I am thanking our God today for so many blessings.He has opened doors for us to leave for the Philippines on March 5th for an intense 10 days of mission work with native pastors and church planters on the island of Negros, in the Central Visayan area of that beautiful island Nation.
Our work will consist of evangelistic efforts, in home settings, and in outdoor crusades in cities and villages of the province of Negros Oriental. We will also work in church strengthening efforts, assisting pastors there with resources and financial aid that are not normally available to them. Several of the young churches are in building mode and hopefully we will be able to help, physically, and financially in some way. Thanks to the generosity of the Greater Huntington Baptist Association, we will also be hosting a pastor's seminar and workshop for the pastors and leaders of TWO small, but growing local associations of Southern Baptist Churches in that province.
Besides myself, our team will consist of Pastors Randall Robertson and Paul Harris; My Student Ministry Pastor, Joseph "Buck" Buchanan, and a lay person making her second trip with us, Mrs. Jenny McClave. Randall and Paul have been part of several mission trips there with me. This will be Buck's first overseas mission work and we are all excited about how quickly God has made this effort fall into place.
We had intended to make the trip in January but our plans were changed. We were ready to purchase plane tickets in August, and then I got the most recent cancer diagnosis. The prognosis was not good. There was much uncertainty at that time over treatment options, future procedure schedules, and what my physical condition would allow in 5 months. So, sadly and prayerfully, we put our plans on hold. We prayed for God's guidance because each of us felt that He wanted us to continue in this ministry with our partners in the Philippines.
It's all in His time.
I got the OK from my Oncologist in late December to "travel and do whatever I felt I could do", but I must not miss any of my bi monthly immunotherapy treatments. Although I have experienced some fatigue following treatments, I am feeling fine and the only effect it has had on my pastoral ministry is the two days a month I have the treatments at the Ashland Bellfonte Cancer Center. The liquid benadryl drip I receive before the infusion of the main medicine pretty much puts me out of commission for the remainder of the day. Other than that I have been able to handle my pastoral duties and have not missed a service since treatments have begun. We began to look into the possibilities of making our trip after all. Our Philippine partner, Pastor Josue Cadiao, confirmed that the period of March 7 - 17 would be a time that would work for them. Amazingly that fit my scheduled treatments almost perfectly. I will have my treatment on Monday, March 4, and our flight leaves Charleston on the morning of the 5th. The long trip will bring us to our destination in the Philippines on the morning of the 7th. We will be able to minister there through Sunday the 17th. That gives us two Sundays for the four of us pastors to preach in various churches there - in the city and the mountains. We will arrive back in Charleston on Monday evening, March 18th and I can have my next treatment on Tuesday the 19th, which will be only one day late (which is allowed). As we say here in Appalachia, "Ain't God good?"
One of God's great blessings to us was that we were able to purchase plane tickets at the LOWEST fare of all the trips I have made there in the past 19 years! And furthermore, we were able to get reservations at the Bethel Guest House in Dumaguete City for that period of time, at a most affordable price. The 10 night stay there will cost each of us about $250 (American) about the price of 2 nights in a moderately priced American Hotel.
Ain't God good?
We team members have each paid for our plane tickets and bear the cost of our own lodging. The rest of the cost of the trip (ground transportation, gasoline, generator, outdoor lighting, "easy ride" vehicles for us and our Filipino partners, food for them during travel, rental of facilities, costs of pastor's workshop materials, Bibles, Gospel Tracts and other materials) are made up by the generous donations of our friends here in the USA. We have sent out letters to some who have been supportive in the past and have begun to receive some generous donations. For those who read this post who have not received a letter, and would like to help in this work, we would be happy to accept your assistance.
If any of our friends here in the US have any questions or would like to help in some way, I can be contacted by private message on Facebook, or emailed at pastorcj@frontier.com. I can give you details as to how contributions should be made out to Beacon Ministries, Inc.
One thing that EVERYONE can do to help - is the greatest thing of all. PRAY! Be a prayer partner with us, remembering that we will be exactly 12 time zones ahead of you who are on Eastern Standard time here. Your night time will be our day time activities. While you are sleeping here, we will be doing our daytime activities there. When we are having our 7PM outdoor crusade services, many of you will be rising for work or school. I hope that you will make time to pray for us all hours of the day and night. Pray for safe travel. Pray for our health and physical strength. Pray for God to multiply our finances like He did with the Little Boy's Lunch in Jesus' hands. Pray for the Holy Spirit to go before us, preparing hearts for the message of the Gospel. Pray for the native Filipino pastors and their families. We are only there for 10 days, and they labor there 365 days per year.
You will be able to keep up with some of our activities there, as Jenny, Buck and I will be posting on Facebook and Twitter periodically.
Thank you to those who have already given generously. Thanks in advance for your prayers and for any financial assistance you can offer to this ministry. Grace and Peace to all!
