Hello Team! We hope you guys are having a great summer so far.
Rachel and I have certainly had a pretty amazing summer. We actually just got back from the Philippines not too long ago. We’re still adjusting to life back in the States.
With that, we’re working on getting caught up on post-trip things. It may be summer but things are definitely not slowing down. Enough of what we’ve been doing since we’ve been back, though. I’m guessing you’d rather hear about the trip.
Well, the trip was amazing! It was an absolute success! It certainly was not without surprises, though.
The biggest surprise to me was the climbing. I really thought it was going to be less difficult. We were lower in elevation than what we normally climb so it should be easier, right? Yeah, not so much.
I have never sweated so much and for so long as I did on the climb. You just never dried out. It was actually cooler if you didn’t stop because at least you had some wind on you. If you stopped, there was no wind and you just became hotter. It was extremely difficult and trying. Living in Colorado, there’s just no way to prepare for that heat and humidity.
Ministry wise, things went much better than we could ever imagine. God is good!
Rachel, Kala, Meagan, and Cody worked with the children’s ministry. One of the most touching moments came as our team was leaving one of the villages. The kids lined up for school and began singing “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know,” a song our children’s ministry had taught them the day before. They then continued into a song thanking the mission team. It was certainly a very special moment I’ll never forget.
Rachel had the opportunity to also work with the medical ministry. She would meet with each patient to pray with them after they had met with the doctor. It wasn’t what Rachel originally saw herself doing but God had a better plan. In all, initial reports were that the team saw around 81 patients.
I was blessed to be able to work with the Bible ministry. We started off meeting with local pastors surveying them as to how many Bibles were in their churches, and how many Bibles in the local language they needed. Most churches had a Bible or two in the church...and for the most part, they weren’t in the local language. Our team was able to bring 71 new Bibles in the local language to the area. This will revolutionize the way Christianity functions in the area for generations to come.
I had many highlights along the trip. From leading a devotional and some worship, to preaching in one of the churches with a translator, to divine appointments...there are too many highlights to list.
But one does stand out. One of the days we were distributing Bibles, we had many villagers come to us asking for a Bible. Some were from nearby but some actually were from very far away. Two of those were mothers with children in their arms. When asked why they wanted a Bible, they replied that they wanted to know God, they wanted their faith to grow. Praise God for that!
After having traveled the same tough paths in the same hard conditions as these women, it was clear how important the Word of God was to them. They didn’t take it for granted. They overcame great obstacles for God’s Word. To me, it reaffirmed why we were there. We were there to bring God’s Word to people like these women so desperate to know Him on a much deeper level!
Prayer Requests:
-Praise for an extremely successful mission trip!
-That the Holy Spirit would continue working on the hearts of the local villagers.
-That God would raise up young pastors through discipleship as there is no one to step in for the “retired” pastors we met with still preaching and running their churches 10-15 years after their retirement. The younger generations need to step up.
-That God would provide more Bibles for the region as there is still a great need.
Thank you so much for making this trip possible with your prayer support
and financial support! Cheers and God Bless, Mike & Rachel
P.S. One last very important prayer request:
-Pray for "N", an FLC student I have been discipling. He was a student who had contemplated going on the Philippines mission trip but in the end, God closed that door. Anyway, he became ill losing 15 pounds while we were away on the trip. His doctors told him that had he not been so young, he probably would have died. They still don't know what it is. Pray for healing. Pray that God would give the doctors discernment on what is causing the illness and wisdom so that they can treat whatever the illness might be. Also pray that God would continue growing and encouraging "N" in his faith during this time of rest and recovery. Thanks!
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