September and October 2015

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.

Kain Tayo! (Let's Eat!) 

We were looking forward to October 17^th, as it was to be the 19^th 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.

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 2^nd 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.

We have many new members of our PCL Worship Team

Thank you for your continued prayer, encouragement and support! God bless.