Just a quick note since it’s 11:45pm here and it has been a good but very full day. My days here are like that. My schedule looks like this–
6am Wake up/Time with Jesus/Exercise/Shower/Breakfast
9am Group Meeting/Devotional/Training
10:30am Study/Preparation for Meetings
1pm Lunch
2pm Preparation for Meetings
4pm Leave for Meeting/Supper with Church Members
6:30pm Meeting- Singing, Music, Jesus DVD segment, Health Talk, Bible Presentation
9pm Head back to Hotel
10:30pm Arrive at Hotel/Bedtime
We have almost 40 people here preaching at twenty sites. The youngest preacher is eleven with a twelve year old translator. The oldest is Sara Jane, a vivacious friend of the Patzers who is 86.
I preach in Lucena at a church with about 250 people attending, including about 80 interests. They are coming along well in attendance and decisions for Jesus and Bible truth. It is thrilling to see the light come on in their faces.
On Sabbath I preach my last sermon at Lucena in the morning and perhaps have a baptism there. That evening I begin preaching in San Pablo City at an auditorium that seats 1,000. This was the sight prepared for Jere Patzer’s meetings. They tell me they already have about 400 ready for baptism. There is tremendous preparation and lay involvement before the meetings start here. It’s the way it should be everywhere.
My series in San Pablo City will be titled “God’s Final Message to Planet Earth” and cover several aspects of the Three Angels Messages. The welcome gate at the entrance of the city says “Welcome to San Pablo City” and has a picture of two angels blowing trumpets. I’ll have a take off on that as I talk with the people about the message that is going around the world to prepare people for the return of Jesus.
I’m eating lots of mangos, pineapples, cantaloupes, rice, stir fry vegetables, vegemeat, etc. much more than I should! Breakfast is at the hotel, which has learned to cook vegetarian meat substitutes just for us. Lunch is at a beautiful, garden like home about 1/2 mile from the hotel. Supper is with church members at Lucena.
Last night I ate with Brother John and his family and Brother Job was there as well. Brother Job has lived the life of Job. His first wife died while giving birth to their fifth son and his second wife died from a congenital heart problem not long after giving birth to her second and his seventh son. No daughters. He married again last April. His third wife is the principal of an Adventist school 350 kilometers (about 220 miles) away but she has requested a transfer to the Adventist school next to the Lucena church. In the meantime they spend the weekend together every two weeks as he raises his seven boys. But he is of good courage, serves as an elder in the church and is program coordinator for my meetings.
Brother Job rode his motorcycle to Cabuyao two days ago for his birthday. Cabuyao is the place where my daughter Danesa and I held meetings in 2004 as part of the NPUC mission initiative. Pastor Catolica (a “Catholic” Adventist pastor we met four years ago) used to pastor the Lucena church but retired and moved to be with relatives in Cabuyao. Brother Job brought greetings from everyone there. If I understood right he said Brother Harvey married recently and is now living and working in Saudi Arabia. I hope to get to Cabuyao sometime while here but I’m not sure when I can.
Posted in 2008 Philippines For Christ
