To summarize what’s been accomplished in nine months of Davao City Outreach:
–We have won souls, & we’re discipling them, teaching them to witness, pray, study the Word, & obey Jesus. Our disciples range from several educated young people to three impoverished young moms.
–I have had several opportunities to teach the Scriptures or preach the Gospel in public school assemblies, classrooms, churches, various homes, & a funeral.
–We have taught Gospel-oriented “Morals/Ethics” classes to sixth-graders weekly in a public school.
–We have served every week at a very large Gospel-preaching ministry to the poor.
–We have made good progress at learning Cebuano.
–We have been fully trained by Kairos in order to prepare Filipino missionaries to go into the Lord’s harvest, often to places where Filipinos are better able than Westerners to serve (for example, the Middle East, Philippine animist tribes, Philippine Muslim areas).
–We are feeding about twelve very poor people weekly at our home, as well as teaching them the Scriptures.
–We have begun our ministry of financial aid for children to attend school as a doorway to disciple the kids’ families.
–We have established important relationships, including mentors whom God has used to bless us greatly.
Goals/plans for year number two:
–We want to greatly expand some of what we’re already doing, especially the “Morals/Ethics” classroom ministry, the sponsorship of kids to school, our feeding ministry, & of course learning Cebuano.
–I will teach classes at a seminary in downtown Davao during the upcoming school year (June to March).
–Gina will minister to poor teen girls by teaching them jewelry-making & having Bible studies. We’re waiting for a shipment of materials from a supporter in the US. We’ve already had some of the girls in our home for Bible study.
–Working with a couple of local pastors, Gina & I are in the beginning stages of a community development program for a “squatter village” near our home. We believe this will involve things like job training, small construction projects (a well, for example), sponsoring kids to school, & Biblical parenting classes.
–We are praying about whether our Lord is calling me to be a pastor. I’m becoming consumed with that desire, but we are seeking God as well as godly counsel to make sure it really is his desire as well as ours. We’re trying not to jump ahead of the Lord, but we have already found a possible church facility with low rent that’s very near our home. The facility would also be great for expanding our feeding program.
–We’re working on a big, big surprise that I’m not at liberty to announce yet.
–And whatever else the King will surprise us with.
We are very grateful for the financial support we’ve received from our donors.
We know it represents many hours of hard work. Thank you, & God bless you!
We are careful to use the money wisely.
Would you please pray regarding what I’ve written above, as well as a few other things?
1) Gina is entering menopause, even though she’s only 45.
2) We’re struggling to reach men. This is a culture that says women go to church & men don’t. We have had several men visit our Bible studies–some repeatedly–but I think only two are converted.
3) We’ve seen our financial support go up since we started, but we could do so much more with more money. And I’m concerned about our little 2001 Kia; we don’t have the money for an eventual replacement.