Discipleship

Thursday through Saturday we have Bible studies all throughout Guinhawa, the barangay where we live. Dau (pictured in yellow) is eleven years old and has gone with us on visitation for the past couple of months. While sharing the Bible study with one of the believers, we resulted in talking about when we all accepted Christ. When it came to his turn he explained that he had never accepted Christ before. He was able to make a personal decision on Saturday!

Pictured left to right: (Junwell Mendroz, Pastor Benji, Boy,  and John Mark Mendroz) 

Thankful pastor Benji has been an example to these young men through discipleship!

On that same day we went to visit one of the ladies, Gina, in our Bible study; however, she was not home. We had been praying for her husband because he had been going back and forth to Manila due to health problems with his heart. Even though we have been meeting with Gina for the past couple of months Friday was the first time we had ever met her husband, Boy. It was a divine appointment that God allowed us to share the gospel with him! 

Tuesday Teach Day!

Tuesdays here in the Philippines have meant so much to me. We have been given the privilege to speak to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students in a public elementary school in Papandayan. I specifically teach 5th grade, which is the grade I was in when I received Christ. 

These students have been pulling me aside during their 30-minute recess time to pray. Today they explained how God answered their prayer for something they prayed for last week and wanted to pray about something else today. 

The students reading John 10 about the good Shepherd. 

Every Tuesday we go to each section of those grades, which sometimes leaves little room to talk to the teachers. However, today two of the teachers pulled me aside to ask about different religions and how to know what is true. They allowed me to share with them from God's Word the answers to their questions which led to the gospel. 

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. I Peter 3:15

Papandayan

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays we are in a barangay called Papandayan. The majority of our Bible studies are with females; however, today two men of different families were available to listen. We have been meeting with our Bible studies for three months now going over basic truths for new believers and it is always exciting to see when some of the family members get to hear the gospel for the first time!

Jolly, who is the husband of one of our Bible studies attendees, was on his way out the door to pick up his son from school. He explained how last week, because of the typhoon that came through, he was stranded overnight on his boat that had flipped over. He waited for the current to bring him to land and made it to shore 9:30 the next morning. Since we never see him and God had spared his life I asked for just ten minutes to share with him the most important message! (pictured above: Jolly, his daughter Kathryn, his son Kevin and our infamous water bottle illustration of when you have Jesus you have eternal life I John 5:11-13). 

On the same day we had our weekly Bible study with Maribel. Her father, Rustico, who is 73 years old, we see in passing or he will leave upon our arrival; however, today he stayed and listened. At the end of the Bible study we were able to share the gospel with him. 

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Taking Initiative

Within the past couple of weeks we have been able to see the young believers carry out Bible studies and reach out to their friends and families for the sake of the gospel.

Gina (pictured above) and her family, who attend church regularly, live at the top of the mountain so we try to visit them at least once a week. There has been a lot of rain recently so we have not been able to visit her. After the church service she explained that she knew we wouldn't come because it was too slippery to hike so she gathered her family together on the usual day that we meet and they studied God's Word together! 

On another afternoon we stopped by one of our members homes just to say hello and continue on with our Bible studies for that day. Cita was busy sewing uniforms for some of the girls within the community. She said that before we headed out she wanted us to share a Bible study with all of the women there. So everyone sat on the floor in a circle and pulled out their Bibles!

Reeza (pictured in the back) has invited and influenced her neighbors for the gospel. On this particular day she had arranged for us to come and share the gospel with her neighbor, Lea. Right as we were starting to share, her mother walked up and joined us and they both received Christ!

Charise (pictured on the left) who is only five years old talks to us in Tagalog as if we are Filipino and fluent in the language =) She will sometimes go out with us on our visits to different homes. Just this past Sunday she invited her older sister to church, who is in high school. Even the youth as young as five have had influence among their families! 

What's Next

Every Friday we meet with one of our bigger groups at 3:30 for a Bible study. I spoke on faith and afterwards we had a question and answer time. The believers mentioned how they've lost some friends since following Christ, that their neighbors are questioning what they are doing, why they are attending the Bible studies and visiting people, and lastly what will happen to them once Natalie and I return back to America. Pastor Benji reminded them that they were already attending the Bible studies before we arrived. He stated that it is Christ who brings us together and unifies us. I was able to share with them Philippians 1:27, "Only let your conversation be as it becometh of the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. Thankful that they are realizing the Christian walk means counting the cost, even if there is a loss of friends. This is my prayer for them that they will continue to grow whether we are present or not.

 Some of the believers who attend this Bible study

Linario

Today we met with Linario, whose house is one of our weekly Bible studies. His trust, openness, and inquiring of life and of the Bible have left us speechless, especially today. Natalie shared the Bible study on the power of God's Word. Afterwards he asked about idols because he had one in his house and wanted to get rid of it. He wanted us to see it so we followed him inside. We shared scripture about idols along with other situations that he is going through. Pastor Benji, Natalie, and myself left today with tears being shed and in awe of the whole circumstance. Thankful for Linario's desire to know truth from God's Word! We serve a God who is alive, able to see, hear, and understand!

                                                                       Linario

the idol

"They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; they have ears, but they hear not; neither is their any breath in their mouths." "For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods." (Psalm 135:5, 16-17)

Isabel

This update is tougher to explain but thankful that it is! One of the youth in our house church, Isabel, is 12 years old. She and others have been coming with us on visitation during our weekly Bible studies. This past Thursday, August 21, Isabel invited her friend Bernadette to come with us.

 Junwell (also from our youth), Bernadette, and Isabel.

After a full day of Bible studies with Isabel and Bernadette, Pastor Benji was able to lead Bernadette and her cousin Ralph to the Lord!

Left to Right (Natalie, Isabel, Bernadette, Benji, and Ralph)

On the following day, Friday August 22, Isabel stopped by our place to play uno and brought her friend Bernadette and Lica. While playing, Isabel explained that she had led two of her classmates to the Lord that day and brought Lica for us to share the gospel with. Pastor Benji led Lica to the Lord and all four, Ralph, (pictured left to right: Lica, Isabel, and Bernadette) joined our Friday Bible study that night. 

On Saturday, August 23, we split into two teams. Benji took Isabel and Bernadette to meet a new prospect that one of our believers wanted us to visit. 

While team two hiked to the top of the mountain to share our Bible study. 

John Mark (pictured in white who is one of our young believers) translated for us.

Ralph also joined the hike for the Bible study.

Team Two (pictured left to right: Jason, John Mark, Christie, Joan, Reeza, Ralph, Natalie, Maricel, and Junwell)

Thankful for what God is doing in the hearts of the Filipinos from our house church. "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can shew forth all His praise?" Psalm 106:2