September 16, 2007
Last Sunday I preached on Matthew 9:35-38 and Acts 10:38 at Jabez Baptist Church during their first ever missions month. It was a joy being with these saints who are very involved in church-planting (including Yemen) and around the Philippines. They are also very engaged in ministry to street kids and poor families around the Novaliches area of Quezon City. Pastor Lem Capili wrote me during the week and said "It's always a pleasure having you speak at our church specially when you are the first missionary to see the growth of the church." I am blessed by Lem's kindness to me and I treasure his fellowship. I remember when his church was just getting started (from scratch I might add) and we helped them with evangelism and community outreach through Christmas parties, Fish and Bread feedings for squatter kids nearby, camps for out-of-school youth and now Restorers of the Streets our joint ministry to street kids.
I also received word Friday that the graduating class of the Manila Bible Seminary wants to take us up on our challenge to minister to a gang of hard-core street kids who hang out near the Fairview SM Shopping Mall. Our team taught this class for three hours recently about ministry to the poor and I told them about this gang of kids who are open to Bible study and need care but we don't have enough workers to minister to them regularly but we have funds for food. The class leaders and their supervisor will organize an outreach starting sometime soon in partnership with Jabez Baptist and Restorers so I'm really pleased with these developments.
Monday Restorers also received six campers from our recent camp who needed to get off the streets immediately. Restorers is now praying for funds to feed these extra mouths because they're short financially but they couldn't turn the kids away. Pray with Bros. Luv and Marcel along with Pastor Lem as they trust the Lord to provide either funds or in-kind food donations.
Speaking of camp we are now planning a sportsfest for October 6 for 60-80 former campers who are under the care of their recruiting churches or agencies. It'll be a mini-olympics with basketball, volleyball, running and cheer-leading competitions with the purpose of teaching sportsmanship and teamwork. It should be a lot of fun.
Friday we also taught about 40 pastors, church and agency workers from Dr. Dan Brewster's (Dan has ministered for many years with Compassion International and is based in Malaysia) excellent manual "Child, Church and Mission" on working with children-at-risk. The topics we covered where the Biblical basis for working with children, developing child protection policies, internationally recognized rights of children and the world-wide condition of children. The day was definitely inspiring and challenging with a clear and resounding call from the Scriptures to continue ministering to children in Jesus name.
Today over lunch I mentioned to Mary Ann that there's a lot going on within ACTION, our extended family, our immediate family, around and within us so the pressure is definitely on. I went on to say this is no time for retreat but to hold our ground and move forward by faith. She agreed wholeheartedly and I praise God for her steadfastness in Christ the Living Word. But there are days when we'd like to retreat (I don't mean go on a retreat) because the battle rages. But we agreed to stand by faith in God's Word and fight the good fight of faith.
Pray for us please.
Thanks so very much for your partnership in Christ in the battle for faith, lives and souls.
Jeff
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