Keep reading for an update from the missions field in the Philippines.

Team Prep

The second missions team of the year will arrive within hours of this post. We’ve been preparing for them to come by getting the word out about the upcoming Ministry Training Institute (MTI) classes and Street Level Summit. This will be the sixth MTI class since they began in 2019, and there are a lot of returning students, as well as a handful of new ones. A video promotion on Facebook has helped us connect with those we otherwise wouldn’t. The two-day class for pastors and church leaders will cover the topic of “Biblical Theology.” Please be in prayer for these classes… for people to sign up, that their hearts and minds would be prepared, and for Pastor Tim and Ryan who will be teaching the classes.

Street Level Ministries

Over the past few weeks, we’ve held regular dinners & Bible discussions in Toledo and Cebu, as well as Micro Bible Studies throughout the week. The goal of the 15-minute studies is to meet up with students between classes in a place close to their university. We’ve been meeting at Roadside Café, which is near a couple universities and one of the sponsors of Street Level Radio. No one new has joined us for a study (yet), but it has provided a good opportunity to be present there consistently. Some people sitting in the café have asked questions about Street Level and the radio station.

We’re also gearing up for the Summit on May 5-6, which will be held in Toledo. We will have teaching sessions and small group discussions about the topic of “AWAKEN!” Friday night will be for members only, and Saturday will be open to all. We also posted a video to promote it on Facebook and are praying that it will help us reach students that we wouldn’t normally run into!

Exploring Creation Science

Within days of returning to Cebu, we were able to reconnect with a couple schools where lessons were previously taught. A lesson was taught for students in grades 7-12 that asks the question “How Did We Get Here” at both schools. During the week of Easter while many schools had no classes an orphanage that we have worked with in the past invited us to share Exploring Creation Science lessons with the students at the school. A lesson “All About Photosynthesis” was taught. Students also got to spend some extra time looking at leaves under a microscope. Grade 4 students recently talked about microscopes and learned the parts so a few of them shared what they remembered. Lessons have also continued at both Nazarene Schools, Southern Bethany, and the Wesleyan School. We continue to hear from students that either watch lessons on Shofar TV or have friends that do.

There was also an opportunity to meet up again with a lady that teaches the creation story through art. It’s been neat to share what God is doing in each of our ministries. A trip out to Minglanilla also allowed for some time to share a quick cup of coffee with the school principal at Southern Bethany after we visited a Baptist Church some of the staff attend to share MTI and SLM Summit materials with them.

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for effective ministry while the team is here… that we’d connect with the people God wants us to connect with and that it would bear fruit that would remain…
• Safety and unity as the team travels around the island and to Bantayan Island