Riverboat & Mountain Trek Summer Video

Take a few minutes and watch an overview of the ministries of the Mountain Trek & Riverboat teams
from Leyte & Samar, Philippines.

Don't waste Your Accidents

Last week as I was pulling into a parking spot I turned too sharply, and my back tire cover broke the plastic tail light cover on a pickup truck in the space next to me. Face palm. Due to various complications, it cost not only the money for the tail light replacement, but multiple hours and meetings with the other party and the traffic police to figure out the solution.  I found myself frustrated and thinking that the problem could have been easily fixed in 15-20 minutes if I had my way.

While sitting with the other driver and the traffic officer in the station I told them that I was a missionary in the area. They asked the normal questions like how long have you been here and where have you gone. However, when we were almost done the officer asked me, “Since you are a missionary, do you have any words of wisdom from God to share with us?” I replied that I did and proceeded to share the gospel with them, which led to the officer asking 3 questions related to salvation that he had clearly been wondering about before. The next day we gave him a gospel tract and he sent me a friend request on Facebook.

1 Peter 3:15 says “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” God continues to teach me about this. I was frustrated over some lost time and money, which in the grand scheme mean nothing. He has greater and eternal purposes He wants to use us for.

-Joe

Read more about Joe & Elizabeth's Journey to the Philippines on their blog

We have a choice

Bible studies in our village have been pretty consistent but without change. In other words, they were very monotonous. However this past week God worked to remind me of the importance of choosing Jesus, choosing to share, and the peace of assurance in salvation.

In one Bible study, we went over the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. After reading the passage, I asked what she thought was the most important part. Knowing that she was poor I expected that she would say something like, “the poor can be saved,” but she had a shorter response. My translator told me simply that she said we get to choose. 

Something clicks in my mind; the amazement at God’s power and mercy. We’re offered the knowledge of salvation and while we are on Earth we have the chance to accept it. We can have the ability to be sure of our eternity. The woman we were sharing with was not sure of where she would go if she died. She said she wasn’t perfect so how could she know. This just opened the door to great conversation over God’s mercy on sinners and assurance of salvation. One of the verses we went over was Romans 8:39 which says “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” She is now armed with the knowledge of her choice and the fact that once made, nothing can take it away. This is a victory and I’m praying she will make the decision to follow.

Please pray for this lady, and many others like her, who know the truth and have the choice to accept it.

-Stephanie

Hearts and Minds

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:1-2

Pray for team members to focus their hearts and minds on the eternal, to set aside the temporal.

Team of the Day
Mountain Trek

Country of the Day
Philippines

Barriers

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Andy pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ... - Colossians 4:2-3

Pray for the Holy Spirit's leading of teams past barriers

Team of the Day

Mountain Trek

Country of the Day

Philippians