Pat and I were invited to the Island of Negros, Philippines by Pastors Lemuel and Tess Felicio who have ministered on this Island of Negros for over 25 years. This couple has established ten (10) churches in the area and invited us to come to minister with their evangelistic ministry team.
We arrived in Bias City on the Island of Negros and were the speakers at a Kindergarten Commencement for 4-5 year olds. Although we spoke to the children, their parents were naturally in attendance; many of them without a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as we encouraged both children and parents to give their lives to Jesus and live wholly for the King.
Pat and I preached the Gospel on their local radio program that is broadcast three days a week to an audience of about 30,000 people. A holy highlight was speaking on Good Friday about the Cross and the sufferings that Christ willingly endured for all our sins, sicknesses, and diseases. Some people telephoned or emailed their testimonies into the radio station of what the Lord is currently doing in their lives.
We helped conduct four evangelistic crusades during our trip. Both of us preached the Gospel and we worked closely with the crusade team as hundreds responded to the Lord’s message of salvation through the blood of Christ. Many were healed from sickness and infirmities in their bodies because they placed their trust in Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer! In one crusade site I prayed for five men who had similar lower back problems and God healed the last four that were prayed for! It was wonderful to see the people watch what the Lord was doing during these times as it built faith and confidence in our sovereign God. The follow-up during and after the crusades is wonderful! The cell group leaders are responsible for obtaining names and addresses of new believers, encouraging them to stay connected by plugging them into a local bible study. On the day following the crusade, the crusade team workers meet with the new believers to reaffirm their salvation, present them with a Bible, meet their cell group pastor and plant them into their local cell group for continued discipleship.
Pat and I traveled overnight on a ferry boat to a distant island called Samar to be commencement speakers for Asia For Christ Training School (ACTS). This important ministry time was impacting as these young graduates will become the church planters in the mountain churches and tribal areas. These graduates are full of zeal and expectation about serving the Lord. We provided each of the graduates with a Study Bible that will be invaluable as each graduate prepares for their internship. One young graduate came to me the following morning, told me he had planned to go to a secular college in the summer but the Lord said “no” and directed him to follow after God’s plans for his life and not his own!! Thank you Lord for your great love and direction for these graduates.
We ministered for two days in a Pastors Conference in Bias City where the pastors were greatly encouraged. The Pastor’s Conference was entitled “Walking in the Spirit” as we emphasized walking closer to the Lord; having continued times of prayer and intimacy with our Lord. Some of the Pastors brought their families with them so the whole family received God’s Word.
Pat and I each ministered in several different churches each Sunday Morning and evening during our trip. The Philippine people are very receptive to Holy Spirit so the altar calls were great; many came to receive a fresh touch of Holy Spirit in their lives while others came for healing in their bodies. On Easter Sunday, we drove about one hour into the mountains by automobile where we dropped Pat off to minister in a mountain church. Then, I got onto the back of a pastor’s motorcycle and we traveled another 40 minutes up the mountain to his church! These mountain people are so very receptive to God’s Spirit; it’s such a joy to proclaim the truth and see God open their hearts to what HE desires for them.
We were also privileged to speak and minister at a Youth Conference for two days. There were 100 students that planned to come to this conference but the young people told their friends and we had over 150 in attendance! The Lord saved over twenty young people who gave their lives to Christ during this time which was culminated with a powerful water baptism service on Saturday morning after the conference as Pat and I helped to baptize twenty-six young people in the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the conference site.
The Lord graciously protected us from both sickness and disease and gave us favor and traveling mercies all throughout our trip. A sincere thank you to all our supporters and friends who prayed and partnered with us financially to help send us to the Philippines. Than you so very much for your generosity to the Kingdom of God.
Personally Speaking.........
As Pat and I arrived home from the Philippines on Wednesday, April 11th, I quickly made reservations to return to Ohio to see my Mother who had suffered a severe stroke three weeks previous. I did have an opportunity to spend three good days with my Mom before flying back to Oregon. Three days later I received a phone call from my sister informing me that Mom had passed on. Psalms 116:15-Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. I then flew back to Ohio as my seven brothers, two sisters and our family and friends celebrated Mom’s life and we buried her on her 83rd birthday, April 25th. Thank you Lord for a Mother who loved YOU and prayed for her children!
After we arrived safely home in Keizer we made arrangements for Pat to have gallbladder surgery the day after I returned back from my Mother’s funeral in Ohio. This laparoscopic gallbladder procedure went really well; and I drove her home after only six total hours at the hospital. Pat spent the next few weeks recovering while I traveled to Alaska for ministry but she is doing very well even now. Thank you Lord for your healing power!!
Pat and I traveled to Atlanta, GA the last week in May as my son Stephen, and his beautiful wife Carrie, presented Pat and I with a beautiful granddaughter, Anna Louise Huenke! Yes, she is the most beautiful baby in the state of Georgia and we spent some quality time with Steve and Carrie before traveling to Pensacola. Thank you Lord for your great love for each of us and bless this family.
Drawing Closer! ........a word from Gary
As we focus our lives on DRAWING CLOSER TO HIM, let each of us realize that our Lord desires close communion with each of us, just as he did with Moses. Come close to God and He will come close to you (James 4:8 AMP) is the continuous cry I hear from the Lord as He is desperate for a close relationship with YOU! David Wilkerson, the founder of Teen Challenge, a godly man who has been in ministry for over fifty years was crying out to the Lord several years ago for specific direction in the closing years of his service to God. The Lord simply said to him, “David, come close to me and I will come close to you”. This “action word” is pertinent for all of us as we are “growing in knowing” our precious Lord more intimately every day.
When Moses experienced the Lord’s presence for the first time at the burning bush, he never thought this initial encounter with God would lead to a lifetime of daily communion and a face-to-face relationship with the King of the Universe!! The heart of Moses is exposed in Exodus 34:18 – “Please, show me Your glory”. His request was not for more power or even the warmth of God’s presence but Moses hungered for something more: He desired an intimate knowledge of God Himself!! The Lord granted this request as He hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and allowed His glory to pass by him for a short period of time that changed his life forever!
Paul possessed a similar heart when he exposed his “life scripture” for all to hear and emulate in Philippians 3:10 AMP - [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly]… O that we can all know this Person Jesus; His character, His heart, His will and desires for our life; that we can know HIM by real experiences and by the recognition of real truth by our own personal experiences with HIM.
Tommy Tenney, a true God-Chaser who loves chasing the Lord said that God is not interested in what we can do for Him, but our response to the following question: Do you want ME? Your relationship with the Lord doesn’t depend on your past but on HIM. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NLT – “The LORD did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! It was simply because the LORD loves you”… Remember; HE delights in you, being with you and partnering with you daily. Lord teach us to remember that “Your unfailing love is better to us than life itself; (Psalms 63:3 NLT). You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. (Psalms 16:11 NLT)
In Hebrews 12:1-2, Paul exhorts us to lay aside everything that hinders our progress in building our relationship with the Lord. This could mean any “happy sins” in our lives, worry and anxiety about everyday situations, or just reluctance to change what we need to change. Move away from the routine and move forward into a time of newness and refreshing that only an active relationship with the Lord will bring you.
Let me encourage you to “come boldly to the throne of grace”! You’re not coming to a judgment seat but a mercy seat; come expecting Him to do the unexpected in your life. Live in His presence each day with a true desire to know Him and His character even more. Pour out your heart before Him (Psalms 62:8) and know that His desire is for you, His beloved, His elect, His chosen one. This following verse says so much:
Song 7:10 TM—I am my lover’s. I’m all he wants. I’m all the world to Him!
Ps 95:2 AMP—Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!
Zephaniah 3:17 NLT - For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song."
“The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate HIM”.
–John Milton
