After a long journey and a short night in Manila we have arrived in Naga City. It certainly has been a place of Mabuhay…Welcome! Our journey began with the long flight from San Francisco to Manila via Seoul, Korea. We landed in Manila at midnight and got a quick 5 hours sleep before heading here to Naga City. Naga is the southernmost school our four in Luzon (the North Island of the three major island groups in the Philippines). It is a place of great beauty and fertile farm land. They grow mostly rice and plant and harvest it the old fashioned way…with hands and plows pulled by water buffalo. The Bicol region (like our counties) is also home to many volcanoes and mountainous areas.
On Thursday after we arrived Shirley and I had dinner with Jed Fuentes (the school’s director) and the current faculty. We ate good Philippine food and caught up with fellowship. After a good nights sleep we taught classes at the PIBI-N (Philippine International Bible Institute-Naga). I taught students and area leaders (Between the Testaments) and Shirley taught the women from the book of Ruth. I am so proud of her and the abilities she has. She has already made wonderful friends here and will be able to teach the ladies in all of the other cities we will go to on this trip.
On Saturday we had a treat. Jed, Danny Hernandez and Rolly Montilla took us a few hours south to the Mayon Volcano. This volcano is still active and has erupted within the last 5 years. When we arrived it was mostly covered with cloud but cleared a little as the day went on. We actually were being given a chance to see the southern cities of Bicol as the school and church here in Naga has hopes to plant churches in the 114 cities of this region. We ate lunch in Legazpi (including some burnt rice ice cream — yummmmm), before going to the Embarcadero to see where the Pacific Ocean touches the south of Luzon. Having fellowship with these wonderful men and seeing the rare sights of this part of the world was a thrill for us.
Today is the 5th and Shirley and I are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. The word is out that the brethren have prepared something special for us…but, we will have to wait to find out. I will preach here this morning and then lead a church planting discussion with area leaders this afternoon. I am hoping we have a chance to be alone tonight to share a meal.
Well…we have arrived back at the hotel after a long day of worship, fellowship, teaching some principles of church planting from the mission journeys of Paul…and a wonderful celebration of our 40th anniversary. We were serenaded by children, by the women of the congregation, and then by all. “Sweeter As the Days Go By”…”God Be With You”…we were uplifted and I think that besides our 25th this will be our most memorable anniversary. Tonight I took Shirley out to a nearby restaurant and we laughed about all the years that have gone before and how much in love we still are.
I am hoping that in a couple of years time I can get some of you to come with us to this area to help in the development of leadership and to see what your contributions to our ministry are doing. I think of all of you who sacrifice on our behalf with prayer and thanksgiving. To the churches at Ham Lane in Lodi and Peach Tree Lane in Yuba City…may these wonderful growing churches be a means by which God blesses you!
