“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
The Bible clearly gives us the command to “Honour thy father and thy mother . . . .” In our church, we take pride in appreciating our fathers and mothers by honoring them on these special occasions. On May 12, my wife prepared a simple token of appreciation, a handmade gift she created herself, and gave it to our mothers. During the afternoon of the same day, they had their Mother–Daughter Banquet with the theme, “Fill My Cup, Lord.” On June 22, the fathers had a blast as they celebrated Father’s Day with a cooking competition. We are blessed to have our mothers and fathers in our church, as they have become second parents since we came over here.
Answered Prayer
It was a joy to see the mother of one of our young adults finally visit our church. Joel Babula, or Kuya Jun Jun as she calls him, is one of the faithful young men in our church. He prayed for his mother to come and visit our church. In God’s appointed time, his prayer was answered. Indeed, the prayer of a righteous man availeth much!
Youth Camps!
Camps are what our young people and young adults look forward to every year. It is one of the most highlighted activities in our church. This year, 26 young adults and 23 young people joined their respective camps. As a pastor, I am thrilled to see these young men and women giving their lives to serve the Lord. Seeing them mature, both physically and spiritually, makes me want to do more for the Lord. Truly, your labor is not in vain.
Baptism
Three young men recently joined our church through the water of baptism. They have different stories and backgrounds.
Archie Advincula, a victim of physical abuse at the hand of his father, felt hopeless in life, but he thanked God for using people to share the Gospel with him.
John Michael Tanega, a teenager who thought worldly things would bring happiness, was invited to come to church one day by one of his classmates. There he heard the Gospel, and now his life is changed.
Rodgie Acala, a tall, shy, timid young man, was initially invited to come and play basketball with us. Later on, he began attending our church regularly. It was a blessing to be able to share the Gospel with him, and now he is a part of our church family.
The Javier Family
I wish time would slow down, but as the saying goes, “Time flies!” Our firstborn Sofia is now in twelfth grade. She is now praying about going into the medical field. Please pray for her as she follows God’s will in her life. Our second-born Hadassah is now in seventh grade. She loves to draw. If she was given the chance, she could consume one notebook a day. Then there is our youngest Amelie. What can I say?! She is a silly little three-year-old girl who always makes us stand on our toes. We are thankful and grateful for our girls.
On behalf of our family, thank you all so much for supporting our ministry here in the Philippines. May the Lord continue to bless each one of you.
In Christ,
The Javier Family
Missionary in the Philippines