Daniel's Philippine Report

Well, last Thursday Daniel came back from the Philippines after traveling for almost 24 hours straight to get home. There was the traditional unpacking of the little gifts for the kiddies, the mounds of laundry, the uploading of pictures from the camera, the catching up on family life issues and the missionary stories...

Usually I try and sit down and post some sort of "report" here after a few days of Daniel walking around the house telling me, "Oh yea.... and this happened too.... and you wouldn't believe.... and did I mention..." Well, yesterday I walk downstairs to see "Mr. Missionary" typing wildly on the computer to "save me some time" on writing about the trip. I smile and say "Oh...[big pause]... thanks, hon." [for those who know, laugh now.... for those who don't, my dear husband is anything but short on words]

Yep... it's a small book... but instead of re-writing it, I thought I'd cut and paste a little and give some words from "the man, himself"...
[comments in brackets are just my sarcasim and can be completely ignored!]

"Corregidor Island is located in the mouth of Manila Harbor giving it strategic military benefit. In fact it was during the Spanish era of the Philippines that bonfires were lit to alert Manila of incoming ships. Still recognized as having military benefit, years later, American forces placed gun batteries all over the island as part of a harbor defense system of Manila bay. Big guns were placed to repel sea invasion and smaller mortars were placed to prevent land invasion during the 1920’s, but guns were never upgraded to newer weapons by WWII. It was on this island that Gen MacArthur fled the Philippines, after promising his eventual return. After Bataan fell on April 9th, 1942, American and Philippine forces held Corregidor for 27 days and surrendered to Japan May 6th 1942.

What does this history lesson have to do with a medical trip to the Philippines? Well, we like so many Christians have built our churches “forts” if you will. Trusting in our “forts” and our church services we can ignore the gathering forces around us. We are already seeing this as churches have less and less services during the week. Church attendance is down and membership is declining. The state is granting less favor to benevolent giving to the church and is making inroads into the basic liberty of Christians. We are not upgrading the “guns” just like on the Island of Coregidor. Just what are our “guns” you ask, souls, adding as many Christians to Lambs Book of Life as we can possibly see.

In any mission work we are preparing “forces” or more Christians for the Lords army. Reaching souls that will be accepted into God’s kingdom. Rather than be just on the defensive (although often necessary) we need to be on the offense – being part of a church outreach or plant. In the Philippines just that occurred. The local missionaries were Dave and Debbie Johnson. They partnered with two local churches in the Bicol Region."

[told you he was wordy...good stuff though]

"There are active volcanos in the Philippines. One volcano that we worked right at the base of is called Mayon. As one counsoler said “ we have to see these people saved they live in the shadow of death from the volcano”.

Mayon did erupt 3 years ago and the gov’t doesn’t know how many people died est, are 1000 individuals. Roughly 70,000 people were displaced during that time."

[and you thought your neighborhood was rough..]

"Supporting the out reach was the Pilipino equivalent of our Health Care Ministries the Philippine Health Care Ministry, PHCM. This team supplied a full dental team including 3 dentists, support personnel and two different local doctors that traveled with us for the clinics."

[these people give up their time away from their jobs/families too]

"During the clinics we saw a total of 1,835 people and 1,069 people accepted Christ as their Savior. Never have I seen a response like this. Even Dave Johnson, the missionary made a comment that not all those professing Christ as Savior were true conversions. But he did make one important point – with all those “conversions” we definitely have two churches planted! In addition all the people will have a follow-up with pastors, relationships will be started and if not before then hopefully soon true salvation will occur."

[can you just say "Wow!"]

"Gen MacArthur eventually returned to the Philippines and Corrigedor was recaptured – history tells us what happened. The cost was tremendous in men, women, and resources.

We as Christians, however, know the spiritual war for this world is already won, but the “battles” between now and then have lasting effects on us as well as those around us. Lets make haste than to save as many souls for Christ and keep the casualties to a minimum."

[see why I married this man?!]

There is so much more... but you just may have to give us a call to hear some of those good stories.

James 1 (NIV)
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Praying for the Philippines

It's that time again. The UPS man rang the doorbell yesterday and delivered the "big suitcase" with medical supplies in it. Must be time to start packing.

Daniel and a pretty large medical team will be heading to the Philippines this month. It will be a long trip with some inter-country flying. There are a lot of logistical issues that need to be prayed for. And it will be HOT! I may be wrong, but I think I read something about 110 degrees in some communication we got. Hmmm...

Well, time to pray! He will be gone almost two weeks and I shall be taking my first 2 exams during the time he is away. (Yes, the timing... seems things always happen like that... something to do with wrestling against spiritual stuff... look it up! ;o)

Have a blessed Easter season and I will try and post some pictures when he gets back!

Hugs and prayers...

Oh, be careful little ears what you hear....

I'm going to give you some medical education today. O.K. so not exactly, but I will tell you an interesting fact about medical education. Do you know how they teach doctors-to-be to tell if an inner ear is infected or normal? They do something very interesting. They have them look at "normal" [inner]ears.... lot's of them... for quite a while actually.... over and over... until they know what "normal" looks like. So when they finally look at an abnormal (or infected) ear, they may not know what is wrong with it... but they certainly know that something isn't "right".

Many times I have thought about this fact when contemplating discussions with others on various topics. How do we "know" that something is "wrong"? or "not good for us"? or goes against a biblical principle? Sometimes things we do or say or experience seem, well, "harmless". I can't tell you how many times I have heard some person say "Oh, it won't hurt anything." or "What's wrong with that?" or... "[fill in your blank here]. The problem is, deep down... we wonder....

I tell you today's media [tv, ipods, computer, movies, websites, books, cds, radio... we are just overwhelmed with media aren't we?] is perfectly willing to share what they think is "normal". Many times they insert in just enough truth/facts in there and then mix it with emotionalism and opinions and even false doctrines. Daniel and I are becoming more aware everyday that the "teaching" that is given to us each day in just our regular daily routines is just inundating us with anti-biblical messages (some subtle; some very blatant).

So, how do we "know" what is right and good in the mist of being blasted by so many messages continually? Well, just like the teaching of what a "normal" inner ear looks like; we need to be so well versed in what is "right" [insert time with God and Bible reading daily here]... that when "wrong" comes along... we may not know why it is wrong (or even exactly what about it bothers us)... but we certainly know that it isn't "right". We have to be so exposed to the truth of God's Word every day in our lives that it becomes our standard for living. [I tell you... in this day and age... that is not an easy task.]

Anybody remember that little song from preschool days?

"Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.....
........for the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little ears what you hear."

Last night Daniel and I were discussing this little song after renting a movie (PG and very mild by today's standards) that we fast forwarded through parts and were very disappointed in where the makers of that series had taken it. Then we talked about good movies that we had seen that were worth the time and how far and few they were produced now. [Hmm... think we'll just cancel our membership to the local movie rental place and join a club that mails only wholesome Christian movies.]

Deuteronomy 4:5-7 (New International Version)

5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
I Corinthians 1

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."[c] 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."[d]


James 1:5 (New International Version)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.