GEARING UP FOR GROWTH
This past Sunday (September 29th) I was invited to speak at Banawa Bible Fellowship (BBF) as they celebrated their 31st Anniversary. What a blessing!
BBF is led by Pastor Lowell Tallo and meets on the campus of the Evangelical Theological College of the Philippines (ETCP). The college and the church both started 31 years ago when Dr. Arvid and Ruth Olson (missionaries with the Evangelical Free Church) came with the vision to help start ETCP. Praise God for sustaining this ministry for 31 years, and for the clear impact it is having on the surrounding community!
The topic I was asked to preach on was “Gearing Up For Growth” so I knew I had to go to Ephesians 2:11-22.
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:19-22).
As odd as it may sound, speaking at the church felt very familiar; it almost felt like home to stand up and preach the Word on a beautiful Sunday morning. It was also fun to see a familiar face! As I scanned the crowd, I noticed Tito Allan Badayos sitting in the back! WHAT A SMALL WORLD! Tito Allan attends our church in Minnesota (the Filipino American Christian Church). Talk about feeling like I was back in the Midwest! Tito Allan was recently in Cagayan De Oro to be with family, had returned to Cebu, and just so happened to be visiting Banawa Bible Fellowship because he heard it was their 31st Anniversary.
The message I shared sought to answer the question: “What does it mean to be the church?” It was a joy, honor, and blessing to be able to encourage and equip these believers for growth on their 31st anniversary, pointing out that it is God who makes us the church: it’s God who formed us, God who unites us despite our differences, and God who has chosen and called us to spread His Gospel on earth.
"In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:4-6).
A BLAST FROM THE PAST
After the service we had lunch with Tito Allan where he talked about a “Billy Graham-Style evangelistic crusade” that the E-Free Church and other like-minded churches held in Cebu over 40 years ago. Pastors and missionaries from the States came to help put on the crusade. He said that he was in the choir and remembered seeing the daughter of one of the American pastors watching from the side-lines. This young woman was deeply affected by the poverty she saw in the Philippines, paying special care and attention to the children that were living on the streets. After she and her father left, Tito Allan wasn’t sure if he’d see that woman again, but before he knew it she was back, this time with her new husband (she was single when she was last in the Philippines) and one of her close friends.
That woman was Marlys Healy, the husband that accompanied her was Paul, and the friend was Kathy (Flora). They had come back to follow God’s call on their hearts to start an orphanage in Cebu for the orphaned, abandoned, and neglected children living and sleeping on the streets of Cebu City.
It’s absolutely amazing to see the far-reaching impact that the Shelter, the missionaries, and the staff of CSC have had on this entire community! Thank you for partnering with us and for sending our family to continue the Lord’s work of changing lives for His glory.
PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS
• It's parent-teacher conference time here in Cebu. Please pray for the missionaries, the house parents, the teachers, and the kids as we review their academic progress and prayerfully craft plans for their future studies.
• There have been quite a few illnesses here in Cebu, including Paul and Marlys who were recently battling a flu. Pray for swift recoveries, comfort, and peace.
• It's rainy season, and the roads get flooded quickly. Pray for safe travels for all of the kids at the Shelter and for our family as we go from place to place.
• In the next couple of weeks, Heather and the kids and I will begin our language classes. Please pray that we are able to pick-up Cebuano quickly so that we can more easily communicate with people in Cebu. While most everyone in Cebu can communicate in Filipino and/or English as well as Cebuano, our effectiveness will be greatly improved if we can speak the people's heart language.
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