Hi friends and family, thanks for prayer covering over the last month! Please keep us and the ministry in prayer. It has been incredibly fruitful yet very challenging. Below is our latest update…
This is the season we have been anticipating when kids and youth have no classes. Lots of time and effort went into creatively planning camps and sports clinics. Our HOPE team has been going strong conducting these summer programs and at same time hosting a large team. All the while in a big staffing transition. Thank God for His strength and sufficient grace!!!
First things first please meet Rodelyn. She is our newest members to HOPE family. Interestingly Rodelyn was discipled by a man my mission team shared the gospel to back in 1998. This man grew in faith, served the community and discipled Rodelyn and other children. Rodelyn now has years of experience in ministry and recently graduated with a community development degree. She has a long standing connection with Hope for the Island and was thrilled to be led by the Lord to come back to serve with us full time!
God brought us a large team of Jesus loving Filipino students from a ministry up in Manila called Youth Lab. YL is a Ministry under Kids international Ministries (KIM). Mutual friends connected us with KIM last year and a great long term ministry partnership is emerging.
YOUTH CAMP – It has been great to keep momentum going over the summer by creating opportunities to pour into the youth that regularly come to HOPE.
The YL Team addressed the real struggles and needs resulting from many radical changes the island faced with extreme lockdowns, a super typhoon and the islands rapid increase In tourism. With that a massive culture shift has taken place and new ungodly influences. The 70 youth attending the camp were encouraged to return to the word of God where life is found in the true vine. Hope is found in no other than Jesus and He calls each one to repent for the remission of sins and to believe on Him. We are thankful for the impact the gospel is starting to have on our local young people. Through Christ freedom will come and with Him the power to overcome! The theme of the camp was Run with purpose. Much of teaching times focused on 1 Cor 9:24-27. They were all challenged to ready themselves in faith and through obedience run well and for the right purpose. As we overcome victorious in faith endeavors we have His promise of reward – imperishable crowns for the faithful!
KIDS CAMP – was a hit as well! Although only catering to children that surround our ministry center we had 150 plus kids register!They came full of energy and so thrilled to be attending a camp all together. Each received a very nice practical educational gift to help as they get ready to go back to school. During the teaching sessions the kids were incredibly attentive. Faith is rising strong in many of these young hearts and minds as they learn and apply truth from God.
SPORTS CAMP – we had a Christin professional basketball player from Taiwan contact us wanting to serve and teach locals while visiting the island. Stevo came in with his wife and brother and had a great day teaching the kids and youth new techniques and most of all encouraging them to seek God and trust Him alone in the high and low times. Thankful for the many godly influences this summer break!
Jenn and I are officially empty nesters as the saying goes. We went up to Manila last week to say goodbye to our daughter Makana. She has scholarships needing used and within a months time enrolled and packed up to go to Trinity Western University in BC. Praying for both our kids as they learn and grow outside of our home.
Please especially lift Brison up in prayer. He had a significant brain injury a month ago that slowed life down considerably. He is recovering slowly but still struggles. Not being able to work and accomplish final schooling tasks is cause for some strain and discouragement. We are asking the Lord to work His good purposes through these circumstances!
While in Manila we got to see Jing and Randy. After leaving HOPE from almost 20 years serving, they hit the ground running in Manila. They stepped in to help a church recover through many unsettled trials. It was great to see them full of faith despite the hardships and new tests being faced.
We also reconnected with the family that first received us in Manila 20 plus years ago. We had great times of sharing Gods word and in prayer together. One sister is a Supreme Court judge. Her and her sisters do prison ministry as a way to prevent further offenses / relapse. Many lives have been set on right path and in faith. Jenn will be helping judge formulate the first of its kind recovery program. It is based on principals that were successful for those in recovery that we worked with 2017-2021 while in Canada. Makana, Jenn and I went into the women’s dormitory section at the Manila City jail. We went in with Judge, Jing and Randy. We were warmly received by all the guards and given freedom to preach boldly the gospel and minister openly with the women incarcerated. It was evident that ongoing ministry is happening inside those walls because of their clear hunger for truth and witnessed fruit.
Our last report shared the struggle many widows have with their strength really fading. These last weeks we have celebrated birthdays with and even danced together with some of our widows. It is a blessing to see some renewed strength and joy resurface in their eyes and smiling faces.
We are thankful for your continued prayer for us and each person being ministered to through HOPE. We rely on Holy Spirit to enable us and trust God for provision each week for ministry needs to serve our communities. God truly is faithful!!
