Indonesia in January

 

In late January I have the awesome opportunity to join the United Prayer Rising team in Jakarta, Indonesia for the world prayer meeting called the Global UPR which will be followed by some volunteer work. Indonesia has been hit by two terrible tsunamis in about three months. I am planning to join the disaster relief efforts if possible. Over the years I have volunteered for countless disasters in many nations which grew into great opportunities. This will be my third time to Indonesia and I’m excited to go back to these precious people. Please pray for God to continually protect and save the lost people in Indonesia.

Center of Life Christmas Update

Center of Life Children’s ministry which we have freely given use of the Refuge for their home church for years just held their annual Christmas program and celebration. They had about 160 people come to celebrate. They couldn’t fit them all in the Refuge so they moved them by jeepneys to another venue. Of that crowd, 50 people dedicated their life to Jesus! Please continue to pray for Pastors Joshua and Emi Hernandez as they are doing a great job with these kids.

Baganga Celebration

During my fifth ministry road trip to Baganga this year, I was able to join the church anniversary which doubled as a Christmas Party. Pastor Hazel Puzon was officially installed as the senior pastor during this time as her father and my friend Pastor Proceso Puzon whom I loved dearly, graduated to eternity at 76 years old a few months ago. I spoke in the Sunday morning service and the following day I was able to do a Bible service at the police station for the Police Department. It was wonderful!

Maragusan Awakening

I was invited to be a part of a youth revival and prayer conference in Maragusan, Compostella Valley. This place was once known as a haven for communist rebels. Not sure as what I would find, I was surprised to find thriving churches and tremendous favor with the local government. I spoke on Sunday morning to Faith Tabernacle Church, and Sunday evening to a youth revival. Many young people rushed to the altar for salvation and repentance. The next day I was invited to meet the mayor and vice-mayor and they asked me to pray for them! I was able to openly and boldly declare blessings over them in the Name of Jesus.

In the morning and afternoon I was able to join and support our dear friends from Global Impact as they gave their anti-human trafficking school assemblies in the elementary school and high school where the Gospel was also preached in the schools! That night, I spoke in a Presbyterian Church and I gave an altar call where the Holy Spirit moved powerfully. Almost everyone was slain in the Holy Spirit and stayed in the altar for a long time after that. God is moving in Mindanao. Hallelujah!

Her Jaw Grew Out Right in Front of Me!

While driving a ministry team between cities, someone told me that a young lady in my vehicle named Lovely needed healing. She had a deformed jaw from a dentist’s mistake. Her jaw was out of place and it restricted her breathing. They explained that a normal windpipe has the passage about the size of two fingers, but hers was now about the size of a pinky finger. I started to pray for her while driving, but told her I would pray for her once we reached Davao City. About two hours later I was unloading their suitcases in front of a hotel when the Lord reminded me, pray for her now!

Throwing away all ministry protocol, I laid hands on her head in the street and began to pray. She got slain in the Holy Spirit and started to fall down in the street. I caught her and held her up for a while and realized she was really out. I had to lift her into the back of my SUV where she stayed under the power of the Holy Spirit. I sat in the front seat and continued to pray for her as the Holy Spirit did a deep work in her.  After that, She went out in the power of the Holy Spirit a second time for maybe 5 or 10 minutes.

Then she peacefully said, “Kuya (brother), I feel my jaw moving!” I then commanded the jaw to grow out and go to its normal position by the Stripes of Jesus! I watched her jaw grow and her face change right in front of me! I almost could not recognize her face after I prayed. The whole team said her face changed! She went to a doctor about a week later and he said her jaw changed and asked her what happened. She told the doctor a missionary prayed for her and God healed her! Praise God!

Uprising Mindanao

United Prayer Rising (Uprising) Mindanao was an awesome event where we gathered about 1700 people mostly whom were youth to pray for the Philippines. There were many high profile speakers from all over the world, and I also had the honor of speaking. I was given the opportunity to lay hands on and pray for everyone there. The atmosphere was absolutely charged with passion as the crowd was so hungry for God.

There was a special emphasis on praying for the tribes of Mindanao and several tribal members who attended wore their official tribal costumes. They shared many powerful testimonies of how God is reaching the tribes of Mindanao. During the last night, we were crying out to God for each province by name. When I was given the microphone to my voice was gone! I realized that I prayed so hard for so many people for three days that I literally lost my voice. God is moving in Mindanao!

Bible Giveaway with the Mayor

I had the great blessing of giving away 350 Bibles to help drug rehabilitation members at the request of the local government! This is our second giveaway which brings the total to 700 Cebuano Bibles given directly to the town of Baganga to help their people.

The mayor was present as I was able to give each of the drug rehabilitation graduates a Bible with accompanying Bible studies for new believers in their own language. I was able to open the graduation in bold, strong prayer declaring freedom over Baganga over each of their lives, also blessing the mayor and the officials of Baganga. Each person that received a Bible has undergone weeks of classes including spiritual development taught by a trusted pastor friend of mine. Baganga is about five hours drive from my home over treacherous roads. Thank you for your continual prayers and support as we take the Word of God to remote places!

Bible Distribution Trip and Graduation

This week I’m going to Baganga again with 350 Bibles for the drug rehabilitation graduation. This is a mandatory government program for people who are suspected drug users. The Philippines is currently in a very harsh and controversial drug war right now. For many of the people in this program, it is their last chance at life. Thankfully, part of their mandatory rehab is to hear the Gospel every week from a pastor friend of mine! They have been hearing the Word of God every week for months all at the request of the local government! We providing Bibles for their graduation in their own language This will be our second trip to this group which will total 700 Bibles that we have purchased for these new believers.

Massive Bible Distribution

Through a partnership with Bible League, I was able to fill my SUV with 650 Bibles and help put together a massive Bible distribution in Baganga. Four vehicles carried a total of 2,400 Bibles and pastors from 48 churches in three towns came to Faith Tabernacle Church (the church we rebuilt after Typhoon Pablo) where we gave those Bibles to their churches! That means each pastor left with about 50 Bibles in their language for their people! Just imagine of all the churches and thousands of lives that will be changed by the Word of God! Hallelujah!

Joy over her new Bible

Indian Ocean Report

We went on a miracle-filled trip to Mauritius, Seychelles, and Reunion Island. In each island, God helped us to locate the right pastors through divine appointments. Each of the pastors we worked with had been praying for Bible school materials but had not yet found what they needed in the French and Malagasy languages. On Mauritius, the pastor took us to the head of his denomination, who not only approved of the materials, but was bouncing for joy that we had it in the Malagasy language because he needed it for 68 churches he oversees in Madagascar. He also oversees 83 churches on Mauritius.

In the Seychelles, the pastor of the Spirit-filled church also accepted the materials and said that he would send the Malagasy version to his friend on Madagascar who is overseer for 1,000 churches! We also ministered in their Bible study where several people were healed. One lady I prayed for had a severe headache for over a year. When I prayed for her she let out a loud shriek as demons left her. After her freedom, the headache was totally gone! This was just one of the many healing miracles we experienced.

On Reunion Island, the pastor had us preach in both Sunday morning services, and showed us the classrooms they had already prepared for a Bible school, but were just waiting for the right materials before they started it  It is amazing to be lead to the right place at the right time! Thank you Jesus!