Bro. Jones received this e-mail from Becky Keep
Dear Friends,
Hello from the Philippines! I trust this letter finds you all doing well and enjoying the beginning of spring.
I am writing this letter to make you aware of an urgent need of one of our dear pastors wives. Many of you are aware of the serious heart condition of Sis. Rufina Dirilo. She is only 30 years old and desperately in need of a mitral valve replacement. While we have known about this for sometime, Rufina has been managed nicely with medications and has been treated by a very good cardiologist in Manila.
Because this operation is extremely costly (somewhere between $10 and $12,000) and the mission medical fund is quite limited, Rufina was informed about a program through social services here in the Philippines that would pay for nearly half of the cost. She has spent the past 10 months filling out mountains of paperwork, standing in countless lines for hours at a time and making many, many trips to Manila to meet all the requirements in order to avail herself of this help. We were so thrilled when she was approved and placed on a waiting list where she was number 7 in line for surgery. While we were home this past year, and through some recent church contributions, we have been able to raise the other half (around $6000). (We praise God for the love and generosity of God’s people!) Rufina’s surgery was scheduled for Jan. 28, 2005. Shortly before this scheduled date she was informed that there was a more urgent patient than she and was bumped from her place on the list. They have rescheduled her surgery countless times only to call and cancel it the week before. This has been the story for the past 4 months.
Sadly, Rufina’s condition is deteriorating rapidly. She is losing weight and is unable to do her cooking, laundry or cleaning. She spends much of her time sleeping. Her doctor is adamant that she needs to have the surgery immediately. Just this week however, the social services have admitted that they have no money with which to help her. We of course know that corruption is the cause. Those who have money to pay in full are being put first. We now believe that without the funds to pay for the whole cost of the surgery, Rufina will be unable to have the surgery. We have decided to make an appeal to you, to raise the remaining funds for this surgery.
Rufina has placed her life and future in the hands of God. She understands even in her fear and frustration, that it isn’t ultimately those who are corrupt who control her destiny, it is the Lord. As she sat in our living room today, and as we prayed together, I was reminded of the scripture in Psalms 22:24, “He does not neglect the poor or ignore their suffering: he does not turn away from them but answers when they call for help.”
Our appeal to you is for two specific things: 1) That the Lord’s will be done and that if it would glorify Him that He would soften the hearts of the hospital Social Service Administrators to schedule Rufina’s surgery right away, and 2) That if this isn’t the Lord’s way of working that He would provide ALL the necessary funds ($6,000.00 more) for private pay. If the Lord touches your heart we need you to respond right away!
Thank you for taking the time to read of this urgent need!
Sincerely,
Becky Keep
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Monday, April 11, 2005
Another Easter Report, etc...
Dear Conference Update Family,
Here is another Easter report from Bro. Hilling about Vandercook.
....We had a great Easter Sunday ... 101 in attendance - 1 to the altar. On
Palm Sunday we had three praying at the altar. God has given me several
new people that I am working alot with recently.
-Rev. Chris Hilling
Praise the Lord for what is going on in Vandercook!
God has blessed us here at Rock Lake with a very special ministry of the Spirit through Bro. Don Davison. The pastor himself could not have spoken more on target for the congregation and their needs. Isn't the Spirit's leadership awesome? I am absolutely amazed! This morning the sanctuary stinks of old stale cigarette smoke. It must be from the clothes of some new folks that were there yesterday. Thank God for the stink! Give us more, Lord, give us more! God is working on a true revival level -- changing homes, relationships and lives. Wow.
You might be interested in having Bro. Davison for revival meeting at your church!
Saundy and I will be away for a couple of nights of R & R and will return on Wednesday. I am to be in Dawn Valley for this weekend and then to IHC for next week. Let's pray for God's blessings on the services there. Missions Boards will be held on Friday after IHC at God's Bible School.
God bless each of you!
Love in Christ,
Blake and Saundy Jones
Here is another Easter report from Bro. Hilling about Vandercook.
....We had a great Easter Sunday ... 101 in attendance - 1 to the altar. On
Palm Sunday we had three praying at the altar. God has given me several
new people that I am working alot with recently.
-Rev. Chris Hilling
Praise the Lord for what is going on in Vandercook!
God has blessed us here at Rock Lake with a very special ministry of the Spirit through Bro. Don Davison. The pastor himself could not have spoken more on target for the congregation and their needs. Isn't the Spirit's leadership awesome? I am absolutely amazed! This morning the sanctuary stinks of old stale cigarette smoke. It must be from the clothes of some new folks that were there yesterday. Thank God for the stink! Give us more, Lord, give us more! God is working on a true revival level -- changing homes, relationships and lives. Wow.
You might be interested in having Bro. Davison for revival meeting at your church!
Saundy and I will be away for a couple of nights of R & R and will return on Wednesday. I am to be in Dawn Valley for this weekend and then to IHC for next week. Let's pray for God's blessings on the services there. Missions Boards will be held on Friday after IHC at God's Bible School.
God bless each of you!
Love in Christ,
Blake and Saundy Jones
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Mission Update from John Parker
Dear Bible Methodist Missions Prayer Partners and Supporters:
Exciting things are happening in Bible Methodist Missions! As I just reported after returning from South Africa, God is truly moving among hungry hearts there! Satan is fighting desperately to keep the people depressed, divided, and defeated, but God is at work! Please pray that the Holy Spirit will turn the hearts of the people to love God with all their hearts and one another with Divine Love! This will truly bring the Revival we need in South Africa!
It seems that God has refreshed the hearts and ministry of Edwin and Rita Tomes in this time of transition. I was privileged to witness the outpouring of love and honor on dear Bro. Tomes as I traveled throughout the work there recently. Many faithful years of labor have been invested in these dear people and it seems that they have taken the Tomes for granted. Now that they are transitioning into something else, the people have realized just how blessed they have been! This has been good for the Tomes and for the nationals in Mexico! I am so thankful for the expressions of Love and Support for the Tomes there. Remember that we will be honoring the Tomes in a Special Celebration of their many years of faithful service to Bible Methodist Missions in our Missions Day services in each of our Camp Meetings this summer. Plan to make a special card or poster to honor them and bring it to camp meeting! We will be handing out a Thank You card and Envelope in the service for a Love Offering for the Tomes.
I visited a beautiful little village in Oaxaca state where a congregation of Bible Methodists worship named Las Palmas. This little group have totally outgrown their little crude church building and need to rebuild. They have been giving and saving to build. They had the sand and gravel there to begin pouring the concrete. If any church would feel moved of the Lord to help build this little church it would be a great blessing. They need about $2,500.00 to make up the difference in what they can raise and what it will take. This is a VERY poor area of Mexico! Maybe God would speak to someone or to a church to make it possible for the village of Las Palmas to have a new church.
One of our dear faithful Mexican Bible Methodist National Pastors, Bro. Seferino is dying with Cancer. He is the grandfather of our Bible Institute President, Rev. Elias Balderas. This dear pastor needs our prayers and his family as well as he suffers. If any would like to send a card and a little love offering to help them with the medical expenses, you may send it to the Tomes. Please pray for this dear family!
As always, the work in the Philippines is blazing ahead! Revival fires are still burning in spite of the Devil's attacks on our leadership, on our Missionaries and on the work itself. Continue to pray for Becky Keep's health! My last information is that she was doing better. We need to hold her up before God for His touch on her and her pregnancy, and for a healthy baby!
There are three exciting things on the horizon for the work in the Philippines!
#1) - Work on the new National Conference Center has begun in Illagan! Please remember and remind others to Pray and faithfully give as they have pledged and feel God would impress them to for this project. We are dependant on God's help and your support!
#2) - A team will leave on April 23 for the Philippines to travel to each of the 4 Conferences and hold 2 day Camp Meetings there. Pastor Doug Eads from the Ada Chapel Bible Methodist Church in Alabama, Youth Pastor Travis Johnson from Frankfort, IN and myself will make up the team. It should be an exciting trip! We will be hiking into some of the new areas for some of these services. There are many needs! There is also a need for finances to help with food, travel and the expenses involved in each of these camp meetings. Bro. Keep has written to ask if any would be willing to give an offering for the expenses of the Camp Meetings. Bro. Brugger set a great precedent when he purchased pigs to feed the crowds. We would like to do that again! Here is a breakdown of the needed funds for the Camp Meetings...
- Four Pigs at $150.00 each = $600.00
- Rice - $100.00
- Travel - $500.00
- Misc. Expenses - $200.00
Anything that you can do to help with this..... "BUY A PIG!" (or half a pig!) or a bag of Rice for $25.00... will be greatly appreciated! Send your offerings to Bible Methodist Missions Treasurer at P.O. Box 18128 Elsmere, KY 41018 marked for Philippine Camp Meetings.
#3) - A medical Missions team from God's Bible School is going to the Philippines this summer. There is a possibility that a Christian Filipino Dr. and Dentist will accompany them to minister to the physical needs of the Ifagau people in the mountains. There are so many needs there as you will read below in the comment of the Dr. . To make this trip a success, medicines, injections, and finances are needed. A highly trained nurse is offering to go with the team (a graduate of GBS who has just moved to Alabama) if she can raise the funds. I am including the list of Meds and comments of the Filipino Dr. below and asking that if any have contacts which would enable the team to take the meds listed with them to contact me. Also, if any could give to enable the nurse to go on this team it would be appreciated. This is an exciting and wonderful opportunity! I trust we will be able to see it be successful!
Victoria Ang wrote:
Greetings! Thank you very much for your great help. In my last communication with Mrs. Keep they are hoping to help about a thousand people in Ifuagao. By experience, 70% of the patients are at pediatric age group. The following are the most common medicines we use in our medical missions:
Acetaminophen drops/syrup/tabs
Ibuprofen tablet
Naproxene
Multivitamins drops/syrup/tablets ( most patients would like to have this. Malnutrition is high )
Iron prep drops/syrup/tab
deworming prep syrup/tab ( pyrantel )
Antibiotics ( to complete 7 days dose )
Amoxicillin drops/susp 250mg/5ml/500mg cap
Co-amoxiclav 312mg susp/625mgtab/1gmtab
cefuroxime 250 susp/tab,500mg tab
clarithromycin 125mgsusp/250tab/500tab
oxacillin susp/500mgcap
cefalexin drops/250sup/500mg cap
Ciprofloxacin cap
Topical oint
Antibacterial/antifungal
hydrocortisone
permethrin lotion
antihypertensive tabs
mucolytic drops/syrup/tabs
bronchodilator syrup/tab /inhalers
antacids
Eye /ears antibiotics drops
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT FOR THESE NEEDS!
I am enroute to Penn View Bible Institute for their Missions Conference. I will be speaking in the Wednesday and Thursday night services of this conference! Please pray that the Lord of Harvest will call forth Laborers into His Harvest during this Conference! I want to be a part of what HE is doing !
SEEKING HIS KINGDOM FIRST
John D. Parker - Bible Methodist Missions
JPARKER@BMMISSIONS.ORG
Exciting things are happening in Bible Methodist Missions! As I just reported after returning from South Africa, God is truly moving among hungry hearts there! Satan is fighting desperately to keep the people depressed, divided, and defeated, but God is at work! Please pray that the Holy Spirit will turn the hearts of the people to love God with all their hearts and one another with Divine Love! This will truly bring the Revival we need in South Africa!
It seems that God has refreshed the hearts and ministry of Edwin and Rita Tomes in this time of transition. I was privileged to witness the outpouring of love and honor on dear Bro. Tomes as I traveled throughout the work there recently. Many faithful years of labor have been invested in these dear people and it seems that they have taken the Tomes for granted. Now that they are transitioning into something else, the people have realized just how blessed they have been! This has been good for the Tomes and for the nationals in Mexico! I am so thankful for the expressions of Love and Support for the Tomes there. Remember that we will be honoring the Tomes in a Special Celebration of their many years of faithful service to Bible Methodist Missions in our Missions Day services in each of our Camp Meetings this summer. Plan to make a special card or poster to honor them and bring it to camp meeting! We will be handing out a Thank You card and Envelope in the service for a Love Offering for the Tomes.
I visited a beautiful little village in Oaxaca state where a congregation of Bible Methodists worship named Las Palmas. This little group have totally outgrown their little crude church building and need to rebuild. They have been giving and saving to build. They had the sand and gravel there to begin pouring the concrete. If any church would feel moved of the Lord to help build this little church it would be a great blessing. They need about $2,500.00 to make up the difference in what they can raise and what it will take. This is a VERY poor area of Mexico! Maybe God would speak to someone or to a church to make it possible for the village of Las Palmas to have a new church.
One of our dear faithful Mexican Bible Methodist National Pastors, Bro. Seferino is dying with Cancer. He is the grandfather of our Bible Institute President, Rev. Elias Balderas. This dear pastor needs our prayers and his family as well as he suffers. If any would like to send a card and a little love offering to help them with the medical expenses, you may send it to the Tomes. Please pray for this dear family!
As always, the work in the Philippines is blazing ahead! Revival fires are still burning in spite of the Devil's attacks on our leadership, on our Missionaries and on the work itself. Continue to pray for Becky Keep's health! My last information is that she was doing better. We need to hold her up before God for His touch on her and her pregnancy, and for a healthy baby!
There are three exciting things on the horizon for the work in the Philippines!
#1) - Work on the new National Conference Center has begun in Illagan! Please remember and remind others to Pray and faithfully give as they have pledged and feel God would impress them to for this project. We are dependant on God's help and your support!
#2) - A team will leave on April 23 for the Philippines to travel to each of the 4 Conferences and hold 2 day Camp Meetings there. Pastor Doug Eads from the Ada Chapel Bible Methodist Church in Alabama, Youth Pastor Travis Johnson from Frankfort, IN and myself will make up the team. It should be an exciting trip! We will be hiking into some of the new areas for some of these services. There are many needs! There is also a need for finances to help with food, travel and the expenses involved in each of these camp meetings. Bro. Keep has written to ask if any would be willing to give an offering for the expenses of the Camp Meetings. Bro. Brugger set a great precedent when he purchased pigs to feed the crowds. We would like to do that again! Here is a breakdown of the needed funds for the Camp Meetings...
- Four Pigs at $150.00 each = $600.00
- Rice - $100.00
- Travel - $500.00
- Misc. Expenses - $200.00
Anything that you can do to help with this..... "BUY A PIG!" (or half a pig!) or a bag of Rice for $25.00... will be greatly appreciated! Send your offerings to Bible Methodist Missions Treasurer at P.O. Box 18128 Elsmere, KY 41018 marked for Philippine Camp Meetings.
#3) - A medical Missions team from God's Bible School is going to the Philippines this summer. There is a possibility that a Christian Filipino Dr. and Dentist will accompany them to minister to the physical needs of the Ifagau people in the mountains. There are so many needs there as you will read below in the comment of the Dr. . To make this trip a success, medicines, injections, and finances are needed. A highly trained nurse is offering to go with the team (a graduate of GBS who has just moved to Alabama) if she can raise the funds. I am including the list of Meds and comments of the Filipino Dr. below and asking that if any have contacts which would enable the team to take the meds listed with them to contact me. Also, if any could give to enable the nurse to go on this team it would be appreciated. This is an exciting and wonderful opportunity! I trust we will be able to see it be successful!
Victoria Ang
Greetings! Thank you very much for your great help. In my last communication with Mrs. Keep they are hoping to help about a thousand people in Ifuagao. By experience, 70% of the patients are at pediatric age group. The following are the most common medicines we use in our medical missions:
Acetaminophen drops/syrup/tabs
Ibuprofen tablet
Naproxene
Multivitamins drops/syrup/tablets ( most patients would like to have this. Malnutrition is high )
Iron prep drops/syrup/tab
deworming prep syrup/tab ( pyrantel )
Antibiotics ( to complete 7 days dose )
Amoxicillin drops/susp 250mg/5ml/500mg cap
Co-amoxiclav 312mg susp/625mgtab/1gmtab
cefuroxime 250 susp/tab,500mg tab
clarithromycin 125mgsusp/250tab/500tab
oxacillin susp/500mgcap
cefalexin drops/250sup/500mg cap
Ciprofloxacin cap
Topical oint
Antibacterial/antifungal
hydrocortisone
permethrin lotion
antihypertensive tabs
mucolytic drops/syrup/tabs
bronchodilator syrup/tab /inhalers
antacids
Eye /ears antibiotics drops
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT FOR THESE NEEDS!
I am enroute to Penn View Bible Institute for their Missions Conference. I will be speaking in the Wednesday and Thursday night services of this conference! Please pray that the Lord of Harvest will call forth Laborers into His Harvest during this Conference! I want to be a part of what HE is doing !
SEEKING HIS KINGDOM FIRST
John D. Parker - Bible Methodist Missions
JPARKER@BMMISSIONS.ORG
Friday, April 01, 2005
Evart Easter Report
UPDATE READERS,
HERE IS BROTHER HOBBS REPORT FROM EVART.
B. J.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Sir,
Wow! I am thankful for the request to share about Resurrection weekend. Our congregation was blessed to be engaged in the Celebration in one way or the other over the whole weekend.
Sunday morning was a special time of real celebration. It seemed that the singing could have lasted for a long time. We were really blessed with a special grace for worship. Sunday morning was also when we did our dedication for Ashley Bishop (our TLC summer missionary). After the singing and offering, Ashley shared what God has given to her as an opportunity and desire. The Emery Boys sang, "I was the Reason", and then I had the privilege of speaking to a very full house about the reasons for remembering the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. After the message the Teen class then gathered around Ashley laid hands on her and prayed for God's blessing. It was a beautiful time. I've come to realize that I love preaching to full front rows!
Sunday afternoon we were priveleged to have a church carry-in dinner at Pine View's gym and what a time of fellowship and interaction it was. It was wonderful to see the interaction between believer's and their interaction with the unbelievers that were there.
By 3 o'clock we were back at the church for a beautifully done cantata entitled - "Behold the Lamb". Our church choir was led by a very capable, Spirit-led, senior brother who has had ongoing contact with our congregation over the years. It was a beautiful presentation which also concluded our formal times of worship for the day (ie., no evening service). The remainder of the day was spent enjoying the beauty of the day God had given to us. Resurrection Sunday is my favorite.
HERE IS BROTHER HOBBS REPORT FROM EVART.
B. J.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Sir,
Wow! I am thankful for the request to share about Resurrection weekend. Our congregation was blessed to be engaged in the Celebration in one way or the other over the whole weekend.
Sunday morning was a special time of real celebration. It seemed that the singing could have lasted for a long time. We were really blessed with a special grace for worship. Sunday morning was also when we did our dedication for Ashley Bishop (our TLC summer missionary). After the singing and offering, Ashley shared what God has given to her as an opportunity and desire. The Emery Boys sang, "I was the Reason", and then I had the privilege of speaking to a very full house about the reasons for remembering the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. After the message the Teen class then gathered around Ashley laid hands on her and prayed for God's blessing. It was a beautiful time. I've come to realize that I love preaching to full front rows!
Sunday afternoon we were priveleged to have a church carry-in dinner at Pine View's gym and what a time of fellowship and interaction it was. It was wonderful to see the interaction between believer's and their interaction with the unbelievers that were there.
By 3 o'clock we were back at the church for a beautifully done cantata entitled - "Behold the Lamb". Our church choir was led by a very capable, Spirit-led, senior brother who has had ongoing contact with our congregation over the years. It was a beautiful presentation which also concluded our formal times of worship for the day (ie., no evening service). The remainder of the day was spent enjoying the beauty of the day God had given to us. Resurrection Sunday is my favorite.
Rock Lake Easter Report
Update readers,
It dawned on me that I had asked for church Easter reports but didn't give our own. So, here goes...
In the Sunday School, the superintendent (Daron J.) shared the story of Jeremy and the empty egg. His heart was touched and melted as he expressed the new meaning the empty tomb brought to him. Daron has been accepted at veterinary college in Lansing, so we are going to miss Daron and Amber when they move to be closer to the school.
Easter Sundays offer varying challenges -- especially if a number of the people travel to be with their extended families. We were somewhere in the middle of that kind of a scenario, but we had a wonderful day! Pastor Bailey preached on the meaning of Easter -- Faith, Freedom, Power, Peace, and Hope. He did really well. I spoke in the evening service about the Covenant Sacrifice, Covenant Blood and the Covenant Meal. I tried to explaint these, first with the OT Covenant and then with the New Covenant. The celebration of communion is our covenant meal with the God who said that He would be our God and we would be His people. We finished the service sharing communion among the lilies. The white lilies, the white communion cloth, the white burning candles were bright with the reminder of pure hope and the offer of purity. God is at work among us in establishing and settling grace. A group of the young people are setting at the front and that always sets a special tone in a church.
Tomorrow some of our men are taking trucks and trailers to Belding to pick up mattresses, and other camp items that are being given to us.
Next week, Thursday April 7- Sunday, April 10, the Davison Family will be with us for a Spring Revival. Bro. Don Davison will be preaching and his family singing. Hey, come and join us!!!!
It dawned on me that I had asked for church Easter reports but didn't give our own. So, here goes...
In the Sunday School, the superintendent (Daron J.) shared the story of Jeremy and the empty egg. His heart was touched and melted as he expressed the new meaning the empty tomb brought to him. Daron has been accepted at veterinary college in Lansing, so we are going to miss Daron and Amber when they move to be closer to the school.
Easter Sundays offer varying challenges -- especially if a number of the people travel to be with their extended families. We were somewhere in the middle of that kind of a scenario, but we had a wonderful day! Pastor Bailey preached on the meaning of Easter -- Faith, Freedom, Power, Peace, and Hope. He did really well. I spoke in the evening service about the Covenant Sacrifice, Covenant Blood and the Covenant Meal. I tried to explaint these, first with the OT Covenant and then with the New Covenant. The celebration of communion is our covenant meal with the God who said that He would be our God and we would be His people. We finished the service sharing communion among the lilies. The white lilies, the white communion cloth, the white burning candles were bright with the reminder of pure hope and the offer of purity. God is at work among us in establishing and settling grace. A group of the young people are setting at the front and that always sets a special tone in a church.
Tomorrow some of our men are taking trucks and trailers to Belding to pick up mattresses, and other camp items that are being given to us.
Next week, Thursday April 7- Sunday, April 10, the Davison Family will be with us for a Spring Revival. Bro. Don Davison will be preaching and his family singing. Hey, come and join us!!!!
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