This year, we started to plant a church/mission in Visayas region. Isomel Espinar (one of our EBI graduates from Samar) starts the work in Calbayog City, Western Samar. He is best candidate to do the job because he speaks the same dialect with the local people. And they ( with his sister Icy, {EBI graduate too}, and an EBI intern Dwight Lumberio) are having nice start as they already have Home Bible studies. Please continue to pray for Isomel, Icy and Dwight and Visayas ministry. (Note:  Iso and Icy still need sponsors to cover about $100 per month allowance, $35 per month rent, and $25 per month to start a children’s milk feeding ministry like done in most other PAMI locations.)
Next mission thrust is to open ministry in Mindanao. This was a long-time prayer which begun even from the heart of our beloved first missionary Rev. Norval Thorud. One of our strategies in opening mission is to train leaders from its native place and send him/her back to his own people to bring the Good News. This is more effective than sending a pastor/worker which was oftentimes rejected/persecuted by native people because of different dialect, treated with caution being an intruder.
At this time, we have one EBI student from Mindanao, Samal Island in particular–Brother Johnnel (Jay), 18 years old, now a freshman at our school. Our connection with having him is through a friend named Ruel (now a Christian worker) on Samal Island. Ruel and I became friends during our time with the Presbyterian church in Albay. He’s the driver of the Korean missionary. When we started training youth for mission in Albay, he’s one of the pioneer, but not able to finish the course. Until he worked for Campus Crusade For Christ and able to reach Mindanao. Now, he’s connected with a small church there, found a wife and now with 4 kids.
Ruel accompanied Jay to EBI in May, it was a long two and a half days sea and land travel. Jay’s roots trace back to one of the “cults” in Mindanao, who were bandits of a sort. They’re notorious and known for their amulets and rituals. But Jay’s father got converted to Christ, even donated his place to start the church work. We sent P5000=$111 (one-way trip of two) for Ruel and Jay to come to EBI. Please consider to pray or sponsor Jay’s schooling. There are more students that would come to EBI supposedly but our budget for transportation is limited.
*Our great burden to evangelize Mindanao because of big numbers of people who are Muslims, presence of many cults and occults, bandits, rebels and varied factions. The recent outrageous and heinous s happened in Mindanao were the MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE (killing about 60 people {including media people}, burrying them using governments’ truck, backhoe) and the bombing of Zamboanga airport waiting area.
Thank you all for being so active partners in Christ’s mission!
Love in the Lord,
Pastor Chito Mendizabal

Brother Johnnel (Jay) from Samal Island, Davao City, Mindanao is a new EBI student and could use a $30 per month sponsor