Our year kicked off with a trip south to connect with co-workers from around the field for a time of refreshment and fellowship. We were blessed as team from Jerome Prairie Bible Church in Grants Pass, Oregon came over to the Philippines to help facilitate this time. The majority of the team focused on teaching our kids (a huge blessing) while the rest of us were refreshed in the word with teaching from Pastor James Downing & his wife Suzie. Joining their team from Bend, Oregon was Freddie Gateley who blessed our time together as he led us in worship each day. Thank-you so much to all our new friends from Jerome Prairie Bible; we are blessed.
Also visiting were Oli & Judy Jacobsen. Oli is one of our former Field Chairman’s here in the Philippines. We were also blessed with a visit by NTM, USA Executive Board member Marv Ketchum, who is also the Director of Student Life at the Missions Training Center in Camdenton, MO. Joining Marv from the NTM, USA Personnel Departmentwere Joe and Sharon Goodman. Joe and Sharon gave our first official welcome to NTM when we graduated from the MTC in 2008 and so we were excited to be among the first to welcome them to the Philippines when they arrived. Joe was needing a new barong (Filipino style dress shirt) and so we went out shopping in search of one. In the process I found one for myself also.
Before heading back to northern Luzon we made one more trip further south to spend time with co-workers there, some of whom were not able to attend our bigger meeting. It was even a greater opportunity to get to know some of them on a more personal level. Especially special was the opportunity to spend time with our co-workders Chris & Lyn Stange who announced they would be leaving the field in the near future. Chris & Lyn were among the first to greet us in the Philippines when we arrived as associates in 2003. This couple will be sorely missed by their co-workers and Filipino’s alike.
As we work to fulfill the task that God has for us it is always exciting to have others to come from so far away and at great personal expense to be a part of what God is doing here and to remind us that we are not alone in this work. I would highly recommend for anyone that might ever have an inclination to visit the mission field if even for a short-term period of time to do so. You might find it not only a blessing for those you are there to visit but also for yourself. We live in a very need world and there is much work to be done. Thanks for your part in that.
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