Dear brethren,
This is a big update for us.
1. The parsonage in Pamuhatan will be finished this week. We were able to put together a final $350.00 to finish the project.
2. Our bible study in Carmen, with Brother Ray at the helm, had its first official Sunday service as a church, last Sunday, with 22 in attendance.
3. I have mentioned Christian Aid Mission before.This is one of the Mission Insider updates. Ernie sent the pictures after being interviewed by Steven Van Valkenberg, the SE Asia representative we have been working with. We are now listed as one of their recognized Indigenous Ministries under the name of Theos Doulos Church Planting Movement. They have listed us for prayer, with a picture of our tribal meeting in their monthly newsletter/brochure for Feb 1. At present the electronic version Prayerline link is not working. At the website, Bob Finley’s book is a must read if you are serious about true indigenous work. He has , after 50 years, just stepped down as CEO of ChristianAid Mission. As I have mentioned in the past, Deborah and I have supported work through Christian Aid for over 20 years.Christian Aid Mission :: Philippine Flood Survivors Say Hundreds of Children Were Snatched from their Beds – Print
4. They are raising funds for the Cagayan Flood victims, and from what Ernie told me this week, our ministry will be the conduit for distribution.
5.Another pastor who attended our conferences the past two years, want to join us to do a work among tribal peoples in the mountains. Please pray for Brother Philippe.
Remember, at present, we are not able to support any of our fellow pastors, except Ernie, our lead man, with any regular support. I will detail all of our 5 pastors backgrounds, again, in another update. The funds we have raised, with your generous help, have helped us with some property needs, where we cannot rent (in the mountains) and with our pastor training conferences.
6. Pastor Ernon, our Pentecostal brother who hosted our recent conference in October 2011, in Cagayan informed Ernie that he and his wife just returned from a meeting with a large number of Penetecostal pastors, where he taught the materials I presented at the conference, including biblical theology , a redemptive historical perspective and what all that means regarding NCT. THey want to know more and are willing to walk away from things they have come to understand as not being biblical in their approach to Scripture. If you recall, brother Ernon’s and the church made this approach their official policy for training teachers and ministry people in their church after our conference. Lord willing, this years conference will focus on the same things, but rather than primarily topically, doing it all in the context of Hebrews. We may even be able to do some teaching at a Bible College. An instructor who is a church member discussed this with me while there in October. You may also recall that two of the “pastor’s” were women and questioned their role as such as they began studying in a different way during the conference.
7. This week, Ernie will baptize 3 new believers in the ocean, in Davao city at our “mother church” plant.
Once Pastor Ambin is moved in in Pamuhaten, he will plant a new work from there, about an hour down the Federal Highway.
8. Our new bible study in Lacsun is meeting resistance form the Catholic Defenders. We are praying it through.
9. Our tribal work in Buhangninan ( up the road form Pamuhatan) has been disrupted by some political and low level insurgencies which has caused many of our families to leave the area. We are praying for the Lords direction in rebuilding/regathering this work.
We will upload some pictures of the new building soon. Ernie will be there next week and also in Cagayan doing some post- flood counseling.
Well that is all for now.
Thank you for your prayers and support for His glory.
