Terrorism, hospitalization, earthquake…& good news!
Muslim terrorists killed 14 & wounded nearly 70 here in Davao on 9/2, but the vast majority of Muslims in our city are peaceful. We have hundreds of Muslims in our neighborhood (there’s a mosque a few hundred meters from us), & it is well known that Muslim teens often visit our meetings, yet we feel very safe.
Please pray for our city.
Teaching sixth-grade kids in a nearby public (yes, public!) school about how science proves God is the Creator. The kids–including nine Muslim girls (I don’t how many of the boys were Muslim)–listened cheerfully. We also visited two other classes. In this class, Gina’s & my “daughter,” 18 year old Justine, was translating, but she was stumbling over a few scientific words (the topic was how the universe points to a Creator). The class’s teacher happened to be there, & she offered to translate! We had a great time.
We appreciate Justine’s initiative in reaching out to these classes week after week. She has been bringing several of these kids to church. One Muslim girl has come seven or eight times.
Friends of ours are raising funds for Davao City Outreach by hosting an online sale. Until 9/29, all profits will go to Gina’s & my labor of love. https://www.mymaryandmartha.com/MARCIA/shop/eventhome.aspx?eventId=E44293&from=DIRECTLINK
Lyn-Lyn was hospitalized with dengue fever. The doctors at one point said she only had a 50% chance of survival. But she is OK now, thank God. Davao City Outreach gave her parents cash & food to help them after they had missed work to stay with their baby.
I thought I had dengue again (I had it 14 months ago). I was experiencing 6 of the 9 symptoms for dengue, most of those symptoms since Thursday, 8/25. But I was way too busy then to go to the hospital. We actually took a friend to a hospital for half of the day on Friday, then I taught Friday night Bible study. Then we had a Saturday class from 8am to 2pm. Then that evening, for our wedding anniversary, we renewed our vows in a beautiful ceremony entirely put together by our friends…but I was doing my best not to faint or something. Then on Sunday, preaching & hosting in our house church for two services–& the feeding program–all day. On Monday morning (8/29), Gina ‘put her foot down’ & made me check in to the hospital. They treated me for dengue the entire time. It was not until the doctor was signing my release Wednesday at noon that she told us I did not have dengue! She realized it because my blood platelet count never went below 100 (dengue sufferers normally see their count go below 30). She said I had a viral infection, whatever that is. Within the next week or so after my release, I felt as good as new.
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split” (Matthew 27:50, 51)
While I was talking about Jesus’ crucifixion during our communion on 9/4, we felt a 5.0 earthquake!
EDIT: After I started sending out notices that we have a new update here, we experienced a 6.5 earthquake! The epicenter was out in the Pacific Ocean, but it was the strongest & longest quake I ever felt! And it was the fourth quake we felt this year, & the third quake within the last two months.
I should know Gina pretty well by now, but sometimes she still amazes me, like she did on our 10th wedding anniversary. Gina has become accustomed to lots of fun & romance for all of our anniversaries (especially when we lived in the US & we had money). She may have been expecting an even bigger one on that day, since it was the big 10. But I had been very sick, & we spent much of that day in the hospital caring for our friend Joy. When we got home mid-afternoon, I had to work on that night’s Bible study. So Gina got absolutely nothing on her special day. (She didn’t know about the surprise our friends planned for us the next day.) Yet she never uttered a word of complaint or even a hint that she was disappointed. She was focused on caring for me (& for Joy). I’m adding this to the long list of reasons why I love my wife so very much. Thank you, Gina, for being such a blessing to me & to so many others.
Queenie turned 14 on 9/18 (which was also my birthday). She had been living with us for several months, but her parents needed her at home for a couple of months. She came back to us some weeks ago…so skinny! She had not been eating well. Queenie was already slender before she left. But now Gina’s cooking is helping her regain weight.
We are facing the heartbreaking possibility that maybe we’ll have to stop feeding our poorest friends during our meetings, which is the only healthy meal many of them get every week. We have already dramatically reduced helping people with medical emergencies. We keep meeting families in our neighborhood with desperately sick kids who should see doctors. We used to be able to help those regularly.
We believe we’re here in Davao to stay, even if we do have to make severe adjustments. But we want to keep you informed. The wonderful ways that lives have been changing here lately give us confidence that God is blessing this work, so he will provide for us through your generosity.
Thank you so much for considering a gift:
http://www.ripeforharvest.org/about-john-and-gina-allcott/
BTW, 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)
Please forward this website to others who might be interested!
Please pray that God will send more laborers into his harvest field.
