Mission Trip Recap

Friday, February 24th. The mission team arrived in the Philippines very late at night. The team consisted of 12 people from Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church, Dayspring Baptist Church, and Dayspring Bible College. Also a thirteenth member joined the team from Thailand for a few days.

Saturday, February 25th. This was the official first day of the mission trip. We split the group into several smaller groups consisting of three or four team members and headed to different areas where we have Bible studies near our church. The groups were able to teach new songs to the children, teach Bible stories, pass out a lot of balloons and candy, and most importantly share the clear gospel.

Sunday, February 26th. Our church was blessed to have Pastor Daniel Reehoff, the senior pastor of Dayspring Baptist Church, preach to us. He challenged our church to be busy for the Lord as we await the imminent return of Christ. We were also privileged to have him preach during our night service. He spoke about being enthusiastic in serving the Lord. We had a packed crowd for both our services. Also, the college/high school girls on the team were able to teach the children's church during both of the services. After the service, everyone wanted to have their Bibles signed and pictures taken with the mission team. It was a blessed day.

Monday, February 27th. This was the first day of our medical and dental clinic. We were thankful to have two doctors from the team join us this year, Dr. Robert Tanney and Dr. Tom Jensen. We were also joined for the day by a third Filipino doctor, Dr. Jayron. Along with the doctors, we were blessed to have two dentists from the Bethany Baptist Church medical mission team who assisted us during our clinic. There were over 200 people that come through the doors that day to receive medical attention. We were able to share the clear gospel on an individual bases with each person who attended the clinic. We thank the Lord that many people put their trust in Christ that day.

Tuesday, February 28th. This was the second day of our medical and dental clinic. Dr. Tanney and Dr. Jensen really did an amazing job. We had around 300 people attend the clinic and we went almost 2 hours past the scheduled closing time. Again it was a great blessing to have five dentists who graciously volunteered to help us for half a day. The greatest blessing of the day was to know that everyone who came to the clinic heard the clear gospel of grace, and many of them indicated that they had for the first time put their complete trust in Christ alone as their Savior.

I also want to give a special mention of thanks to all of the nurses who helped during the two days of clinics at our church. Along with Mrs. Tanney (the wife of Dr. Tanney) and Ma’am Dulce, we were blessed to have 3 other young ladies who really helped out in a big way. Nurses Rochelle, Regine, and Mary Jane. They worked side by side with the doctors and helped to translate and assist in many different ways.

Wednesday, February 29th. We visited Asia Baptist Bible College in Santa Mesa, Manila. Pastor Dan was able to preach for their last chapel hour of the school year. He challenged the students to “Wow, the world” for Christ. After the chapel service, we were able to do a little sightseeing, visit some historical places, and come face to face with the famous Manila traffic. We went to Intramuros and visited Fort Santiago, after that we went to the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Thursday, March 1st. We visited God's Covenant Fundamental Baptist Church with Pastor Resty Rivera in Mabalacat, Pampanga. We were also able to have a medical clinic there with our two doctors. Over 100 people walked through their doors and were able to hear the gospel as well as receive medical attention. The rest of the mission team was able to go out into the neighboring resettlement area and pass out tracts and do street evangelism. Pastor Dan preached that evening for their Thursday night prayer meeting service.

Friday, March 2nd. We visited Dayspring Bible Baptist Church with Pastor Edwin Samson in Angeles City, Pampanga. His church was also able to hold a medical clinic. (This was the last day of clinics for the trip) There were also over 100 people that walked through the doors seeking medical help who were also able to hear the clear gospel. At dinner time, the team was able to experience the annual “Balut tasting experience”, two brave souls from the mission team were willing to try it. Pastor Dan also preached that evening for their Friday night prayer meeting.

Saturday, March 3rd. This was the last full day for the mission team to be with us. They would be leaving at 2:00am on Sunday. In the morning, the group toured the local outdoor market and was able to bargain for and buy some souvenirs. In the afternoon, the group was once again able to split up and attend the different Bible studies that we have in the area by our church. We ended the evening with a group fellowship and farewell dinner at our house. During that time the ladies graciously surprised Rina with a small baby shower.

It was a great blessing to have the mission team come here and minister to our people. It seemed like the time went by so fast. We thank all of you for your prayers and we thank the Lord for the safety and protection He gave each one. We are so thankful for the countless people who were able to be reached with the clear Gospel of grace!

God Bless,

-Ptr. Matt & Rina-

Click on this link here to see some of the videos and pictures that Ptr. Dan put together as updates for his church back in the U.S.

Prayer Request

Late last night we picked up a group of 12 people from the airport, they are part of a mission team from Dayspring Baptist Church, Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church, and Dayspring Bible College. We are excited to have them with us here in the Philippines for the next week or so. They have a busy schedule planned and will be travelling to several different churches and conducting medical clinics. Please pray for God's blessing and protection on their trip. More details to come...

-Ptr. Matt & Rina-

College Day

This past February 15th, the Asia Baptist Bible College in Sta. Mesa, Manila hosted their annual “College Day.” There were a total of 198 people in attendance, ninety-eight of whom were visitors. I was asked to give a mini, sample lecture to a section of the prospective students based out of the “Basic Christian Life” class that I teach. I was also given the privilege to preach during the chapel hour. Please pray for the prospective students who attended, that they will decide to follow in obedience in whatever way God is leading them.

-Ptr. Matt & Rina-

Annual Love Banquet

Our church celebrated its’ annual Love Banquet. We had around 45 adults who attended the event and the youth of our church acted as the servers. Starting at 6:30pm, the evening consisted of some group singing, special numbers, good food, games, and a challenging message from God’s Word. Pastor Resty Rivera from Mabalacat, Pampanga was our guest speaker for the evening. He spoke from John 15:13 and talked about the greatest kind of love. It was a good night of fun and fellowship for all.

John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

-Ptr. Matt & Rina-

Ladies Conference

This past Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, my mom and I attended a ladies conference in Rizal, Laguna, hosted by the Baptist Bible Church of Sta. Mesa (Dr. Lyons church). Our theme was a “Value of a Godly Woman,” based out of Proverbs 3:15.

We had two visiting American speakers during the conference - Ms. Mary Herman, who is a teacher and speaker to many conferences abroad, and Mrs. Lujean Stone, who is a pastor’s wife and missionary to Hong Kong.

Some of our topics included: “Being consistent in the Christian life,” “Giving our burdens to the Lord,” “Not being fake,” “Being pure and moral,” and “Being ready when the enemy attacks.”

There were 205 ladies from approximately 10-15 different churches who attended the conference. Among the attendees were seven ladies from Vietnam. I was personally touched by some of their testimonies. One Vietnamese woman gave her testimony about her husband being beaten and put to jail several times for sharing the gospel and even carrying a Bible out in public. Another woman shared how her father was killed for his faith, but because of the testimony his faithfulness, she is now a pastor’s wife and is willing to serve the Lord no matter what the cost.

It made me think about how thankful I am for the religious freedom that we have here in the Philippines (as well as in the U.S.). We can freely worship the Lord and share our faith without the fear of being beaten or put in prison. I am challenged to boldly take advantage of the opportunities that God has given me.

It was a packed three days full of lessons, testimonies, singing and fellowship. I was so blessed that I was able to attend with my mom. She was also able to give her testimony about her mom (Nanay), and shared how she was thankful that she had a godly example to follow.

This conference was a reminder for me to be thankful for the blessings God has given, as well as to continue to grow in the Lord and be more Christ-minded until He returns or calls me home. To God be the glory!

-Ptr. Matt & Rina-

Construction Project

I would like to ask everyone for their prayers as we undertake our latest construction project at the church. We are planning to expand the existing restrooms, as well as make some updates and improvements. The renovation will be a big blessing for our church. Please pray for wisdom and safety during this project. Thank you.

-Ptr. Matt & Rina-

Christmas Party

On Friday we held our church's Christmas party. It was an exciting evening. We began by singing some of our favorite Christmas carols. After our time of singing we ate dinner. We served adobo, rice, Chooks chicken, pancit, and dessert. Following our dinner and after a brief clean-up, it was game time. We played several different group games and everyone seemed to really enjoy them. Finally, we concluded our evening with our "secret santa" gift exchange. It was a good night of fun and fellowship. Merry Christmas!

-Ptr. Matt & Rina-