Ministry in Divine Mercy, San
Mateo
Now that the
rainy season is coming to an end, we have been enjoying increased attendance in
our ministry in Divine Mercy, San Mateo. Juls and Pastor Francis (PCL Class of
2016) continue to share preaching, worship and Bible Study responsibilities. In
September, a few of our members requested an outing to the Prayer Mountain
because it was a public holiday. We had a lovely morning of worship, followed
by Juls sharing a simple message from the Word of God and then the opportunity
for members to go the sanctuary, prayer cells, cottages or benches to do what
Gethsemane Prayer Mountain was designed
for – personal prayer, worship and Bible reading. After this, we had a pot luck
lunch (‘share share’ in their words). One family, having nothing else to bring
for lunch, prepared their own duck. I’m grateful that when I need meat, I can
just go to the supermarket. I’m not sure I have the stomach for the
old-fashioned way of preparing meat.
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| Kain Tayo! (Let's Eat!) |
We were
looking forward to October 17th, as it was to be the 19th
anniversary of Gethsemane Prayer Mountain, and we planned to bring many members
to the combined Gethsemane Churches celebration. Unfortunately, that weekend, a
typhoon came, and although it didn’t have a big effect on our area, it was
enough to force our members to stay home, as they are always stranded in their
homes when heavy rain makes the river in their area impassable. We brought only
2 members to the event, but we still enjoyed it.
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| The lady in turquoise on the bottom left is Anna, who wasvisiting us during this time. |
The
construction of our church building is progressing well. We are aiming to have
it completed within a few months, with the Korean sponsor’s visit and church
dedication to take place in January. Juls does a great job touching base with
the construction team and neighbours regularly.
Precious Time with Family and Friends
Honestly, I have had
my ups and downs emotionally for quite a while now. A combination of sadness
and frustration with what I see here in the Philippines, together with general
homesickness and the desire to be with my family members who are facing lots of
challenges at the moment have really stretched me. I am so thankful to God, who
speaks to my heart and restores my peace and hope, and to my dear husband, who
is so loving and supportive. But God continues to bless me by providing me with
wonderful opportunities for physical, spiritual and emotional restoration.
In September, Juls
and I went to Singapore to spend a week with my sister and her family, who very
generously covered most of our expenses. We thoroughly enjoyed going to
Universal Studios and a River Safari with them, as well as simple things like swimming,
shopping and hanging out.
In October, Anna
Morse came to visit for a week. We had grand plans to show her our weekend
ministry and then visit beautiful Subic, as it was school holidays.
Unfortunately, Typhoon Lando disrupted our plans. We were not badly affected,
but we had to cancel our church service and decided to play it safe and avoid
traveling north. We stayed in San Mateo
and caught up with a few friends. Anna delighted them with her yummy cooking.
Although Anna’s visit didn’t go according to my plan, I really enjoyed just
sharing heart to heart conversations, hearing about Aussie friends and spending
time together.
After Anna left, Juls and I decided not to let
our Subic deposit go to waste, so we spent three days there for our 2nd
anniversary.
Spending Time with Mum
Finally, at the end
of October, I went to Perth to spend two weeks with Mum. In August, we found
out that she had a tumour,
which was removed through surgery in September. To make sure the cancer was all
gone, Mum had to start chemotherapy in October. I felt really strongly to visit
her for the beginning of her treatment, although due to a lack of time to get a
visa and financial limitations, Juls couldn’t come with me. While I couldn’t spend a lot of time there, I
was happy just to see Mum and I’m so proud of her; she is doing well. So far,
she has had two rounds of chemo (probably three by the time I manage to send
this newsletter). Each time, she has had a few yucky days, but is generally
feeling ok. Most of all, she feels God’s presence, comfort and peace. We are
confident that after her 12 rounds, she will be completely well. It was very
special to spend time with the rest of my family as well, who are the ones who
can be there with her for the entire six months of treatment.
PCL Happenings
In September, I
organized two worship evenings, especially designed for new students who long
to be part of the PCL Worship Team. After hearing their heart for worship and
their musical skills, it was a delight to include many new students in our team
for dawn watch and mid-week services.
One of my
responsibilities here at PCL is to monitor our students’ testimonies, which are
given during our Mid-Week services. This has become one of my most cherished
duties. As I mentioned earlier, I have felt overwhelmed, frustrated and
helpless because of the situation of so many people here in the Philippines.
However, week after week, I hear the testimony of how God has intervened in the
lives of our students. He lifted them from helplessness to hope and gave them
opportunities to share this hope with others.
I have no doubt that God is moving in the lives of our students, and
that He will continue to bless others through them. I am truly blessed to be
part of their journeys.
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| We have many new members of our PCL Worship Team |
Thank you for your continued prayer, encouragement and support! God bless.
