“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” (Ephesians 3:20) Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the verge of purchasing another piece of property for our church! When we purchased our current property a couple of years ago, humanly speaking, the decision did not make sense! We knew that it wouldn’t be enough space for our long-term growth, and at the same time, there were several other pieces of property for sale that were larger and selling at a cheaper rate per square meter. It just didn’t make sense, but God’s leading was exceptionally clear! So, we stepped out on faith and purchased the property with the help of many of our friends and supporting churches. Over the next eight months, God proved Himself faithful once again as we set out to build our church building. Every single month, we had just enough extra support to continue the building project without pause.
I never doubted that purchasing our current property was the right decision, BUT NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY. As we were considering various pieces of property back in 2021, God knew that the property directly across the street from what is now our current location was already under foreclosure by the bank. The owners of the property were fighting the foreclosure in court and had been fighting it since 2018, but we had no idea about any of that! When God began clearly leading me to purchase our current property with its limiting size and more expensive rate, He knew that the property across the street would soon be available to purchase. Earlier this year, after five to six years of court battles, the bank finally won the case and placed the property on the market at an extremely discounted rate! For the sake of comparison, we paid 5,900 pesos per square meter for our current property. I know of a neighbor who paid 7,000! Due to the fact that it is a foreclosure, the bank is only asking 2,000 pesos per square meter! That being said, when the property went up for sale, we had no money to buy it. We had sunk everything into our current property and church building. When I found out how much the bank was asking for the property, which, by the way, is almost five times the size of our current property, I immediately thought that God just might be planning to give it to us. However, I knew that He would have to do it—and He did! I do not have space in this letter to tell how God went about it, but we now have enough money committed to purchase the property. Obviously, we are still trusting God to bring the funds in, but there is no doubt in my mind: He’s the one who started this, and He will finish what He started! Thank you for your friendship, prayers, and faithful support.
Dividends on Your Investment
Winning souls to Christ is always encouraging, but it is especially encouraging when it includes your own children. On Wednesday, November 1, I took my daughter Beth to make a visit after our midweek Bible study. One of our faithful teenage girls named Anna was absent that night, and I wanted to check on her. When we reached Anna’s area, we found out that she was staying at her grand-mother’s house, located somewhere up on the side of the mountain. I asked for her grandmother’s full name, and we set out to find her house. Due to the fact that both Beth and I speak fluent Visayan, it wasn’t too difficult, and about 15-20 minutes later, we were halfway up the mountain talking to the grandmother. Within minutes, a small crowd began to form around the two Visayan-speaking “white people.” By that time, it was probably 8:45 p.m., and I was exhausted from a very busy day. Witnessing to a crowd of curious neighbors was not on my “to-do list”! In the ensuing argument with the Holy Spirit, all of my excuses were quickly disposed of, and I began sharing the Gospel with the grandmother and several other neighbors. At the same time, Beth began witnessing to a small group of Anna’s friends around the corner. As I began witnessing, other neighbors came out of their houses and sat down to listen. When I finished sharing the Gospel, 8 precious souls made a decision to put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, including Anna’s grandmother and another elderly lady who, unbeknownst to me, was listening from a second-story window directly behind me! As I prepared to leave, I suddenly realized that I had no idea where Beth was, so I told everyone goodbye and hurried back down the stairs that were carved into the side of the mountain. About 30 feet down the slope, I saw Beth witnessing to a crowd of young people under a native-style shelter! I stood quietly outside the shelter and listened. I had never heard her witness before due to the fact that I usually walk away so as not to make her nervous. However, this time I listened, and I was thrilled! Her Gospel presentation was clear as crystal and presented in very “Filipino” Visayan. As I listened to her clearly explain that salvation is by faith alone, I wanted to cry! By the time we left the area that night, a total of 19 souls had put their faith in Jesus Christ!
Yours for souls,
Mike Morrissey