I want to tell you about some exciting opportunities that our God has laid before us. As many of you know, I am on a sabbatical between now and September, as I await a call to serve a congregation. I am substitute preaching, and using this time to heal, to learn and to be physically and spiritually refreshed. God continues to put in our path opportunities to serve in His kingdom as well. One of which is the culminating event of our 4 years in Pastoral Leadership Institute “PLI”- a mission trip to Hong Kong and Macao, for Diana and me. This trip is for 2 weeks in July and August and is for the purpose of awareness and priority of world missions in us and in congregations we will serve. We will be working with LCMS missionaries, the men will do some teaching and we will have opportunity to work with the local people.
Our daughter, Lydia, is planning to go on a mission trip to the Philippines in June and will have learned in nursing school how to do complete physical assessments. Among many opportunities to serve, she will be able to help the team’s physician with the long lines of children from 3 orphanages in need of medical care. Diseases of the skin, ear and eye infections are common and go untreated. Lydia has a calling to become a nurse because of her desire to care for people.
Very recently I was asked to go with this mission team to the Philippines. This trip is sponsored by the newly formed nonprofit ministry, Missions Made Possible, which exists to further God’s kingdom through helping individuals go on short term mission trips. This team asked me to accompany them in June because the children at Shepherd of the Hills Orphanage would like a pastor to teach them about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. There are 64 that are planning to be baptized after this instruction! You can imagine the joyous event. Shepherd of the Hills is run by a vibrant spirit -filled couple whom we were privileged to meet several months ago (http://www.shepherdofthehills.org.ph/). We were able to see video of these children singing and dancing out their obvious love for the Lord. The 120 children in this orphanage are home schooled in groups of 12 using Alpha/Omega Christian materials. Because so much of what the children need is attention, we believe this might be an ideal mission for parent child teams or even families to go on in the future. The Philippine teams will be doing outreach in the villages, handing out food and clothing and also ministering to handicapped orphans and nursing home residents.
We are asking for your prayer support for the weeks of June 13-28 as Mark and Lydia serve in the Philippines and July 27- August 8th as Mark and Diana serve in China. Especially for good health, safe travel, and hearts receptive to the gospel, and that we could encourage the believers that we meet there.
We also need financial support:
--$2,000 each for Mark and Diana’s PLI mission to China (Normally pastors get support for this from their congregation but we don’t have one right now).
--$2,000 each for Mark and Lydia’s mission to the Philippines Deadline!! These funds are due in March.
Other needs at the orphanage:
--$2,000 orphanage playground equipment
--$3,000 Girls bathrooms- to replace their outhouses
--$250 Chickens
--$1,000 For a stone fence to replace the wood fence that is being torn apart by neighbors using it for fuel!
You can contribute online at www.missionsmadepossible.org (see also the link on this blog site)for either the Philippines trip, the Hong Kong trip or the orphanage projects -just specify who and what you are contributing to.
If you send us your email address we will be sure to send pictures and testimonies of God’s work in Hong Kong and the Philippines!!!!
We believe that where God leads, God supplies. We do not want to take away from your financial commitments to your local church. However we would be so thankful if the Lord enables you to help make these missions possible.
We are grateful for your partnership!
Our daughter, Lydia, is planning to go on a mission trip to the Philippines in June and will have learned in nursing school how to do complete physical assessments. Among many opportunities to serve, she will be able to help the team’s physician with the long lines of children from 3 orphanages in need of medical care. Diseases of the skin, ear and eye infections are common and go untreated. Lydia has a calling to become a nurse because of her desire to care for people.
Very recently I was asked to go with this mission team to the Philippines. This trip is sponsored by the newly formed nonprofit ministry, Missions Made Possible, which exists to further God’s kingdom through helping individuals go on short term mission trips. This team asked me to accompany them in June because the children at Shepherd of the Hills Orphanage would like a pastor to teach them about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. There are 64 that are planning to be baptized after this instruction! You can imagine the joyous event. Shepherd of the Hills is run by a vibrant spirit -filled couple whom we were privileged to meet several months ago (http://www.shepherdofthehills.org.ph/). We were able to see video of these children singing and dancing out their obvious love for the Lord. The 120 children in this orphanage are home schooled in groups of 12 using Alpha/Omega Christian materials. Because so much of what the children need is attention, we believe this might be an ideal mission for parent child teams or even families to go on in the future. The Philippine teams will be doing outreach in the villages, handing out food and clothing and also ministering to handicapped orphans and nursing home residents.
We are asking for your prayer support for the weeks of June 13-28 as Mark and Lydia serve in the Philippines and July 27- August 8th as Mark and Diana serve in China. Especially for good health, safe travel, and hearts receptive to the gospel, and that we could encourage the believers that we meet there.
We also need financial support:
--$2,000 each for Mark and Diana’s PLI mission to China (Normally pastors get support for this from their congregation but we don’t have one right now).
--$2,000 each for Mark and Lydia’s mission to the Philippines Deadline!! These funds are due in March.
Other needs at the orphanage:
--$2,000 orphanage playground equipment
--$3,000 Girls bathrooms- to replace their outhouses
--$250 Chickens
--$1,000 For a stone fence to replace the wood fence that is being torn apart by neighbors using it for fuel!
You can contribute online at www.missionsmadepossible.org (see also the link on this blog site)for either the Philippines trip, the Hong Kong trip or the orphanage projects -just specify who and what you are contributing to.
If you send us your email address we will be sure to send pictures and testimonies of God’s work in Hong Kong and the Philippines!!!!
We believe that where God leads, God supplies. We do not want to take away from your financial commitments to your local church. However we would be so thankful if the Lord enables you to help make these missions possible.
We are grateful for your partnership!
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