How can life change so quickly?

It is hard for me to share all that the past month has brought for us. It begins with picking up a Work & Witness team from Pueblo First Church in Colorado on February 25th. The passion of this team to share Jesus to the community of GMA Church of the Nazarene / Lingap Bata Child Development Center was so fun to be a part of. The way this team from North America bonded and joined with the team from GMA was an encouragement to my soul. Please read below about this exciting 10 days that occurred right before life here in Manila took a turn.

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR WORK & WITNESS IN THE PHILIPPINES.

Have you ever considered the possibility that you are right smack dab in the center of a window of opportunity?  There are times when we know we are in the center of God’s will and times when we wonder what God is thinking.  But then there are other times, that when looked at from the perspective of before and after an event, the awe and wonder of the window of opportunity becomes ever clearer.  Our team that went to the Philippines on a recent work and witness trip have had just such a life experience. 

This was the trip that almost wasn’t.  The weeks leading up to our trip were filled with volcanos erupting, earthquakes tremblin, and what, at the time was a virus called Coronavirus, that at the time was just beginning to spread outside of China, and the word quarantine was readily spoken about.  All of these reasons along with our team members facing various health obstacles had us seriously considering canceling or postponing our trip.  However, as the team began to really pray, one at a time, we were able to share with one another how God gave us each a peace that surpassed our understanding and we knew He was saying, “Go!”, even when the world around us was saying “no”.   And so, “Go”, we did.

Our days at the GMA Church of the Nazarene/Lingap Bata Child Development Center were filled with painting, electric work, eating, cleaning, brick work, eating, building a book case, connecting with the people, teaching a drama for an outreach presentation to the community, did we mention eating?  However, as our group looks back and reminisces, not one comment was about what we did, but about how we fell in love with the people there and how they loved us with the love of Jesus. Stan James said, “The church showed us such a beautiful Christ Spirit in all they did, for us and the community.  Would that every church was as they are.”  Bonnie Boyd summed up this same thought with, “The church in GMA are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  They cared for us in every way, always giving, so respectful, and fun.”  We miss them all dearly, and they hold a special place in our hearts.

Since returning home, we look back at how much has changed in the few short weeks since we have returned.  The airports in which we traveled are no longer accessible.  The ability to travel outside of our homes is an obstacle, let alone half way across the world due to the Co-Vid19 outbreak that is now affecting our entire globe.  And once again, we realize that there was a window of time, that presented us with an opportunity that was meant for exactly that moment in history.  When God calls, we can trust His leading. 

We aren’t sure of the kingdom or long-range impact our visit there made.  But we do know that there is a group of people who made a lasting impact on us.  People we are now lifting in prayer during this global crisis, by name and face, because they are held in our hearts, personally.  It was for such a time as this that God called us to “Go”.  And we are so glad that we did.

Pastor Lynnette Cherry, Pueblo First Church of the Nazarene

The day our team left the Philippines, the Department of Health announced 3 more Covid-19 Victims…

We had not had a confirmed case of the virus since the beginning of February and all the cases had been through International travel. Since March 5, we have gone from 3 cases to 636 cases. As testing was expanded, more and more local transmission cases were confirmed. On March 12, President Duterte announced a quarantine for the Metro Manila area to begin March 15 at 12am that would end all domestic travel between the islands. On March 16 the president mandated an enhanced Community quarantine on the whole of Luzon, the largest island including where we live. The next day he increased his power as president. While all this was happening at such a rapid rate, many thought that he was over reacting to the threat as we only had 187 cases on this day. Since that time, I have come to believe that he will end up looking very wise over time.

The enhanced community quarantine included military and police checkpoints blocking travel between the communities. Only hospitals, Dr. offices, pharmacies, utilities, and grocery stores and just a few to go food places are open. There is no public transportation. Most folks are on foot. In other words, I can drive from our home to the grocery stores that are in our community. Without a government pass you cannot travel out of your area. We have since had 3 cases in our city and several who are under investigation with police outside their house to make sure they are on quarantine. None of these cases are in our neighborhood. Since March 15 we have been working and living out of our home. We are comfortable and well. We have a young Filipina pastor who lives with us and she is an encouragement to us. She also works for NCM Philippines and works from our home.

The heartbreaking part of the quarantine is that most of the 108 million people of the Philippines live day to day. They are on a “no work, no pay” livelihood with little or no reserves to care for their families.

Please read these stories from three of our local churches here…

Some say there are thin places on earth, places where heaven’s embrace is easily felt. Harvest Church of the Nazarene in Mandaluyong City, Philippines is one of those places. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages in Mandaluyong City, Harvest Church has initiated an intentional response to bring relief, comfort, and hope to those in crisis. Organized in September 2015, the love this young church has shown to its neighbors, reflects one of its core values. Although Harvest Church is also feeling the effects of the pandemic, they believe the love of God needs to be tangible outside the church as well as inside.

“The virus may not kill us, but hunger will!” 

This fear is not unfounded. Many families are employed in a “no work, no pay system” in the Philippines so that when the community quarantine stopped people from working, their income stopped also. In the region of Harvest Church, wealthy citizens live close to poverty areas across an unrecognized line that delineates the rich and the economically-challenged in our city. 

Rev. Jun Macas, senior pastor at Harvest Church said, “This quite unique situation of the church gives us this opportunity to be the literal, and figurative, link between these two polar opposite social classes.”

Harvest Church reached deep into its own pockets and using all of its remaining funds, launched a relief effort into Mandaluyong City’s neighborhoods. Ministry partners and wealthy citizens in the city responded to the messages Harvest Church posted on social media. Their donations made it possible to assemble bags of food containing a few kilos of rice, canned meat and sanitizing solution, which the church distributed to 175 families. Bonds are beginning to form between the wealthy and impoverished areas of the city as they are connected together by God’s love through the ministry of Harvest Church.

Blessed Church of the Nazarene (BCON) in Bulacan, Philippines is another thin place where heaven’s love is evident. Pandemic fears run rife here as elsewhere around the globe.

Senior pastor, Rev. Elsid Paragas, of BCON stands on faith in this time of crisis. “The Lord gives me this peace and is keeping me composed.”

He is leading his church to reach out to the community. While there is hope among the citizens that the government will provide future cash assistance to quarantines employees, many are vulnerable and in dire need of help now. BCON jumped into action. Although the church is funded by God’s grace alone, Pastor Paragas and the congregation prayed for the ability to continuously distribute relief goods until the community quarantine is lifted. Relief packets were assembled and distributed. Flyers with Bible verses for the children to memorize and a booklet on James for the parents to study at home were included in the food bags. They are using social media not only to teach the prevention of the COVID-19 but also to nourish the spiritual life of readers letting them know that BCON cares and is praying sincerely for everyone. Pastor Paragas said, “I am assured that our God is faithful and remains in control despite the heightened community quarantine.” The church sincerely thanks Brgy. Tungkong Mangga, Brgy. Gaya-gaya & Brgy. San Manuel for providing us with the necessary assistance and our community church leaders who delivered our relief packs.

Thin spots are not confined to big islands like Luzon. Aroma of Harvest Church of the Nazarene is another thin spot where love’s embrace is being felt in a unique way. The church is located in Mamburrao, Philippines on the island of Mindoro, where 90% of its members do not have a smartphone or internet connection at home. It is a fishing community where nearly a quarter of the population lives under the poverty level of income. Aroma Church is only a year and a half old. The church has not been able to meet due to quarantine measures imposed by the local and national government due to COVID-19.

While other churches were able to transit to online services, Aroma Church had to come up with another idea to stay connected during this time of crisis. They determined that love would find a way, and when the church’s three pastors, Senior Pastor Al-lyn Aguilar, Pastor Noah Mendoza and Pastor Aljon Requiero came up with the idea to handwrite messages in letters to the sixteen families who attend Aroma Church, the pastoral staff buckled down and started to write. One person had a quarantine pass and distributed these love-filled letters to the families. The first round was just letters but on the second round of letters the church also included a few kilos of rice and instant noodles.

Rev. Jun Macas, senior pastor at Harvest Church of the Nazarene applauds Aroma of Harvest’s example of overcoming love. “This one-and-a-half-year-old church may not have social media, but just the same, the love of God was surely “transmitted” unhindered. Because their most important audience is Him. Glory to His Name!” 

 Glory to His Name indeed!

by The Philippines/Micronesia Communications Team

Update on my Mom: On March 14, mom collapsed with a Stroke in her room at her home in Hillcrest. Knowing our quarantine was coming, Kevin and I contemplated whether I should fly home now, while I could get out, or stay. As all Nazarene Missionaries were not allowed to fly, I had to get special approval to make the trip, which was graciously given to me. That first night, it appeared that mom would be going to meet dad sooner than later.

After much deliberation, and encouragement from my sister to stay put, I decided to stay here instead of traveling during this dangerous time and realizing that I would not be able to see mom, even if I was in the same city. Mom has steadily improved and is back at Hillcrest in the Skilled Nursing center. Our hearts are breaking as neither I nor Patty can get in to see her. We have to phone in to try to talk to a nurse, who usually can only read off a chart to tell us about her day. My only consolation is that I know my Savior sits with her. While I would like to be there holding her hand, I know that Jesus is there holding her hand. She is sleeping most of her days and she does not seem to be in pain. Please pray that mom will continue to get better and stronger and that she will know and experience the presence of God very close to her heart.

We are so thankful for all of you folks who pray for us so faithfully.

This has been a chaotic time for us, but we know this has been such a chaotic time for everyone. Even the term Pandemic refers to all. We are super proud of all the churches that have gone online, and cared for their folks, and reached out to the communities around them. We are very confident that God will use these challenging circumstances to draw the lost to himself and strengthen his church.

Click here for more information on Shechem. http://ncm.org/shechem

Video’s from the team!