Philippines Rural Healthcare Recap Video

What a rewarding and challenging past month it has been in the Philippines for our team this summer! To recap a bit of what the Lord did in our lives and in Cebu this summer, we have shared some of what we've learned in the video below: 

Philippines Rural Healthcare Summer Recap

-Lenna

Rural Healthcare

Philippines

Testimonies Of Faith

Some of our team with Pastor Alex and Ma'am Bing (on left)

I would be remiss not to share about the service of Ma’am Bing and her husband, Pastor Alex. As our team has gotten to know them, we have become endeared to their overflowing generosity, care and concern for others, and the way the joy of the Lord overflows from their hearts, words, actions, and smiles. 

It is hard to find someone who has not heard of them in barangay our team has been in. Their reputation is of kindness and genuine relationship with others. Their unceasing commitment to serve the Lord with all of their lives and share the gospel faithfully has inspired us in the brief time we have been privileged to be a part of their lives. 

Ma’am Bing recently shared part of her story with us recently when we were having dinner at their home:

Ma'am Bing sharing the gospel

Due to a surgery when she was younger and single, she could never have children of her own and had surrendered herself to singleness and a life on mission for her Lord and Savior. She worked as a midwife for a while, but soon no longer found purpose in working as a midwife for her own gain, even though she was helping others. She soon surrendered her heart &  life to the Lord, dedicating her life to the advancement of His kingdom. Later, she met Pastor Alex, and they were soon married. She told us that she “thanks God every day for him because he understood her situation and loved her no matter what.” 

Pastor Alex sharing his grill skills with us!

When our local IMB supervisors reached out to the them later in their lives, they both began to serve the Lord with sincere hearts for the next 13 years... and counting.. in Dumanjug, Cebu. Through the BOOST program, they have been able to share the gospel with over 1,000 BOOST graduates while teaching valuable skills to the participants. Classes have been held in 25 of the 37 barangays in Dumanjug so far.

Ma’am Bing shared that “sometimes it can be tiring to serve and not always see the result” but they choose to turn their eyes to Jesus again and again. She told us that they “never regret a moment of obedience to the Lord,” and that “the Lord always sustains them with His strength.” 

Sharing health products with the community

Though the Lord did not grant Ma’am Bing children of her own, together with Pastor Alex they adopted one girl. She has also become like a mother to an innumerable number of God’s children who look up to her as a mother because of how she shows the love of Christ to so many.

What a testament to how God can use and work in His children when they walk in obedience to Him!

Pray that...

• Ma’am Bing and Pastor Alex will continue to be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might
• More leaders with a heart for Christ would be raised up to help continue the work in Cebu
• For strongholds of the enemy to break down as they strive to share the gospel, and for eyes to be opened to the truth of God’s Word instead of the Catholic traditions

-Lenna

Rural Healthcare

Philippines

Freedom In Christ

Some of our friends in the barangay!

During our time in the last barangay, our team had the opportunity to come alongside these 4 girls and disciple them very intentionally. 

They each have a hunger for the Word of God that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before— their hearts have surely been prepared by God and the prayers of His children. They have little access to the Scripture. Through resources provided through IMB, we were able to distribute New Testaments in the local language to many who God has faithfully been working in the lives of, and have been waiting for someone to tell them the good news of the gospel.

I have never seen people receive the gospel with such excitement or receive the Word of God with such hunger and eagerness. From the moment they’ve received it, they just can’t put it down! 

Reading the Bible together

One afternoon, we sat inside with the girls and discussed topics such as forgiveness of sins, assurance of salvation, confession to God vs. to the saints, and freedom in Christ. Two of the girls had just graduated high school. Before graduation here in the Catholic dominant culture, it’s tradition to have a mass for the soon-to-be graduates. One of the girls, S, told us how ashamed she always feels because of her sins, especially after confessing to the priest. She shared how many Hail Marys the priest had told her to pray to “pay for her sins” and with desperation she looked at us and said— “but even after that, I still feel so ashamed.” We shared verses like Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 8:12, Romans 8:1, and others that speak to the hope in Christ. Her face fell and with a gasp she looked at us, holding up her bible, and said—“I am going to read this every single day.” 

More discipleship time!

J responded to the topic of confession to the priest by telling us that after hearing so many Bible stories and reading Scripture for herself, when it came time for the pre-graduation mass with her classmates, she had come to the conclusion that she “did not need to confess her sins to a priest! I can confess to Jesus myself” and has experienced much freedom in it as a result! She said she received many questions from her classmates when she boldly decided to not confess like everyone else was. 

What a witness this act of simple, yet bold obedience was! Praise God! 

Prayer requests: 

• That the girls we discipled would continue to seek and find truth in God's Word, and ultimately salvation.
• For the truth to become clear to them that Jesus Christ is the only way for salvation, and they only need forgiveness of sins through Him.

-Madison

Rural Healthcare Team

Philippines

We Plant The Seed, God Produces The Harvest

We had our last Bible study in the afternoon at the barangay hall where we were staying. We had gone house to house earlier that day, inviting people to come for our last Bible study and to join us to meet Pastor F, a local national who will be following up on the spiritual seeds that have been planted.  

One of the biggest steps in ministry that we were able to establish was a nightly Bible study, where we read God’s Word, shared the gospel, and worked on mobilizing the believers there to grow in their confidence in continuing to share God’s Word with one another. 

Our team has noticed that we seemed to bond in a special way with the people of that barangay— and we have come to love them as our family. 

Though it is so hard to step away and not be around to see the fruit of our labor, we are so grateful for the sacrifice and dedication of local pastors and missionaries like Pastor F who are going to continue to cultivate what has been planted. One of those ways is through his commitment to continuing a weekly Bible study with this group.

It was sweet to gather in fellowship and the breaking of bread (rice, cassava with coconut milk, and roasted papaya!) with those who had been regularly attending, and those who came to say goodbye to us. 

A lesson our team has talked about in our morning team times is how it is often in absence that growth is seen. Although we would love to continue being in that barangay, we have already heard from many that we bonded with that they have been reading their Bibles in the time that they would have been spending with us, or as a source of comfort as they engage in a new chapter of life, like moving away to the city for college. 

Prayer requests: 

• That Pastor F would be able to continue with wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit as he continues the Bible study we started, and that the people would continue coming and encouraging each other in their knowledge of Him.
• That God would raise up a body of believers that are transformed by the gospel and the power of God’s Word, and that their barangay would be known for their love for Christ and the comfort and hope they find in the Bible and relationship with Him. 
• That our hearts and theirs would be drawn to find comfort and peace in Christ as we miss the people we bonded with so closely, and trust that our Lord and Savior who loves them more than we will work in their hearts according to His will to bring about their salvation. 

-Lenna

Rural Healthcare

Philippines

Powerful Reunions

Nanay A., a paralyzed woman with a deep and profound faith, sits in her bamboo hut on the side of the mountain with God’s hope in her heart and on her lips, but with no one to share it with (see previous blog post “An Eternal Weight of Glory” for more on her story). She’s been bedridden for about 9 months and has not been visited by her friends during that time. However, one of the women in this barangay, Ate V., asked if she could join us to visit her one afternoon. 

What a wonderful privilege it was to witness the tender reunion of old friends. Many tears were shed between the two as they sat together and shared stories over the last several months. One of the most powerful forces that God gifts to his children is unity: as Ephesians 3:17-19 states, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge— that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” 

God’s holy people have the chance to know and experience his love in greater depths and in fullness through fellowship and unity. Of course the enemy would go to great lengths to prevent this kind of unity from occurring. Our prayer is that the barriers of separation— whether emotional or physical— would be broken down so that God’s holy people may come together once again. 

The Farmer's Association meeting

In this reunion, many Bible stories and testimonies were shared. The visit was pure and joyous, filled with tears of gratitude and proclamation that at the end of the day, despite physical circumstances, God remains good and faithful. It was a holy moment in which God’s spirit was poured out powerfully and evidently.

What began as a routine visit to new friend, became an opportunity for many more gospel seeds to be sown. 

 Trying on reading glasses

On our walk back, Ate V. invited us all to a Farmer’s Association meeting (where about 30 people were present) to come and share the gospel. To her, many more needed to hear the radical hope found in this message. What began as a routine visit to new friend, became an opportunity for many more gospel seeds to be sown. 

There is much power in God’s living Word and in testifying to God’s goodness together with his holy people. 

Pray that God would unite the believers here in unity and that the people would continue to encourage each other in their faith after we leave.

-Madison

Rural Healthcare Team

Philippines

Satisfied In Christ

The Lord has paved the way and allowed people to be hungry for His word amidst a culture that is predominantly Catholic. The only access they have to God's Word is filtered through a priest, therefore most people have never actually read God’s Word for themselves. From our first night of having an adult Bible study, people have continued wanting to meet every night and study the Bible together. We have been encouraged as we have seen the Lord work so evidently in the lives of the people here that we are just thankful to be a small part of it. 

We have been able to serve the people in this village by providing them with reading glasses. Many have a hard time reading small print, making them unable to read the Bible. When we are testing which reading glasses are the best fit for them, we allow them to read a Bible in Cebuano. 

One man in particular had come into the barangay hall to receive a pair of reading glasses. While we were trying to ask him if he needed a different pair, he didn’t respond. He was so invested in having the Word of God tangibly in his hands that he wasn’t even concerned with trying a different pair of glasses! It has been an absolute joy to watch as the people in this village delight in reading God’s word for the first time themselves. 

I think the most important thing I’ve learned during our time here is that the very word of God on which we have built our lives needs no defense or further explanation. The Word speaks for itself! We can know with full confidence that through the power of the Holy Spirit, it will accomplish its purpose just as Isaiah 55 says. 

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seeds to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

Pray...

• That the Lord would continue to make the people hungry for God’s word, and that they would find satisfaction and salvation in its truth. 
• That the Word would not return void, but would transform people’s hearts and lives.

-Emily

Rural Healthcare Team

Philippines

An Eternal Weight of Glory— A Testimony of Faith

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
— 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

What better testament to this verse than in the life of Nanay Ana, a woman strong in spirit but hindered in her physical body by paralysis of her legs & a chest injury. We were first introduced to Nanay Ana on our second day in this barangay (village) as we went house-to-house introducing ourselves and inviting people to a Bible study. She lives in her home high on the side of the mountain, her bedroom window view overlooking the beautiful mountain landscape, with her son-in-law who stays at home with her as her caretaker. 

The view outside her window

Some may look at her situation in life and feel pity— and while our hearts are broken for what she has endured— we look to her as an inspiration. 

Though her body may be forced to remain in her bed, her faith is growing all the more because of it. We visit her daily to pray over her for healing if it be God’s will, read Bible stories, & fellowship with her. We have also helped guide her through simple strengthening exercises that she can do with her son-in-law. 

Bible study with her grand-nieces

Though we cannot speak her language, we have been encouraged by the determination & faith with which she speaks. We see it written on her face as she hears Bible stories and shares her thoughts with us through our translators. She speaks with utmost trust in God, fully believing that He is capable of healing her if He chooses, but content with the suffering He has placed in her life, as they are what led her to read God’s word for herself for the first time. 

As we read in James 1:2-4 (ESV), we can count it all joy when we face trials of various kinds, for we know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Nanay Ana has pursued steadfastness of her faith by seeking & trusting God through the many trials she has faced, knowing that they only serve to draw her closer to her Savior. 

The Lord doesn’t always work in the ways that we would choose for ourselves, but His ways are higher than our ways. We do not have to lose heart, because as we trust in and obey our Lord Jesus Christ, our inner self is being renewed day by day. The things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

Pray Nanay Ana will truly experience God's love and completely trust in Him for her every need.

-Lenna

Rural Healthcare

The Holy Spirit Softens Hearts

Overflowing with gratitude

To summarize all that the Lord has done in the barangay (village) where my team and I are staying feels like an impossible task. 

The Lord has been so gracious and merciful to us in showing how He has been working in the hearts and lives of the people here— years before we ever arrived— to prepare them for His purposes. Our team has been humbled and honored by the privilege that it is to be used as vessels for Him, imperfect sinners though we are. 

Our hearts have embraced the vibrant people just as they have welcomed us with open arms into their hearts and homes. The people are hungry for the Word of God and desire to learn more, but are without much access to Bibles, any church gathering, or solid biblical leadership.

Without another option and because of the cultural standard of Catholicism, many occasionally attend Catholic Mass once a month as an alternative. However, because of their eagerness for the Word of God, the first Bible study we had led to another each night since then. It has truly felt like the start of a church, as many profess that Christ is the one true God and want to know Him more, but are misguided by a lack of access to the Word and by the presence of cultural Catholicism. 

Last night, my team and I praised the Lord for a meaningful victory: our supervisors were able to provide us copies of the New Testament in the local language so that they could have the Word of God in front of them as we had our study. Because of the Catholic tradition so deeply ingrained in this village, many who profess Christ as the one true God still pray to Mary and see her as holy. We had prayed and discussed how to best approach this, and the Lord opened a door in a mighty way. We guided them through Scripture, and they responded with incredible humility and genuine understanding. It was beautiful to see them explore what the Bible says for themself with the Word in front of them, and they even thanked us for being willing to be used by God to come and teach them, just as we explained that Mary was obedient to be used by God. 

Praise the Lord!

Our team with the local officials

Bible study with the children from the barangay, where we taught the parable of the lost sheep, and explained the gospel on the blackboard, drew the story from Creation to Christ, played games, and enjoyed chocolate rice for a merienda (snack)!

Prayer Requests: 

• The Holy Spirit would continue to soften the hearts of this village to the gospel, and that we would continue to be faithful to God's Word as we reach them.
• That we would gain more insight into their beliefs and culture to better share God's Word with them.

-Lenna

Philippines Rural Healthcare

Meet the Team: Philippines Rural Healthcare

Hi everyone!

My name is Lenna & I'm the media intern for the Rural Healthcare team this summer in the Philippines. I will be sharing various updates on what the Lord is doing through this team over the summer as well as photos of our experiences. 

Let's get started.... meet the team! 

Our team leader, Lindy (19) is currently a junior studying nursing at Mississippi College. 

Madison (19) is at Samford University studying Health Sciences, pre-PA. 

Emily (19) is also studying nursing at Murray State University. 

Lenna is 21 and just graduated from Central Ohio Technical College with an Associate of Arts in English. 

Kristel (18), one of our translators, is working towards her AB English major in English language at a local college. She also teaches the Bible to students ages 7-16. 

Roselle (17), our other translator, currently goes to high school in another province. Her favorite subject is history. She is also a worship leader at her church. 

We are all eager to see what the Lord will do as we encourage one another in pursuit of surrendering ourselves to His will daily. We have already been filled with joy by the welcoming people of the barangay (village) where we are staying for the next couple of weeks. Saturday morning, we met with the barangay officials and made our schedule for the week— they eagerly included us in the village’s scheduled activities for the week, and we worked together to schedule Bible studies & health classes the team will be teaching.  Our prayer is that as we lead these bible studies, people would have open and receptive hearts and minds to reading from the Bible and seeing what it says for themselves— and that from this, we would have an open door to share the true message of the gospel with them. 

We have already been so blessed to see how the Lord is working here. We have been able to specifically connect and share with a few of the teenagers in the barangay who are expressing interest in the gospel. 

Our prayer?? We would be faithful in sharing the truth with them and that the Lord would use that in their hearts to draw them to Him!

-Lenna
Rural Healthcare Team
Philippines