...because they glorify God and make a difference in some kids' life

This week has been one of various tasks like: completing 7 ministry budgets & proposals for '09, developing the script and meeting with the producer for a new video showing ACTION's ministries world-wide with children-in-crisis, leading a Street Impact Team and an office administration meeting as well as our field's monthly team meeting including giving the message in each, preparing a box of Bookshare books which we've published here to go to the ACTION Canada office tomorrow, helping the wife and niece of a guy who is very sick and will be bed-ridden for the rest of his life but has no money or health insurance, hosting in our home our Moody Bible Institute intern and of course handling my daily barrage of email, phone calls and other stuff that continually unexpectedly come up. What keeps me calm in the midst of all of this is that God is providential and dictates my "to-do" list.

We came to Manila in 1985 to work with street kids and their families and this passion is still what daily spurs me on. I fulfill my administrative duties with street children and their families in mind knowing that the tedious and mundane tasks of ministry make a difference in street kids' lives and for the glory of God.

Discipleship Camp for former Street Kids

I got home from camp yesterday and wanted to send a brief initial report. You can see more photos by clicking on the picture above.

I requested prayer before camp that God would capture the campers, church and agency workers, pastors and this missionary with the glory and love of Christ and He did just that. I am a tired but encouraged camper. Throughout the course of camp I could sense the intercession of many as the Holy Spirit revealed the splendor of Jesus Christ and melted our hearts through the preaching from the Word of God and learning activities. One of my cabin mates, Pastor Mon a dear brother in Christ, often prayed deep into the night as we slept. God moved in answer to prayer. Thank-you for praying.

We had 61 campers, 9 churches and 4 agencies participate in this camp which was packed with fun learning activities from morning till night as well as passionate preaching about being a follower of Christ and becoming a leader in the church.

A few brief highlights:

1. A box of Gallon of Care items sent from a supporting church in Minnesota met our need for school supplies as the campers studied the Word. (In the photos these were repacked into white and red bags.)

2. 40 New Testament Bibles supplied by International Bible Givers in Minnesota along with another 21 we bought were distributed. The Bibles will be well used I'm sure. (There are several photos with the kids holding up green Bibles.)

3. Each camper received a gospel bracelet which were supplied by a friend of an ACTION missionary. The kids were taught how to share the gospel of God's grace by using the bracelet.

A few brief comments:

1. The cost of rice and food keeps going up. We paid more for dry and wet food supplies this camp than we did for our camp at the end of August. How are the poor going the feed themselves and their families?!

2. I learned that Angelica, a deaf-mute camper from last year, is discipling three other deaf-mute kids whom she's lead to Christ. She met them at her school. This is the second year we're sponsoring her education at a school for deaf-mute students and she's blossoming in the Lord and class.

3. Joanna was a blessing throughout camp. We first met her in Calvary Hills which we have written about several times. She is now about 17 years old and is growing in the Lord by leaps and bounds. She teaches children's Sunday School at a church plant and is involved in discipleship/vocational training in one of our partner ministries. When she was 7 and home alone, a cat knocked over a kerosene lantern on their table and set their shanty on fire. She was severely burned, but survived. Although she had skin grafting done at the time, her skin is very tight and needs reconstructive surgery on her face, neck and arm. She cannot turn her head or straighten out her arm because of the scar tissue. We are looking into how we can help her with this condition. Her family is so poor they barely eat. There are pictures of her on the website as well.

4. Jesse is now a dedicated worker at his church, a leader and regular volunteer at our camps. He is a former big-time trouble maker and was in and out of jail before he came to Christ at one of our camps a few years back. We actually wrote up his testimony in a comic book. He has a condition in one of his eyes in which he still has sight but it is very blurry. The eye condition is due to measles and severe malnutrition when he was a little kid. We are looking into how we can help him regain sight in that eye.

5. Even though this was a discipleship camp for kids that are actively involved in their churches, we had a handful of campers that had been to camp before but were not walking with the Lord or involved with their church. We almost asked them to go home the 2nd day because they were so rambunctious but after talking to them they settled down, changed their attitudes, fully participated in the camp and eventually indicated getting right with Christ. Thank you for praying that God will select the kids who would attend camp. That's what happened with these kids.

6. A few times during camp I wept and couldn't stop the flow of tears. It was the Holy Spirit moving me in prayer and melting my heart over the plight of these kids who are beat down and oppressed but by the grace of God and the constant love of their pastors and counselors are learning to stand up and walk with Christ.

Matthew 11:28-30 were the verses I prayed for the campers especially when Jesus extends His invitation to each of us "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man is so gracious in that He fully "welcomes sinners" (Luke 15:2) like us.

Glory what a Savior!

I received by text today this update from Pastor Johnny Gallos the District Superintendent of the Northwestern Visayas District of the Assemblies of God in Kalibo, Aklan. He was ACTION's point man in coordinating our relief operation there July 25 in which 57 churches of various denominations participated. 400 families received relief items and 100 people indicated they turned from sin and trusted Christ.

"Yesterday we baptized 30 new believers as a result of follow-up, after the relief and rehabilitation from typhoon Frank, church attendance has increased in most of Aklan churches. Our worship service (his church is New Assembly of God Church in Kalibo) has doubled now one in the morning and one in the afternoon. To God be the glory! Thanks for being a part of what God is doing in Aklan. God bless."

Pastor Gallos has also requested from ACTION text books for a local elementary school grades 1-6 in coordination with the regional Department of Education costing $5,351. The school's books were destroyed by the typhoon and the government cannot meet all the needs in the region. We're praying that he Lord would provide the funds to purchase these books.

In other disaster zones ACTION has purchased text books in recent years for our development work in Capalong Quezon (see our 3rd quarter hard- copy "Yes, Lord!" for our most recent update there) and in St. Bernard, Leyte. In both locations providing text books has given a huge boost to the on-going rehabilitation of destroyed infrastructure and church growth.

The door is wide open for ministry. Is anyone willing to give their life to serve these men for God's glory with ACTION and CGM?

Yesterday ACTION and CGM held a Bible conference in New Bilibid penitentiary's medium security compound with approximately 100 men in attendance. Dr. Rod Pence, ACTION missionary based in Washington State and Lt. Steve Blakeman who works for Washington State's Bureau of Corrections did a marvelous job teaching from Romans 8 and 12 respectively. The men listened attentively, sang with gusto and we enjoyed fellowship with each other over a delicious lunch. Three CLAIM books, snacks and needed toiletry items where given to each man at the end of the conference which were greatly appreciated.

The men represented six churches inside the compound and the conference was hosted by Christ the Living Epistle Church which also administrates a library which ACTION helped set up last year. Membership dues are P5 and the shelves of books are well used. They're now asking for systematic theology books for their library which we'll try to provide.

During our lunch break we visited the men in the infirmary who are sick, feeble, elderly and basically forgotten. There were approximately 100 men just sitting and laying around with nothing to do day after day. I went from man to man shaking hands, asking how they were and where they're from. We spoke Tagalog which seemed to raise their spirits somewhat. Some of the churches do have Bible studies though with some of these men.

On the way back the conference venue from the infirmary I heard "Kuya Jeff do you remember me?!" I recognized the voice and face right away. It was P.M. whom I've known since the late '80s when he lived on the streets of Cubao and attended our camps and Bible studies. I knew he was in prison because he killed someone. P.M. was on his way to class because he's working on getting his high school diploma. I'm glad to know he's studying and he looked good. I hope someday he'll, by God's grace, repent of his sin and trust Christ because he knows Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

The door for ministry is wide open at Bilibid. It can't open any wider. The type of ministries that are needed are friendship evangelism, small group discipleship and pastoral training. Is anyone willing to give their life for God's glory to serve New Bilibid's inmates with ACTION and CGM?

We just got home from Real, Quezon where I preached in the New Testament Baptist Church which was planted as a result of ACTION's relief and development team's partnership with New Testament Baptist in Paete, Laguna. NTBC-Real officially commenced in July after a year+ of home Bible studies with those who trusted Christ during our relief and development operations due to a killer typhoon back in December, '04. The average attendance is 30 each Saturday. They started mid-week prayer meetings this week as well so the church is growing in depth and numbers. The service was joyful with lots of singing, testimonies and a good offering taken. I preached on prayer which is their theme for this month. What a blessing to see the despair of December, '04 and following months turning into hope in the Lord throughout this little out-of-the-way barrio!

The two boxes of Feed My Starving Children food arrived at the office in good shape. Now we'll distribute the food through our network of churches and child caring ministries working with malnourished children.

Another box containing 22 packs Gallon of Care school supplies and used clothing also arrived so we'll get these supplies distributed as soon as possible also.

40 New Testament Tagalog Bibles were also picked up from a local bookstore which were donated by a Bible distributor ministry which we'll use during our September 16-19 camp. They are really needed because our supply of Bibles is running low.

It's been a week full of blessings from God provided through His people both near and far.