Hello!
It has been a full and fruitful month since our last update. It started with a special birthday serenade for me 🙂 Derek
The custom here is that those people close to the bday celebrant arrive at or under your bedroom window between 3 & 4am!
I was awakened to songs and encouraging words with breakfast to follow. It is such a unique thing to experience and has brought many visitor unaccustomed to such a tradition, to tears. For those who don’t like early mornings it might bring on different kind of tears!
We have purchased our desperately needed new outreach vehicle with a fabricated roof cover that was welded to it. The cover is vital for ministry outreaches we do and to transport recent visiting mission teams during the torrential rains.
New truck
We had three back to back teams serving with us through February! It was a lot to coordinate but the timing was again perfect. The teams helped out in each of HOPE’s ministries and did some much needed typhoon restoration work. This involved taking down shredded metal roofing, jackhammering concrete rubble and cleaning debris from the surroundings.
Having teams in is also a blessing because it provides us the opportunity to encourage them in their faith and further equip them for ministry!
Speaking of teams, the final members of our Canadian team that left at the end of October included Brison’s friend AJ. He was a joy to have along with us. He became like a son to us and we were proud of the ways he and Brison responded in the face of challenges and helped out.
AJ & Makana
The Filipino DTS team from Antipolo was here to help us launch our Campus Ministry. We were initially invited by one local high school but now there are four areas open for us to come and share Gods’ Word with the students each week!!
We know this incredible opportunity will have lasting impact. Each location that we have gone into launch, we were well received! Not only did we have time to share and present to the student body but we were allowed break out ministry groups with students and even had time ministering with the teachers!
They were all very thankful and look forward to this being an ongoing ministry! Please continue to pray for God to draw students and faculty to faith in Christ and for wisdom in how to approach follow up / discipleship.
Sharing the Word
Makana & students
Team
Meeting with school
One thing we love to do at Hope for the Island that we don’t report on often, is to encourage and support the local churches and leaders on Siargao Island where we are located. Currently we do not have a Sunday gathering at Hope for the Island. We split up to attend and support the local churches in the community. I had the privilege of sharing God’s Word at one of these churches last Sunday.
Derek at local church
Recently Jenn and I invited a Pastor and his wife over for dinner. It was a beautiful evening of fellowship, counsel and prayer.
Jenn has returned to Canada with Brison and AJ. She will have much to take care of while there. Brison plans to stay behind in Canada to live there.
Makana has plans to stay at Hope for the Island to continue to minister.
Please pray for us in this season where we will be apart as a family. Please pray for provision as we trust the Lord for all the financial needs that have arisen since the super typhoon hit our island.
One day our HOPE team felt led to serve our seniors. They split into two groups. One went to bless 88 yr. old Nanay Nitang who lives alone.
Cleaning property and Nanay Nitang
She is one of the widows included in our weekly distribution. Our team worked all day to give her surroundings a much needed cleaning. This is important to keep at bay unwanted critters, snakes and bacteria. She was so grateful for the help considering her age and that she can’t afford to pay someone to help.
The other group went to serve another dear elderly widow Nanay Unsay. The focus was to help with her little garden. At first she really tried to refuse help offered because she has nothing to pay and not even enough provisions to give a snack (very cultural).
Although hard for her to accept help, she conceded seeing the teams sincerity. Each time she was asked what to do next, she tried to stop them. Thankfully they were able to get all the work finished. Nanay was beaming seeing the end result and humbly thanked them and the Lord!
It was a fun and enjoyable day with the opportunity to provide a blessing from God for those in need through His children. Widows are clearly on the heart of the Lord. James 1:27 says acts of love and service to the orphan and the window in distress is considered pure and unblemished religion to God. Matthew 5:16 also reminds us to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. That is always our prayer that our witness for Christ will be used to bring glory to God. We have seen many drawn to faith in Jesus by such acts of love and service!
Salvation and discipleship is the goal of Kids’ Ministry every Saturday. When heavy rains come, which they do often, kids are not allowed out. In the past our ministry morning was often canceled because no kids came. Now, with our new covered transportation, the HOPE team takes the opportunity on rainy ministry mornings to visit the homes of different kids.
In the Kapatagan area they visited a regular attendee who has three siblings. With prepared ministry snacks in hand they shared nourishing spiritual food as well! The team spoke of the goodness of God and His desire that all would turn from sin to faith in Christ. God touched this family. They opened their heart and responded in faith at the hearing of His word!!
Our team gave account of the beautiful time it was to pray for this whole family inside their home. As the rain poured outside bringing refreshing to the land, God’s mercy and grace brought refreshing to souls that morning. Acts 3:19 speaks of repentance that blots out our sins and brings with it refreshing from the Lord.
God we pray you bring more to the truth and hope found only in Jesus!
Grateful to be in the Lord and part of His body!
Derek
