Jesus Christ is bringing righteousness, peace, joy and hope to Capalong
Romans 14:17: "for the Kingdom of God is...righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit".
Romans 15:13: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
We're seeing these truths take root and bear fruit through the hard work of God's people and the sacrificial giving and believing prayer of many.
This week ACTION and the New Testament Baptist Church (NTBC) of Paete, Laguna are working together in providing an evangelistic camp for 60 older kids in Barangay Capalong, Real, Quezon as a part of our church-planting effort there. Also today 80 young children will graduate from their Vacation Bible School (VBS) which was also held this week. Many of the campers and VBS students are the children or relatives of 30 people who are regularly attending weekly Bible studies in Capalong held by NTBC workers. Lord willing, due to the solidifying congregation worship services will start soon and be held in the barrio's elementary school.
ACTION's disaster relief and development team, made up of our small but active street children ministry team, is thrilled with these developments because we've been praying for and working toward planting a Christ-exulting Bible teaching church in Capalong since December 2004 when super typhoons struck the area causing much damage and death. Since then we've distributed a lot of relief goods, provided trauma counseling for students, held a major medical clinic along with open air evangelistic preaching, a camp for youth in cooperation with churches located several miles away, had two evangelistic Christmas parties for families, provided funds for installing potable water for the barrio, purchased text books for the elementary school and helped repair the school. We also did a survey early in our relief and development activities of the entire community to help us determine the primary needs so we along the community could address them. One major need is that there is no evangelical church in or near Capalong so we started praying and looking for a mission-minded church to partner with us in seeing a church started. Late last year ACTION and NTBC (which was started 50 years ago by Conservative Baptist of the Philippines church-planters), whom we meet at Greenhills Christian Fellowship's (also Conservative Baptist) missions conference in October, worked out an agreement for NTBC to take on a three year church-planting commitment with ACTION's backup. Due to all the good work that's been done since December '04 the community's full trust and cooperation has been earned so we're working along with Capalong's school and community leaders with the full blessing of pastors in Real in our church-planting efforts.
While at camp yesterday I had tears of joy at seeing the campers and their counselors laughing, playing games, eating good food, listening to clear gospel messages and singing songs of joy and praise to our God. The school yard was full of life and energy and the air filled with joy and praise. This is such a contrast to the days when discouragement and hopelessness seemed to hang over the people of Capalong like black heavy clouds. Praise God that Jesus Christ is at work bringing salvation, joy and praise to this little out of the way barrio. Pray that the gospel seed will take full root in Capalong and produce much eternal fruit to the glory of God and the good of these simple folks. Pray also for $6,500 to renovate a dilapidated school building which we'll negotiate to use as a worship center for three years.
As a side note my companions yesterday from Manila were Pastor Lem Capili a young man who's given himself to serve among street kids and their families, Marcyl Guevarra who serves full-time among street kids at the Restorer's Center and will realize his dream of studying in Bible school when he starts in early June, Raymond a 15 year old street boy who used to sleep in the nearby open market but now under the care of Marcyl at the Restorer's Center and Luv Zacal my long-time partner at ACTION in ministry to the poor and a dear friend. Each of us gave our testimony to the campers, counselors and staff so it was a rich day of ministry and fellowship.
Blessings in Christ,
Jeff
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