"WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE
PERISH"
Proverbs 29:18
As we return from an awesome two months in the Philippines, our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude to God and to you. We thank God for your willingness to continue supporting us with your prayers and financial gifts even when our ministry made the change from a vision for Romania to a vision that circles the globe.
OBEYING THE VISION
We could never have imagined the consequences when we stepped out in faith, left our work in Timisoara in the hands of the Romanians, and committed to start a Bible school in the Philippines. God told us emphatically that He was calling us to go and make disciples. We sensed God’s heart for the mountain tribal people of southern Mindanao. So we went and you made it possible for us to go. Because we went and because you sent us, Mindanao will never be the same again.
"FAILURES" BECOME MEN OF VISION
We finished the Advanced Bible School training for our full time workers in May. To complete the training before our visas expired, we ended up teaching nine hours a day, four days a week, covering 18 subjects. The students faced tests almost daily. Yet the Word of God was having a powerful impact on their lives.
We were amazed to discover that three of our full time workers had been so discouraged before we came to Mindanao a year ago, they had actually left the ministry. The denomination they had previously belonged to had made them feel God could not use them because they were tribal. But their tribal heritage was the very thing God used to open doors for them.
When we came, we told them of God’s love for the tribal people and God’s desire that all the tribes on Mindanao come to a saving knowledge of Him. Faith rose up in their hearts and the Word of God we taught them did a transforming work in their lives. In one year’s time, these three have gone from what the world would call "failures" to being some of the most influential men of God in the tribal areas. Because they are tribal, the tribal people trust them and the chieftains come to them for advice.
One of these men has taken over the administration of the Bible School and will be training full time workers from among the tribes to plant churches throughout the mountains of southern and western Mindanao. Another will be taking the Basic Bible training to churches in all the remote areas, providing training for pastors who cannot afford to leave their churches and homes to get the training they need. The third man is now heading up our church planting ministry and is leading the efforts to plant churches among tribal people in the mountains.
After seeing the impact the Gospel was having through the lives of these three men, a group of 15 tribal chieftains have come to us expressing their desire to enter into covenant with each other and with Church Triumphant to bring the Gospel to every village under their spheres of influence. Similar transformations are taking place in the lives of the other full time workers. 17 people in all have completed the training and all are actively involved in key positions of ministry.
God poured out His anointing on our full time workers as they
sat at the Bible school graduation ceremony.
SPREADING THE VISION
After the Bible school graduation we spent our last week on Mindanao ministering at two pastors’ conferences and visiting some of the newly completed churches you helped to build. The conference in Tagum City drew tribal pastors from Davao, Comval, and Agusan regions who were greatly encouraged and blessed. The conference in Santo Nino for pastors and workers in South Cotabato province was life transforming.
The glory of God surrounds this young girl as she worships God on
the last night of the pastors’ conference in South Cotabato.
These men are ministering in areas with large Muslim populations, areas often controlled by the Abu Sayyaf. By the end of the two day conference, many of these independent churches and pastors made commitments to join Church Triumphant and work together to take the Gospel to unreached tribes farther up the mountain. We will not give up until every tribal group on Mindanao has opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. Plans are already in place to provide both the basic and advanced Bible training for these pastors so they can establish their people on a solid foundation of the Word of God. As a result of these two conferences, Church Triumphant Ministries has grown to 50 churches in one year’s time.
A VISION EXPANDED
The vision of Church Triumphant for Mindanao is to reach the mountain tribal people and see their lives transformed by the Gospel. As part of that vision, the leadership in the Philippines decided to have their very first Kids’ Kamp in May a week after we left. In the Philippines, "summer" vacation runs from March to June. Their first Youth Camp was planned for the week after that. The pastors’ conferences had drained us financially but we felt this outreach to the children and youth was important so we prayed and trusted God to meet the need. We were expecting about 100-150 children to come to the first camp, mostly from the local area and planned a budget of $400 for food and other supplies for the week. We were expecting a much larger turn out (about 500 youth) for the second camp. We made arrangements to rent a campground and planned a budget of $1,500 to cover food, lodging, and transportation. But God had other ideas.
We were overwhelmed the first week as 528 children from all over Mindanao came for the Kids’ Kamp! One pastor from South Cotabato just showed up by faith with 80 children. They had scraped together enough money for one way bus tickets to get there, believing that God would find a way for them to get back home again. Instead of $400 for the week, it ended up costing $400 a day just for food! The total cost of the camp was $1,700 but it was worth every penny.
These elementary aged children were so hungry for the Word of God! During that remarkable week all 528 children were born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, learned how to pray for the needs of others, and saw God’s power at work in response to their prayers. At the pastors’ conferences, we taught the pastors that God wants to use ordinary Believers to pray for those who are in need. We encouraged them to pray for those who were sick. So they taught the same thing to the children. And the children simply believed what the Bible says. So as they were praying for anyone who was sick, a group of 15 children gathered around a girl who was born deaf. In simple faith they laid their hands on her and prayed for her. Jesus healed her instantly just like He did so many others 2,000 years ago. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He just needs someone who will believe Him with childlike faith. The pastors on Mindanao saw that childlike faith in action at Kids’ Kamp.
We praised God for the wonderful work He did in the lives of all these children who came from eight different tribes scattered across Mindanao. But the expense of feeding them and getting them safely back home again had destroyed our financial resources for the Youth Camp coming up the following week. Instead of 500 young people, about 700 came. Among them were 250 young people from non-Christian homes who had been invited by their Christian friends. There was only enough money left in the bank account from funds we had sent from America to provide transportation to the camp facilities and buy one day’s worth of food! Here in the States it was Memorial Day weekend, so the banks and post offices were closed until Tuesday. Sunday morning we had spoken in a church that has faithfully supported us for years. During that time, offerings were usually in the $200-$300 range. They were going to send us a check for the offering. We knew we needed $2,000 immediately. All we could do was pray. God did the rest.
Meanwhile on Mindanao, God multiplied the "loaves and fishes". Food that should have only lasted one day fed 700 hungry teens for three days! That night Pastor Allan Asang who heads the ministry on Mindanao explained to the young people that they were operating the camp by faith and they needed to pray that God would provide something to eat for the next two days. The unbelievers and believers alike cried out to God to provide the food they needed. As they prayed, the offering from Sunday morning arrived in our post office box. It was more than $1,800 in all! Combined with the checks that we had received and deposited on Tuesday, it was more than enough to meet the need. We were able to send $775 immediately by Western Union. It arrived in the Philippines in time to buy food for breakfast the next day! God showed His power to answer prayer and the young people did not have to miss a single meal. Before they prayed, God had already prepared the answer through the prayers of their younger brothers and sisters.
The following day, the church check cleared the bank and the balance needed arrived just in time to cover the rental for the campground and transportation home to the various regions. During the week 120 young people gave their lives to Christ. 85 of them followed the Lord in water baptism. Many who were already Christians responded to God’s call to prepare for full time ministry. Those who responded were from the B’laan, T’bole, Ata, Manobo, and Dibabawon tribes God is indeed raising up laborers for the harvest among the mountain tribal peoples.
CATCH THE VISION
It is hard for us in America to imagine the struggle these mountain tribal people have just to survive. To build a church or buy Bibles with their own resources would be impossible.
SHARE IN THE VISION
There is still much that needs to be done and we need your help. With your help, we have already built 30 churches but new churches are being planted weekly. Our chain saw is scheduled non-stop through mid-July. Churches could be built faster if we had a second chain saw to cut down trees and rough cut the lumber for construction. We need $10,000 to buy a truck (an 18 ft. flat bed truck with removable sides) so we can transport people or produce up and down the mountains. This will enable the farmers in the mountains to transport their produce to the markets in the cities, enabling the ministry to become self supporting. It can also be used as a platform from which to preach the Gospel. We are also believing God for $20,000 to buy the property to house the Bible school and headquarters for the ministry. Until the farming projects become productive, we will continue to need continuing support for the full time workers, including two teachers who will be setting up literacy programs in areas where there are no schools.
