Greetings in the Lord dear friends!
We are thrilled to announce our HOPE family has grown! Jerbie and Irene have been blessed with a beautiful daughter Seraphim. She is dearly loved and already drawn to worship the Lord!
By God’s grace we have made great strides forward with Kalinga house. Our presentation to local officials was well received and we are now well under way with construction! The posts and beams have been poured and preparation to pour concrete second floor slab is next!! We have an old contractor friend who came in to oversee the work. The ground breaking on April 29 was a beautiful time to give thanks to God together. God faithfully led and provided for us to respond to this need. We opened Gods word and prayed with all those involved including those who would be daily labouring to build in the heat of the summer sun. We thanked them for their part and reminded them to work heartily unto the Lord. Weekly we open scripture with the construction crew. They enjoy and anticipate that time together before the week starts.
We currently have a young group of 7 aspiring missionaries serving with us from YWAM Maui. They have been learning, growing and serving well during their time with us. After weeks of sleeping on floors they have moved into the newly finished team housing constructed on the 3rd floor of HOPE mission house.
We were blessed at the same time with more visitors. We had 4 readied servants come join our mission equip program this April. Richard and Carrie from our Canadian home church in Canada hit the ground running. As did two young adults connected with YWAM that were seeking more mission exposure. Noa and Carrie share their experience here with us below.
We praise God for the many way He is drawing people to Himself. Last month we saw some long prayed for salvation’s come to pass and more disciples being added and growing in Gods word and in obedience to Christ.
We ask that you be praying with us for our upcoming summer youth camp. We are expecting anywhere from 250-400 youth attend from our local town and surrounding villages. The teaching for camp will be centred on the powerful 3 parables shared by Christ when challenged why He receives sinners. Pray God use His word to bring many to repentance and faith. God is glorified and received such great joy in redeeming souls!
In Christ,
Derek
Mission equip program Testimony from Noa:
If I could describe my time in the Philippines with one word, it would be ‘Blessed’. The Lord brought me here without me knowing that it would be such a sweet season for me. I prepared myself more for the opposite. I knew beforehand that the lifestyle here in Burgos is much more simple than what I‘m used to from my western home. I was ready to give up a lot of comforts and go through it. The Lord taught me in this time that life is not about the things we wear or the food we eat. He provides for us what we need but he cares about the condition of our hearts so much more. He is the living water, his word our daily bread.
He is what my soul needs most.
Every morning we would read the Word together. Without any additional sermon or interpretation just the bare Word and everyone would share what stood out to them. And let me tell you every time I left family devotion with a satisfied soul. Every morning my soul was filled with living water, fed with the living bread. I learned here that the Lord alone is enough. Never in my life was I more content. His presence brings more joy than any good meal could bring and His word is so much better than another pair of jeans. Our flesh always wants more but in him we already have all we need and even more!
Testimony: Carrie and Richard
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”Ecclesiastes 9:10
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Reflecting on our time at Hope for the Island in April, we see how these two verses framed our experience. It was a gift to join the Hope team and the team from YWAM Maui for three weeks. As with many mission organizations, there is no end to the opportunities to work with all our might in the various ministries. But we were also struck by the Hope team’s example of doing our work unto the Lord in ways that lift Him up.
With their unwavering dedication and faith, the Hope staff team led by Derek and Jenn set a beautiful example for us. From the enthusiastic singing and Scripture memorization in kids’ ministry to the quiet moments spent with widows sharing Scriptures, every action is a testament to their commitment to glorifying God. The phrase ‘Glory to God’ echoes frequently from the lips of the Hope staff as a reminder of the reason they are serving with all their might. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
One of our favourite experiences at Hope was the morning Bible study for the whole team – worship and working through the Gospel of John was the best way to start each day. We loved the opportunities to participate in the ministries and see how children and youth are loved and encouraged to deepen their understanding of Scripture. On the practical side, Richard helped with many different projects, including rewiring the main electrical service, yard work, and moving a lot of rebar, while Carrie helped with office work.
A powerful moment happened the morning we flew home. The construction team had been assembled to start working on Kalinga House – the building that will become home for abused and vulnerable kids on the island. The prayers for finances, supplies, and the builders had been answered. It was truly beautiful to watch Derek share the vision for Kalinga House with the construction team, dedicate the building to God’s glory, and surround the workers to pray God’s blessing over them as they laboured.
Our experience confirms that God has been at work, is at work, and will continue to work through the Hope for the Island ministry. We certainly look forward to returning to bless and be blessed in our service to the Lord.
