with many guests, lots of good memories along with happy and sad
tears as we sent Mike and Rebecca Watters off to their next chapter
of service with ACTION. The unity of the Spirit and our common
calling as missionaries was very evident. I preached from Philippians
3: 12-14 on the topic of "Holy Discontent" exhorting the team to keep
running and not allow our past failures to paralyze us or our
successes cause us to rest on our laurels. We need to press on
through the finish line motivated by Christ's apprehension of us.
Our memorial service for Pastor Jun was God honoring as we remembered
Jun's life of faith, service and love for his family. I gave a short
message from 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 comforting us in the truths
that the dead in Christ are "asleep" and some day there will be
reunion of the dead and living in Christ. Therefore we have hope and
comfort not grieving as those outside of Christ.
The entire day though was dampened by the tragic deaths of
GCF-Ortigas Pastor Kevin Alamag and his wife Belle Thursday morning
in a car accident who were on their way to a Valentine's Day date.
They've left behind two children ages 10 and 8. I have always
appreciated Pastor Kevin's ministry because he was a man of depth and
awareness of the plight of the poor and disenfranchised masses. In
his congregational prayers he lead us to his holy, just and merciful
God with sincerity and weightiness. The Sunday Micah gave her
testimony at GCF he sought her out to pray with her and asked God to
keep her safe and help her not fire her gun in anger but only in
self-defense. That prayer has remained with me and now I know why.
Pastor Kevin was a "rebel returnee".
Yesterday I spent a lot of time studying my Bible and 2 Corinthians
7:3 clearly spoke to me. Paul said to his beloved brethren at Corinth
"you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together." (NKJV)
I am learning to feel the same for our ACTION Philippines team, our
GCF church-mates and our life in the Philippines.
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