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December 2008 Philippines update
November 2006, I was invited to go to the Philippines with Mike Bergen, who has been visiting there for many years. He began working with a young man, Zaldi Villamil. and his wife Edith. Mike has done a wonderful work with Zaldi. A church was started and many people have been saved. In my visit, Mike introduced me to a young Pastor, Resty Miranda. Resty asked me if I would consider coming back to train young people for leadership in his young church. I told him that I would pray about it. Upon my return home, I spent a good time in prayer for this request. I experienced a very meaningful time of God impressing upon my heart to go back to the Philippines and try to train leaders for his church. God also put on my heart Isaiah 42. There, God speaks several times of his concern for the Islands. I had never seen this before, or noticed the obvious application. It speaks powerfully of God’s desire to set captives free and do a mighty work in the Islands. I felt that God was leading me clearly to go back and believe God for a mighty work in the Islands of the Philippines. That conviction has not dimmed, but has become even stronger.
The Philippines consist of 7100 Islands, but only 500 inhabited. There are 91 million people speaking 8 different languages, even though English and Tagalog are the two National languages of the country. 40% of the people live below the poverty level and 80% are Roman Catholic. Evangelicals are only 2.8 % of the population, so the spiritual need is very great. It is considered the only Christian country in Asia, and the only Muslim country ever to be converted to Christianity.
When Mike and I visited in 2006, Resty had a small church of about 40-50 people. The work has grown and doubled since that time. We started with 5 trainees, but soon had 15-20 trainees. We are now working with three churches who say that they would like to be a part of the Great Commission association of churches. We had 68 in our training class this last time. We go there every 4 months.
Please PRAY:
1. That God will continue to save many precious souls, and that leaders and “laborers” will be raised up and equipped in each of the three churches.
2. That the three Pastors Resty Miranda, Herman Arce, and Zaldi Villamil will be able to resist the temptation to just “play church”. That they will become committed to the Core Values of Great Commission and obey the Great Commission and reach hundreds, even thousands of lost people with the gospel. The financial needs are great. We do not have supporters for the needs of the Pastors. Would you let us know if you or ones you know would be willing to take on even a small support.
There are 8.7 million overseas Filopino workers working in over 200 countries of the world. 700,000 of these say that they are “born again”. If any number of these could catch a vision of reaching ones in those countries with the gospel, it would be a mighty mission force of laborers. We are praying for that. PRAY that the leaders will catch a vision of multiplication so that many churches can be planted, leaders trained and God’s words to Isaiah 42 be fulfilled in this generation. PRAISE GOD!
Herschel Martindale
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