Will You Be A Prayer Partner?

About 4:30 this morning I received an email from Pastor and Mrs. Valdez in the Philippines, concerning the planned itinerary for our January 2-15 Mission Trip.

To say I got excited when I saw this itinerary would be an understatement.

No wasted time on this trip! A full schedule of activities await us when we arrive. We are going places where we have never been before, down around the southern tip of the island. We will have opportuntity to do ministry in three public markets, we will be doing house to house evangelism in one of the Habitat for Humanity communities, and in the Katrina homes (new development near the NLCC Church). We will again do ministry in Valencia after an absence there of three years. We will have opportunity to go back to the Asian College of Science andTechnology (ACSAT), and to preach at the Philippine National Police Station as well as in the Oriental Negros provincial jail. We will also be doing work in Tanjay and Mayaposi one day as well. I hope we will also make use of free time to impact the culture just outside the doors of our hotel on Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete. The prospects are exciting and I honestly felt the presence of God's Spirit as I read this early this morning.

Tomorrow morning at church, Rick Rakes will be passing around the 24 hour prayer chain form, to enlist prayer team members to bathe our mission trip in prayer. Many of you will not be at Westmoreland Baptist Church in the morning to sign up for a spot, but you can still partner with us. Will you join us in starting to pray now specifically over the places listed on the itinerary.

I have a sense of anticipation much like that of my first trip there inFebruary 2000. The big difference is that now I know something about the people and the places. I have never been as enthused about a mission trip to the Philippines as I am about this one. I just feel like something good is about to happen!

I want to share part of the email and the itinerary with you today. Many of you will have no clue where these places are, and some of the names are hard to pronounce, but I hope you will join us in praying over them right now and throughout the trip. Thanks for being part of our team.

"It gives us a great pleasure to welcome and see you all here in Dumaguete City few weeks from now in January and May 2008. You have come from great faraway places across the globe at a great sacrifice to be here with us helping us in God's work. We hope and pray that we could get many things done and there will be a great harvest out of these few days that we can be working together as partners in missions. I want to take this opportunity to thank you, my sisters and brothers in Christ, for the loving gracious ways in helping us since the past 7 years. We are so thankful to God Almighty for the committed men and women who are serving our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, helping us voluntarily often through great sacrifices and in not comfortable places here in the city of Dumaguete and in the mountains of Mabinay. Our theme for this year is
"Yes to Jesus, the Lord ofPeace!"
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you".
We have selected this theme for our 8thChurch Anniversary

Here is our schedule of activities for January 2008 crusade:

January 4 - Arrive, visit Lee Plaza for necessities, and rest.

January 5 - Briefing 8:00 AM
10:00 AM - Baptism at Silliman Beach
2:00 - 6:00 PM Ministry in Bagacay - House to house evangelism
6:00 PM - Open Air Crusade in Bagacay

January 6 - 9:00 AM - 8th Church Anniversary Service at New Life Church
Wedding ceremony and Church Anniversary feast.
2:00 -6:00 PM - House to House evangelism at Katrina homes 2
6:00 PM - Open Air Evangelism service at Katrina Homes

January 7 - 8:00 AM - Oriental Negros Provincial Jail
Afternoon - ministry in Bajungpandan Habitat 1
2:00 - 6:00 PM - House to House evangelism
6:00 PM - Open air evangelism crusade in Habitat 1

January 8 - 8:00-11:00 AM House to House evangelism in Casa Alicia and El Pueblo
2:00 PM - Puhagan, Valencia

January 9 - 8:00 AM - Malatapay, Dauin, Oriental Negros
2:00 Zambuangita, Oriental Negros

January 10-8:00 AM - Philippine National Police Station - Dumaguete
10:00 AM - Tanjay City
2:00 PM - Mayaposi Southern Baptist Church, Mayaposi, Mabinay

January 11-Basay, Oriental Negros - leaving Bethel Guest House at 7:00 AM - (all day)

January 12- 8:00 AM - Asian College of Science and Technology (class to class witnessing)
Afternoon - BPI Market Paunay, Dumaguete Public Market, Bagacay Market

January 13- 9:00 AM Victory Worship Service - New Life Church
2:00 PM - Bon Voyage Fellowship - New Life Church

January 14-8:15 AM - Depart Dumaguete Airport for Home "

As you can see, this will be no vacation. Lots of hard work. I'm sure we will return exhausted, but I am so excited about seeing what God will do. Please print this out and use it as a prayer guide. Remember that we will be 13 hours ahead of you, so night time here is actually the next day there.

Thanks in advance for serving as prayer partners with us.