If you know me, you know I would rather preach in a jungle church with no walls than in the most beautiful of cathedrals. While hosting Gordon and the HHTN team, I was grounded from taking long road trips due to my recovery from surgery. To my delight, we made contact with a new pastor in Davao who invited us to his church.
We drove deep into the slums of Davao City where the road became too narrow to navigate. I parked my vehicle where we boarded tricycles and took a long, winding drive until they could go no further. We then hiked through a maze of muddy trails in the darkness. Gordon, who is 70, outperformed me on the trail and jokingly called me “grandpa” as I tried to keep up with my wobbly cane.
When we reached the church, the floor was made of dirt and it was exactly the type of church where I feel most at home. When our team ministered, the Holy Spirit came in indescribable power. The pastor and his church were overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. Even the little children were weeping the Presence of God. It was a sovereign move of God that I have only seen a handful of times in my life. All Glory to Him alone.
We are now into our third month of supporting the Center of Life feeding program at the Refuge and the kids are starting to melt my heart. One Saturday when I pulled up the kids were all waiting outside for the doors to open. When I got out of my car, they all cheered and ran up to attack me with their hugs. I cannot put into words the emotions that I experience when I look into these kids eyes before giving them a big hug. I feel joy, love, compassion, and then I feel a rush of empathetic sorrow as I imagine how difficult their lives must be. At least once a week we can put them into a safe, comfortable environment, show them the love of Jesus, and feed them what might be the best meal they eat all week.
