pray for Ismalita to grow in her faith and for her health to improve.

Last month, Pastor Steve and I visited our place in Barili. We visited Josephine and her husband and took some pictures with them. Pastor Steve spoke with them for quite a while, encouraging them to keep their faith in Jesus Christ. As it was a rainy day, we were not able to go around too much due to the mud. I had been hoping to bring Pastor Steve to some of our Bible studies, but due to the travel conditions, this was not possible. After visiting Barili, we headed to visit Pastor Tame’s place of ministry in Naga city.

Pray for strength, wisdom, and protection to Pastor Steve and all the partners in the ministry.
Pray for the Barili ministry and more open doors for Bible studies.
Pray for the believers to be firm in their faith and to continue serving God despite the persecutions.

December 2019

It has been ten years since we started the church planting in Barili. Even though we experienced a lot of problems, trials, persecution, and general ups and downs, God has blessed the ministry, and it continues to flourish.

Pray for my family to find a place to stay in Barili.
Pray for more people to come to know Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Bible study in Barili.

We celebrated the Christmas party and invited Pastor Cris Pano to be our speaker; he came with his wife. Lots of people were excited to attend the service. They were blessed with the Word of God, as shared by Pastor Cris. Even before the worship started, the people were so excited that we started teaching the children action songs, and their parents joined in with joy and excitement. Everyone was filled and blessed by the event.

Two newly converted Christians, named Nene and Ayma, showed initiative to decorate our space for the Christmas party and thankfulness day in Barili. It was unexpected and I was surprised by their contributions and the love and joy they displayed while serving. God is good and has touched these two people to be useful to Him in the ministry.

Praise God for the love and joy these new believers displayed for their fellow believers as they decorated for this event.

Pray for their growth in their walk with the Lord.

When I felt tired of walking up the hill, I took the time to rest. Two youth sat in the same place, so I used the opportunity to share the gospel of God with them. I was glad that I spoke since they both accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts as their Lord and personal Savior. Indeed, God makes everything happen for a purpose, including causing me to feel tired and choose this place for a rest. After I recovered, I continued my walking and sharing the gospel with the people in this area.

Pray for these new believers to connect with the church and grow in their faith.
Pray for financial provision for the Pajac church lot and building project.
Pray for all of the church pastors.

November 2019

We continue to meet for Bible study each week. One morning, I received a text message from one of the attendees explaining that she would be unable to attend the Bible study. Her reason was that she had an exam in school and was quite busy studying her lessons. In her mind, one way to have more time to review was to skip the Bible study. I told her that it was up to her to decide as we did not force anyone to participate. The following week, after her exams, she came to the Bible study and shared her experience from the previous week. This lady is also married and has one child who is pre-elementary. She is a busy wife and mother, as well as in college.

In her testimony, she shared that she was confident in her preparations. But during the actual test, she was unable to remember the lessons that she had reviewed. The result was that she received a low score on the test. Then she realized that making excuses to not attend the Bible study was a wrong move. She compared her scores for when she had participated in the Bible study versus when she skipped it to study more. Her scores were better when she went to the Bible study and she realized that without God she cannot do well in her education.

Praise the Lord for her understanding of how important it is to put God first in her life.

Pray for her to balance her roles and time.

As I passed in front of the house, I saw three ladies sitting on the porch bend. I greeted them with a smile and said, good morning. They smiled back, so I paused and had a conversation with them. I asked if I could share the gospel. They said yes, and I introduced myself and started to share the Word of God. As I spoke, I noticed another lady sweeping in the house. She was getting closer to us as she cleaned and seemed to be interested. After a few minutes, she stopped right beside me. I looked at her face and saw tears in her eyes. I asked what happened? She said, “I am listening to you share the Word of God, and I remembered how God helped me during the time I had a big problem.” I asked the ladies if they wanted to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and they prayed with me to accept Him. The one lady said, “there is indeed a God, that is why I cried.” I believe she felt the presence of God. Praise Him.

Pray for these new believers to grow in their faith. Pray for their connection to the church.

In previous reports, I spoke of a new Bible study. It has been meeting in a store, at the request of the owner, for over a year so far. This lady always invites her customers and friends to stay for our visit and Bible study. In fact, I have shared the gospel with her friends and relatives; some have accepted Jesus Christ. I praised the store owner by remarking that she has done a good job of inviting people to come and listen. She explained that “I want them to know what I have learned from the Bible study.” She is using her store as a station for soul winning.

Pray for the people to grow stronger in their faith.
Pray for the owner to continue to use her store to evangelize her community.
Pray for the Barili ministry and that we can find a place to stay.
Pray for the Pajac, Lapu-Lapu church as we need a permanent location for worship and have encountered several problems with this in the last few months. We need your prayers.
Pray for the church planters and leaders.
Pray for my family’s health and protection.

October 2019

In previous reports, I mentioned an old woman who has now become quite ill. Due to this situation, she moved to another home that was more easily accessible to the doctor, in case of urgent consultations. We are sad about what has happened, and we visited her after the Bible study. We prayed with her and will continue to pray and visit her weekly.

Pray for excellent medical care for Nanay (grandmother) Ismalita and for healing.

As we were walking, I saw the same lady in her store that I shared the gospel with a year ago. At that time, she was so busy that a Bible study was not possible. When we met this time, I greeted her and started a conversation. She expressed that she missed learning from the teachings of God’s Word. I grabbed the opportunity to ask if she wanted to have a Bible study in her home. She gladly agreed and brought a friend who also accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. Now we have started a weekly Bible study in her home.

Pray for this lady and her friend to grow in their faith and knowledge of God’s Word.
Pray for the Bible study to continue and for more people to be able to join.

In our daily walk, we share God’s Word through gospel tracts. It is evident that some people intentionally avoid us, but others are interested in listening. One was a woman carrying her child, who asked what we were doing. We shared the gospel with her, and she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She was not quite sure about switching religions. A couple of days went by, and we met again to study the Word of God. I gave her a Bible, and we met her husband. They are both interested in studying the Bible in their house.

Pray for this couple to completely understand God’s grace and the message of salvation.
Pray for the Bible study.
Pray for the new believers in Barili and for a place there where we can stay.
Pray for the health of myself and my family.

September 2019

Pastor Cris and I talked about my ministry in Barili and its various challenges. Pastor Cris suggested choosing a companion to serve with me. I knew there was a student in CKC from Leyte who was searching and praying for an open door to work here in Cebu, so we decided to speak with him. We talked, and he answered that he would pray about it. After a couple of weeks, he chose to work with me, and for over three weeks, he has accompanied me to the area of Barili.

Pray for this man, Wilfredo, to continue to have a burden to serve the people of Barili despite the challenges in ministry.

Pray for the Bible study in Barili as they are under persecution due to their faith; pray for them to stand firm in their faith.

We climbed up a steep path in Barili to continue witnessing. Partway up, we took a rest for a while and ended up sitting next to two women. I used this chance to ask them if I could share the Word of God. They were open to listening, so I share the gospel. After we spoke, these ladies accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. I know these women are busy each moment of every day, and God created this perfect meeting so they could hear the good news and become believers.

Pray for these two women to grow in their new faith and become connected with a church.

We searched for a place to share the gospel and found a small store where we bought some snacks. Our goal was not to satisfy our hunger but to connect with the people who live in this community. I started talking with Amparo, the owner of the shop. While we spoke, I noticed that she did not want to engage with us. She told another lady, Laila, to entertain us and left. We continued to share the Word of God with Laila. Suddenly, Amparo came out of her room and asked what we were talking about. I continued to share the gospel, and they both listened. Later, I discovered that Amparo feared strangers and refused to accept new people as in the past, she had been deceived by someone who stole her jewelry and money. Since this incident, Amparo is hesitant to speak with outsiders, but she listened as I persisted in sharing the gospel. At the end of our conversation, I asked if they wanted to receive Jesus as their Savior. They answered, we already have Jesus in our hearts and are devoted to our religion. I tried to explain further, but they refused. I asked if I could pray for them before we left, and they said yes, so I prayed for them. Please pray for them too.

Pray for Amparo and Laila to understand their need for a Savior and a personal relationship with God.
Pray for spiritual hunger for these women and a further opportunity to speak with them.

Pray for my health and my family’s health.
Pray for our church needs for the project fund for a church building.

August 2019

As a steward of Christ, I have a passion for reaching this community for the gospel. I introduced myself to the former community leader, Barangay captain, and had a great conversation with him. A week later, I went back to his house and gave him a Bible. I used this visit to pray for him, hoping and believing that he will accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. I also met another leader in the community, the chapel president, which happened to be the brother of the former Barangay captain. I gave him a Bible and prayed for him as well.

Pray for these two men to come to understand their need for a Savior and to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

What I have observed while doing the Bible study, is that little by little, the people are learning and understanding God’s Word. Every time I ask them about the things that I share with them, they respond and interact with the information. I have seen their interest and desire to study God’s Word.

Pray for the Bible study participants to grow in their faith and understanding of God’s Word.

In previous reports, I have shared the situation in Barili ministry and my struggle to reach the people with the gospel message. Pastor Cris and Pastor Lito have both visited the area where I am ministering to see and know the people with whom I am sharing God’s Word. Pastor Cris shared with the people to encourage them and pray for them to continue serving God.

Pray for the new believers in the Barili ministry to grow in their faith.
Pray for perseverance in ministering in this location.
Pray for God to touch and open the hearts of the people to the gospel.

When Pastor Steve visited the Philippines, we went with Pastor Cris and Ma’am Jennifer to look at the church lot that we desired to purchase. Everything looked good with the land and the documents, so we went ahead and started paying a certain amount towards the lot each month. We planned to develop the property, and so we hired an engineer to create the plan for the building. She created the design and submitted it to the office of the building permits. However, it was not approved since this specific lot was in the plans to be a government road. After discovering this, we talked with the owner of the land, and he transferred us to a different area that he also owned. For now, we are adding fill dirt to this location and waiting and praying for God’s provision to start the church building project.

Pray for everything to go smoothly with this second project and for the ability to start a church building soon.
Pray for us to find a temporary place to stay until we can build the church and pastoral house.

July 2019

In previous reports, I mentioned how one of the leaders of the Catholic church accepted the Lord when I shared the gospel with her. However, during my follow-up visits, it seems that she is hiding from me because whenever I go to her house, there seems to be nobody around. The Lord’s mission will continue.

Pray for our follow up with this new believer and for her commitment to faith to be firm and not swayed by the community.

As I traveled, I noticed that the tire on the motorcycle was flat. God is good though, as this happened only five meters (fifteen feet) from a vulcanizing shop. It was unusual to see a vulcanizing shop in this sort of place, but it was God’s timing for me to be right near it. Praise the Lord that I continued my journey with a fixed tire.

Pray for guidance in this location of ministry and for open doors for the gospel.

As I walked down the hill early in the morning, people near the well caught my attention. I grabbed the opportunity to share the gospel with them. Sadly they did not accept Christ since they were busy doing different things. But I gave them tracts to read later and prayed that God will open their hearts.

I continued my walk and found a house where a pregnant woman was hanging up clothes. I shared the gospel with her. She invited me to come inside, but I shared salvation while we stood outside. I felt sorry for her since their house seemed to almost ready to collapse. She is young and alone as her husband is working to sustain their needs. I thank God that she accepted Christ and pray for God to supply their needs.

Pray for the people at the well to read the gospel tracts and be curious about the message of salvation.
Pray for the pregnant women to stand firm in her faith, grow in her relationship with God, and have a safe delivery of a healthy baby.
Pray for their ability to repair their house.

Aside from helping people in their spiritual life, which is the main passion in my heart, I also teach other skills to the people. I taught two college students, who were attending the Bible study, how to make bleach. It is a great help for them as they have a livelihood to sustain them in their studies.

Pray for the college students.
Pray for the Bible study participants to grow spiritually and for their faith in God.
Pray for good health for my whole family.
Pray for our financial needs to be met so we can construct a church building in Pajac Lapu-Lapu City.

June 2019

Months have passed since the first day I came to this place to plant a church. I have experienced a lot of things which I have shared in my previous reports, including rejection, persecution, discouragement, weakness, and sickness. I am trying to do the best I can to complete the responsibilities of a church planter, only by God’s grace are we able to do His work. I have expended much effort to share the gospel, and people still reject God’s Word. Despite this disappointment, I know that God’s plan should be followed, and this has encouraged me to continue His work. In the area where I ministry, I see one common trait, the hearts of the people are like the hard pathway of dirt where the seeds can hardly penetrate. But still, there are a few who have accepted Jesus Christ.

Pray for my current situation in Barili, Cebu.
Pray for the hearts of the people to soften and be open to hearing the gospel message of hope and salvation.

Last month, I mentioned a specific person who was hindering God’s ministry when I went with some of our youth volunteers to teach the children in Barili. This individual told us never to come back to that place again, which made us nervous. But God’s power prevailed, and we continue to minister in that area. I returned this month for the Bible study and asked our small group if they knew this person. They informed me that he was their relative. I wondered if they still wanted to continue our small group gathering for Bible study as this was their relative. Despite this connection to this person, the small group reassured me that they are not afraid to meet to study God’s Word but instead, this causes them to desire to learn more. They will never give up.

Pray for this small group of individuals to be persistent in studying and learning God’s Word.
Pray for their faith to stand firm despite their negative relative.
Pray for the group to grow in size and form friendships with each other.

While I was walking early in the morning, I arrived at a place full of fishing boats. The large quantity of fish being caught captured my attention. I walked closer to the fishing boats and saw that there were many houses in the area. I saw a woman cleaning her home and hurriedly approached her to initiate a conversation. I asked if I could share with her about the gospel. She was open to my words and received Christ into her life. As we continued to speak, I discovered that she was a leader in the local Catholic church but was different than many in the congregation since she read her Bible and sought to share it in the community. She faces a problem as many of her companions are not open to listening to God’s Word. During our conversation, she shared how hard it is for the gospel to penetrate the hearts of the people.

Pray for this woman to grow in her faith and personal relationship with God.
Pray for the hearts of the people to listen to her words as she seeks to share God’s love for them.

May 2019

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Children-and-Youth-Ministry-Barili-7.jpg — Sharing the Gospel in Barili, Cebu

The Great Commission in the Bible commands believers to go and make disciples. We went to Barili, Cebu to share God’s Word with the people there, specifically the children and youth. Eight young people volunteered to be on the team. They could not keep the overflowing love God has for them and wanted to share it with others. Through the training last month with Campus Crusade Philippines, they obtained different strategies to approach people and share the gospel. Also, my wife trained and prepared them with another practical approach. Ultimately, God equipped each individual for this spiritual mission. The team arrived at their target destination after three-hours of travel from Lapu-Lapu city. We trekked up the mountains and arrived at the peak where the people were waiting. It was physically exhausting, but everyone was eager and ready to share God’s Word.

Sixty children joined us, and we divided them into three groups with their youth teachers. The leaders prepared each topic with their class materials, booklets, and visuals aids. The central theme was accepting Christ into their lives as their personal Lord and Savior. The creative groups presented how much they learned from their teachers in addition to their understanding of the gospel message. The children and youth enjoyed the activities that enable the essential topics to be absorbed more effectively. After the mission, our team evaluated the trip, and they found it fulfilling to know they have shared God’s love to other people, giving them the greatest gift of all.

Pray for the children and youth in Barili to grow in their new faith and understand of God’s Word.
Pray for the team members to be encouraged to continue showing and sharing God’s love with others in their neighborhoods.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted from righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10. We experienced success in our mission of sharing God’s Word, but persecution also occurred. After lunch, when we were returning to instruct the children and youth, a man came by and threatened our team, telling them not to continue speaking as the priest would be angry to hear that any other religion was teaching God’s Word in this place. Especially as the feast was coming soon, he said the priest might not have their mass in the area if they heard there was teaching happening there. When the man left, I encouraged the team not to be afraid of this man but that we needed to continue God’s commission to share the good news. God is great and has the victory!

Pray for the new believers in Barili to stand firm in their faith and not be swayed by the threats of others.
Pray for God to bring them peace and encouragement through His Word.
Pray for the pastor and his family to have good health.
Pray for the church planters and their ministries through the Philippines.
Pray for the land and building project of the Pajec church.
Pray for our field director, Pastor Cris and his family.

April 2019

During our Bible studies for the past few months, there was a group of people who attended to listen to God’s Word but do not have a Bible. They were eager and interested in having a Bible, and I was grateful to see their desire answered by someone donating Bibles. Now they can use the New and Old Testament every time we have our Bible study in addition to reading the Bible on their own. I have seen them grow spiritually. Praise the Lord!

One day as I was getting ready for Bible study, the mother of the family was preparing snacks, and her husband was going to leave on his tricycle. He greeted me as he usually did and then went to work. We started our Bible study with several people, including their grown child. After the learning time, we ate the snacks. Suddenly the husband returned home and was drunk. He called his wife into the house, and we heard shouting. I thought it was a personal fight, but after a few minutes, I overheard the man asking her wife, “do we get money from your Bible study?” I kept silent and prayed while they were arguing. Their child was embarrassed by his father, so he tried to tell his father to be calm, but it wasn’t working. I signaled the child to stop interfering since the father was drunk. After a few minutes, I quietly left and prayed that God would control the situation and resolve it.

Pray for the family, for the wife and grown child to stand firm in their faith, and for the husband to come to salvation.
Pray for safety and protection on the family.
Pray for the Bible study to continue.

We met an old woman when we visited a new place. We talked with her, and she said she was a widow who had been married twice, but both of her husbands were already dead. She was sixty-seven years old and a devoted Catholic. It was sad to hear her story, but when we shared the good news with her, she received Christ as her Lord and Savior. She was excited to know God and learn from the Bible. This grandmother wants her children and grandchildren to know Jesus Christ, so we had a Bible study with her family. We hope and pray that they will continue to attend the Bible study and become believers.

Pray for the Barili Bible study and the Newly Bible study.
Pray for the White Fields Church planters and Pastor Cris Pano, our field director.
Pray for provision for the Pajac church building and to pay off the remaining balance on the land.

March 2019

We went back to visit the people who accepted Jesus on our previous visits. While we were in the house of Abi, an old woman came rushing into where we were sitting. She had difficulty walking, but she was so curious and determined to know who we were and what we were doing in Abi’s house. Through Abi, we had an opportunity to share the Word of God with this old woman and several people who live near the house. They accepted Christ into their hearts and desire to have a Bible study.

I have visited Abi twice and then have not seen him anymore, it seems that he is no longer interested in talking with us. I realized that meeting with Abi may have been an opening to start a Bible study in the area. We have noticed the people are interested in listening to God’s Word. I was delighted to see the old woman again, and she called her children to come to the Bible study too.

Pray for the Bible study in this area to flourish and for those who attend to learn from God’s Word and come to an understanding for their need for a Savior and for salvation in Jesus Christ.
Pray for Abi to again show interest in hearing the Word of God and to be willing to talk with the pastor.

One of my friends and co-laborers in the Lord’s Work gave us pairs of shoes and slippers to be used in our evangelism outreach. I thanked him for his generous gift and its help in our one-on-one evangelism. As we witness, we give the gift of a pair of shoes or slippers. The people are happy to receive them.

Pray for the outreach to the community and for all the church planters and their families to have good health and spiritual guidance.
Pray for the Pajac church to raise their financial needs for the land and building project.

Pray for the family, for the wife and grown child to stand firm in their faith, and for the husband to come to salvation.
Pray for safety and protection on the family.
Pray for the Bible study to continue.

February 2019

My wife and I have been visiting houses to evangelize and give out gospel tracts. We regularly encounter many unusual situations and some different excuses of why people are not willing to receive us and instead reject our sharing of God’s Word. Sometimes they are too busy with household chores like laundry. As one old woman informed us, people in this community are too busy gambling and cannot stop to listen. We were not discouraged from sharing the gospel in the neighborhood. Other people were willing to receive our words despite being busy. We encountered some people who were drying fish. We purchased their product so that we could start a conversation with them, and they took the time to listen to our words. We are still praying, hoping, and believing that more people will accept Christ into their lives. At the end of the day, we were blessed to have people who received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Pray for the evangelists to not become discouraged by the excuses given by those who are not willing to hear the Word of God.
Pray for those who listen to be convicted and understand their need for a Savior.
Pray for wisdom and opportunities to begin conversations that lead to the sharing of the gospel.
Pray for discernment as the evangelists listen to the unbelievers and frame responses to their questions.

When I wake up in the morning, I still feel tightness in my neck and traveling long distances is uncomfortable. My doctor informed me that healing will take time, but it is hard to be patient for my neck to return to its normal state. I wish to overcome this challenge sooner to continue reaching the people with the gospel message. My wife also has trouble with long distances as she becomes dizzy. We sometimes use the motorbike for travel as the condition of the car makes it risky to travel for long miles.

Pray for health and healing for Pastor Jerry and his wife.
Pray for physical strength to continue reaching the people in the surrounding areas with the message of hope that is only found in salvation from God.

In previous reports, I requested prayer for a permanent place of worship. In the church I planted in Lapu-Lapu, our contract to lease the land will end in the fall of this year. It is only a few months away, and we will need to leave this place. We persisted in prayer and pledged to give each month resulting in our saving two-hundred-thousand pesos in the past three years. We have been searching for land. One day, my wife’s phone rang, and the person asked to speak with me as they knew someone who was selling land. We talked to the owner and negotiated to buy a specific space. We prayed that the Lord would bless our transaction. I told the owner that we had not yet saved a sufficient amount to pay in full for the land. He was willing to discuss the matter, so we went to his house. I asked if we could satisfy the down payment and then pay the remainder each month. The total amount for the land is nine-hundred-thousand pesos. The first installment should have been half of the total, but the owner was willing to receive our two-hundred-thousand pesos with the remainder paid monthly. We signed the agreement.

God answered our prayers! Praise the Lord.

Pray for the remaining funds for the land and church building. Praise the Lord for finding the land and the successful negotiations with the owner.
Pray for the safety and good health of the church planters in the Philippines.
Pray for passion and perseverance in their ministries.
Pray for the field director, Pastor Cris, for God to continue to use him and his family.
Pray for God to open doors for Bible studies and for people to accept God’s Word in my assigned area.

January 2019

Brother Ading is my co-worker in Barili. He has been with me since I started in this location. When I was sick for a few months, Ading faithfully continued the Bible study and did all the visitations. I thank God for providing a person who maintained the Bible study despite my sickness and absence. God is faithful. In the past, Ading was a drunkard and gambler while still being a devoted Catholic and idol worshiper. He thought everything he did was pleasing to God, but after he was saved, God changed his life from doing wrong things to doing the things that are truly pleasing to God. Thank God for a helping hand in the ministry.

Pray for Ading to continue to serve God faithfully and to grow in his faith and knowledge of the Word of God as he teaches and leads the people.
Pray for Ading’s health, he was hospitalized for a few days for high blood pressure and is now recovering.
Pray for the people attending the Bible study to have a more profound desire for the Word of God.

I continue the work in the community of Japitan. Every week, I have a two to three-hour motorcycle drive to Japitan. I leave early to avoid traffic and the heat of the sun. This month I encountered hard rains during my travels due to the typhoons. I still feel a tightness in my neck when I move my head, and this causes me some concern. At this time there is no one to take on the responsibility in Japitan so I must continue to travel to this location to continue the ministry.

I have been visiting houses and grabbing every opportunity to share God’s Word and hand out tracks. So far, people have not shown much interest in listening or even reading the pamphlets. They are too busy gambling, drinking wine, or working to take even a single minute to listen. They do not want to be disturbed. As a human, this response has been very discouraging to me. Last week, I investigated more and found that many ministries have tried to reach this area but were rejected. The people here are very outwardly religious and devoted Catholics, but not following and obeying the true God. Some are drug addicts or take other vices. Despite these challenges, I still have a burden in my heart to continue to minister in this location.

Pray for the people in Japitan to open their hearts and minds to the gospel.
Pray for God to give me the wisdom of how to do the ministry and for me to be sensitive to His leading.
Pray for Pastor Jerry as he ministers in this area to persevere and persist in sharing the gospel despite the negative and discouraging responses.
Pray for God’s provision to build a permanent place of worship in Lapu-Lapu city.
Pray for every church planter in the Philippines to have safety, guidance, wisdom as they serve the people, and for good health for their entire family.

December 2018

I traveled with my entire family to visit Barili the day after Christmas where we had a joint fellowship with the brothers and sisters in the Lord. While we were on the road, the car’s engine suddenly lost its power. I decided to park on the side of the road and crawled under the car to see what was wrong. I checked the connections and everything on the engine, it all was in good condition. God led me to check the air filter, and I discovered it was clogged due to dirt. I cleaned the screen, and thankfully when I started the engine the car started.

We went to pick up Boy, Baby, and Tilde in Malolos to join the Christmas fellowship. Nanay (grandma) Tilde was unable to come because she was in the hospital. We continued traveling to Japitan, a smaller area within Barili and had fellowship with thirteen believers in a small house. I shared a message about thankfulness for Christmas, emphasizing salvation and Jesus as the reason for the season. I encouraged the believers to show love beyond just the twenty-fifth of December, but on every day of the year. We ate a meal together at Nanay Nita’s house.

Pray for no further issues with the vehicle.
Pray for Nanay Tilde to get better soon.
Pray for open doors for ministry in Barili and for many people to be drawn to the Lord.

It has been five years since we occupied our place in Pajac, Lapu-Lapu. We have been renting this location under contract, which will end this year. Many souls have been saved here, and it has been a place of comfort, refreshment and rest for weary people. We thank God for all the events and that every word of God spoken in this place has been blessed. At present we are looking for a new location and are desiring to purchase land. We have raised a percentage of the funds and are praying for the right spot to be found and for the remainder of the funds to be collected. This was the last Christmas celebration here, and despite that sorrow, we had a successful event. Our guest speaker was Pastor Cris Pano who spoke about God’s faithfulness.

Pray for God’s provision for a church lot and building in Lapu-Lapu.
Pray for spiritual growth and maturity for the believers.
Pray for Pastor Cris Pano as he supports and encourages the church planters in the Philippines.

November 2018

This month I have been able to visit the group in Barili. We are so happy to see each other again and study the Word of God together. I have not yet fully recovered my full strength, and I still feel weak, but with God’s help and strength, I will continue the Bible study.

Pastor Cris visited Barili with me to see the location where I have been working. It was raining hard, and we did our best to visit the people. This was not the only time of heavy rain in this area, some time ago, I brought my wife with me to help in the ministry, and as we traveled by motorcycle, it started to pour hard. We quickly found shelter so we would not get so wet. We will continue to do God’s mission to preach the gospel.

Pray for strength, good health and normal functioning of the body for Pastor Jerry. See his previous reports for the medical issues he suffered this past year.
Pray for the Bible study in Barili and for its people to grow to maturity and experience God’s marvelous work.
Pray for safe travels to Barili and the rain to not damage the homes or roads.

When I visited Malolos, they gave me an update on the women who had breast cancer, little by little, the lumps were disappearing. We thanked God for working in her life. Brother Boy and Sister Baby have continued to minister to her during my medical absence and are willing to be used by God despite their old age. Thank the Lord for their blessing.

Pray for the full recovery and complete healing of Dahlia from breast cancer.
Pray for good health and protection for the church planters in the Philippines.
Pray for my family.

September/October 2018

I was discharged from the hospital after eight days and stayed at my sister’s house for two weeks. I had a check-up with my ENT doctor, Dr. Gubantes and he said that what had happened to me was a close-to-death experience. He told me to thank God for saving me from that situation. He gave me the results of the biopsy of the swollen lump on my neck, and there were no signs of abnormalities. I also visited Dr. Verdillo and discussed my blood sugars. She prescribed medications to control my blood sugars and advised me on my eating and exercise habits. My wife and I returned to Cebu to continue resting.

Praise the Lord for healing Pastor Jerry.

Pray for no further medical sequela from this event, for full recovery and healing to continue the ministry.
Pray for Pastor Jerry to be able to rest and regain his strength.

My wife and I visited Barili. Boy, Baby, and Sister. Tilde was continuing the ministry in Barili during my medical leave of absence. I thanked them for their faithful service as they kept the Bible study. One of the workers of a pastor friend voluntarily helped by visiting as well. When night came, we had a prayer meeting despite the lack of electricity. I told them when I had gained enough strength, I will revisit them, as I still felt a little weak.

Pray for the ministry in Barili to continue.
Pray for the leaders who are ministering during Pastor Jerry’s absence, for their wisdom and courage as they continue to minister to the church members and the new believers.
Continue to pray for Dahlia Unabia and her complete healing from cancer.

Last Month Report

My sincerest apologies for not completing my regular ministry duties this past month. I suffered a physical ailment that left me bed-ridden for a month. My family and I appreciate the earnest prayers and support you extended to me during this time. I knew the power of prayer and was blessed by the pastors and people who visited me. We are grateful to Cris Pano for monitoring my situation and communicating with Pastor Steve. I am incredibly thankful for the prayers and financial assistance.

At first, I felt my tonsils swelling, and I had a small lump on the right side of my neck. It was not too annoying, and I continued the ministry in Barili, Cebu. While there, I suddenly had a fever. After the third day with a temperature, I decided to consult a physician.

I went to the Mactan Doctors Hospital, and they gave me medicine which I took for three days. The lump swelled more, so I went to a different doctor. He also gave me a prescription and instructions to return in a week. I went for the check-up but instead of the lump disappearing as expected, it was still there, so he gave me a different medicine. Five days later, I am still suffering from pain, and the lump was increasing in size. The Mactan Doctors Hospital had no vacancy, so we went to the Cebu City hospital. They would not admit me since their service is costly and I had no insurance.

We went to the emergency room in the public hospital in Cebu. It was very slow, and many different people checked me. My throat felt more irritated by their checks, and I thought they would admit me, but they said to come back in the next few days for tests to decide if I would be accepted. They did labs and an ultrasound. When the doctor touched my neck, it got more painful and irritated. It was difficult to swallow food. I was grateful for visitors and encouraged by the pastors and people who prayed with me.

My sister came to Cebu and convinced me to go to the hospital in Negros Oriental since I have relatives there. I decided to go to that hospital to be admitted since I could no longer handle the pain of the swollen lump and I could hardly sleep. We traveled by plane. I went to the emergency room and as the nurse was interviewing me, the lump on my neck burst. I was immediately admitted, and the doctor evaluated the lump. The drainage took three days and was intensely painful. I was at the hospital for seven days and worried about paying the medical bills. But thank God, eighty-percent of my hospital bill was covered, and I am grateful for the financial assistance of White Fields. I am staying at my sister’s house in Negros Oriental for the follow-up and recovery period. After this, I will return home and continue God’s ministry.

Pray for full recovery and healing of Pastor Jerry Quimat.

Give thanks for the fellow pastors and Christians who encouraged Pastor Jerry, prayed with him and supported him financially during this medical situation.

August 2018

My new target of ministry is Barangay Japitan. As I prepared, I asked God to guide me since I did not know anyone in the area. When I arrived in Japitan, I stopped at a store to share the gospel with whoever God sent my way. I talked with the vendor and she said that the owner was a Christian. She wanted to introduce me to the owner. Since he was busy, I shared the gospel with her while we waited. As we talked, another lady entered the store. The vendor said, this lady also is a Christian. The lady smiled at me and so we started talking. She invited me to her house and without hesitation, I went and met her parents. They also were Christians and we started talking about their church before they moved to Cebu city. I realized the church they mentioned was one I used to work at. They thought I looked familiar and even though I did not recognize them, they were certain that they knew me. I was so comforted that God guided me to talk to this family.

Give thanks for God’s guidance and for meeting Christians.

Pray for the area of Japitan and for God’s guidance as I minister in this area.

One day, as I was doing house-to-house evangelism, I knocked on the door of Teodoro and Leonor. I greeted them and realized that Teodoro was not responding because he was blind. His wife, Leonor, came closer and I introduced myself and why I was there. They were hesitant, so I changed topics and asked, how did Teodoro become blind? I found out that an accident at his former welding job had caused his blindness. Then I came back to my main purpose, to talk about salvation. They were willing to listen and accepted Christ as their Savior. I asked if I could return to their house and visit them. Leonor said, no, don’t come back. She explained they were devoted Catholic and their daughter was very strict about religion. They were afraid their daughter would not financially support them anymore. They could not make decisions for themselves and were controlled by fear. Despite their fear, I am praying that their faith would grow and that I would be able to visit them again.

Pray for Teodor and Leonor to grow in their new understanding of salvation and find peace in God. Pray for them to be willing and have an opportunity to talk with Pastor Jerry again.
Pray for Teodor and Leonor’s daughter to be accepting of their salvation and be willing to consider the gospel message of salvation through grace alone.

A fifteen-minute walk from the house of Berto, I came to the house of an old woman and I greeted her “Ayo” to show respect. She asked if there was anything she could do for me. I introduced myself and my purpose. She invited me into a smaller building and was very hospitable. I saw there was a cornfield all around us and asked her what her job was. She said I am a farmer. I said I am a farmer too, and after we chatted for a while, I asked if I could share the gospel with her. She said yes. I explained salvation and she accepted Christ into her life. I asked if I could return to see her again at her house, but she stated that she was rarely at home because of all the work needed on the farm. She agreed to join the Bible study, if she had time, at Berto’s house. Since then, I have not seen her again. Berto said she is very busy working.

Pray for the woman farmer to have time to join the Bible study. Pray for her to grow in her new faith.

I continued to knock on doors, this time in a different location, Barangay San Rafael, with Ading, a worker from the church. We saw a young man standing outside a house and Ading realized he knew him. They started talking and I asked if I could share the gospel. The young man called his mother from inside the house. She invited us inside and we started sharing the gospel. At first, she was unsure since they were Catholics. But they also wanted to hear the good news about Jesus Christ. I gave them some gospel tracts and shared about salvation. They accepted Christ. The next week, I visited them again and we talked more. I asked if they were willing to host a Bible study. The mother said, yes, I am willing. We started a Bible study in their home and I am hoping this will provide an opportunity to invite more people in the area to a Bible study.

Pray for the young man and his mother to understand the difference between Catholicism and salvation.

Give thanks for their willingness to host the Bible study and for the increased opportunity to witness to the area of San Rafael through this Bible study.

Pray for their faith to grow with the study of the Bible and for their neighbors and friends to also start to attend and become Christians.

Currently, there are four Bible studies in different locations: Cabcaban, Malolos, Sitio Palatdan and our most recently started in San Rafael. Continue to pray for the believers, especially in Malolos, to grow in their faith and stay strong despite persecution.

Pray for the current Bible studies to continue and for the believers to be strong in their faith.
Pray for wisdom and discernment as I teach the believers.
Pray for divine protection and good relationships to be built as I minister to the people who live in the Barangay Japitan, my newest target of ministry.
Pray for good health for myself and my entire family. Pray for safe travels to the Bible study locations.

In my last report, I told you about a woman who has stage two breast cancer and accepted Christ into her life. Her name is Dalia. When I visited her, I asked her if there were changes that happened to her. She said with a smile, yes, there’s something that happened inside of me since the last time you visited. I always read the Bible, but not like how I read it before when I was a catechist (a teacher in the Catholic church). She is very interested in knowing God’s Word and accepted a Bible study.

Currently, I’m still making friends in the community, hoping that I can establish relationships with the people and connect them to God. Last week we had 58 campers who joined the Youth camp held in Lilo-an. As a result eight of the campers committed their lives to follow Jesus through water baptism.

July 2018

Praise God! My Bible study in the home of Berto and Rita continues, even though they are in their old age, they are willing to listen to the Word of God. They are very giving despite their poverty. We are used to sitting on the floor during our Bible study in their place. They always find ways to prepare food that they can serve me. I started bringing bread or anything we could eat after the Bible study. This month, my topic was about the assurance of salvation. They were happy to know they are saved. One challenge is their hearing, I need to speak louder so they can hear me clearly, but nothing is going to stop me since I can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives me strength.

Travel takes thirty minutes through a forested area on my motorcycle. One day while driving, I saw a dark brown snake crossing the road, so I stopped, and the snake stared at me. Then it slowly crossed the road and I continued. Praise God I’m safe! On my way home, my motorcycle got a flat tire. Thankfully, I was close to a repair shop and not on the mountain roads. I was able to get a new tire and continue my journey.

I started to look for another place to share the gospel and found Barangay Japitan, a district of Barili. I asked some of the pastors who are ministering in the town of Barili about Japitan and they said the people are very devoted Catholics. I visited the place again and shared the gospel with three ladies, Josephine, Belen, and Mae. They accepted Christ. On my next visit, I did not find them, since they were waiting at the school for their children the previous time we had met. I pray the Lord will give me an open door to minister to Japitan. I hope to meet the three ladies again.

Pray for Berto and Rita to continue in their faith.
Pray for Dalia’s complete healing of breast cancer and continuing to have faith in God.
Pray for the people living in Barangay Japitan, that God will touch their lives and open their heart to the Lord.
Pray for my family, for good health, provision, and protection

In my last report, I mentioned two bible studies I was doing; one is still going on; however, the other one stopped due to persecution from the relatives of the family who has the bible study. Their relatives are forcing them not to have bible study in their home.

I still go house to house witnessing through gospel tracts. I have noticed that this strategy is useful most of the time. There are instances when people are reluctant to accept tracts, and some won’t even pay attention to me when I greet them. It hurts when you are treated that way, but I remember that even the disciples were treated the same and even worst. By God’s grace, I was able to start a bible study. Please pray that God will give me strength for this work.

Spring 2018

(1) Our church plant has begun in Barangay Malolos Barili, Cebu City. I visited the place and surveyed the people living in the area several months ago. Most of the people are Roman Catholics, and they are very devoted to their religion. In January there was a Fiesta Celebration, and I witnessed how they worshipped the idol (saints), bowing down to an image. My heart felt heavy and sorrowful and challenged to pursue the task God has giving me in this area; I have a clear understanding why God has sent me to this place.

I know people that live in this area from when worked in Babag, Lapu-Lapu city. A couple whose names are Boy and Bebie have moved to Barangay Malolos, Barili the place where I have planted the new church. They are willing to share their home for ministry work. When I first met this couple, they were devoted Catholics, but after sharing God’s message, they eventually accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and became Christians. They are excited to be part of our new work.

During one of my home visits, I met a widow named Nanay who lives alone. I began to visit her and share the gospel, over time we became friends. Eventually, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

We did street evangelism, home visits, and a children’s ministry. Our Korean mission team from Olango church (my previous church planning ministry) came and helped. I am grateful for their compassionate hearts, the time, effort, and love they displayed during their time with us. In the group, they had a person with a disability, powerless in action yet mighty in prayer. He was our intercessor during our evangelism time. After the mission group left, we established that our church leaders would follow up with the people who received Christ during our outreach.

(2) When I am out in the community evangelizing I run into many people who are devoted Catholic’s that do not want to hear the gospel. Last week I met a woman and gave her a gospel track and tried to tell her about Jesus. She was hesitant and decided to not listen to what I had to say. I followed up with her again, and she was surprised to see me. She said she would not listen to the gospel and told me that she was a Catholic and would die a Catholic.

I visited Boy and Bebe (I spoke of them last month) in Barangay Malolos Sitio Kamagaya. I asked Bebe if she knew anyone in the area. She said she had relatives living nearby. Boy agreed to go with me and be my guide. During our walk, we met many people who knew Boy and Bebe. The people were friendly, and I was encouraged. I asked if they wanted to have a Bible study in their area. They responded positively, and I organized a Bible study the following week. Eight people and five children attended and surrendered their life to Jesus Christ.

During the month I also visited Nanay, the widowed women who accepted Jesus Christ last month. We are also doing a Bible study in her area. We have two Bible studies during the week, and I am encouraged that the Lord is opening doors for people to hear the gospel. Despite the many trials we face, God’s mission is firm and still standing. God continues to remind me of His sweet and encouraging words.

(3) This month I met an elderly couple who are friends with my parents. I am slowly building a relationship with them, neither one of whom knows the gospel. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to initiate communication that will lead them to know Christ.

I’ve led a bible study for several weeks. There is a couple that comes to the bible study and currently, do not have jobs. This has made them available for the study. I was so glad that they professed faith in Christ and a few months after they accepted Christ they were employed. Though balancing their time at work and spiritual activities is a struggle for them. They decided to commit themselves to attend bible study at night despite their tired physical bodies. Please pray for this couple to continue growing spiritually.

As I mentioned in my previous reports, apartment managers many times won’t allow Christians to rent rooms because they see a distinction between Catholics and Christians. After several weeks of seeking a room for me to rent, I’ve found one apartment for rent. However, the owner gave me a condition, no fellowships in the place. Indeed, the area is full of persecutions, but that won’t stop me from making Jesus known in this place. Please pray for me and the salvation of the people.

In April we had our 1st Youth Camp held in Rockhill, Lilo-an, Cebu City. 58 youth campers attended, the campers came from different areas such as Antipolo, Taguig, Palawan, Lilo-an and Lapu-Lapu Cities. Each day had varied activities that would deepen the relationship of the youth in Christ. These activities included indoor and outdoor fun, breakout sessions, bible activities, and a formal service every night for three days. The theme of the camp was “Who am I?” the activities and sessions allowed the youth to get to know themselves more in the eyes of Christ. Praise God for it was truly a successful event. It rekindled once again the hearts of the youth allowing them to refresh, renew, and start a passion for Christ.

(4) Little by little as I continue to visit Berto and his wife our relationship has continued to grow into a good friendship. I think of them as parents because they are very kind to me. I asked them one time if it was okay if I shared the gospel with them. They said, “Yes we are willing to listen to the gospel.” I scheduled my next visit with them nut when I arrived I saw that Berto was having a hard time standing because of back pain. Back pain is one of the many ailments that burdens the people since they live on top of the mountain, there is also no pain reliever available to them. I immediately prayed for him, and after praying, I hurriedly went into town with a motorcycle to buy cream and medicine to ease the pain for Berto. I also bought them some food because they didn’t have any. Aside from these things, another problem is that their place does not have a water supply. Many people will use a container of water and use it for their livestock, cooking, bathing, and washing clothes. When I did my next visit, Berto had recovered from his pain but was still struggling to walk. Finally, I was able to share with them the gospel, and they professed faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

One of the ladies who attend our bible study is a prayer warrior and unfortunately, her mother passed away. She asked me if I could have a two-night prayer service in their house. After preaching the first night, I challenged the people who attended the funeral service to surrender their lives to Christ. Many of them made a profession of faith in Jesus. On the second night I was preaching, some people were talking, and it distracted the attention of other people. It was disrespectful, but I know it is the way of the enemy to hinder me in my preaching, however, I continued sharing God’s word with them.

(5) As I looked back over the last six months, I praise God for the opportunity and privilege of serving Him. When I first started the pioneering work in Barangay Malolos, Barili I was excited and began doing house to house evangelism and was able to witness to many different people. I had some people that wanted nothing to do with me because of their devotion to their religion. But there were some who believed and accepted Jesus Christ and began coming to Bible study with me. Even though there was opposition, we continued our ministry.

I met a woman while I was doing home visitations who has stage two breast cancer. As I talked to her, she told me that she was worried about the future and didn’t know what to do. She is 52 years old and afraid to die. Her husband left her, and she has no money to go to the doctors. I shared the gospel with her, and she listened and surrendered her life to Jesus. I prayed for her and after a week visited her again. She told me that she now has peace of mind and trusts in Jesus for her future.

I currently lead two Bible studies every week, one in Barangay Malolos and one in Sitio Paladin. When I started the Malolos bible study, we had seven people but now because of persecution and pressure from their bosses we are getting smaller. Pray that they will continue to grow in their faith and have the strength to endure persecution.