Ministry.... rewarding yet challenging

Many of the Filipino we meet are warm & inviting. They invite us into their homes & listen attentively as we talk. Many answer our questions with great conviction & seemingly strong belief in the Lord. they speak of their faith in God, how they depend on Him and pray often to Him... while offering answers that many would take as true belief upon first glance.

Yet when we ask them if they have certainty in where they will spend eternity, many respond that "if depends on how much good I do" and "if the Lord is merciful that day." When we present the Gospel, many say they have never heard it, yet they go to mass and learn from their priests as often as they can. 

There is a great need for true laborers of Jesus here. The chains of empty religion have put many into bondage, having them work in vain to attain a salvation that is freely given through faith alone. When we try to explain this free gift & the freedom it brings, many will continue to claim we serve the same God, not realizing that the God they serve is distant and demainding, constantly judging and condemning. 

In all of ministry, it is as rewarding as it is challenging. Yet, we press forward to serve our God faithfully., As team leader & media team members, I'm tasked with finding the delicate balance between stepping to the forefront to direct & stepping behind the camera as I capture our team at work. The joy of this balance is that as much as I learn from engaging directly, there is much I learn from stepping back. 

I've learned from stepping back to rely more on the Lord. Isaiah 41:10 says, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you & help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

Pray for the Filipinos we meet... pray their hearts would be made soft & ready to receive the Gospel.

Pray the Lord will continue to show them that words along do not save, but faith alone does.

Pray that God would convince them of His great & all-fulfilling love done by His work on the cross.

-MaKenna

PH Summer- Camiguin