Some say that the first few months of long-term mission work are all about survival. Looking back, by God’s grace, we have managed a little more than that. As expected, we’ve had our fair share of highs and lows already.
It would seem that, since our arrival, blessings and trials have been handed out in equal measure. But all in all, we feel very much that the Lord is at work in Santa Maria, equipping us as we seek to be a witness for the truth to those trapped in false religion, and enabling us to take our first steps towards the planting of a church in this spiritually needy district of Bulacan.
Reuben regularly leads two evangelistic Bible study groups – one house group and one gathering at an outdoor coffee stall. In total, 18 unbelievers are hearing and engaging with the gospel on a weekly basis.
There have also been opportunities to preach the word to various local church congregations, an unreached tribal group, in a municipal jail (as a visitor) and most recently at a hospital (as a patient). Reuben was admitted at the end of July after testing positive for a serious infection transmitted by mosquitoes – just a day before we were due to fly back to the UK. Dengue fever is endemic to the region that we are living in, especially common as the season changes, and everything looked very uncertain for a few days, until God wonderfully answered the prayers of His people on our behalf. Reuben has now been discharged and is regaining strength.
Although we missed our flight, that time in hospital was not for nothing. Over the course of those days, Reuben was able to pray and study the word each night with the 11 other patients he shared a room with – most especially a young man named Joey. On the last day in the ward, we were able to give out Bibles and lead a Sunday service for all the patients, including the nurses, who occasionally entered the room to take our blood pressure, but stayed behind to hear the gospel.
Pray that the seed which was sown would lead to the fruit of salvation!
