We Finally Got a Vehicle!

July 7, 2013 by

…1995 Toyota Tamaraw FX

I just want to praise God that we were finally able to purchase a vehicle!

2-IMG_4577

It is a very reliable 1995 Toyota Tamaraw FX with a diesel engine. These SUV-type vehicles are known for being workhorses and very rarely let you down. Also, the diesel engine is very economical as diesel fuel is much cheaper than gasoline here.

Although it is a 90’s vehicle, I have that feeling like I just drove off the lot with a brand new car.

I am so relieved that we can finally use this large vehicle to transport up to nine volunteers or lots of much needed supplies to around Mindanao. In the past, we have had to leave large amounts of supplies behind because either we didn’t have the space to move them and quite honestly sometimes not enough money for fuel to make the trips.

I’m so thankful to those of you who donated and prayed for us to help make this possible. I know God will reward you greatly.

Elijah is happy that we got what he calls a "Truck." We probably won't let him paint it though.

Elijah is happy that we got what he calls a “Truck.” We probably won’t let him paint it though.

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Revival Atmosphere

July 4, 2013 by

I recently had the privilege of speaking at our home church in the Philippines, His Mission Christian Fellowship, during their retreat and had a wonderful time.

HMCF Retreat

I spoke on the Baptism of The Holy Spirit and He really moved in the church. The whole the church experienced a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit including several people who were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time.

Revival Atmosphere at HMCF

One was a twelve-year-old boy who reminded me of myself as I was the same age when I was first filled with the Holy Spirit at a similar meeting at a youth camp and it changed my life forever. The cool thing about this is he started coming to the church because of the feeding program there. The church is in an impoverished area and feeds children several times a week.

This awesome church was originally founded by missionaries who came from the historical Pensacola/Brownsville Revival. I think it is just awesome that those same revival fires are still burning in the Philippines many years later. Elijah enjoying the Revival Meeting

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We Built a Roof for This Little Boy

June 29, 2013 by

After our latest disaster relief  trip to Baganga, we are thankfully almost finished with the church roofing project. We covered the final rooms of the parsonage including this little guy’s room. It will likely take one last trip to put up the finishing touches on the roof.

Uriah Faith Tabernacle Baganga

On our last disaster relief trip to Baganga, Extreme Mercy International built a roof for this little boy named Uriah.

As far as functionality, everyone can worship under a dry roof and the families that live there can sleep under a stable dry roof. There are just a few things that need to be completed to add support beams to handle the weight of the roof and do some finishing aesthetics.

Baganga Church Roof Progress

This had been one of the costliest undertakings our ministry has tried to accomplish, and it will be wonderful when we are done with it. It has cost us thousands of dollars to pull this off and we are basically out of money for it.

The cost has not only been financial— It has been hard on my young family to have me gone so often and come home often exhausted, sick, and even injured from these trips.

Truthfully, most of the big aid agencies have pulled out of the area leaving half of the homes still covered with tarpaulins seven months after the storm. Even many of the government buildings and schools are still in shambles.

Church Rebuilding Team

We are one of the few organizations still helping. I spoke to a pastor who said 42 evangelical church buildings were destroyed and the congregations are still displaced. I would love to help them all, but praise God that through your generosity and giving we were able to help this one church and can hopefully help more as God provides.

If you would like to support our work, please donate here:

If you would like to support us through the mail, please send your checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders to:

Extreme Mercy International
P.O. Box 72266
Phoenix, Arizona 85050
U.S.A.
 

Thank you and God bless you.

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Super Typhoon Bopha Devastates Mindanao

December 5, 2012 by

We would like to thank everyone for their prayers over the last 48 hrs during Typhoon Bopha. It was a tremendous miracle of God’s protection in Davao City as our city was hardly touched when the eye of the Category 5 storm passed only 30 miles from us. It was amazingly calm where we live and we had no flooding at our house whatsoever. Although Davao City was mostly spared, we are hearing scattered reports coming from Compostela Valley (about 50 miles from here) of complete devastation. Getting terrible news from Compostela Valley is way better than the eerie silence from Davao Oriental which was the hardest hit section on the island. It is completely cut off and inaccessible at this time and only God knows the condition they are in there.

The official death toll from this dreadful storm has risen to 280, but many predict that this number will rise into the thousands. The gruesome images of the bodies strewn everywhere on the local TV News is too terrible to be shown on US television reports.

This afternoon we had a meeting with several other missions organizations in attempt to find where we can best serve those in need. We have pooled our resources and will be working with the Philippines Red Cross. The Red Cross has people on the ground assessing the situation today and will have a final plan by this evening or in the morning. The main issues is getting resources: Volunteers, food, water and shelter up to the areas affected.

Over the past 24 hours, crews have been clearing roads blocked by trees and landslides. While Davao Oriental is completely cut off, the Navy is sending a ship around to try and get aid into them. It should arrive tomorrow. As a group, our strategy is to provide supplies as well as transportation for PRC volunteers to and from the disaster zone. We have several personal vehicles enlisted to help including my little 1978 Mitusbishi Lancer, and even have secured the use of a four ton flat bed truck from BioSand Filters. With fuel costs at around $6.00 a gallon, our cost to transport volunteers and supplies will be expensive. The four ton truck  and other vehicles will only go if we have the money for fuel. Most missionaries here are also buying gas and supplies out of their own pockets to help.

We will be among the first to help with the local government about a week behind us. Our plan is to take this one step at a time and put our faith in the Lord that He will provide what we need as we go. We ask for you to prayerfully consider giving a donation to help with the aid in this time of crisis.

This is not our first disaster relief operation. We have been helping with this type of effort as an organization since the South Asia Tsunami of 2004. We also helped with Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, and with the Matina Flood last year. We really hate to see this type of disaster, but love to help people in need. Will you please help us help them by praying for us and praying about sending us an online donation?

You can also send donations in the mail to:

Extreme Mercy International
P.O. Box 72266 
Phoenix, AZ 85050
USA

One of my missionary friends left this morning to survey the damage and give out relief packages. He invited me to go with him, but I declined for some reason. He just texted his wife saying that that he won’t make it home tonight because the lake overflowed and he is stranded on a hill in a flash flood. Please pray for his divine protection as he is trapped in a very dangerous situation. (Just Updated from my friend’s Facebook: “Home Safe at 2am. Alot of Death on the road. It nearly got us too. More than a 1000 dead and missing. The news is not showing the full extent. I go out again tomorrow after I rest. Taking food and clothes” Praise God! Thank you for praying!)

Two of my best friends who are trained first responders also just left tonight to join the rescue operation in Nabunturan. Nabunturan is a place dear to our hearts as we ministered to many youth there before. We are still trying to contact the pastor of the church there to no avail.

I am hoping to physically join the relief operations up there in about a day. Please pray for the safety of the rescuers, missionaries, and for comfort for the families who have lost so much.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Consumed by the Call,

Matthew Triggs

P.S. Please forgive the appearance of our website as I was trying to update it when this disaster happened.

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Ministry in the USA

September 26, 2012 by

After focusing on resting, visiting family and friends, and receiving ministry for the first part of our USA trip, we have started ministering again.

Just this week, we spoke to the Ascent Singles Ministry at Phoenix First Assembly of God under Pastor Jim Black. We received lots of great feedback that many people were encouraged in their faith.

We also recently spoke to the youth group of Living Waters church in Prescott, AZ with good results. The youth really responded to us well and listened to our message attentively. To speak to such an excellent group really gives me hope that the youth of the USA still have great potential in the Lord.

We are also looking forward to speaking at the Bridge Church in Carson City, Nevada on October 7, 2012. Please keep that date in prayer as we are expecting God to do wonderful things there.

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24 Hour Worship Marathon at the Refuge

May 9, 2012 by

24 Hour Worship Marathon at the RefugeAbout one week ago, we hosted our first 24 hour praise and worship marathon at the Refuge. We had about sixty on-fire youth passionately worshipping God the whole time. It ran continuously for 24 hours from Friday until Saturday night. It was amazing to see the hunger, fire, and passion the youth displayed the whole time. The atmosphere for worship and soaking in God’s presence was just wonderful.

Soaking at the 24 Hour Worship Marathon.

Sheena who attended announced that her friend Khael was healed at the event, “He testified how his sore throat was instantly healed when he joined the 24 hour non-stop worship.”

Another attendee told me she clearly heard answers from God about things she had been praying for months about. She also told me she enjoyed God’s presence so much that it was hard for her to leave.

This event was such a wonderful success. We can’t wait to have the next one.

Excited to Worship God at the Refuge

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Unstoppable in Bulacan

February 24, 2012 by

Unstoppable 3

Last January, I was invited to be the guest speaker at a big youth event in  Pulilan, Bulacan. The theme of the event was Unstoppable.

I shared about unstoppable people in history and lead into the unstoppable love of Jesus who died on the cross for them. I also did a human video about the crucifixion for them which really touched their hearts.

Unstoppable 2

120 youth came to the event and all 120 youth responded to the salvation altar call. They have a huge youth group for such a small town. It is remarkable to see what God is doing there. What is happening is nothing short of a revival.

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I Went to Jail in the Philippines

February 24, 2012 by

This month, God opened an awesome door of ministry to me. My friend, Pastor Andy, invited me to speak to the leaders of a church in the local Davao City Jail. I was honored to be able to enter the facility and walk through the jail full of men in orange T-shirts.

I spoke to the leaders on faith. The pastor of the church has been in the jail for four years awaiting his robbery trial. Two of his main leaders are serving six years for drug abuse and are still awaiting their trial. The youngest inmate there, Mark, told me he regularly borrows a radio to listen to Edge Radio.

There are three religious places of worship there: a Catholic Church, a mosque, and the born-again Christian church. Until recently, the Christian church had no roof. Thankfully, they just finished the roof the week before I arrived. They were so happy to have a foreigner visit them and were respectful and attentive as I spoke through an interpreter. They invited me to come back as soon as I can.

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The Refuge Goes On

February 20, 2012 by

During the past few months, despite going through a paralyzing time, the Refuge is still running. The Bible and Missions training there graduated their first class of students and Edge Radio is still holding public events there. We are also having evangelistic film viewings.

One of the biggest challenges we have at the Refuge is a lack of equipment. Every time we hold an event, we have to borrow two or three guitar amplifiers, instruments, a LCD projector, drum cymbals, etc. We also have no furniture for our huge downstairs fellowship area. We are hoping to convert the downstairs into a coffee house where youth can come at all hours to study, have fellowship, and receive counseling. We are also hoping to remodel the upstairs with some acoustic foam to help with the deafening reverb during the concerts.

James 4:2 says, “You have not because you ask not.” Well, I’m asking now for help. We immediately need a LCD projector, amplifiers, guitars, and a new drum kit. We also need to furnish our downstairs so we can have a place for the youth to hang out. I envision having a coffee bar with lots of furniture, games, and for it to be a fun place.
With your help, we can transform this place into a greater soul-winning machine with ongoing discipleship and change happening in the hearts of the youth of this city.

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The Refuge Was Burglarized!

September 23, 2011 by
Police Station

Police Station in the Philippines

The phone rang and woke me up at 3am Tuesday morning.

I asked “What is going on?”

The owner called and said the Refuge is open right now!

I quickly dressed myself and rushed out the door. I optimistically thought, “it must be one of our faithful volunteers setting up early for the morning Bible school.” I stepped on the gas in my little car and sped down the wet, rain-soaked road.  Racing across the city, I hit a particularly slippery intersection and drifted the car around the corner.  I made good time as there was no traffic on this quiet and rainy night.

As I sped into the parking lot, my optimism changed to tension as I looked at the smashed in roll-up steel door. The owner of the building and caretaker stood cautiously looking at the dark hole in the roll-up door. I recklessly grabbed my flashlight and pepper spray and darted into the hole, hoping to find the intruders. As I swept the building, my bravery faded to disappointment as I saw the loss and damage. The thieves not only bashed in the gate, they destroyed the door and lock on the sound booth, and took several valuable things. In my disappointment, I realized they had stolen a nice laptop, my Mp3 player, the drum symbols, and most of my tools. They also urinated and defecated on the floor as to send me some sort of message.

Police Car

Police Cruiser in the Philippines.

Two nights before, we had held our first ever Hip Hop and Rap concert at The Refuge, where 100 young people prayed the prayer of repentance and salvation with me. We were going after the gangs and hip hoppers that night. Probably one of the people who came that event spied out the place that night and brought back his gang to ransack us later. We are still hoping to apprehend the ones who did this, but the police procedures are very different here.

No matter what influenced those people to attack the place God has given us, we will not stop going after the lost souls of this nation. We will only increase our boldness and do more to stop this darkness by shedding more light. Please pray for us to continue to preach boldly and for us to recover from this loss.

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