Dear Praying Friends,
Mary Ann and I arrived in Manila in good shape July 9 and are now back into our lives and ministries here. Thank you so very much for your continued prayer, words of encouragement, financial giving and fellowship in Christ. Here are additional requests for prayer which also reflect answers to prayer and what the Lord is doing through our partnership together.
1. Sweet time in Spokane
We had a very sweet time in Spokane, WA with Danny and Micah Scott, our son Amos who came from LA and Danny's folks Chris and Janet and brother Bryan. This special time was made possible due to the delay of our return to Manila because of my eye and we were able to get special consideration from Delta Airlines. Our times together as a full family are very rare but precious because we are each where the Lord wants us, doing what we ought to be doing. When we left for Manila, our hearts were full with praise to the Lord.
2. Back in Manila
We hit the ground running, although Mary Ann was laid flat for 4 plus days with vomiting and diarrhea for some unknown reason but she's fine now. One of the major things accomplished was we bought a Hyundai i30 after much research. It is a diesel hatchback which is very highly rated in the UK and Australia but is not sold in North America. In June gifts were given for our car purchase but we are still trusting the Lord for $9,000 to reimburse ourselves for funds we used from our savings. We ask you to prayerfully consider helping with this expense by sending a gift to the nearest ACTION office designated "Anderson car fund".
* Our personal support seems to be picking up a little bit but we're still around 90/95% and we ask you to prayerfully consider joining our prayer support team as the Lord leads.
3. Update on Fish and Bread Feeding Ministry
Currently we have 33 feeding sites primarily using food from Feed My Starving Children which is sent to us monthly by our dear friends at Grace Church Eden Prairie. We have 6 more sites which will be starting very soon. Before we left Minnesota for Spokane, Mary Ann and I met with the leader of the Grace Church EP team, a representative of Feed My Starving Children and representatives from two other supporting churches. One of those churches, Maple Plain Community, informed us they will join Grace Church in sending us FMSC food starting in November. This is *huge* because churches continue to request help from us in feeding the hungry which surround us daily. July 18 we sponsored a community health meeting which was attended by many pastors and church workers along with a few health professionals and we learned afresh how deep and broad hunger is in the Philippines, especially in far-flung areas. It is our driving passion to work along side churches in helping them minister the Gospel of God's grace in one hand and with the other, nutritious food in the name of Christ to the hungry.
4. Bethany Baptist Team
We currently have a team from Bethany Baptist from Red Deer, Alberta and they are doing a marvelous job sharing the Gospel and mingling with people. During our orientation the other day their pastor said "we want to be exposed to your ministries" and that is what is happening. They have ministered at two feeding sites and at a long-time partner ministry for exploited children. Next week they will do street ministry and join us at our camp for street children. Pray for these young people that they will remain strong in the Lord as they encounter very needy people and minister to them. Pray also that they will become Great-Commission Christians by either becoming a sender or a goer. We are having great conversations along these lines.
5. August 3-5 evangelistic street-children camp
Wednesday through Friday next week we will have up to 60 street kids recruited by two churches and five agencies join us for camp. Pray for the ongoing recruitment and preparations and that many will turn from sin and trust Christ as Savior. It is rainy season here and life is miserable on the street as people try to find high ground and to stay dry. *I have been struck anew how difficult life is for the masses, especially those on the street since being back. Even on our way to our apartment from the airport when we arrived late at night, I saw many street kids and their families sleeping on the sidewalk or under bridges or in their push-carts. Each morning when I'm running, I see many kids pushing their carts piled high with stuff they've collected overnight for recycling on their way to a local junk shop. Our commitment to serve the Lord among street children is stronger than ever as the needs are growing and expanding. Please pray for us, as well as the churches and agencies we work with, because we desperately need God's anointing and His power as we encounter people daily who need the Lord.
6. Eye update
Dr. Polly Quiram, my retinal specialist in St. Paul, MN said to us during my last appointment with her in June that my retina is fine but it will take months for my eyesight to be restored to whatever it will return to. My left eye's vision is still distorted with floaters and flashes but the sight does seem to be improving slowly. I'm still not able to drive and reading is difficult because I have double vision at times so keep praying for restored vision. Pray also that I can find a trained retina specialist in Manila with whom I need to have an appointment in late August. Again I continue to appreciate Mary Ann's flexibility and help along with her capable driving. I have not yet driven our new car, which is a bummer and I'm itching to do so, but I can't.
7. Mary Ann's Moody Bible Institute course
This week Mary Ann started "The Church and Its Doctrines" and is working hard at it daily. She is getting closer to earning her Bible Certificate which has been a long-time goal of hers so pray she will have concentrated time to do her assignments and even more importantly, continue to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus. As you can imagine finding concentrated time is difficult because of everything we're involved in but she is determined to finish.
8. A very good cup of coffee
Yesterday afternoon after ministering at Kanglungan sa Er-Ma (Shelter in Ermita) a long-time ministry partner which we helped start 23 years ago, we stopped at their coffee shop which was opened in February. It is a income-generating and skills training aspect of their ministry for former street kids. We were served by three guys and a girl each who were former hard-core street kids and today are delightful young people serving hot and cold coffee, tea, pastries and sandwiches to the public. Kanglungan grows their own coffee, dries, roasts and grinds it and I'm tellin' you as a coffee lover, it was delicious! But I think it was really delicious because two of the boys came to Christ at an ACTION camp recruited by Kanglungan years ago, went through their ministry and then through ACTION's Honest Hands Life Skills Development program at 2nd Mile. I am proud in the Lord of each of these kids and the wonderful work of my colleagues at Kanglungan and ACTION. These kids are God-glorifying fruit of dedicated ministry over many years--none of which would have happened without the faithful prayers and giving of God's people. We are grateful and many here thank God for you.
* While I'm thinking of it I just finished studying 1 Corinthians and as I worked through 16:15-18 I thought of and praised the Lord for all of our partners both in the Philippines and worldwide who make all of this work possible by God's grace. I would like to highlight verses 15 and 18 and commend them to you for encouragement because I see this in you, "Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted ('addicted' in KJV) themselves for ministry to the saints), ... For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men." (NASB) Thank you for refreshing our spirits by addicting yourselves to the service of God's people worldwide.
Sincerely in Christ,
Jeff
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