THANK YOU

Our thanks to you and grateful hearts are lifted to God for being allowed to serve with the youth of the Philippines. Please continue to pray for us (Rodger and Dixie) as we train Youth Workers and Youth Leaders. There are more than 10 million youth on just our island…. "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2

MISSION TRIP

Team members building the partitions for the VBS




Rodger helping a class with their burnt match-stick crosses craft.

Steal the Bacon was a new game and enjoyed by all

The first Mathetes Mission Trip began yesterday with a group of 14 working together to share a Vacation Bible School with the children of San Simon Church of Christ. The Barangay (local government) has allowed us to use the community covered basketball court for the VBS. Yesterday walls of flattened and woven bamboo wall panels were built in the shape of an “X” providing 4 teaching areas.
The children of the neighborhood came to the ball court yesterday—a day early—so we had an impromptu time of singing with them. Today 54 children participated in the VBS. Many of the children who came were hungry (this is a very poor area) so tomorrow we will serve peanut butter sandwiches with juice for the snack instead of cookies and juice.
The purpose of the Mission Trip is to assist the local church but more than that it is to challenge the team members to consider God’s call on their lives and how they can be involved in missions. In addition to their teaching assignments, helping with meals, doing their laundry by hand each night, each team member must read one mission biography during the week, attend the class on Biblical Missions and participate in the Individual Devotion time. As they read the biographies of the pioneer missionaries of the past they are already commenting on how they are being challenged to increase their own faith and dependency on God.
Pray this week for: Alma, Cherry, Joy, MayMay, Vincent, Andy, Eddie, Julius, Jaynnie, Lolit, Jezreel, Rodger, Dixie, Mark. Pray that we hear God speaking to each of us through his word.
Pray for the San Simon Church to be faithful in following up the prospects.
Pray for the children to whom we are ministering.

CAMP

Peter, intern from LCC, shares in the baptisms at the beach along with Mathetes Team Member, Eddie

Camp isn’t all serious. The Amazing Race was a hit. The entire team had to get through the hula-hoop (without touching it.) Can you tell this was after the mud crawl?

Thanks for your prayers during the Southern Teen Camp. Six of the teens accepted Christ as their savior and were baptized during the camp. The baptisms took place at the beach and everyone took the opportunity following the baptisms to go swimming. Both the Northern and Southern Teen camps were very successful as some teens accepted Christ and most of those who were already Christian made commitments to strengthen their relationship with God and to serve Him more completely.

UPDATE AND END OF VACATION

The Baileys in front of their church. The ex-pat church rents the building on Sunday afternoon from the Chinese church—that is registered with the government.

Hi,
It’s been a while since we have posted anything here; technology is wonderful….when it works! Our internet server has been down for the last two weeks and no one seems to know when it will resume functioning again. From what we can learn two thirds of the Philippines is affected. Thanks for being patient with us.
It isn’t only in the Philippines that communications are delayed. For an unknown reason some of our mission mail in the states was greatly delayed in being delivered to our Forwarding Agent in Moweaqua. Envelopes that had been mailed in a six week period (a couple from Moweaqua) were all finally delivered on the same day. The lack of mail that brings in the mission financial support caused us some concern—especially during this economic situation in the world. We praised God when the mail was finally delivered but have no idea of what happened to it in the process.
God is moving in mighty ways in Mindanao Island and we know that we are blessed beyond measure to be accepted by God to be a part of what is happening with the young people.

VACATION
Last week we had the awesome opportunity to go to Shanghai, China! Bob and Amy Bailey and their three children invited us to visit them in their home—all we had to do was buy our air tickets. We were so blessed by their generous hospitality to us. They took us sight seeing over the May Day weekend and then when they returned to work they allowed us to use their driver and van to continue sightseeing on our own. It was amazing and to worship in the church for ex-pats (foreigners) as we realized that this opportunity is not available to most people in China. We thank God for this special gift from the Baileys. It was our first time to visit another country in Asia and we loved it.

VACATION

Hello from Shanghai!

We have been in the Philippines for 21 years and are taking our first vacation to another country in Asia. Rodger met Bob and Amy Bailey when he was visiting a church in Michigan a few years ago. Bob transferred to his company's Shanghai branch and invited us to come and visit-- and . . . . . well . . . . . here we are! The Bailey's along with their three children and Bob's parents visited us in the Philippines last February. The 3 1/2 hour flight took an extra 24 hours because the flight was cancelled on the day we were scheduled to fly.

We are including a photo of us with our good friend Jackie Chan taken today as we went up to the 88th floor observation area of the Jin Mao Building. The 360 degree panorama of Shanghai was unbelievable and beautiful. This is a holiday weekend in China, May 1st, so the Bailey family are all off work or on break from school. They are so graciously hosting us in their home and driving us around Shanghai.

We will return to Digos next week (May 7) in time to participate in the VBS Mission Trip to San Simon Church in Cagayan de Oro.

We are enjoying our time away but anxious to hear how God has used the teen camp to change hearts this past week.

Closed with love and prayers for you,

Rodger and Dixie

PS We really don't know Jackie Chan. We are posing with a stature (most of you figured that out.) In fact when we passed the statue and many other tourist were taking photos with it, Dixie asked who it was.....