Island Hopping

We had a chance to download from yesterday while we were island hopping and snorkeling today. This place has the most beautiful sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters I have ever seen. 

EJ came with us today (he went to church on Sunday and cake to the men's conference). It has been a blessing to have Christine's brother with us. He is a very humble guy and loves people. 

As we talked today about the trip there were many things we all agreed on but the one thing that stuck out the most in regards to the team was that we were truly one heart and one mind. Ten people serving the Lord in unity. There is nothing better. We worked hard together and shared God's Word together and laughed a lot together. 

I told Jeff today I am so thankful God did not allow me to stay home. We all decided one verse could sum up this trip... "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

God directed all of us in the way that would most glorify His name and we were all very thankful!

We talked about Matthew 9:37-38 that says "Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

There are laborers (pastors) here but they are few and they are untrained. And we will be praying that God guides and directs people into His harvest here. Their hearts love the Lord but they can't afford the resources for themselves to study and even cheap bibles for their people in the body. At Grace Talisay fellowship most of the congregation doesn't even have the most simplest of things like a bible. So as we prepare to come home Jeff and I will be praying for Dojo and Christine and their family, that God would make it clear to them if they are to prepare to come and we will be praying for God to work in the hearts of others as well. I am so thankful God has given them a heart to minister here in Cebu. 

We stopped for lunch at a floating restaurant. And had some very strange seafood. Things that would cost us a lot of money in America but not here. The seafood is caught and eaten that day. The large shell I'm holding has a sea slug in it and they wait til someone orders it and sautées it right there for you. We were also serenaded by a band and Jeff got to play the cajon with them. What a fun lunch!

Today we also ate sea urchin straight out of the ocean. The men on the boat grabbed their snorkel gear and a bag and jumped in. They cleaned them for us and we just scooped it right out of its shell. Very salty, it wasn't my favorite seafood but I tried it. 

Today was a beautiful day of rest for the team and I feel very spoiled to have received some of the blessings. 

Pastors & Wives Conference

The day had finally come when we would meet 70 pastors and 45 wives for the teaching of God's Word. We were all so excited to see what God had for this day and we were overwhelmed with how He glorified Himself through it. 

(Seth, Ethan and Kaden went to another island to minister to the children there and hand out food.) 

There are countless stories of how the men and women were blessed and there is no way I could share them all. 

After Christine (Hermanuetics) Sheila (Titus 2) and I (Proverbs 31) taught, we had some of the women stand up and share what God had shown them today and since it was Thursday (Thanksgiving Day for us) they also shared what they are thankful for. 

One woman told Dojo that she has been to many conferences ran by different people groups and they "shoved their doctrine down your throat" but never concentrated on God's Word and that His Word would be our authority and not the "church". 

Many women shared their thankfulness in us concentrating on teaching them to love their husbands and submitting to them according to the Word. Here, it is a very matriarchal society where the women in the families make the decisions and the men just go along with whatever they say. 

After that we shared with the women that the congregation at Faith Bible Church had provided study bibles for all of them. They knew their husbands were going to receive bibles but they had no idea they would be blessed with them also. Dojo called each woman by name to come and receive their bible and us ladies handed them out. They were so grateful each one wanted a picture with us with their bibles. I felt more blessed to have been a part of it then they were in receiving. 

I found out today that this conference came together in 3 weeks. I assumed this had been planned for many months. Dojo had very little communication with the pastors there and had to rely on them to put it together. Well God had already prepared which men and women would be there. Last night Jeff got an email through FBC's website from one of the pastors thanking him and the team for everything. He explained that he wasn't supposed to be there it was supposed to be his dad but his dad asked him to go instead. He shared a little of his testimony and how encouraged he was in his ministry and life. We are already seeing some fruit from the works God had already prepared for us to walk in. 

And I learned a new English slang word while I have been here. Groufie! Yes a group selfie. Hahaha that's a new one to me. 

We were all exhausted from the day so we ended the evening with a wonderful dinner at a great Filipino restaurant. 

Jail ministry and moving hotels

This morning the men left without the women to the Cebu City jail to preach the Word in the morning and the afternoon. Rob preached in the morning and Jeff preached in the afternoon. They came back with many stories of their day. If you can ask them about their day at the jail. All I know is when they went in they were breathing hard and watching their backs but by lunch time they were sitting in Commander Bobo's (a believing prisoner that runs the maximum security part from the inside) jail cell. 

The women and Greg (he was going with Pastor Mike to check out a site for a youth camp next year) packed up the van with all our boxes and belongings and took them to the other hotel. At the time there was a downpour and the streets were flooded. People were just standing around probably waiting for it to pass and we were worried we weren't even going to make it to the hotel. :) 

After everything was put away and in our rooms the three of us decided to walk to Robinsons mart. Nope not a clothing store just a supermarket in a strip mall I will call it. We loaded up on lots of great goodies and Christine grabbed a mountain of Choco knots which she says are her favorite (picture below) and corned beef. We had so much stuff that a man from the mart walked all of our bags back to our hotel for us. Since being here you can't help but notice how the people here are so loving and helpful and very kind. 

As we were following the man back to the hotel we stopped by a fruit stand to grab some mangos and a BananaQ'd (BBQ'd bananas). Basically bananas on a stick fried in hot brown sugar. They were delicious!

When the men got back from the prison we freshened up and headed out to the midweek service at Grace Baptist. Jeff and Dojo played instruments for worship and then Greg gave a devotional. When we got there I noticed a big board of writing so I went over to check it out and I was amazed at this Prayer Board. It had headings like "Newlywed Couples", "Pregnant ladies", "Graduating Students",  "Missionaries", "Cebu Churches", and on and on the list went. This is a praying church. And a church that knows their people. It is a blessing to see faithful men who love the Lord, strive to love the people of the church in a very personal way. The Lord is blessing their ministry here. 

Commander Bobo is the one on the phone on the right. 

Choco Knots!!

Banana Q'd!