Trenton church of christ

10/23/09 Mission Update

 Thursday, October 22, 2009
The morning did not awaken me until almost 5 AM and after a shower and the morning Skype with the family I headed for breakfast and a trip to the PTC campus and follow-up evangelism work. Much of the team was at the Dagupan City Jail for a Medical Mission behind the bars.
I was assigned to work in the campus area to work with people who had indicated after the medical mission they were interested in a more detailed Bible study. In just the area around the campus we received over 100!
I started at about 900 AM and went with Kevin-Kim to find our prospects. We could not find the first one but a lady who we got directions from wanted to study and we did. She was not converted but set up a follow up study with us or at least with Kevin-Kim next week. It is amazing how fast the time is going by and there is still so much to do.
After a great lunch of salt pork, rice, vegetables and bananas on campus we headed back out to work. After lunch I went with JhanRey and we had studies with 7 ladies. Two of them were very pregnant and one was the wife of a Barangy official I studied with and was baptized on Monday. After the studies, the two pregnant ladies and the official’s wife wanted to be baptized. After several minutes of discussion, it was decided that we would be back at 900 AM Friday to baptize them. We returned to the campus and about 530 PM headed to the Hotel.
At about 615 PM we learned that there had been 7 baptisms at the jail and we had three on the campus bringing the total to 73 for the 5 days. God is good…all the time.
After dinner of the thinnest crust pizza you have ever seen, I headed to the room and a night of rest. I was able to talk to Laurie, Leigh and Jamie on Skype be turning in. Have I mentioned that I love Skype!
I gave some thought to staying up to listen to the Dade County State Softball game vs. Cook County but better sense and the need for rest for Friday sent me to bed with a satisfied fatigue after another blessed day at about 1030 PM.
 Friday, October 23, 2009
Woke up at 440 AM and checked e-mail and posted some pictures on Facebook. Will try to update my website info with pictures later today or tonight.
Had oatmeal with granola bar crunched up in it for breakfast and it was pretty good. Communication problems with the vans had us ready to leave at 700AM but our van did not arrive until after 830--that is classic Filipino timeJ. We arrived at PTC campus at 910AM and immediately Daniel the local minister here and a faculty member at PTC and I went to the home where I had my last study yesterday. When we arrived one of the ladies was already waiting and the other two came when she texted them.
After an extended discussion the 42 year old lady, Emmie, decided the water would be too cold for her to be baptized but she promised to after the baby was born in two weeks. We still invited her to go and watch. Tita, 27 years old and Flora, 35, loaded up on the trike and rode the 1 km. to the river. Daniel, Dale Byrum, me and a host of little girl followers walked behind Arnell, Beverly and the three ladies rode in the trike.
When we arrived I asked Emmie to put her foot in the water and she did. She said it wasn’t too cold so she agreed that today was a better day to obey the gospel, too. Daniel took their confessions and Arnell baptized them with Beverly and I helping the pregnant ladies up after baptism. All went well and I did ride back holding on to the trike to avoid blisters with wet shoes filled with sand.
After returning there were some meetings being conducted and my translator, Daniel, was in them for over an hour so I had time to dry out and catch up a little on this. More later.
It is now 1030 and 
Merienda (or snack) time. Mereinda today was rice coffee (my first cup and yes it is made with roasted rice and looks, smells and sort of tastes like coffee) a cheese cupcake (like a cream cheese pound cake) and some crackers like captains’ wafers.
After Mereinda, I worked a little with the medicine in sorting it for inventory and waited on Daniel’s meeting with Demar, Andy and Dad to be over.
Danile and I then met and discussed church growth stratagies and then had lunch on campus before going back out in the neighborhood and had several Bible studies.  We ended up just across the street at a study with a 19 year old young man I had studied with last year.  His mother is a Christian and his neice and nephew (6 and 5 years old) are always on campus.  After a good study he was baptized at about 300 PM. We had a Thanksgiving service at 330 PM to thanks God for the success of the mission so far.
As of now there have been 84 baptisms, 1684 people were seen by the doctors and the pharmacists filled over 8800 prescriptions with a wholesale value of over $US125,000.  WHat a blessed week it has been.  We have made enough relief work to make sure that all the Christians that we know are now back in  homes and have clothing.  Thanks to so many of you for your help in this wonderful effort.  It is great to see folks back  in homes, with clothing and with medical attention but most of all it is a great blessing to see 84 souls snatched from Satan's grip and the road to hell.
After the 2 hour thanksgiving service we had a wonderful meal with all the medical team and the students and staff on campus before returning to the hotel.  We had a brief workers' devotion and headed to teh room and bed.  Very tired but very satisfied.  A busy day tomorrow as I am scheduled to work with Roger Bernadono and do a live radio program at 2 PM.


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