Darryl and Becky Jordan September 2018
“But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast Love of the Lord never ceases;
His Mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning;
Great is Your Faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:21
Togetherness! Darryl biked 14 miles to buy marshmallows. Becky prepared four batches of Rice Krispie Treats for the Youth Meeting. Darryl sliced and packed them. A Saturday morning together!
We are settled in our village rental home and seeking to become a part of our community. It has been a long haul as we have dealt with termites, ants, cockroaches, spiders, and large black birds nesting inside our house these last 6 months. It seems we get “on top” of one critter when another creeps up! Termites seem to be everywhere inside and outside our house. A daily battle!
While visiting our neighbors last week, Becky was quite upset when she stumbled upon this monitor lizard near our house. She was bothered by the size of his teeth. Our neighbor was quite upset, too, so he “demolished” him because he tried to go after his valuable hen.
We are, often, disappointed when we cannot communicate with you via the Internet. It is not unusual to go a day or several consecutive days without electricity, an Internet signal or Cell Phone signal. Possibly, all three at once! 📶 Zero Bars! So if we do not answer your emails in a timely manner, please do not worry about us but know that we are “fine”. Most likely, we could not open emails. “Out of area service” is a common message we receive due to our somewhat remote location.
Becky’s friend, Ping, likes to sell her orchids so she can buy medicine. and rice. We, now, have 18!
Progress! We have made several house improvements so our house feels like a home now. New tile floor in the kitchen! Windows that now close! Lights that now illuminate! Gray water now clean. A pantry that has shelves! Indoor plumbing of sorts!
Possible Pending Projects are painting the upstairs’ rooms for guests, replacing the water tank structure which the termites have destroyed, and replacing worn furniture. Also, please pray for guidance in possibly finding and purchasing a needed vehicle.
In the Arms of Jesus
“We do not mourn like those who have no hope
Why? Because we have hope!
Hope is not a wishful feeling
but confident expectation of what God has promised.”
Hebrews 11:1
Four deaths in three consecutive months…May, June, July…in our small village! Unexpectedly, two church members, a 16 year old boy from our Youth Group, and the Councilman’s 14 year old daughter! They hit us all at once! (Also, a dear close friend and prayer partner in America went home to be with Jesus during this time.)
Facing the reality that life is short on earth and the importance of sharing life eternal in heaven impacted us immensely as we realized the reason for us to be here in this small Filipino village.
These heartaches were sadly discouraging for us and the believers. In the midst of trying to establish a young church, we felt the absence of Rudy’s and Edmund’s leadership as well as their presence.
At the same time, we were encouraged that these men had the opportunity to hear the gospel when Stephen and Ginger along with the Zimmermanns presented God’s message of salvation through faith in Christ. We were blessed with their vibrant testimony of Philippians 1:21. “For me to live is Christ but to die is gain.”
Soon after, within weeks, and sadily unexpectedly, Nicodem (16) who attended Sports Bible Camp for the last 3 years was in a fatal motorcycle accident on July 9th.
Please pray for all these families that their faith will cause them to stand strong and give them comfort and peace.
Sunday church attendance averages 25-35. We are blessed by everyone’s faithfulness. A simple service! We, individually and as a congregation, are reading, chronologically, through the New Testament this year. Stephen and the other men take turns sharing the Bible lesson based on the present week’s daily scheduled passages. At the beginning and end of the services we sing a few choruses like “This is the day” and “I will enter His Gates” in the Agutaynen language and then, close in prayer.
On Sunday afternoons, Kids Bible Club starts at 3:00pm for ages 4 to 11. However about 40 kids start arriving at 1pm. They love to play in yard for a few hours before their class begins. A noisy group! They like to greet us as “Grandpa and Grandma”. In various groups, they play with stones in place of marbles, make sand castles with our sandy soil, and play hide and seek behind the banana and coconut trees. It is fun to hear them laugh while they run and play. We are impressed with the number of children who memorize their verses each week.
The Filipino ladies, themselves, are teaching lessons in Genesis prepared by Ginger…stories of Creation and the Patriarchs. Games, story-time, coloring pictures, memory verses, and snacks!
On Saturday nights at 7:30 pm, the Youth Meetings are geared for 12 years old and above. About 26 to 30 attend regularly. Stephen and Ginger have just completed a 10 week overview of the Old Testament. Now Stephen is starting to teach the life of Christ. For the teens that arrive early, there are various outdoor games. Basketball is popular. We pray for no rain and no power outages.
Stephen shows a video in the local language. Before the video, there is a pre-test to help us understand what the teens know about Scripture. Each teen has their own Study Work Book. The lesson, also, concludes with questions about the material covered that week. After the lesson, there are snacks and soda.
We would appreciate prayer for the outreach to the general community through the believers’, children’s, and teens’ meetings. The Agutaynen Church (Faith Bible Church) members would like to take the video series that we are using with the Youth on Saturday’s and present the lessons to their neighbors. We are seeking the Lord’s guidance for the appropriate venues.
Some time ago, Stephen and Ginger purchased property to build a new church building. We had hoped to break ground this month. However, we are having difficulty procuring a clear title. We have completed the plans and now, seeking the required building permits. Another item, we would appreciate for your prayers.
We are immensely blessed that we, together, have been “Called to be a Blessing” to the Filipinos. Thank you for your partnership as we minister together to give the villagers the hope, assurance, and peace of eternal life with the gospel message to this somewhat isolated community. Your prayers and financial support for our well-being and the establishment of an Agutaynen church help sustain and encourage us greatly!
You are in our prayers, too! Drop us a note! We would Love to hear from you!
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