Celebrating Christmas of 2009

This Christmas season will bring a mighty fine corn harvest for Eddie's father, a Bicolano farmer. His harvest won't compare though to God's spiritual harvest in the hearts of Eddie and others in Mampili.

Eddie came for the first time to the Bible study in Mampili last Saturday. After the Gospel was presented in the heart language of Iriga-Bicol, members of the group discussed whether they would commit their lives to Christ now or later. When the moment of decision came, Eddie rose to his feet. His courage spread to the rest of the group and 10 others committed their lives to Christ. Christ won the victory that day.

God used Sally to invite her friends and neighbors to study the Bible. Her contacts in Mampili grew the group from 4 to 12.
During an earlier Mampili Bible study, this grandmother Coring and her daughter Gina had asked us questions like "Do you believe in the priest? Will we be baptized again?" These questions alerted us that the time was right to call for a decision. After their decision, Coring and Gina expressed their heart felt gratitude for what Christ had done for them on the cross.
During this Christmas season, Terry spoke ten times, using the story of the wisemen to explain why Jesus had come as a baby to be our Savior.Terry also spoke at this simple double wedding, encouraging these couples to remain faithful to God and each other. These two couples each have 5 children. We rejoiced with them for getting married, an important step to obey God and His plan for their lives.
This Christmas, Terry and Michaelle were honored to be one of many Ninongs and Ninangs or godparents for Lorenz and Eden's wedding. One unusual custom at this wedding was the bride and groom holding 2 white doves together to symbolize their love for one another.

Along with the newly weds, Tatay Tony and Nanay Estella celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, a rarity among Filipinos due to their short life spans. (As you can see, they don't consider it proper to smile for pictures. They really were happy.)

We celebrated Jesus' birth with our Bible study groups, including these folks in Santol.

PTL! On December 21st, 6 more new believers were baptized in Tastas. Tonton is a new believer with a tender heart and an eagerness to do whatever God asks of him.
The tears rolled as Tonton gave his testimony after his baptism.

The baptism was followed by a Christmas party with about 80 people in attendance. Pastor Pony gave a powerful salvation sermon followed by gifts of food and vitamins to every family.

These girls prepared a Christmas song with choreography.

As you can see, the Lord smiled down on His work among the Bicolanos this Christmas!

A House Church in Tastas, Ligao

We asked God to send laborers to Bicol, especially Bicolanos who may have become believers in other places to return to share the Gospel with their family and friends.Jun Tuason, a Bicolano from Tastas, Ligao, married Elma in Manila and became a believer.

Jun returned to his home place in Bicol with his pastor. They gathered some of his family on the porch of his house.

There Pastor Pony explained the Good News about Jesus.

While Pastor Pony spoke to the adults, Michaelle organized the children for a game.One Saturday afternoon, Jun gathered his neighborhood in his yard. His neighborhood is mostly Jun's large extended Tuason family and their spouses.Then Jun gave his testimony. Since his family knew Jun had once been a former New People's Army Rebel in Bicol, the change in Jun's life since he came to Christ was obvious to all. Among the crowd that day was a boy named Mark Jay (white shorts). He had become a believer through a neighborhood church and had been praying for his parents to come to Christ. The Lord was answering his prayer.One of the first in the family to come to Christ was Rey Tuason, Jun's nephew and Mark Jay's father. Rey regularly shares his faith and is a leader in the house church. Since last April, this group of new believers have been meeting every Sunday afternoon for worship.Saldo, one of the house church leaders, usually brings the message. Terry fills in when Saldo's work takes him out of town.

Romel, the 3rd house church leader, is usually the lay leader and guitarist.Christy, Romel's sister, has also learned to play the guitar. Usually, the women and children fill the porch while...

...the men sit on the outside around the porch. This worked well until rainy season.
The men solved the problem by building a grass roof supported by bamboo off the porch. Pray for the Tuason Family as they continue to reach out to their lost relatives and friends.

Agta Nehemiah Team and Follow-up

Meet the 2009 Agta Nehemiah Team:

Hunter, Josh, Billy, and Ernest,

their Filipino interpretter.

The Agta Nehemiah Team packed up

on a beautiful day

to hike into their first location.

During the days before this hike though,

it had rained hard.

The trail was very slippery.

This was definitely not an assignment for wimps!

Terry drove the team as far as he could.

Then Agta men guided them

down a mountain and back up another mountain

to their campsite.

Hunter told us later that

this was the most demanding hike of his life.

Without their Agta guides,

who pulled them up each time they fell

and helped carry their equipment,

they could not have made it.

Finally, they arrived at Cheiftain Shirley's house

where they were to set up camp.

Each day, the guys hiked the trails,

searching for Agtas willing to listen to the Gospel.

Sometimes when they returned to camp,
an Agta child would be just sitting quietly
taking care of her baby brother or
looking out the window their house.
The guys played with the children
and fed them if they were hungry.After the first location,
Jose, a new Agta believer, joined the team.
Jose prepared the way for the team
to go to 3 more locations.
Then we realized their Bible studies
weren't just with Agtas.
Some of the Bible studies were with Bicolanos
such as here in Tubigan.
The guys found a group of mothers
at a children's feeding program
sponsored by the governor of the province.
The guys played basketball nearby
until the children had been fed.
Then they gathered the ball players
and the mothers for a Bible study.

Each day, the 3 guys took turns,
leading the Bible study
with Ernest as their intrepretter.
Ernest said it was difficult
being the mouth for 4 people
instead of just for himself.

So when the guys left for another location,

Terry started leading the Bible study.One day as we were driving home,

Emily, who had been Michaelle's prayer partner

at a Dawn Watch Prayer Meeting,

was standing on the side of the road.

When we stopped to talk with her,

she asked if she could join us at our Bible study.

Since then, Emily has been helping tell

the Bible stories in Bicol and

giving explanations when our Tagalog is lacking.

What a wonderful gift from the Lord!

When the mothers showed

genuine interest in Bible study,

we gave them Bibles.

Jerry and Ernesto are men who come faithfully.

When we gave them Bibles,

Jerry's eyes were too weak to read the small print.

A friend introduced us

to a source of reading glasses

that cost 53 cents a pair.

Jerry wears his glasses

on top of his head

until it's time to read.

We rejoice that the Lord is teaching us

to share the Gospel more clearly

with Bicolanos!

Discovering a Church in a Fishing Village

After 4 rides, including 2 boats, and 9 1/2 hours,we finally arrived at this fishing village.We were warmly welcomed by Bro. Jun,

his wife Inday, and their 4 children.During our visit, Terry and Bro Jun went out on the beach

and in the village to visit and share the Gospel

with the people of Cabacongan.Inday and Michaelle did the same,

finding many curious people

eager to visit with the Americans.

Definitely not a common occurrence in this village!

Bro Jun told how 100 people

were meeting in homes at one time

until this church building was built.

Then the priest told the new believers

they had sinned when they were baptized

and would not be allowed

to bury their dead in the cemetary

if they did not return to the Catholic Church.

That threat scattered this young flock,

leaving only these faithful members, And these children,

who continue to attend church

and the Good News Club

that Inday leads on Saturdays.

That Sunday, Bro Jun led his church

in celebrating their 4th Anniversary.

Terry was the guest speaker.

He told the Parable of the Great Banquet

and told about the Wedding Feast in heaven.

He urged us to keep inviting others

until the Lord's house is filled.

The celebration ended with a banquet

of pancit noodles, a favorite Filipino snack.