NT Filipino 2013 Testimonies and stories from the field

Nice, how was your summer?

My summer was great. Wow! God is so great and I am just oh so amazed with all that He did in Johnson Island, Palawan.

More than 100 people received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. 26 people followed in baptism. By the grace of God, a house church was established. God is so awesome. Most of those who followed in baptism are married couples. About 15 families attend the house church, some wives attending without their husbands yet.

-          Nice  Flores 23, NT-Zanorte2013

Deployed to Johnson Island Palawan

this testimony shared via text

"Make our house your home. its just me and my   son who live here. we have plenty of room for  the team."

"your  message has awakened our relationship with the Lord that has been sleeping for a long time."

i had the chance to see  Nice  and   hear her stories from the  field.  even of God's faithfulness even before they got to johnson island. 

the welcome dinner in a home of Badjao believers

Nice and her friend Allen hitch-hiked to Davao city because they only have very limited money to get to the orientation site in CEBU to join NT .  both Nice and Allen are from Mt.carmel (a 2 hr ride on a van from Davao).  when they got to cebu, the team going to johnson island  is not coromplete yet and they have yet to buy their tickets. God made a way,    God added to their team  and all 5 of them were able  to go to fly to palawan at a very low price.   but they are also on a real tight budget. P2500 for their food for the entire month!  But   God is  faithful. He never fails to care  for his children. Even upon arriving , while still praying for a  place where the team could stay, a villager  (kuya Jonel) asked   the partner Pastor, "Pastor , where are you going?"    the Pastor replied,  "oh, i am here with some missionaries who will be serving here for several weeks."

God's provides!  (Glenn and Nice)

the villager replied, " Pastor, why not let them stay with us.  Make our house you home.. we have plenty of room here. "   That is God's provision!  He indeed has gone ahead of them to Johnson island!

following in baptism

"Jhonson Island," according to Nice , "is a really beautiful place   with beautiful people."  But water is real challenge. People have to  get on a boat to another island to fetch water. yay!  and that would be for drinking , washing clothes, cooking and all!  as the villagers  thirst for clean water,their thirst for the living water just as much.  There is a Catholic church in the area but they had any church gathering for almost 10 years! there are some believers  but have not joined any fellowship  for years and they so long for it. there is not an evangelical church going on is Johnson Island.  A believer they visited even said, "your  message has awakened our relationship with the Lord that has been sleeping for a long time."

Within the first few days, homes have  opened, people received Christ,  people following in baptism. the first sunday , the believers and those attending Bible studies in their homes came for their first house church .  the Bible studies and baptism continued. couples following in baptism. Equipping also started. Vision cast. by the 2nd sunday, more people have come to the house church.   They had their first Lords supper and giving of tithes and offering.   the team is preparing  and preparing the people  for the end of their one month there. songs were written on manila papers.   some were taught how to discuss Bible stories.  The  new believers and old believers in the area gathering for house church planned a lunch fellowship and farewell for the team.  that 3rd and their final sunday, about 15 families gathered.. some husbands and wives  came, some with their kids, a lot o kids! those who were baptized came. those who have not made a decision to follow Christ also came.they had their second offering  of 415 pesos that day. wow!!! 

Believers bringing food, they ate together and share their praises and thanks giving to the Lord. the day before the team left, the believers had gathered    to elect a set of officers  to  lead them to continue to gather and grow in the Lord. 

did the team survive despite that tight budget and other challenges? they did. came home full. not only with food and joys , but filled with awe and a heart change through what the Lord showed them and  how he worked through each of their lives and the people of Johnson island!

Prayer requests: 

continue to lift these believers to your prayers to the Lord. May they continue to seek Him and not give up meeting each other. may they be strengthened and really grow in their faith and knowledge of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

the work is not yet finished. pray for more workers to come and more to participate next year, not only from Mindanao areas, but from Palawan churches, to join NT next summer and reach bring the Gospel to other remote islands and hard to reach areas in mainland Palawan. 

They need Bibles. the inhabitants of the Island are Tagalogs, Cebunos, Ilonggos and Cuyunins.

-cecil