Philippine Photo Fare
There are so many sides to the Philippines. Our team of Colin Kinnunen, John Ruotsala, Karl Somero, Frat Aho, Randy Kinnunen, Leona Matson, Jada Questad and Julie Matson saw many of those sides after we met up in Manila on January 19. First we all flew to Cagayan do Oro on the southern island of Mindanao where we got started with our church meetings and home visits. Then it was up in the very northernmost tip of that island where the majority of our mission efforts took place near the city of Surigao at a place called Kitcharao. I know you won't remember all of these names but you might have a bit of fun pronouncing them or looking them up on Google Earth! Maybe for you these places might seem like the ends of the earth since they are exactly on the opposite side of the globe from New Hampshire, for instance. Mindanao, by the way is an island that in itself is bigger than Ireland and even bigger than 122 entire countries on this earth! It also has the largest Muslim population in the Philippines.
Little Drummer Boy. On our very first evening at the Overcomers Apostolic Lutheran Church in Kitcharao the service was getting underway. As the singing began this little drummer took his place behind the drums - an essential instrument in Philippine services where there is no organ or piano. At first I thought he was just there on a childish whim but soon it was evident that he was serious. He accompanied many of the songs with perfect rhythm, talent and sensitivity during the evening - and then even at some of the bigger services later that weekend. Seeing him there so completely engaged in what he was doing brought to mind some of the children God had called at an early age in the Bible, like Samuel, David and Jeremiah. Truly an inspiration!
River village - the focus of our team outreach mission effort on Friday in Igpit. Each member of our ALCA team was designated to go with a Filipino team of about nine people each (we formed nine teams in all) and went out to this river village to visit homes, pray with the villagers and hold services. What an experience that was! - uniting our mission efforts to count for Jesus and really putting into practice what we were learning. All the homes in this village were built on stilts since the river floods their village a times in the rainy season.
Here is our Filipino team with a family of villagers. We called our team "The Burning Bush". Team leader Jun-Ed Senonis on the left. We shared from the Bible and prayed very specific prayers with this family. The young couple at the far end were planning a February wedding, the young women in the blue and green flowered dress was in labour at that very time(!) and the mother in the middle needed acute prayers for the financial well-being of her family as well as peace and unity in their home.
After our home visits we gathered by the shores of the Mindanao Sea - actually an extension of the Pacific Ocean - for a service in the village church. Later the children and many others thronged around John and Leona on the shore.
Home from school - a typical overloaded motorbike scene - here bringing village kids home from school since the only way to reach the village is on foot, bicycle or motorbike.
Pastor Bert Senonis, the driving force behind the Overcomers Apostolic Lutheran churches on Mindanao, with his wife and adopted daughter. While we were there this little Giveth Lynn became very ill and was diagnosed with acute leukemia. She was hospitalized immediately but the doctors say that there is a very good prognosis for complete healing from the type of leukemia she has with proper care and medication. This frail little girl needs our prayers.
A beautiful lake in the mountain country of northern Mindanao - taken from the balcony of our hotel room there. In the clear, clean and warm water I even went swimming one evening with some of the others.
Our big service on Sunday with over 500 people in attendance and about 14 different churches represented. God gave me to speak on the women at the well of Sychar - how Jesus opened the discussion with this "foreign" woman by asking, "Give me to drink". That question and Jesus' response echo still through the world wherever people are thirsting for the Living Water. You can see Colin, Karl and John in the front row. Julie, Jada and Leona are largely hidden behind them.
At an impromptu wayside stop, Frat Aho shares his passion for bringing Christ to the people through his beautiful gift of music - with those who happened to be standing around. This is what mission is all about, sharing the gifts that God has given us and the message of the Gospel of Jesus "in season and out of season!" Frat and Randy Kinnunen sang everywhere we went and proved to be a great blessing to our mission effort.
We spent one week in the Philippines before our team divided up - part going to India and part of us to Vietnam. More on that later.
I really love to share my "wanderings" with you. I just pray that God would bless you as He does me with them.
In His love and wondrous peace,
Dennis
There are so many sides to the Philippines. Our team of Colin Kinnunen, John Ruotsala, Karl Somero, Frat Aho, Randy Kinnunen, Leona Matson, Jada Questad and Julie Matson saw many of those sides after we met up in Manila on January 19. First we all flew to Cagayan do Oro on the southern island of Mindanao where we got started with our church meetings and home visits. Then it was up in the very northernmost tip of that island where the majority of our mission efforts took place near the city of Surigao at a place called Kitcharao. I know you won't remember all of these names but you might have a bit of fun pronouncing them or looking them up on Google Earth! Maybe for you these places might seem like the ends of the earth since they are exactly on the opposite side of the globe from New Hampshire, for instance. Mindanao, by the way is an island that in itself is bigger than Ireland and even bigger than 122 entire countries on this earth! It also has the largest Muslim population in the Philippines.
We spent one week in the Philippines before our team divided up - part going to India and part of us to Vietnam. More on that later.
I really love to share my "wanderings" with you. I just pray that God would bless you as He does me with them.
In His love and wondrous peace,
Dennis
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