Street Level Ministries

What a crazy semester it has been! It’s hard to believe it’s almost December and students will be dispersing for Christmas break. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some new faces at both Street Level Cebu and Toledo meetings. Most of them have come because they’ve been invited by a friend or classmate.

Some students have been distributing copies of Word on the Street Magazine, which has been challenging and exciting… challenging to be denied or ignored, but exciting when students engage in conversation! Even if they don’t attend a meeting immediately, at least there’s the point of contact. Who knows… maybe they’ll come next semester.

If you remember from a previous update, we held a remote radio broadcast at our new Street Level Radio sponsor. That day, we collected contact info from 60 students for a raffle. Five of them claimed their prizes, which allowed us to meet them again and invite them to SLM. All of them claimed their free meals at our sponsors’ eatery 😊  

It’s a season of planting seeds, watering them, and waiting for God to produce the growth. If you are compelled, please pray for God to stir students’ hearts to see their need for Him and Christian community. Please also pray for the students that have been coming around to grow strong as disciples and keep reaching out to others.

Primary/Secondary Education

We have continued working with staff and students at the Inayawan Nazarene Church & School. Laura teaches there at least once a week. Now that everyone is in class all day every day, she will start teaching grades 4-6 every week. She attended the monthly school chapel service this week. Students in chapel for grades 5 and 6 were thankful this year for many things – especially Google Meet, church techs, and the internet connection that allowed Pastor Medel and his wife to join from Bohol.

At the beginning of last month, we helped them prepare the new classrooms that were finished being rebuilt from typhoon damage. We cleaned bookshelves and technical equipment that had been in storage since the typhoon last December. While cleaning, we got to know some of the teachers we do not normally work with. Last Friday night, we visited the pop-up coffee kiosk at Inayawan Nazarene that is ran by two of their church members. We met up with one of the Street Level students that lives nearby and spent time with some of the church members, youth, and staff. The three of us will also join their church anniversary/holiday party this Sunday.

Lessons continue at Banawa Nazarene. Students in grade 4 recently finished up a four-week lesson series. During the last class, one student compared the friction ridge skin found on our hands and feet to that of the polar bear’s paws (she was in class when we talked about fingerprints this summer). Laura has also been teaching at least once a week at both the Wesleyan School and Southern Bethany.

Please continue to pray for the staff and students. Pray especially for the additional opportunities at Inayawan Nazarene. Pray that we would be a blessing to them as well.