April Update

Dear Praying Friends,

First let me say how grateful I am to address you as dear praying friends. Often Mary Ann and I sense at crucial hours of the day or night that we are being prayed for. You are so precious to us in Christ. Wednesday morning in my devotions I read John 15:7-8 which says "If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." (NASB) Our prayer for each of us is that the Word of God will abide and settle down in each of us and the Spirit will guide our prayers in such a way that they will be prayed according to His will, bear fruit and glorify our Father. Here are answers to prayer and more prayer requests:

1. NEW BILIBID PENITENTIARY MINISTRY

Paul and Pat Ellis along with Will and Joanie Feuerstein, ACTION missionaries, and Christian Growth Ministries, our long-time partner, continue to develop our work at New Bilibid. Paul and Pat are finishing up their Life Discipleship series in the Medium Security Compound while Will and Joanie visit ex-patriot as well as Filipino inmates in the Maxiumum Security Compound and Lord willing will start a Bible study for the expats. A few weeks ago I wrote you about a Bible conference sponsored by ACTION and CGM so the work continues to move forward by God's grace. This coming Thursday Will, Joanie and I will accompany Pastor Jonathan Las, the worship pastor from our church Greenhills Christian Fellowship, who will teach a seminar for select Maximum Compound inmates in the ministry of worship leading. Pray that God will continue to mobilize expat and Filipino workers to minister at New Bilibid. The opportunity for ministry is wide open.

2. EASTER OUTREACH TO STREET CHILDREN

Over the Easter weekend, ACTION sponsored 3 special outreaches to street children with the funds being provided by Mission to Children. The kids had a good time playing sports, eating a special meal, singing songs about Jesus and learning that He died and rose again to pay for their sins. In one area, 30 kids live in an open field and are pretty much neglected by society and they will now receive special ministry from one of our partner organizations.

3. CAMPS

Last week, April 10-13, we sponsored a camp for street children from Olongapo, Malolos and San Fernando, cities just north of Manila. 62 kids along with several workers had a good time at a beautiful campsite learning about Christ, playing sports and eating plenty of good food. I'm still waiting for the final report but everybody enjoyed themselves. Many kids indicated trusting Christ and now their recruiting churches are following up their campers.

In May we are sponsoring 3 camp activities. May 10-12 we are sponsoring a sportsfest in St. Bernard, So. Leyte where the terrible mudslide tragedy took place in February '06 and we have done a lot of relief and development work. This sportsfest is about continuing our work through the local churches in ministry to the youth in the resettlement communities. ACTION Social Worker Luv Zacal will represent our team.

May 22-24 we will be having a camp in Cagayan De Oro City in Mindanao in coordination with several churches in that southern city. The camp will be followed by several training activities for churches to further strengthen their ministry to street children. Dave and Becky Majam along with their 3 daughters will represent ACTION at these activities.

May 22-24 Luv Zacal and I will be involved with a camp in Real, Quezon where we have been involved in relief and development for several years. The New Testament Baptist Church of Paete, Laguna has taken on a 3 year church planting commitment there and will be coordinating the camp with our assistance. On the 23rd I will be giving an evangelistic message. While I'm thinking about it, this weekend New Testament Baptist is conducting a Vacation Bible School for 57 kids and they are requesting our prayers. By God's grace we will see a Christ-exalting, Bible teaching church planted in this area in the days to come.

4. FIRE RELIEF

As I have previously written, we are busy providing relief to the victims of fires in local squatter communities. So far we have conducted 3 major relief operations in 3 different locations with another one to come next week on Wednesday. We have spent about $9,000 thus far which has brought great comfort and practical help to the people who have lost the very little that they had. Mount Zion Church, Christian Challenge and Church of Hope have expressed sincere gratefulness to us for helping them minister to the fire victims. We are now looking into what more we can do in each location. See our photo album for updated photos (address below).

5. MASSIVE MEDICAL CLINIC

On May 19, ACTION and Greenhills Christian Fellowship will be working together to conduct a large medical clinic in Baseco. Aplaya Christian Church and other churches in the area will be the local coordinators. We are anticipating 500 patients who will be checked by 4 medical doctors and 4 dentists. It is our prayer that the youth of GCF will join us that day to extend ministry through music and evangelism. There are many logistical needs related to this clinic so we request prayer that the Lord will orchestrate all the preparations. Pray for good weather because May is the hottest month of the year. Tents will be used to provide covering while patients are waiting but pray for a cool breeze and a cloud covering. This past week Mary Ann was able to go and visit Baseco and the site where this clinic will be conducted. Nearby we are conducting a Fish and Bread Supplemental Feeding for 30 malnourished children. It was thrilling to Mary Ann to walk into the pastors home and see all the children patiently waiting for their food. Many recognize her now and greeted her by holding her hand to their forehead. This is a symbol of blessing between a child and an adult.

6. GUESTS

We have had the absolute delight of hosting Scott Alexander from St. Paul, MN who is a new missionary with ACTION the last week or so. He will be with us until May 6. Scott has seen a lot already and will continue to experience much more of how ACTION Philippines operates and I hope catches the spirit and heart of our team as we minister to the poor as well as the wealthy. Scott's ministry with ACTION will be to serve as an assistant to Nelson Reed, ACTION's new International Director. Nelson and his wife Linda are visiting in Manila now also.

April 29 through May 5 we will be hosting Sarah de Carvalho from England who works in Brazil with street children. Sarah is with a ministry called Happy Child and will be representing 180° Alliance, the worldwide ministry that Mary Ann and I are helping to develop. Her purpose in coming is to see how we minister and to accredit 2 partner ministries.

As an aside, we heard from our nephew Andrew Sheppard today, who is a grad student at the University of Minnesota will be coming to visit us June 20-26 and we are delighted. Andrew will be taking a tour of China, Japan and Singapore so while he's in the "neighborhood" he'll be coming to visit us. We'll take him to our June camp and to other ministries.

In May Doug and Margi Nichols will be serving here for 3 weeks. We look forward to their ministry with us.

We feel it a responsibility and privilege to expose young people and challenge them to a greater call and purpose in life which is to serve Jesus Christ in whatever capacity He may assign to them.

7. MARY ANN'S BIRTHDAY

Tomorrow Mary Ann turns 50 (sorry for mentioning that Mary Ann) and she continues to go strong handling her work assignments with enthusiasm and joy. Pray God's special blessing on her and I thank the Lord she has dedicated her life to serve Him and others. She's a faithful wife, mother and missionary.

CONCLUSION

I finished studying Colossians today having started it in early February. Verse 4:17 says "Say to Archippus 'Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.'" (NASB) This verse may be interpreted that this man was neglecting his ministry. But I think Paul was simply encouraging his "fellow soldier" (Philemon 2) to remain steady in his ministry assignment. Friends, each of us has been assigned a ministry by Christ and I encourage us all to fulfill all the responsibilities within that assignment and to seize passing opportunities for spreading the Gospel, speaking a kind word to somebody and doing good as we have opportunity.

Sincerely in Christ your partner,

Jeff