“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”
(I Timothy 1:12)
In June of 2008 when my wife and I followed God’s leading to work full-time in Burauen, we experienced a variety of trials and still are at this present time. Yet, through it all, God’s grace is more than and always sufficient for us. He is indeed good all the time. His faithfulness and guidance cannot be denied. I remember when Sofia, a year old at that time, would help us pass out Gospel tracts on Saturdays during visitation. Now, by God’s grace, she is already a seventh grader. Hadassah, now seven years old, is in second grade. Seeing our kids grow up is a manifestation of God’s goodness to us.
His goodness is also visible in the church. Last June 16, we honored 11 faithful fathers in our church on Father’s Day and presented them with a simple gift. It’s a blessing to be surrounded by godly fathers. As the saying goes, “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” On the same day, one of our faithful young people, Mitch Refuerzo, became part of the church through baptism. Through her testimony, her older brother Mark is now coming to church regularly. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will work in his heart as well.
As a pastor, one of my goals is to personally teach and train our young people and young adults the importance of soul winning and being actively involved in this area. For five weeks, I held classes two nights a week from 7:00 – 9:00. I am praying that the lessons they learned will be instilled in their hearts and put into action.
On July 7, the young people and young adults enjoyed a fun-filled day playing volleyball, basketball, and other relays. The activity ended with a refreshment of flavorful ice cream and delectable donuts.
In August, the ladies also had a wonderful time learning a new craft—cross stitching. It was something new for most of them, and I’m glad that they all had a wonderful time.
Prayer Request
For several months now, we have been praying and planning to start a mission work in the Municipality of Dagami. Dagami has a population of 35,147 and 65 barangays. Just like any other place in the Philippines, this municipality is dominated by Roman Catholicism. Please do pray for us.
Once again, thank you for your faithfulness and prayers. May God’s blessings be upon you.
In Christ,
The Javier Family
Missionaries in the Philippines