“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
A bright and blissful new year from Grace Baptist Church, Burauen! It’s always exciting whenever a year is going to end and a new one is about to begin. It makes me think how about how fast time flies. The year 2017 was a good year, not only for my family but for our church family as well. God’s been so good to us; that’s why the Devil is working double-time, throwing distractions along the way. In spite of difficult times and trying moments, God’s grace is still sufficient to sustain us.
October
On the 29th, we celebrated our church anniversary. It was an honor for us to hear Pastor Alfred Cabrigas, the pastor of Grace Baptist Mission in Sogod, Southern Leyte, and Pastor Manuel Ayon, one of our missionaries in Vietnam.
The following day, October 30, I was the speaker for the annual Young Adults’ Retreat at Grace Baptist Church, Tacloban. It is always a great privilege for me to be able to preach to a group of people whom I grew up with (some of them).
December
One of my great joys in being in the ministry is to see how God transforms a person’s life and allows them to be used in the ministry. Carmelita, our church secretary, practically grew up in the church, went to Bible college, and now is serving together with her husband at Grace Baptist Church in Pili, Naga City.
Our annual Christmas party is always an anticipated event in our church. We had a costume contest, and for this year, we used code names for our manito/manita (gift exchange). Everyone had a good laugh during and a full stomach after the party.
January
A new year and a new opportunity to serve the Lord! In 2018, our church will focus on moving forward, and just like the past year, we are excited to see what the Lord has in store for all of us. As a start, last Sunday, January 14, I was able to share the Gospel with a young man named Raffy, who had already been coming to our church services for several months. By God’s grace, he accepted Christ as his personal Saviour. On the same day, a young lady named Jolisa also accepted Christ as her Saviour. Please pray for these two young people as they begin a new life in the Lord.
Thank you so much for your continued love and support! God bless you.
In Christ,
The Javier Family
Missionaries in the Philippines