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