Davao City Outreach – Dec 22 2016 – Merry Christmas Everyone!

From last Sunday: Oning did a great job preaching. The kids were blessed with Christmas presents.

I wanted a little break. Not counting special events, I’ve been preaching & teaching for over six hours per week. I love it! Besides our church meetings, I’ve been teaching a group of men gathered at a local gym every Monday, plus I teach Leadership at a local seminary on Wednesdays.

I was extremely shy for the first 20-something years of my life. I’ll never forget a time many years ago, I was with a group of my peers. As they talked, a guy said something, & I immediately thought of a hilarious reply. I just knew that when I spoke this out, they all would finally think I was cool. Until then, I always just sat back & listened, never saying anything. So I said that reply. They all looked at me. Some girl said, “He talked!” And then they continued talking as if I had not said anything.
I’m not shy any more, by the grace of God!
If you’re too shy, there’s hope for you, too, by the grace of God!

Kirsten & a bunch of her friends in the US sent more boxes full of smiles to our friends here! Two Sundays ago, Gina & I were blessed to distribute much-needed school supplies, clothes, toys, food, etc.

Amy & her friends also sent more boxes, which just arrived. We will distribute those goodies just after we move in January.

We’ll move from one facility to three, & we’ll save P8000 ($160) every month in rent in the process! We will live in an apartment & a small house, & we’ll have our meetings on an elementary school covered basketball court. And all three are within a ten minute walk from each other! However, there’s not as much living space in the two homes as we have now, so we’ll say good-bye to some of the up to 16 friends who have been living with Gina & me.

Gina & I are overjoyed with our disciples who are making disciples. We are teaching them the same things Paul taught his disciples:

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.” (1 Corinthians 11:1-2)

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Here’s a disciple who’s making disciples:

When was the last time you saw a woman wearing a jacket who was performing a baptism?  I hope it didn’t get too wet, Bee. Congratulations on your new life in Christ, MaraJoy! Good job mentoring her, Bee!

Also, Prescy, who has been reaching out to ladies in Pekenyo, where her extended family lives. It’s about an hour from here.

Several ladies & older girls have been baptized. Some men are expressing interest, so I was eager to go there & teach. Please help us pray for wisdom how to best serve these dear friends.

I already mentioned Oning (here with wife Nene, baptizing Jessa). He has been a huge blessing to us for more than three years. So hard-working, & so fruitful.

And regarding another disciple, a compelling drama with an AMAZING plot twist:

Gina & I have known Justine since we moved here. Soon after we met her, she started calling us Mommy & Daddy. But there has always been an empty place in her heart, because she never knew her birth father. Well, a month ago, a relative told Justine that her dad was on Samal (a nearby island) & wanted to meet her. On the big day, Justine didn’t want to go alone, so she asked Gina & me, plus a couple of girlfriends, to join her. The big meeting was awkward at first (of course!), but dad & daughter soon warmed to each other. As he talked to Justine about the side of the family she never knew about before, she heard a surname she recognized. After hearing more details, she was amazed to discover that one of her two girlfriends with us on this outing–Queenie–is Justine’s cousin! Her first cousin! What are the odds of that? Justine also met her dad’s mom for the first time. She is soooooo happy. I think she told Gina & me “thank you” about 15 times for taking her there. 

I had just taught in our Bible study on the previous night that God sometimes surprises by giving us more than we’re expecting, & I gave a few Biblical examples. As we were all praying before this big meeting, we expected Justine to gain a dad, but we never expected her to gain an already-beloved cousin!

Here are some kids (including a Muslim boy) whom Justine brought to our place last Saturday for a meal & a message from me.

Every move of God’s Spirit is opposed by false religion. A couple of weeks ago, a teen told Gina that her friend was afraid to come to church with her. She had been told by her father, “Those people seem nice, feeding everyone who goes there, but one day, they’re going to put poison in the food!” Why would a dad tell such an outrageous lie to his daughter? Because he can’t defend the dead religion he’s clinging to, so he has to attack the life-giving religion we have.

“They have abandoned me, the fountain of life-giving water. They have also dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that can’t hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)

Thank you so much for considering a gift:
https://davaocityoutreach.com/donations/

A friend set up a GoFundMe account for those who prefer to give that way:
https://www.gofundme.com/2a4rjhx8

We could never repay you for your generosity to Davao City Outreach, but certainly “you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:14)