Friday Update

It's 10:00 PM on Friday night in Dumaguete City. It is difficult to believe that we are down to our last two days of work before returning home on Monday.

Today Randall, Thamer and I went back on the long ride to Mayaposi for services there with young Pastor Joseph Zerna and his people. Darrell stayed behind here at the hotel. The little "easy ride" truck was not nearly as crowded as yesterday, bet we still had six of us in the back! The trip to Mayaposi is a gruelling two and a half hours, each way. Gruelling due to the fact that it is a rough twisting, winding road through the steep mountains, and the fact that the two little benches in the back of the "easy ride" are designed in proportion to little Filipino backsides (not big American ones!)

When we arrived at Mayaposi, they began setting up for the crusade at the village basketball court. Pastor Joseph wanted to get the service outside, where more neighbors would be more likely to come -rather than the church building. It looked like it might rain all the way there, but when Randall finished his first song, the rains came - and did they ever! Everyone scrambled to grab chairs, Bibles, and other stuff, and climbed the steep hill to the chrch building. We set up shop in there and, although soaked to the bone.

I brought a message on "Total Forgiveness", using the example of Joseph in the Old Testament. Suffice it to say that it was a message that needs to be heard by these folks as well as well as the rest of us.

Twenty two people responded to the invitation today, bringing our total number of first time decisions for Christ to 180!

The circumstances of the past two days have been difficult, but God has blessed us with fruit for our labors.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we will begin our last day of crusade activities. Sunday will be involved with the services at New Life Church, and Monday we head for the airport at 6:00 AM. Right now, however, I can hardly hold my eyes open. I have got to close for now and get to bed.

Please keep us in your prayers.