On The Way Home- Sunday Evening In Manila

We left Dumaguete City at 4:45 PM today (Sunday)  after a tearful goodbye from Five Filipino pastors, their families, and a number of members from the various churches that make up the Negros Southern Baptist Association of Churches (NESBAC).

We are presently sitting here in the ticketing area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.  We arrived here in Manila about 6:00 PM and our Delta Airlines flight home is not scheduled to leave for Detroit (via Nagoya, Japan) until 6:00 AM Monday.
It's 10:20 PM Sunday now, and we still have a long time to wait before we can get our boarding passes around 4:00 AM.

It was hard to say goodbye to those dear people at the Dumaguete Airport.  I have known several of them for more than thirteen years, and this was my eleventh short term mission trip to their area. I love them and feel as close to some as members of my own family.

I never cease to marvel at the scope of he work they are doing for the Lord in this country. With very few resources that we depend so heavily upon, the work goes on here without complaint or excuses.

Our team of six has had a great two weeks together.  Our eleven days in and around Dumaguete were extremely busy ones.  We traveled as far as 3 1/2 hours one way to do open air cruseades every night.  The roads were often rough and unpaved.  It was over more rugged terrain than even in the most rural mountainous areas of my native West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.  Yet every where we traveled, we found a warm welcome from the native people.

The Philippines is a very "religious" country.  The Roman Catholic Church has been here since the days the first Spaniards arrived in the expedition of explorer Ferdinand Magellan centuries ago.  Although the people are quite religious in their traditions and activities, there is a hunger for a true relationship with God.  Some of the priests are hostile to our efforts, but the Filipino pastors and church planters continue the work day in and day out.  Our financial support and  our personal visits from time to time, help energize their efforts to make God known to a people who have a hunger for spiritual things.

I would ask you to remember these precious servants of the Lord in your prayers.  Please pray specificially for the following:

• Josue and Cristy Cadiao in Bacong
• Ernel and Elenita Agaban in Bacong and Dauin areas
• Noco and Jocelyn Folio in Manjuyod
• Joseph and Juvy Zerna in Lamdas
• Roberto and Marissa Martin in Bais City
• Benjamin and Emma Marcellino in Bayawan