We are excited
because Jessica and I are both headed to the Philippine islands! My parents are
coming home from the mission field for a short while and they volunteered to
watch our five-year-old Caleb and our three-year-old Katie Grace for thirteen
days so we can go minister together.
We are headed to
the island of Mindanao, which is the second largest and southernmost island in
the Philippines. About 20.44% of the island’s population is Muslim and most of
them live in the southwestern part of Mindanao.
The Muslims in
Mindanao are known as the Moros. When the Spanish colonized the Philippine
islands back in the 1500’s, they called all Muslims “Moros” after the Islamic
Moors who had occupied Spain for many years. Many of the people in the northern
Philippine islands converted to Roman Catholicism, but in Mindanao the Muslims
have largely remained unreached. For hundreds of years, the Moros have fought
unsuccessfully for independence. Because of widespread poverty and religious
differences the island has experienced an armed Communist insurgency and
extensive displacement of families.
In Mindanao, we
will be working with the family of Amy Wilderom (one of our board members) who
have ministered in the Philippines for over twenty-five years. Most of their
work is focused on five tribal groups: the Mamanwa, the Manobo, the Omayumnum,
Dibabawon, and Mandaya. We will be involved in three things:
1. A Crusade
meeting in Tandag, Surigao del Sur. Please pray for many people to be saved and
healed.
2. A four-day
Youth Camp for 300 young people. Please pray for these young people to catch
the fire of God and to dedicate their lives to serving Jesus.
3. A four-day
pastor’s conference for 150 pastors and their spouses. The theme for the
conference is Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine;
For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” The
conference will be a time of refreshing, encouraging, impartation, and training
for these front-line shepherds who have dedicated their lives to ministering in
out-of-the-way villages in the hardest-to-reach area of the Philippine islands.
Can you sponsor a young
person or a pastor?
The pastors in
this area of the Philippines are very poor so we need your help to cover the
cost of their food and housing expenses during the conference. Both the Youth
Camp and Leadership Conference will be held at Marihatag Tree Park Resort in
Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.
For an
investment of $100, you can cover the cost of a pastor and his wife to come to
the conference. For an investment of $20, you can sponsor one young person to
attend the youth conference.
Here is what is
needed to make this a successful outreach:
* Renting a
sound system and paying a translator for the mini-crusade in Tandag = $960
* Sponsoring 300
young people at $20 per person for the Youth Conference = $6,000
* Sponsoring 150
pastors and their wives at $100 per couple for the Pastor’s Conference = $15,000.
* Printing books
to give to the pastors: $500
What can you do
to help us minister to these precious pastors and young people? Could you
sponsor two pastors with a gift of $200? Or perhaps you might want to sponsor
five young people with a gift of $100? Every gift no matter how large or small
would be greatly appreciated! But, we need to hear from you right away
because there is a list of pastors who want to know if they will be able to
come to the conference. If we are unable to raise enough money, we will be
forced to tell some of the pastors that they cannot come. So, we need you to
rush the enclosed envelope back to us today.
Thank you for
helping us to make a difference in the lives of these precious men and woman of
God.
Click HERE to give.
