God BLESS you, precious prayer warriors!  God continues to amaze me!!!!!

 We participated in another "feeding program" for the children and their parents in barangay Baye of Mambosao, and there were 128 children and about 35 adults.  I believe they were all Christian already, due to the continual outreach efforts there.  But they are very poor farming families, and it is a blessing for them to have a weekly feeding program that also includes praise and worship and Christian instruction for the children primarily.  Kind of reminds me of Adopt-A-Block back home!  YEA!

We also gave away the last of the Bibles and the last of the first 250 eyeglasses here today!  The other 250 pair of eyeglasses (donated by the Lions Club) will go with me on Saturday morning when I fly into Manila, and on to Bongabon, Nueva Ecija on the island of Luzon for my final 2 weeks of ministry here.

On Wednesday 2-23-11 sister Cherra and sister Helen and I again went door-to-door in the barangay Bulabud, and we visited with 8 women, and 7 of them received Jesus.  Just to let you know, I realize that the numbers of those coming to Jesus seems astounding, but please understand some of them are flat out nonbelievers of any sort, and some of them are caught up in Catholicism and they do not know Jesus as Lord and are not at ALL sure of salvation, have no idea they can have a personal relationship with Jesus.  I DO question them, and answer their questions, and be sure they understand, and that they really do want a born-again relationship with Jesus.  After praying with them, I encourage them, give them some suggestions to continue on with their walk with Jesus, and encourage them to come to Pastor Billy's church.

Did you know that Pastor Billy and his family were the first born-again Christians in this entire area here?  And that at one point one of the town's people came with a machete and wanted to kill Pastor Billy's wife Linda.  She was in the church praying when he came in very angry, threatening to kill her, and she began screaming.  The man lifted his machete to kill her....and he could not move his arm!  It was frozen in place, in mid-air!  He could not move his arm! So he ran out of the church, arm still frozen up in the air, and left her alone!  TRULY we serve an AMAZING God!!!  At that time they had a small bamboo hut with the roof partly gone, for their church.  When it rained, the people inside would have to move their bench to a different location within the hut, so the rain would not fall on them through the roof.  Then some Korean Christians heard about Billy and his church and came to see it. They were literally moved to tears at the condition of the church.and within 1 week they had supplied all of the money necessary to build a concrete church for Pastor Billy!  The name of Pastor Billy's church is Immanuel Christian Church.  Just thought you would be interested to know this.

Tomorrow morning (Friday Feb 25) I will be helping to baptize 4 people in the river at 8am. Then from 10-3 I will be teaching a women's seminar, providing lunch for them, and providing various gifts that I brought with me (that several of you have provided!).  We have invited the women from this barangay (Sipac) and also several surrounding barangays, and MANY of them are not saved.  Many are also newly saved, and some of course are from the church.  We are believing for God to move powerfully during this seminar, and we are also believing for a rich harvest of souls!  Please pray specifically for this.

I expect my next report to be sometime next week, after I am in Luzon.  God BLESS you, and thank you for your prayers!  They are needed, felt, and SO appreciated!

With MUCH love,

Connnie has been having trouble accessing the website to give you her most recent updates from her trip.  Here are some excerpts for those of you who are following along.

Good morning precious ones!  God BLESS you!

I am now in Poblacion Proper (barangay), Mambusao (town), Capiz (province), Panay Island, hosted by Pastor Armando Salistre, who is a dear ministry friend of Pastor Billy Aclo, my host here for the first 2 weeks.

Yesterday, Sunday, I preached in Pastor Armando's church, and we also had a "feast" afterwards!  We also gave the "kids kits" to all of the children there, and distributed eyeglasses to those who found glasses that worked for them.

In the afternoon we went to an outreach that is a feeding program for the children of the barangay Bato-Bato.  There a lot of children here, and most are not Christian in this place.  But one of the church members lives here, and so we have an opening to minister here!  There were about 55 children and about 9 adults present for the weekly time of teaching about Jesus and feeding them, children and adults.  Then Billy and I ministered about salvation with animated stories (animated by us, ha ha!) and also with a short puppet show.  We then were able to give the "kids kits" to all of the children!  What fun!  What a blessing!

Then the adults gathered to see if they could find eyeglasses, and most all did find a pair that worked for them!  We have them "test" the eyeglasses with reading from the Bible!

We were all packed up, literally getting in the car, when 7 other women came who heard about the eyeglasses, and so we of course unpacked.  Billy and I told them the gospel message of Jesus Christ, answered their questions, talked with them, and then led all 7 ladies in prayers of salvation to Jesus.  The church will follow up with them. Then all 7 ladies were also able to find eyeglasses that worked for them!  What a blessing!!!

We seriously want to do an all-out medical mission here next January.....medical, dental and vision.  We have a lot of plans in our hearts, and are seeking the Lord as to HIS will and timing on all.  You will be hearing more on this "bye and by" (Filipino for "in a little while").

We are fortunate that in Poblacion Proper we are in a town, and not a small barangay, and so the internet is just 3 blocks from the church where Pastor Billy and I have been sleeping.  He is sleeping on a hard wooden bench, and I am blessed to actually be sleeping in a bed with a mattress about 3" thick!  And even a pillow!  They have also provided a mosquito net for me, which trust me, is needed!

For those who are wondering, I am doing very well physically!  My daughters thought that perhaps I would lose weight while I"m here, but........I'm wondering if I will actually GAIN weight here!  ha ha! They feed me well!  I am well taken care of and my physical body is doing well and is strong. AMAZING to me that I am actually sleeping 7-8 hours a night!  UNHEARD of for me!!!!!  I am one who typically "burns the candle at both ends", and yet, here they turn the lights out around 9pm, so no choice for me but to go to sleep, unless I stay up for a while with my flashlight reading my Bible, which I often do.  But then we are up with the crack of dawn, taking a COLD bath out of the bucket, and start our day!

We are taking videos everyday with the camcorder that Arica Velasquez lent to me (THANK YOU ARICA!!!)  We think we will be able to buy a "chip" for the camcorder so that I can take many more videos.  My intent it so have a beautiful time of fellowship when I return home and invite all of you to come and share in hearing and seeing all that the LORD has done!!!!!  Almost crying now as I think of ALL that HE has done already!  WHAT A FAITHFUL AND SMART AND CREATIVE GOD WE SERVE!!!

God BLESS you!  THANK YOU for your faithful prayers for us!  They are needed, felt, and appreciated!  I am at GREAT PEACE in our God!!!  And for those of you who know my past many years of missionary work, YES, I think there will be many more trips for the Lord!!!  For those who truly know my heart and past in all of this, you can only imagine how excited and humbled I am at that thought!!!  All glory to our great God!!!

 God BLESS you!

 Love, Connie

2/20/2011