Addendum to first few days of Mike, Pam & Ben's 3-week visit
Since the home church of Bro Leo (a senior student at EBI) owns a vehicle, it was nice they let Bro Leo pick us up from Legazpi airport and drive us a couple other days as well. After getting picked up at the airport, we stopped at a mall to buy a guitar, saw Cagsawa Ruins, and hiked to the top of the Lignon Hill overlook.
There was a vendor at Cagsawa Ruins that sold us a photo of a past eruption of Mayon Volcano in the background. As a bonus, she made Sister Ofel and Sister Pam look like giants. She also made Brother Mike look like superman by holding a rock in front of the camera to make it look like he was lifting a boulder (see previous post).
Cagsawa Ruins consists of a bell tower left from an old Spanish church that got covered by mud and fall out from an eruption of Mayon Volcano in the early 1800s.
From on top of Lignon Hill you get a good view of the seaside city of Legazpi. You also get a good view of Mayon Volcano and rice fields (see previous post).
Brother Ben is using his iPad in Castilla Church to show how people drill holes in the ice of Minnesota lakes to catch fish in the winter. Then he and Pam go on to ask how Filipinos fish differently than Minnesotans (i.e. with a net), and then tell the Bible story from the last chapter in John of The Big Catch and becoming fishers of people.
Had about 70 attend the first Kids Time, which was done on March 7th at Castilla Church.
Ben and Pam’s first time in a banka (canoe with outriggers), to get to the beach on the other side of the channel from downtown Castilla.
Pastor Redgie, Sister Aireen, and their daughter Aira Lois in front of their living quarters in Castilla (this is property donated by Mrs. Luz Ortega, used as the church until construction of the new church building about 1 km away a couple years ago funded by Korean Christians).
One of Pastor Redgie’s home Bible studies in Castilla
Pastor Redgie and Aireen Bonifacio, with daughter Aira Lois and baby David Chito (born last July 1, which was Pastor Chito Mendizabal’s birthday).
The travelors coming back to EBI on Friday afternoon, March 8.
Pam and Ben sharing with Padaba (well loved) kids sponsored by Compassion International. Compassion kids come to EBI every Saturday from 8 am – 2 pm.
After Compassion, we went to Sirangan, a low income area near the market of downtown Sorsogon. Children and adult outreaches are conducted there every Saturday afternoon in the building of a daycare center. Funds for feedings, school supplies, and Christmas toys for kids in this location are supplied by a business woman in Manila named Sister Carol who originally came from this neighborhood. Ben and Pam conducted a Kids Time this Saturday.
After the Sirangan Kids Time, we walked around the pier of Sorsogon City, which is sort of a public plaza.
Statue of Pili Nuts on Sorsogon Pier. Sorsogon Province is noted for their pili nuts, which are often made into a candy with a carmelized coating.
Walking on the rock wall that connects the Sorsogon Pier to shoreline.
Paying respects to at the grave of Pastor Chito after visiting the Sorsogon Pier
Emmaus Sunday school kids getting ready for singing a special number.
Sunday service at Emmaus Christian Fellowship, which is a campus church that also serves the local community.
Singing praises as Brother Leo drives us to an outreach in Capuy on Sunday afternoon.
One gets to the Capuy outreach by walking along a pathway next to a stream/inlet that connects to Sorsogon Bay. Most people that live here are fishermen. We finished walking to the bay after the Kids Time (see picture in previous post of children standing in water).
The Capuy outreach includes an adult Bible study in the veranda of this house, while the children meet in an open air cottage a block away.
Kids Time in Capuy. Note how Pam is trying to expain ice fishing with a white box with a hole in it to catch the pipe cleaner fish held by Ben below.
Ben making shredded coconut
Fancy dish cooked at EBI with Ben’s shredded coconut
Kids in Donsol playing with tops
Kids in Donsul Church
Kids of Donsul Church giving a special number with Pastor Abner
Kids Time in Donsul Church
Preparing for feeding in Pastor Abner’s kitchen. Can also see some bakery equipment in the kitchen (e.g. plates of food on top of oven in foreground, and cooling racks in right rear)
Feeding time in Donsol Church
Pastor Abner Cornelio family in their rented Donsol house/church
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After sleeping overnight in with Pastor Abner’s family in Donsol, on the morning of March 12 we decided to take a break and rent a boat for 3 hours to try to spot a whaleshark. Although we saw no whalesharks, we did enjoy seeing some friendly Nemo clownfish.
Pictures of Mike, Pam, & Ben's Trip So Far
Kid on bamboo stilts in Castilla
Doing a Kids Time at the PAMI Castilla Church (Pastor Redgie)
Welcome Sign at Emmaus Bible Institute in Sorsogon
Home Bible study site in Castilla
Mike lifting heavy load at Cagsawa Ruins at base of Mount Mayon volcano near Legazpi
Short term mission trip
March 2013 Philippine Mission Visit of Mike, Ben & Pam
Dear friends and relatives,
Wow! It’s hard to believe it’s just one week until our three week mission visit to the Philippines begins. Please remember to pray for our preparations and trip. We feel your prayers make a big difference. This post includes information about our visit so you better know what to pray for. In particular, please refer to the tentative trip schedule below.
Above is a photo prayer reminder card to print and put on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, Bible, etc. to help you to remember us. Also attached is a prayer/support request letter written by Ben & Pam on behalf of all three of us. By the way, our request for help with trip expenses is more to cover help to the mission than our own personal expenses. Whenever I go to the Philippines, I usually cover personal airfare and travel expenses myself. That way whatever is given by others simply goes towards helping the ministry. This includes extra love gifts for the pastors and churches we visit (including monetary and physical gifts). Some things will be hand-carried and some were shipped by surface ahead of time (please pray the 3 big balikbayan boxes arrive safely before we do)*. Items for the field include a new and used laptop, new camera, 3 used projectors, printer, guitar, new & used clothes, personal hygiene items, snacks, toys, and a couple hundred pounds of used Christian books. We also might like to fund a couple special projects. Overall, we could use $3000-5000 for extra ministry expenses.
* Note: As of Feb 26, 2 of the 3 boxes just arrived!
If you want to give towards trip/mission expenses, just make out a check to PAMI with “team visit” written in the memo line, and mail to: PAMI, P.O. Box 201444, Bloomington, MN 55420-6444. You can also donate via credit card or Paypal on the donate tab of our website (www.pamimission.org/donate). Whatever means you use to donate, a tax-deductible receipt will be returned to you.
Besides team visit expenses, on-going mission support is also desired. We’d especially like to add new workers. We’d like to retain 2 or 3 EBI graduates at about $75 per month each. We’re also considering adding a pastor family to begin work in the Muslim area of the southern island of Mindanao, which has been a long-time goal of PAMI. I look forward to discussing these prospects with potential candidates as part of this visit. Read More
Allen, Samar School Outreaches
Here are some pictures taken by Pastor Randy Rivera in Allen Samar. They include having devotions in various public schools. This is a result of a school principal being a listener of Pastor Randy’s radio programs. They also include Pastor Randy and men from a local barber shop giving free haircuts to kids at a public school. This is because the barber shop owner is also a listener of Pastor Randy’s radio programs.
EBI Graduation and Update from Sis. Ofel
The following update was written by Ptr. Chito’s wife, Sis. Ofel on March 21.
Dear Brother Mike,
Greetings in Jesus name! We had our EBI graduation, the 16th of March. Though the ceremony was simple, yet everyone was excited to see new batch of workers added to the ministry of God. Parents, partner churches, guests joined with us in the said event. Thank you very much for the prayer not just for the success of the program but for the future ministry of the Graduates as well. Some of them have a prepared plan already like Brother Jess Huab who wants to continue the work in Cawayan Irosin with Irosin PAMI church; Dioveta Anion commits to helping the children’s program in Emmaus; Robelyn Ongcal wants to pursue the Missionary Training Program; Rommel Cervantes is now the Project Director in his church Compassion Project in Sorsogon Baptist Church; and Marites Espano will be going to Manila to continue the work during her Internship in Echoes of Praise Church.
By the way thank you very much for your Wedding Anniversary greetings last March 14th.I was very touched with your very encouraging words for Pastor Chito. I think it helps a lot especially on meditating on the love and power of God.
I am so blessed for your care and love that you showed my husband it means a lot for me and my children. I know God in His bountiful blessings will return all the kindness you showed for my family thank you so much.
This coming April we’ll have our Baptism and our Emmaus Family Gatherings 3rd week of the month at Bacon beach Sorsogon.
The M2M or Ministering to Ministers [for couples] will be conducting a free Seminar in the Sorsogon province. Most of PAMI married pastors will be joining because this is being coordinated by the ACM in Manila. The purpose is to offer Marriage Counseling seminar for all pastors in the province with free food and transportation.
The ALS (Alternative Learning System) conducted an orientation today. We prepared all the requirements of partnership with them. ALS is a program of the government catering to people who did not finish elementary or high school, age 14 and above. But this is also in partnership with Christian agencies, the HOPES (Harnessing Opportunities by Providing Education and Skills) to ensure that the program is church based. This ALS-HOPES will complement with our small groups especially for members of the family who want to finish elementary and high school and eventually the vocational course/skills that would be given by the government.
Praise God for all the other activities. On May, we will have a DVBS for children at Emmaus. Last March 14, I required the students on my Acts subject to apply what they have learned on how to evangelize people. We prayed much about this activity and God blessed us because 10 houses on Imperial Homes open up their houses for our new contact Bible study that will be followed up by the Interns.
All for now. The highest glory belongs to him alone.
May the Lord keep his eyes on us, May his infinite love surround our hearts as we continue serving him faithfully.
With so much love in Jesus,
Sis. Ofel D. Mendizabal
PAMI Newsletter and Video Documentary
The December 2011 PAMI Newsletter is now available: Click here.
Also, in case you weren’t able to attend the PAMI Potluck, take a look at the following video documentary. Video was filmed by Ptr. Randy Rivera and edited by Mike Thorud. The video shows mission highlights of God’s working from the past year of PAMI ministries.
Update on Compassion and EBI Kids building
Kids receive new umbrellas from Compassion.
New kids building at EBI.
Compassion has been impressed so far with how well EBI has administrated their program. They’ve also been impressed with how our facility has improved with the addition of a new kids building. In turn, they’ve allowed an additional 60 kids to be sponsored, bringing the total to 160 Compassion kids now.
Read More
VBS at EBI
Sis Ofel Mendizabal with 9 year-old daughter Nicole
Here’s a May 12th message from Sister Ofel (Pastor Chito’s wife):
This time, we’re having VBS. This is easier because we lot of teachers. This day, I only have the “craft portion.” All of the 4 classes will be in my room to do crafts. My daughter Nicole helps me because she knows how to do this kind of craft in her school. My youngest is in the younger class.
Read More