The last quarter of 2023 was busy and productive, with exactly 3,000 souls saved. During the entire year of 2023, we saw 9,554 precious souls receive Christ.
Sometimes it’s difficult to write an update or a prayer letter because it seems hard to find enough events to write about during our normal routine. Since we’re immersed in the ministry, sometimes the things that are “routine” to us are actually pretty amazing, when you think about it—downright miraculous!
We’re excited that we were able to resume our high school campus ministry after the pandemic. Once a week, our team goes to a local high school that has 4,999 students and teaches salvation and Biblical character traits from classroom to classroom. The high school staff and faculty are very receptive and helpful. Please pray that God would provide more workers for this tremendous opportunity. We also resumed our jail ministry, with 302 inmates and staff saved during the last quarter of 2023.
Our folks worked hard during our annual Harvest Campaign. We divided our church into 3 teams for 5 weeks and had contests and friendly competition between the groups. During the campaign, we had 219 first-time visitors and 27 baptisms; 102 of those visitors came more than once. At the end of the campaign, we celebrated the bountiful harvest with our annual Harvest Banquet, which coincided with Thanksgiving.
We had our “All Tracts Day” on November 1. It’s our version of “All Saints Day.” Every year, thousands of people go the cemeteries and spend the day at the graves of their loved ones. People tend to be very receptive to the Gospel. This year, we saw 270 souls saved.
I’m grateful for the ladies in our church and all they do. Many of them go soul winning each week, teach in Sunday school, and encourage and help our missionaries. I’m especially grateful for Ester, the wife God gave to me almost 45 years ago. She plans and organizes the feeding for major events, helps care for our people, and, instead of slowing down, seems to gather more steam each year. She heads up and organizes our ladies to do so much in our church and sets a tremendous example of hard work and faithfulness. She takes our ladies out soul winning and recently started a new jeepney route with some of our ladies.
Please pray that more of our young people would surrender to full time service. There is so much to do here in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, and we need more workers. As our Lord commanded us: “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”
Thank you with all of our hearts for giving and praying to keep us in this white harvest field for all these years.
Yours for souls,
Courtney & Ester Godsoe