Ministry at the Beach

Pastor Rudy’s adventure was a surprise and exciting day to look forward to. The team was told the night before they would be going to the beach to share the gospel. With it being the celebration for John the Baptist, it was a perfect bridge to connect and speak about the good news of Jesus, and His true story.        

As they ventured off by boat to another part of the island, they began practicing fellowship in food and games, and when people gathered around the table, Kuya Zuriel (our translator) taught those gathered about the difference between John the Baptist and Jesus. He explained that John the Baptist would want them to celebrate and worship Jesus, rather than him. With the time they had left, the group broke apart to swim and to talk to people at the beach, some on the rocks and some back on shore.             

The group ended the day having built trust and relationships with people in the hopes of sharing the gospel with them when invited to have dinner or play basketball. God opened many doors today, and they cannot way to see what happens next.

- Skylar
PH Summer Socorro Team, Media Intern

We have to start right now!!

Our team is mapping across the city of better understand the community & its youth. We're also helping national partners, churches and the Baptist mission to make intentional strides to connect with & disciple the next generation.

Every day we hear stories of hopelessness, especially from young people who believe the life they have is all they'll every know. The other day, we met a group of boys playing pool. After sharing the hope of the gospel, several expressed a desire to change but admitted it was difficult because of peer pressure & the surrounding culture. 

In that moment, they decided to start their own "youth group," crating a WhatsApp group with one of our national partners & asking our field supervisors to keep coming back to walk alongside them.

As we walked away, nearly half of the boys put down their pool cues and said, "We can't wait for someone to come back & lead us... we have to start right now!"

This place has often felt dark & hopeless, despite being known as a Christian country. But moments like these remind us that God can take something small & use it for something far greater. Even a little light shines brightly in the darkness. 

• Pray with us for these boys. Pray their desire for something more than hopelessness will urge them to want to learn more about the true giver of hope... Jesus Christ!!

-Alisha

Campus Evangelism & Discipleship

Sub-Sahara Africa

The Festival of Fellowship

The festival to celebrate the founding of our island was this past weekend, and it couldn’t have been more of an opportunistic time to go door to door to spend quality time with the community. Spread throughout the plaza was a different street vibrantly decorated, such as one with rows of jellyfish and the other flowers and banners that swayed in the wind. As the smell of pork cooking rose in the early morning, the whole group walked together to visit families who had invited them for the festival. From rice, fruit salad, shrimp, pig ear and tongue, a whole plate of watermelon, and more rice, they were full by noon!

The moments fell together beautifully as people were open to receiving more prayers and children gathered close together to hear stories in the Bible. It was a weekend full of hospitality and getting to know the people in hope of sharing Jesus’ love.

"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

-Skylar 
PH Summer Socorro Team, Media Intern

Lessons from a cup of ice

When I arrived in Butuan, I was feeling a bit low. While I was in Camiguin, I was constantly hot, and it felt like there was nothing I could do to cool off. No matter what I tried, it seemed like I would never adjust to the heat. My appetite had also disappeared, which meant I wasn't getting much energy throughout the day.

Then I arrived in Butuan and got a morale boost I didn't know I needed: ice.

Before this trip, I never would have imagined that ice could improve my mood. But the moment I dropped some ice into my water, something changed. To be fair, it wasn't just the ice in my cup that night. It was knowing there was a refrigerator and freezer nearby. It was knowing that cold drinks and ice were available whenever I needed them.

Now, the ice wasn't some magical cure that suddenly made me adjust to the heat. I'm still not completely adjusted. But it gave me something to look forward to when I was hot and exhausted. It was a small comfort on those days when all I wanted to do was sit inside an air-conditioned room.

Interestingly, when I was out doing ministry, I wasn't feeling low at all. I was joyful. My thoughts weren't focused on the heat. They were focused on the incredible privilege of spending my time telling people about the love of Christ. I got to share with new friends that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die the death we deserved and then rise from the grave, conquering sin and death.

The difficult moments came back at the house. Even sitting under a fan, I would sweat nonstop. In those moments, all I could think about was how hot and uncomfortable I was. If I'm honest, all I wanted was to be sitting in a house with the air conditioning running full blast.

Those moments taught me something I hadn't realized before: so much of my life revolves around my own comfort.

Comfortable temperatures. Having a space that's just mine. Having more than four outfits to choose from. Not waiting on transportation. Having cold drinks whenever I want them. The list goes on. I never realized how many comforts I take for granted until I spent time without them. 

Without thinking about it, ice is part of so much of daily life. Order a drink at a restaurant, and it usually comes with ice. Come inside after working in the heat, and you probably grab a cold glass of water without giving it a second thought.

So let me ask you a question: How much ice do you put in your water when it's hot outside? How much better do you feel after drinking that ice-cold glass of water? And if ice suddenly wasn't available, how difficult would it be to give up?

It seems like such a small thing, but this summer has reminded me that many of the things I consider necessities are actually luxuries.

I'm thankful that I serve a God who is always working on me. He used something as simple as discomfort to draw me closer to Him. When I didn't know what to do with the heat and frustration, I found myself spending more time in Scripture. What started as a distraction became a blessing. The more time I spend in God's Word, the more clearly I hear His voice.

Who knew God could use a cup of ice water to teach me so much?

Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes." 

Ministry is in full swing, and I ask that you continue to pray for us.

• Pray for the work being done here and that God would use it to impact the lives of the people we meet.
• Pray that the people we talk with would continue to be open and welcoming as we share the love of Christ with them.
• Pray for our safety throughout the summer.
• Pray for protection from the bugs, the heat, and all the travel that comes with ministry.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. They mean more than you know.

- Kylie                                                                                                                                                            
PH Summer Camiguin and Butuan Teams, Media Intern

Conversations about the Truth

Our team has been finding its rhythm & rhyme. The English conversation clubs have lead to a formation of good friendships. thought the ground is hard, the Father ia at work. We have encountered those who are having spiritual dreams & have led them to question what they know. We are thankful that  many conversations we have had are about the "truth." 

• Pray for the relationships we are building through the English conversation clubs. 
• Pray for opportunities to share the complete truth with our new friends. 

-Central Asia team

Spiritual planting

God has been working through the Cebu Agricultural team. During our training at the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) in the Southern Philippines, we were able to have Bible studies with student interns who were involved in a training at the same facility. Although we've finished our training there & moved to our location for the summer, we continue to pray for those we met & were able to share the Good News with.

We've also been able to have Bible studies with some in the area were we're assigned for the summer. The hearts & minds of those attending are yearning to know more about God. They have been asking lots of questions so they can know more about God.

• Pray for those we are having Bible study with. 
• Pray for open hearts to accept God's love.

-Mnason
Cebu Agriculture Team

When Missions Meets Culture

Before coming to the Philippines, I tried to do as much research as possible. I read about the country, the people, the culture, and just about anything else I could think of. I talked to people who had been here before and asked them what I should expect. By the time I boarded the plane, I felt like I was pretty well prepared.

What I've learned, though, is that there is a huge difference between reading about something and actually experiencing it for yourself.

My first few days in the Philippines have been great, and I've really enjoyed my time here. But there have already been several moments where I thought, "Well, that's not quite what I pictured."

One of those moments happened at the market. I knew before coming that most grocery shopping would be done at local markets. That wasn't a surprise. What surprised me was the meat section.

Now, some of y'all reading this might think I'm about to say that I wasn't prepared to see whole fish or freshly cleaned fish sitting out. Honestly, that part didn't bother me at all. What caught me off guard was seeing the meat simply laid out on the counter.

I've been to places before where large cuts of meat and whole fish were displayed out in the open. Usually, though, they're sitting on ice or inside a refrigerated case. Here, the meat is just sitting right there on the counter.

At that point, I know what some of y'all are probably thinking... "Hot weather plus raw meat sounds like a terrible combination." Honestly, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.

The biggest thing I noticed was the flies. There were quite a few of them trying to land on the meat. Thankfully, the vendors have a simple but effective solution. They use sticks with strips of plastic attached to the end and gently wave them back and forth over the meat.

It's kind of like watching someone casually conduct an orchestra whose only members are flies.

Before I ever bought anything, I found myself standing there just watching everything happen. Reading about a market is one thing. Standing in the middle of one, hearing the conversations, seeing the vendors work, and watching people buy their food for the day is something completely different.

Then came the actual buying process.

One thing I learned pretty quickly is that haggling matters. Another thing I learned is that if you happen to have a Filipino with you, and they do all the talking, your chances of getting a better deal seem to improve dramatically.

So let's imagine a completely hypothetical situation that definitely happened.

Let's say you're looking to buy some pork.

You walk over to where the pork vendors are and look through the different cuts until you find one you like. After a little negotiating, the seller places the entire chunk of pork on a large wooden block. You point to exactly where you want it cut so you can get the amount you need for whatever meal you're planning to cook.

A few chops later, you've got your piece of pork. The seller weighs it, figures up the price based on what was negotiated, and you hand over your money. Then the pork gets dropped into a small plastic bag.

And that's it. No foam tray. No plastic wrap. No refrigerated display case.

Just a piece of pork in a little plastic bag making the trip home with you until it's time to cook dinner.

As strange as it felt at first, experiences like that are exactly why I love learning about and experiencing new cultures. God has made this world incredibly diverse, and one of the perks of being on mission and following where He leads is getting to experience that diversity for myself. The market wasn't better or 

worse than what I'm used to back home. It was simply different.

That's something I've been reminded of several times already during my short time in the Philippines. No matter how much you read or how much people tell you beforehand, some things just have to be experienced for yourself.

And if my first few days are any indication, I'm sure there will be plenty more stories to tell before this trip is over.

Acts 17:26-27 says... "From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and boundaries of where they live. He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." 

As always, thank you for your prayers.

• Please continue praying for us as we adjust to life and ministry here in the Philippines.
• Pray that we would be quick to learn, humble in our interactions, and faithful in our witness.
• Also pray for the Bible studies we hope to start in the coming weeks, that God would bring the right people into our paths and use His Word to transform lives.

- Kylie PH Summer Camiguin and Butuan Teams, Media Intern