July 2004

by Rick Ives

The Fellowship Christian Church team recently returned from 2 weeks in the Philippines. Our trip went extremely well in every aspect. Pastor Grant Edwards and I with our wives and a team of 17 traveled from Springfield, Ohio.  Thirty hours later we arrived in Cebu where we have our headquarters for Discipling Another to Love Jesus (DA2LJ) in the Philippines. Then the amazing journey really kicked into high gear as God moved in great ways!

 

LIFE ON THE GARBAGE DUMP

Day one we held a medical clinic at the Smokey Mt. garbage dump site where hundreds of children live out their short lives. Here entire families, generation after generation, spend their whole lives looking for anything in the garbage to sell. We provided medical care, medicines, and the gospel to many children and left enough medicine behind for 2 more clinics. We also sponsor a weekly feeding program for the kids on the dump.

MORE MIRACLES

We were praying that the Lord would open a door for us to purchase property at the Smokey Mt. dump site so we can build an elementary school there. Without education, the hundreds of children living in the garbage will live and die there. We knew there would be tremendous political and legal hassles for us and that we would have to pay up to $40,000.00 for a small plot of land on a garbage dump, but we knew God wanted us to try. To make a long story short, we met with the key political leaders in the area and after 2 short meetings they GAVE US THE LAND WE WANTED – FOR FREE!! That’s God – always doing more than we can ask or imagine, always blessing anyone who goes out to fulfill the Great Commission!  

DISCIPLING ANOTHER TO LOVE JESUS

Day two we conducted the first of 3 DA2LJ conferences. This first conference was for pastors from all over the Philippines who are using the DA2LJ ministry in their churches and are desiring to be area coordinators to help spread the ministry.

We heard reports of cancer patients being healed and lesbians being saved as they come in contact with the DA2LJ ministry and materials! This is more than we ever expected, but then that’s how God usually operates.

Day three we trained over 100 students and pastors at a Nazarene seminary how to do 1-1 discipleship. This was our first venture into a Christian University in the Philippines and it was great to see Nazarene, Baptist, Assembly of God, and other students and pastors coming together. We continue to see that the Great Commission unites people and it is exciting to be a small part of this great work of God!

Day four we flew to the island of Iloilo where we held a full 2-day DA2LJ conference for 125 pastors and World Vision workers. This was a very interesting time as many of the World Vision participants were either nominal Christians or not Christians at all. Again, the Lord broke through and a number of these gave their hearts to the Lord during the conference. We saw great unity amongst many different denominations and now over 100 more leaders are trained in 1-1 discipleship.

A MAN NAMED TITUS

While in the Philippines our National Director there, Pastor Fred Monasterio, introduced us to a Korean missionary to the Philippines, Pastor Titus. This was a kingdom connection made in Heaven! As it turns out, Pastor Titus has fully embraced DA2LJ and is opening doors for us to take it next year to Cambodia and Thailand! The Philippines, as has often been prophesied, is turning out to be a staging ground for bringing the Gospel and 1-1 discipleship to Asia – and we are ready to be launched there!