Thankful Thursday -Ministries

It is always good to give thanks unto the Lord!

Today I am grateful for so many good things that are happening in Fishnets Ministry, I so remember this word from a Pastor " do not despise small beginnings" when we were just starting this ministry. We have no funds  but we have dreams of sending the poor children to school and helping them finish college. We started to send one, and then two and now we have 5 college scholars!! And not only that we also have feeding progras for Urban poor children. We also are now providing basic health needs (check-up and lecturing about health) to the mothers. This Saturday we will be giving vitamins to them as it is now rainy season here and a lot of kids are getting sick.

We have given livelihood for two family  and they are both doing well now providing for their kids.

And just recently, the Lord has opened new doors for us to minister to special kids in a public school for special children and we are so amazed on how God is working out things for everything.

I am thankful for those who help us, supporting us financially to be able to do this ministry and to our prayer warriors who pray for us unceasingly.


Last week, the Lord brought here a couple and they saw our ministry areas and they gave out toys for the kids and gave also some financial support for the ministry. God is so good!!

I see that as we are expanding and more ministry are opening up, the need is also escalating, We need manpower and we need resources but we do not magnify the need, we magnify God-the source of everything.

Please keep on praying for us. God bless everyone!!

and please don't forget to visit Laurie for more TT entries.

Special Ministry

A new area for our feeding ministry has opened up and this one is going to be special. Why? Because we are going to minister to SPECIAL CHILDREN and their moms. I believe these children are truly special in the eyes of the Lord and to introduce HIM through bible stories and singing and playing is just great!

I am thankful this school for special kids has given us the chance to do this. The moms will have bible study every Thursday at 10:00 to 11:00 in the morning right there in the school premises while waiting for their kids to finish classes. Feeding day is yet to be schedule.

Also, we are repeating the Praising Kids town (mini-carnival) especially for them this November 20 and I know this is kind of different. We are told there are 137 kids and to have them all at the same time is a huge task. But nevertheless we are welcoming this new challenge and opportunity to serve God through these special children.

We only have 9 people in our team, we do have volunteers but we need more specially on big affair such as mini carnival. Don’t worry you need not wear funny clothes or apple bottoms or be a clown. If you have time and resources and you want to be part of this ministry, please don’t hesitate to inform us. 

Our contact number is : 556 4239 or 832 5142 to 43. Here’s our ministry website: http://www.itphilippines.org/ministries/fishnets.htm

We love you Maria!

Our church said goodbye to Maria last Tuesday night. She stayed with us for four weeks and she's a lovely girl. everyone loves her and we were blessed to have her for almost a month. We had beautiful memories with her, although all of her pictures are now lost ( she lost her camera on her last night, left it on the cab) and that was sad but with or without pictures, she will always be remembered.

We love how she chose to stay at the church mission's house with cockroaches and rats everywhere, in a small room which is not even equipped with Kwikset locks, a tiny bed, a shared bathroom without an automatic flush, without a shower (which means they used pail and dipper) but all in all she said she enjoyed her stay.

She willingly ate all the Filipino foods we offered and at least tried to eat balut (but she really can't). She visited a lot of ministries. And was even subjected to an unwanted meeting with a group which ended out so well and celebrated her 20th birthday with us.

We will miss you girl!

Fellowship Without Forgiveness: Impossible

Fellowship Without Forgiveness: Impossible
by Jon Walker

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)

Fellowship without forgiveness is impossible.

As believers, we’re called “to settle our relationships with each other.” (2 Corinthians 5:18 MSG) We need to consistently forgive others and receive forgiveness from others, or we’ll “give up in despair.” (2 Corinthians 2:7 CEV)

Whenever we’re hurt by someone, we have a choice to make: Will we focus on retaliation or resolution? The Bible speaks candidly about settling the score: “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV)

In God’s economy, it’s not enough to say we won’t seek revenge; we’re to press into the very heart of forgiveness, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave us. (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)
 
The Bible is very clear that forgiveness is not optional for the Christ-follower. God sets this high standard because he knows how much is at stake in your life: Bitterness and unforgiveness are a cancer that eventually will destroy you from the inside out. Forgiveness is the scalpel that removes the tumor.

This doesn’t mean you’ll always be able to immediately forgive and be done with it. As you become more and more Christ-like, that will become possible, but for now you may have to work at forgiving someone who has hurt you in a particularly painful way. In other words, you may forgive this person but soon begin to feel a root of unforgiveness growing in your heart. When this occurs, you can go to King Jesus and ask him to help you with this cycle. He will help you release the offender, and the Holy Spirit will guide you in your effort.

A major point here is that forgiveness is a choice you can make. The power of God, working within you, means you no longer have to remain a slave to unforgiveness or bitterness.

In Colossians, the Apostle Paul provides the basis and motivation for forgiveness: “You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Colossians 3:13 NLT, italics added). When we remember the price Jesus paid to forgive us, how can we not forgive? (Romans 5:8)

What now?
· When you forgive, you’re not pretending it didn’t hurt – Forgiveness means you no longer hold the offense against the offender. It means you’ve pardoned the debt, and you’ve intentionally chosen to release the one who hurt you. We’re to love deeply, because “love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

· Stop right now and talk to God – Have an honest conversation with God about someone you need to forgive. Our heavenly Father knows that it’s not easy to let go of our hurts, but he will give you the grace to forgive.

· Be honest with God – Cry out to God; tell him exactly how you feel. He won’t be surprised or upset by your anger, hurt, insecurity, or bitterness.

© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
Jon Walker is a pastor-advocate living in Tennessee and the former pastor of communications at Saddleback Church.© 2007 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

Rght decision, major change. Trust, FAITH

It's the first day of August, and soon it will be over. Time is fleeting.

I am in the middle of "thinking and praying" to make/choose the RIGHT DECISION that will bring forth a MAJOR CHANGE in our life. I've had many wrong turns and decisions in life before and I would be lying if I say I don't regret it at all. There were even moments that I wished I could turn back the time so I can correct those mistakes but knowing that it is impossible I moved on and chose to just learn form them and be wiser enough not to repeat them.

How I wish, God has not given us the free will to choose for our own, wouldn't it be better if HE will decide and choose for us? after all He knows what's best for us. But of course, God wants us to TRUST HIM and He wants it every time we are in the crossroad and that we do not know what lies ahead. He wants us to have that FAITH.

And I wish I am only making decision like choose what is the best motorhome repairs or where to eat for dinner or what is the best coffee there is but sad to say I am not.

Whatever I choose I just hope and pray I'll be happy and secure not because I made the right decision but because I trusted HIM.

Thankful Thursday - PEACE

John 14:27 (Amplified® Bible) 

"Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give {and} bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love the amplified version of this particular verse, it says very clearly to us that we should stop worrying about everything. So today I am thankful that even in the midst of changes and needs and a lot of things to worry about. God has given us His own PEACE and guess what? God's PEACE is a deep, spiritual peace unaffected by the world. Praise HIM for that!!

I have needs, I have bills to settle, debts to pay, health concerns, decisions to make but I have God's PEACE.

Visit Lynn for more thankful entries.

Goodbye Winters

This morning Laura and Sue Winter, flew back to England, last night Rachel Winter went ahead of them. They stayed here in Manila for three weeks and helped us in Fishnets ministries. They were in the feeding ministry, they were also involved in the carnival fair for the kids, and Sue did a talk on nutrition and healthy foods. Laura and Rachel attended youth services, shared their testimony and did a lot of things.

I did not have the chance to see them this morning because our motorbike is broken and we were late so it’s quite sad but we will see each other again soon.

It is always nice when we received visitors from other countries, they got to experience our culture and we on the other hand have a glimpse of theirs.

Last night, they tried to eat balut. (one of the exotic food here in the Philippines). For the duration of their stay here, they ate rice for every meal. They had potatoes for breakfast and a lot more weird and wonderful experience they will never forget.

 

Surely, we will miss you all. We will wait for your next visit. We love you.

Radar detectors

I wish there is some kind of radar detectors that can detect that you are loosing your PR so you can make necessary steps to not lose it at all. You know like the way they are being used by motorists to detect if they are over speeding or not so they will not be issued a ticket.

And don't you wish you have also radar detectors for trials and problems coming in your way so you would know what to do and you could have at least prepared for it? That would be nice right?

You know I  feel a bit sad of losing this blog's PR but blog life has to go on. I'm positive I'm going to get it back soon.

We are back!

We were out of town for three days and we got back yesterday afternoon but I only had the time to post now. We went to Bataan for ministry and recreation as well with our four friends from UK and Holland. We absolutely loved the place. It was a four hour drive from Manila but it's worth it. Here's a view from the rooftop of the house we stayed in.

It is so quiet and peaceful, I actually loved having no internet for a time although there was a Samsung HDTV there is no cable as well so you really have not much distraction from the peacefulness of the place.

This is the vacant lot where a new church building will rise (praying and claiming it in Jesus' name)

I have loads of pictures and will upload them on my next post.

Children's Ministry Update

Last Saturday was the last major activity for our children’s ministry. The Praisin Kids Town (Carnival fair) is an annual event we do for kids who can not afford to go to theme parks and play and get some prizes for themselves. This has been a very very good activity for them since we started it two years ago. We started the day early last Saturday and we are so glad that it didn’t rain until we’re done with the activity.

We expected only a hundred of kids but more than 150 kids came. Good thing we have lots of toys as prizes and we just ordered additional snacks for them. Once again we thank everyone for the support (prayer, money, time) you have given to us.

As usual, we borrowed the neighbor’s car to pick up the kids from their place to the event venue. God bless his soul for being so supportive to us every time. We are really praying because we really need a ministry van for the children’s ministry. I hope someday soon we’ll have one, and of course we do not need those luxury vans that are expensive and have high end car exhaust, we are praying for something like this:

Please pray with us for this vehicle. We need it badly, we will be using that van for museum and park trips for the kids and for the Saturday feeding as well.

And now, we are already planning the Christmas party for the kids which will happen on December 04 ( Saturday) we are hoping we can give each family a grocery bag (something) that they can cook for Christmas eve. I will update everyone with what’s going to happen for the kids party from time to time.

Thank you for being a part for the ministries here in the Philippines, If you want to know more about this Urban Poor ministry you can visit International Teams (Philippines) website.