A months worth of rain in six hours

I can still see the faces of our friends from the bridge as they huddled in the dark under a tarp, trying to keep the rain off of them. They were now on higher ground between the rail of the bridge and the hollow block wall of their neighbor. They had carried out as many of their possessions from their homes and piled them up under the tarp before the floodwaters swept away five of their homes and submerged the rest. Sleeping in my own bed and being in our house reminds me of God's kindness, but I can't help but feel a sense of guilt to know that so many others have no bed and are sleeping on the wet ground.

Getting home wasn't easy. It all started on Saturday morning when we left for Christian's volleyball game. It was only drizzling at the time and there didn't seem to be any reason for concern. By the time Christian's games were over the rain was coming down in sheets and were driven by winds. We got texts that traffic was heavy and that the varsity volleyball team was stuck on the road and didn't even make it to their game. We decided to wait it out at the mall across the street till the traffic died down. Our last communication with our other four kids in the early afternoon was that they were all at home safe, but that our power went out. Anxious to get home to our kids, we set out at about 4 p.m. to drive home - I was thinking to get home while there was still light. We were amazed at how clear the roads were. I figured a lot of people were just staying home because of the heavy rains. Well that didn't last long. We hit a wall of traffic and moved very slowly for about an hour, only traveling about a mile till they opened up the opposite side of the street. We joined hundreds of cars driving on the other side of the street and quickly moved down the road to some short cuts that I often like to use. Leaving that mess behind, we tried taking another way home, but when I saw lots of cars piled up on that road we tried an alternate route. Since that took us near Manalo Bridge we decided to take a detour and check in on our friends there.

Before

After the typhoon

To our surprise, I saw that all their homes were either gone or under water. We had been texting back and forth with them earlier and knew that those in the lower houses moved to higher ground to stay with their neighbors, but I didn't expect to see everything covered in water. The river which was usually about 25 feet below the bridge was getting close to the level of the road on the bridge. I walked up the street looking for our friends and I found them under the tarp. Everyone was safe. Around 20 adults stayed behind while the rest of them, along with about 40 children, went to a local covered basketball court to wait out the storm.

My first thought was to pile all of them into my van and take them to our house, but they were worried about leaving their things and we still didn't know if we could even make it to our house or not. We decided that if we could make it to our place, we would leave a few of them behind to watch their things, but then take the rest - especially the kids. But first, Jessica, Christian and I would go ahead of them to make sure that we could get through. I gave them all the cash I had so that they could all buy some food and candles. Then we drove down the road for about a mile only to find the road covered in water.

I drove till the water was about knee deep and then turned around (much to the relief of Jessica). We tried four other ways which were also flooded out in front of thousands of stranded cars. One of them near the Marikina River was flooded about two stories high. We returned to the bridge and told them that we couldn't make it home and then began to look for a place for us to sleep. By the time we arrived at a familiar missionary guest house, the first leg of our adventure lasted about six hours.

Early the next morning, we attempted to make it home again. The news report on the radio said that we got a months worth of rain in 6 hours. However, by this time, a lot of the flood waters had gone down and we were moving along pretty good, but once we hit the main road going to our place the traffic began again. We weren't the only ones trying to get back home

We inched along for more than three hours, in which we traveled for only about one mile. Part of the problem was that there were a lot of abandoned cars scattered all over the road. We had to drive around them and the thousands of people who were walking on the streets.

Finally, we could go no further because the water got too deep so we pulled out. We found some high ground, parked our van, and decided to walk the rest of the way home. I'm guessing that we were about 5 miles from home and we didn't know if the roads were passable, but we were determined to get to rest of our family.

After that first step in to ankle high water we were no longer timid. We started dredging along like everyone else. The water soon turned to calf, then knee high and then waist high (higher for Jess) :). I couldn't help thinking about Israel's exodus from Egypt as we joined thousands of people who were determined to get home.

When we got to the top of the road, past the flooded portions we found some enterprising tricycles (motor cycles with side cars) waiting for passengers. We were happy to find a ride the other four or so miles to our house. We came home to some little ones who were happy to see mom and dad. Even without power, we were happy to be able to enter a home that was still standing.

Someone made an interesting observation about one of the above pictures of our friends at the bridge while they were under a tarp. Their homes were flooded or destroyed, most of their meager possessions were lost, they were soaked, hungry and did not know what was going to happen; and yet, they were smiling. The woman smiling is a long time attender of one of our bible studies and I would like to think that she is smiling because she now knows that having Jesus, plus nothing, means that she has everything . . . and that even if she did have everything in the world, they would mean nothing without Jesus. Pray for the millions who have been affected by this. For those who are still stranded, those who have lost loved ones, and those who have lost their possessions. More importantly, pray that these hard times would be the beginnings of the best of times for many who respond to God's voice in all of this, see His hand of Grace and see His people showing the love of Christ. Pray also that the saints in the Philippines will boldly proclaim the good news that Jesus Christ wants to save those who don't know Him from their sins in this world so that they can live with Him in the next world, which will never have floods, pain, suffering or death.

Starbucks and Preaching

I jokingly call it my office, but I have spent hundreds of hours in Starbucks for meetings, studying and reading. You just can't beat the deal they offer - free coffee, air conditioning, and a place to work, you just have to rent a table for about 3 dollars a session. Some locations even have free internet. I have a semi regular meeting there every Thursday from about 9 am to noon. It is open to any pastor who wants to get together for fellowship and to discuss preaching. Last Thursday I had a great time with pastors Richard and Pastor Ogie.

After discussing life and ministry issues we got into their upcoming sermons. We started with Pastor Ogie's text from Romans 11, which went well, but it got really interesting when we started discussing Pastor Richard's text. He was preparing to preach on 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 which says...

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

We always start out by reading the text and then answering the question, "What is the main point of this text? What is it saying?" We discovered that 2 Cor. 1:1-11 talks about how God allows us to suffer and go through hardships so that we can learn compassion and be a comfort to others as well as our suffering leading some to salvation and teaching us to depend on Jesus. Then we discussed how to outline and preach the passage.

What made this text especially interesting was that Pastor Ogie had just lost two young children in a fire. I said to him, "Pastor you can preach this passage better than both of us. You know what it is to suffer despair at a level that most will never know, and through it God is giving you compassion and the ability to comfort others beyond what most are able." It was hard to discuss the passage because my heart breaks for this dear humble brother. I thank the Lord that even after this tragedy, Pastor Ogie has been able to see God's grace in it all and continues to find joy in serving Him. He is also very eager to learn how to handle and preach God's Word better. Richard and I were able to encourage him, but I'm sure the pain of his loses will always be with him. I told him that there is a family reunion waiting for him in heaven. Please pray for Pastor Ogie and his family as they faithfully serve the Lord and also pray that my regular office hours at Starbucks will be a fruitful blessing to pastors and those they minister to.

PETRA Shepherd's Conference 2009

On August 27-29 we participated in our 3rd annual Shepherd’s Conference which was sponsored by our partners the PETRA foundation and Greenhills Christian Fellowship.  After going to the Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley California earlier this year, our team from PETRA/GCF was full of ideas to enhance the conference here in the Philippines.  Over 650 ministers enjoyed three days of hearing God’s Word being preached and break out sessions on various topics including expository preaching, local church ministry, conflict resolution, missions, ministry to the poor, and three sessions for women taught by my beautiful wife Jessica Ransom.  She will also do a follow up class on parenting using the book “Shepherding the heart of a child.”

Jessica Ransom

I taught on preaching and interpreting the Bible to a few hundred eager ministers and will follow up the conference with two 14 week classes on those topics.  I spent time with them showing them how to discover the main idea of the original author and encouraging them to proclaim that rather than focusing on what people want to hear.  Several of them shared their appreciation for what they had learned and expressed their desire to enroll in our TMAI classes to learn more.

Sean Ransom

A few things that we learned and implemented from Grace Community Church's Shepherd's Conference were getting members of the church involved in serving and supporting the conference.  Members helped provide food, rides, clothing, medical/dental/vision care as well as serving at the conference.  Elder Mike Asperin taught on ministering to the military and elder Dan Cura taught on Worship, while pastor B.J. Sebastian taught on preaching 

Other speakers for the conference included TMS graduate Roger Ng from Singapore and Pastor Chris Chia (also from Singapore).  Pastor Chris taught on 1 Timothy 2 regarding the walk of a christian leader and Pastor Roger taught on confronting false doctrine and preaching with passion and purpose.

Pastor Roger Ng

Pastor Chris Chia

It was an added joy to see several of our friends and students at the conference and the joy that they were experiencing as the fellowshipped, worshiped, are were further equipped for ministry.

Pastor Noel Alberto

Pastor Ogie and his wife Gina

Pastor Ogie and Gina suffered a tragedy a few months ago and we were eager to minister to them at the conference and into the future.  Click here to read their story.  Join us in praying for the many ministers who attended this conference.  Pray that would continue to fell refreshed, challenged and encouraged in the Lord.  Also pray that God would continue to build them up and that He would gain more glory as they grow in their passion and abilities to teach God's people and make Him known.

Directions in the Philippines

In the GPS and map quest world of the U.S. and modernized countries getting around is becoming easier and easier.  Now-a-days, you can jump into your 

car and with no more thought than entering an address into your GPS, you can mindlessly drive your car as an electronic voice guides you on the road.  Well, in the Philippines, driving directions are done differently then they are in the States.  First of all, many, if not most of the streets are not marked with a sign to identify them.  Second, even if you had a map or GPS of where you are going, that doesn’t guarantee that you will get there because many of the streets are blocked off or converted to one-way streets to help expedite the flow of traffic.  That being the case, directions in the Philippines are more often given using land marks than with street names and addresses.  Here is an example using some directions given to me for the hotel that I stayed at while teaching a preaching module in the city of Batangas. 

“…going to d port, after flyover count 3 humps then left turn before cross roads, u’ll see n your left side d TRAVELLERS INN.”

Well, somehow I found it.  Often finding your way using someone’s directions in the Philippines often involves a lot of sanctification, many u-turns, asking people on the sides of the road where a place, marker, or street is and a lot of prayer.  It’s not perfect, but it almost always works.

Teaching ministers on the Island of Palawan Philippines

We are about half way through teaching a one-week module on hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible) in the City of Puerto Princessa on the Island of Palawan.  Palawan is about a one-hour flight west of the Island of Luzon where we live.  I arrived with a small team on Sunday evening; Pastor Weymann Lee and his wife Helen,

 along with Henry Ventura – the national director for Partners in Christian

 Leadership Training – joined me to teach the module.  It didn’t take long for us to see the difference between Palawan and Manila.  The city of Puerto Princess on Palawan has a population of roughly 250,000 people and is a lot less crowed than Manila with its population over 10,000,000..  Instead of Jeepneys they use a smaller vehicle called a multi-cab. I think

 that the lack of Jeepneys is a contributing factor for the sky being clearer in Palawan than 

in Manila.  Although shopping for fresh meat is similar to that of Manila, 

I noticed that it is harder to find other things in Palawan because there are fewer options for shopping.  The one mall that they have is about the size of a typical WalMart and is limited compared to Manila with it’s myriad of large malls.

In spite of these differences there are several things that are the same.  First, Filipino people here are very kind and gracious like those in Manila.  The food seems to be pretty much the same expect that there are fewer America restaurants in Palawan.    Perhaps the most significant similarity between Manila and Palawan is the many ministers who are hungry for and need training. 

We are getting positive feedback from many of the students as they share their appreciation for us bringing the training to them.  It’s a blessing to see them sharing and getting more and more involved with the teaching and workshop time as they get more comfortable with us and each other. 

Some of the students have traveled over four hours by bus to take this class.  It’s humbling to be used by God to serve such dedicated servants.  I am always challenged to work harder at what I do and to provide them with high quality training, especially when I hear about the sacrifices and commitment that they make in order to better themselves to serve God.  I am also saddened by the lack of training, resources, and people to help them grow as teachers of God’s Word and Shepherds of God’s people.  I thank God for the favor He has shown me by giving me the privilege of have the training that I do and I am always aware of my responsibility to share it with others.

Pray that God will send these dear ministers in Palawan and throughout the Philippines quality people to help train them and to share their lives with them.  Also pray for their strength, understanding, faithfulness and blessings as they learn, live and teach the Word of God.

Five year old Chariel's weak little heart could take no more

"Pastor Sean, can you please call me, Chariel is dead". That was probably the worst text I ever received, but I was not shocked. We knew that Chariel's heart was fragile. In fact, we first learned about his heart defect after he turned blueish and passed out. Now he was just a few weeks away from his heart check up to see if it had gotten large enough yet to have the corrective surgery that we had hoped would save his life. He was only five years old and had a pretty rough life. It started with being born into poverty. He literally came into this world in a shanty under a bridge which had no running water, bathroom, or electricity. His parents, Ariel and Charita, barely made enough to eat each day.

I can't help but feel a little frustrated because we had worked so hard and were so close to getting his operation. We had jumped through all the hoops that the doctors required, including having all his teeth pulled

(which had to be done in the operating room while his heart was monitored), and were just waiting for his heart valves to grow large enough to handle the correction. Still, I do believe that God is in control and that He has ordained each day of our lives.

His little body in its small coffin was placed in a small town center so that

he can be viewed, mourned and remembered for the next five days. Then a

procession of his family and friends will take him to the cemetery for burial.

Next to the place where his body lay was a basketball court full of children

from the community playing. Pastor Richard Ibon lead a service where he

shared the gospel, lead worship songs, and offered comfort to all.

Chariel is not the first little one that I have seen laid to rest. I find the death of a little one much harder to bear than the death of an adult, however, it is even harder for me to handle the pain of those left behind. Seeing the body of a person causes me to think about eternity and where they are. If I know that they are under God's grace, then I don't worry about them, but I pity those of us who are left behind here waiting for our

real home. Because of that, it is much harder for me to see the pain of grieving friends and family than to see someone who has passed away.

I called Charlyn back after she texted me about Chariel's death and I could here his mother loudly sobbing in the back ground. When Jessica and I got to the morgue where they were waiting for a casket, I saw Chariel laying on a small tile counter top. His father Ariel was covering his face with a towel to hide his tears as he mourned over the loss of his only child.

We were told that Charita had taken Chariel somewhere to get some food. As they walked home he was struggling to breathe. When they got home, she began to rub oil on his body, thinking that would somehow help. He eventually stopped breathing and stiffened up. It was then that she took him to the hospital, but he was already dead. To this day I still don't know if she ever fully comprehended the danger he was in. The first time I took them to the hospital, the doctor explained to her that Chariel had a hole in his heart and would need surgery to repair it in order for him to live past his teen years and to develop properly. To this she responded, "Can't we just give him some medicine?"

Her whole life was centered around that little boy. Because of the lack of oxygen to his body he was not growing right and was very small and feeble. He could hardly walk and she had to carry him most of the time. She worked hard serving him everyday. Before and after Chariel, she had had miscarriages, and though this little guy survived, his life was still short.

Five year old Chariel's weak little heart could take no more. I'm sure that their little home is going to seem very is quiet and very empty. Now Ariel and Charita are faced with funeral costs that amount to somewhere around two years of their combined income. The more affordable burial is only temporary because after five years they take the remains out of the tomb and cremate them. Of course the church is helping with some of the cost and so are we, but as of now, that is way short of the $2,000 necessary to buy a permanent burial plot. Pray for this hurting family's comfort and that God would provide so that they can lay their son to rest. I don't think that Ariel and Charita are believers, but they have seen God's kindness to them over the last few years. I hope that the body of Christ will show them one more act of kindness during this hour of need and that God would open their hearts and speak to them in a powerful way. Email me at sean@ransomreport.com if the Lord puts it on your heart to help.

Pastor's Home in Ahses

I received this email from the missionary community in the Philippines.  I posted it so that you can read about this families pain and pray for their comfort and strength to pick up the pieces of their life after their tragic loss.  

Mike Gingerich wrote:

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory (Isaiah 61:3)

On a recent Wednesday morning I was supposed to meet with six pastors who have been working with Village Handcrafters to reach the community around our factory. But one was not there.

Pastor Ogie had been out leading a Bible study the evening before. His wife, Gina, stepped out of the house to visit a friend, leaving their four children at home for just a few minutes. Since they have no electricity in their two-room home they had left a small candle burning. Somehow the candle ignited a blaze that engulfed the whole house very quickly. The fire only lasted 15 minutes but because the door was locked, neighbors had a hard time getting inside to rescue the children. Two younger children died in the fire and a third died the next day from his burns. Only their oldest son, Inok, 8, survived. 

That afternoon I visited the charred stick frame that was once the family's home. Witnesses pointed out the back corner of the bedroom on the floor as the location where the blackened body of three-year-old Nadine had been found. As I imagined the fear and pain of the little girl a few hours before, I stared at the cursed corner. But something there caught my eye. On the floor in the very place where the little girl had died there was a burned and tattered Tagalog Bible.

It was as if God was reminding me that He was there with Nadine as she huddled in the corner. Even there, even then, He was in control. And that he will give Pastor Ogie and his wife beauty and joy in exchange for these ashes and mourning. 

Please pray that God’s purposes would not be thwarted in the lives of this family and the church they shepherd. Please join us in praying for God’s glory to be planted like an oak in their lives.

The family lost its home and all the humble belongings it contained in the fire. If you would like to assist the Ogies during this time of need you can donate to Action International Ministries Philippine Disaster Relief Fund. Please note that it is for “Pastor Ogie fire relief.”

Dear Friends,

 

I just wanted to send out a bit of an update and relate a couple stories to those of you who have helped with the Pastor who lost three children in the fire. Today, Ed Landry and I met again with Pastor Ogie, his wife Gina, and their only living son (8). We visited what remains of their house. Kind of an emotional experience. I asked if they had been able to salvage anything. Gina, who seems to be doing a little better than Ogie with handling all this, told me that everything was destroyed. But that they did recover a partially burned folder of important papers. Miraculously, the parents' marriage certificate and birth certificates, as well as their oldest son's birth certificate, were not damaged. Interestingly, the fire destroyed the birth certificates of the three children who died. They were all kept in the same place. It was just kind of a reassurance to Gina that God was even in control of all that took place on the most terrible day of her life.

 

As we were getting ready to leave, a burned up book amongst the pile of rubble caught Ed's eye. It was a charred copy of Tuklasin. Ed wrote this spiritual workbook for new believers 20 years ago, early in his ministry here in the Philippines. He got pretty teary eyed as he realized that at that moment God was bringing him full circle with his work here. It was Gina's copy of Tuklasin which included a prayer she had written for her family. Ed and I both lost it as we saw on the last blackened page the lyrics to the song "Why so Downcast O My Soul? Put Your Hope in God." Again it was amazing what God had chosen to preserve from the flames that took everything. In a country and a place where needs and tragedies seem to be everywhere, it was God's special word to Ed and all of us at Village Handcrafters assuring us that this is a family He wants us to come along side and help through this difficult experience.

 

We also did a bit of investigation while we were there and came to the conclusion that the parents clearly did not lock the door to the home when they left the evening of the fire. In fact the oldest son ran out the door when a piece of his burning mosquito net fell on his leg. He sat on the grassy, unpaved "street" crying while the fire quickly grew. The only way to lock the door was to put a screw driver through a couple bent over nails from the inside. So there is no way this could not have been done by anyone who left the house. When neighbors arrived, they tried desperately to get inside but thought the door was locked because they could not get it open. What actually was happening was that the door, which was made of galvanized metal over a wood frame and did not even have a door knob or a latch, expanded in the door frame because of the intense heat inside. This was apparently so tight that it took several minutes for rescuers to break through. Learning this brought some clarity for Pastor Ogie and Gina, as to what had taken place on that terrible evening. It will help them, and their neighbors, not blame them for what happened.

 

The couple is very thankful for the help that has been given. We also looked at an available home in the area. It is a rent-to-own situation. We had thought about buying a lot (they were renting the home that burned) and building them something new but that would take time. They need a place to go as soon as possible. The rent of the home we looked at together today is $30 a month. Hopefully, eventually we will be able to raise the money to pay off the home for them. It is $3000. When we can help them get moved in (next week?) they will probably need some home furnishings and other household items. I think Gina may still need some clothes. She is quite thin. I think they could also still use some clothing items for their son who is eight. By the way, he seems to be doing well emotionally - smiling, running, playing, happy kid. (We compared our "Snake II" high scores on our cell phones). 

 

Some have asked about donating some English books for Pastor Ogie and Gina. He did do a couple years in a Bible school so I'm guessing he can read some English but I'm not sure how much really.  I'll try to remember to ask about that. So far we have collected $240 here to help the family. That and some assistance from Department of Social Welfare took care of their funeral expenses. I know of couple other cash donations that I still need to coordinate. ACTION has made relief funds available to be used right away if needed and then paid back as donations come in. Please let me know if you have specific questions about what may still be needed.

 

It has been really good to see the area Pastors come along side Pastor Ogie and Gina during this trying time. Without this I'm not sure where they would be. Pastor Ogie's church is in a small section of the community where there has been an ongoing land dispute. Church members have struggled with unity and showing love. This has been very difficult as church attendance continues to drop. And now this tragedy. Also I should mention that Pastor Ogie has TB but has been living in denial. Last week we got him to Scott Nelsen's clinic and started on TB meds. All of this has been pretty tough. Ogie has only been a Christian for three years. So, it looks like now Pastor Ogie may take a break from working in his small struggling congregation and help Pastor Rey in our Village Church plant. He really needs some healing and could benefit from a Paul -Timothy type of mentorship with Rey. Please pray for God's clear leading in this.

Thanks for helping us as we assist Pastor Ogie and his family,

Mike Gingerich

ACTION Philippines Missionary

Imported from the Philippines

Last February 27-March 8, my partner Mark and I were joined by about over a dozen Filipino brothers in the States to attend the 2009 TMAI Symposium and the Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church. We were treated to great music, fellowship, food and great teaching from men like John MacArthur, Rick Holland, Steve Lawson, and Al Mohler.

During the TMAI symposium we received great teaching from Richard Mayhue, Bill Barrick, John MacArthur, Phil Johnson, Dave Deuel and others. The topics covered included informing on the status of other TMAI training centers, translation and publication options, e-tools that for teaching and ministry, a biblical philosophy on replacing ourselves in the ministry, expository preaching and tips on support raising for our training centers.

Our team was graciously hosted by Marnie and Agnes Lacsamana who not only provided us with a place to stay, meals, and transportation, but they also provided us with dear fellowship. We spent hours talking with them and sharing about what the Lord is doing in and through us as well as the dreams and opportunities that He is giving us. Everyone was also provided with a MacArthur Study Bible.


The men who joined us represented several churches in Manila, one seminary, and the training ministries of World Teach and Biblical Training Center for Pastors. We all stayed in one house which provided for some great time get build our relationships with each other. Oddly enough, I was not the only one who missed American food so in addition to my five trips to Taco El Oso, we had a late night run to IHOP, and a pilgrimage to In-n-Out burger. We also had several runs to Fry’s electronics since most electronic goods are much cheaper and more current in the U.S.

The Conference was a blessing to all of us in so many ways. Besides the added bonus of getting to chat with John MacArthur and taking a few pictures with him, we were blessed with seeing how Grace Community Church conducts the Shepherd’s Conference.

We were all impressed with how over 700 members of Grace Community Church not only volunteered to serve at the conference, but how many of them said that the conference was a highlight of the year for them. We could see how blessed they were to serve God. Their ministers included helping us to register, find our way around, serve coffee, snacks, meals, setting up, tearing down, cleaning up, and passing out books. All of us were blessed with at least 20 books and a $50 gift certificate to use at the Grace book stores or the conference book store.

Another highlight of our time spent in the U.S. was our meeting with the Master’s College (TMC). We discussed the possibilities for a partnership with them. We were pleased to learn that we may be able to start a Masters of Biblical Counseling and Education, among other degrees, through distance education through TMC from the Philippines. In addition to that, they also can provide general education courses through the internet. This could help some of our students who need these classes for future degreed programs with us, but who are not able to leave their jobs or ministry to go back to school full time. With this program, they can take the classes they need on line to better fit their busy schedules.

Regarding the teaching at the conference, we found the delivery method of several of the messages (expository) and the issues that were covered very challenging. We are motivated to work with more fervor than ever to train ministers in expository preaching and teaching. Several of the contemporary ministry issues that were addressed also got us thinking as we looked at some of today’s popular ministry methods in light of Scripture.

After only being back in the Philippines for about three weeks, the men are already wanting to get together to share what they learned at the conference and to plan on how we can implement it here. We will start by working on expository preaching and planning our Philippines Shepherd’s Conference. It will be interesting what to see what else the Lord has placed on their hearts. We are all looking forward to next year and I am praying that a bunch of them, including some new faces will join us. Pray that God will draw the right men to join us and that we would continue to be godly influences to faithful and influential ministers.

Training Ministers on Other Islands in the Philippines

On January 5-9 a team from the Master's Seminary joined my partner Mark Macatangay and me to teach a group of ministers from the Island of Cebu how to study and interpret the Bible. The teaching team consisted of Alan Luciano (and his wife Sandi who taught the women a mini seminary on biblical counseling) along with pastor Felix Ballon. Our students were local pastors and workers from compassion international who minister to poor children throughout the Philippines.

Alan and Sandi went on that short term missions trip to test the waters and see if TMAI-Philippines is where God is calling them to serve. Praise the Lord, just a few days into the trip they already knew that this is where God was calling them to and what He has prepared them for. They returned to California so that Alan can finish his last semester at the Master's Seminary, Sandi can complete her work at the Master's College for her Master's in Biblical Counseling and to raise support so that they can move here and join our team in establishing a Master's Academy associate training center that focus on expository preaching. We are anxiously awaiting their arrival Lord willing in late 2009 or sometime in 2010.

If God puts Alan, Sandi and this ministry on your hearts then please contact me or them to see how you can become a part of their support team and send them to the Philippines to train ministers who will preach the Word in the country and abroad as we train and send God's servants throughout the world.

Our other team member was Pastor Felix Ballon. On what the world calls a whim, Pastor Felix was chatting with Alan who invited him to come out between semester at the Master's Seminary and join our team to teach the module. In God sovereignty he came out and all of us witnessed God's had on him as really spoke into the lives of many men who live in the country that he was born in. He really connected with the ministers at this conference and is now wrestling with how God wants to use him in the Philippines in the coming years. If you didn't know any better you would think that Pastor Felix never left the Philippines and was ministering among the brothers he grew up with. The sad fact is that there are few men in the Philippines who have the training and experience that he has. Pray with us and him as he considers the possibilities of joining our team or coming out here on a regular basis as a visiting professor. In addition to about 3 and a half days of classroom lectures, we gave the students a day and a half to practice applying the principles that we taught using a workshop format. It was fun coaching around 90 pastors and ministers who labored together in and attempt to discover what the authors of various Bible text were saying using the principles of interpretation that they had just learned.
We have more modules planned throughout the year as well as plans to return to this group of ministers in Cebu to follow up with more training. Pray that our students will really grasp what we taught them and that they will faithful apply what they learned in their ministries. Pray also that God would continue to open the doors for us to train others and that we would choose the right opportunities to pursue.

Blessings,

Sean

Sir, did God send you here to talk with me?

Looking my direction, she stopped what she was doing and asked me, “Sir, did God send you here to talk with me?” I told her I believe that He did and this is what he wants you to know. After formally introducing myself to her and I learned that her name is Maggie. I shared with Maggie that God loves her; He knows who she is and what she is going through. Then I told her how Jesus forgives the sins of those who trust in Him alone instead of themselves and their own good deeds.

Maggie’s eyes began to tear up as she shared a little about how hard her life has been. She seemed to be aware that God had been trying to get through to her. Although she was raised Catholic, she had attended a Christian fellowship a few times, but said that it is difficult for a person in her circumstances to get to church. She also explained that she does not have a bible and that she couldn’t read it even if she had one. You see, this conversation started when I asked her if she has been blind since birth or if she had lost her sight during the course of her life.

God had brought me to her through my sore back. I was hurting that day so I stopped by a place in the local mall where for about $2.00 a trained blind person will give you a massage while you sit. I have had massages there before, but because they were so busy that day they asked if I minded if a woman gave me the message. I said okay, and took my seat. They massage people in an open hall way that has several chairs lined up in a row between a movie theater and a barber shop. This was the first time that they had a woman give me a massage and I didn’t think anything of it at the time. As Maggie explained to me about her eyesight she told me that her husband had physically abused her and that a few years ago he had hit her in the head so hard that she had some internal bleeding and lost her sight. She said that she was a little mad at God for allowing this to happen to her. After telling her that in heaven no one will be blind, I asked her if she ever considered that maybe God allowed her to be blind so that she could see Him. I explained that perhaps, with her eyesight she was too busy to hear God speaking to her and now that she can’t see, she is in a place where she can truly hear and see God.

I also shared with her about a blind man in the Bible named Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). Even though Bartimaeus could not see physically, he was able to see spiritually and recognized that Jesus is the one that God promised to send to pay the penalty of the sins of those who believe and follow Him. In contrast to Bartimaeus, there were many people at that time whose eyes worked perfectly well and yet they still would not recognize who Jesus is.

Then I told Maggie about my friend Obet and how God used his polio to reveal Himself to Obet. Obet, who was not familiar with the gospel, had been basically paralyzed since he was a toddler. This is what God used to draw Obet to Himself. God put it on my heart to share the gospel with him after I saw him stuck on the side of the road and unable to walk. I believe that I would never have seen Obet and my heart would not have been so drawn to him if he had the full use of his legs. Perhaps I would never have noticed him or he would have been busy working somewhere else, maybe too busy for God. What a small price to pay for eternal life, just the temporary use of your legs. In like manner, told her that the temporary loss of her eyesight was a small price to pay if that is what God is using to save her life.

Pray for Maggie heart to continue to be open to God’s gracious call and the gift of salvation. I will get her a Braille Bible so also pray that she will read it and that her spiritual eyes will be opened. You might also pray about having your eyes opened to the opportunities around you and the faithfulness to take advantage of them by making the love and greatness of God known.