Philippine Visit - Part One: Juan's Story
 |
| SOCP Graduation Service |
Our visit to the Philippines was so full that we wanted to break our report into two parts. The first leg of our journey was our trip to Isabela . Both of us spoke on team building to the ministry team of Bethany while I (Steve) spoke at the graduation services of Betania Christian School and the Bethany School of Church Planting (SOCP).
One of the highlights was our visit to the village of Gappal where we started a church in 1992. I shared the importance of each and every member of the church in providing a place where people can encounter God. Juan (not his real name) was just such a fellow - a 10 yr. old attending Bethany Church of Gappal with his grandfather in the early 1990s who had an encounter with God. Later, his mother took him and his brother to Manila where they lived in a squatter area. They were largely left to fend for themselves. Juan got into drugs and did prison time.
After his release he was walking the streets of Manila and noticed a sign board labeled "Bethany Church". God reminded him of something good about that name from his past and he decided to inquire inside. To make a long story short, Juan became a Christian, married a Christian woman and now works on a Disney cruise ship. When he is home on vacation he picks up street children and takes them to church.
Does Bethany Fellowship Philippines have churches in Manila? No - it was just a coincidence that God used to get a young man back to the faith his grandfather exposed him to.
So we've come full circle back to Bethany Church of Gappal and now we know "the rest of the story". How wonderful it was that Gappal Church was there when that little boy needed something stable and solid to be planted in his mind and heart, to come to life in his future. We came into contact with Juan again through a Facebook friend request after being out of touch for 25 years! Praise God for His timing and His creative use of a person's limited exposure to the Gospel.
After his release he was walking the streets of Manila and noticed a sign board labeled "Bethany Church". God reminded him of something good about that name from his past and he decided to inquire inside. To make a long story short, Juan became a Christian, married a Christian woman and now works on a Disney cruise ship. When he is home on vacation he picks up street children and takes them to church.
Does Bethany Fellowship Philippines have churches in Manila? No - it was just a coincidence that God used to get a young man back to the faith his grandfather exposed him to.
So we've come full circle back to Bethany Church of Gappal and now we know "the rest of the story". How wonderful it was that Gappal Church was there when that little boy needed something stable and solid to be planted in his mind and heart, to come to life in his future. We came into contact with Juan again through a Facebook friend request after being out of touch for 25 years! Praise God for His timing and His creative use of a person's limited exposure to the Gospel.
Prayer Requests:
1. Pray for continued good times of connecting with Heather and Krista.
2. Pray for our visit to the Washington D.C. area May 6-10.
Announcement: we have a new US cell phone number:
423-262-6233 Please update your contact info for us.
Serving Christ with You, Steve and Alberta
1. Pray for continued good times of connecting with Heather and Krista.
2. Pray for our visit to the Washington D.C. area May 6-10.
Announcement: we have a new US cell phone number:
423-262-6233 Please update your contact info for us.
Serving Christ with You, Steve and Alberta
No comments:
Post a Comment