Dear City of Refuge friends and family,
As many of you know, Noah and I will be traveling to General Santos, Philippines from December 6th through the 18th. While in General Santos we will have a busy schedule including preaching at several churches and doing my daily radio program. There are also some very special things that we have been invited to be a part of. On Monday, I will be officiating the wedding of Pastor Amlon’s daughter and Noah will be one of the groomsmen. On Thursday night, I am speaking at the Church Planting Institute’s graduation. On Saturday the 16th, both Noah and myself will be a part of the Gospel Clown’s children’s Christmas outreach.
One of the things I’m most excited to be a part of is the Christian Open Missions in the Philippines, Inc.’s annual “Tribal Workers & Leaders Family Reunion”. This gathering, from the 13th-15th, is a “gathering designed to bless the tribal workers & leaders who work for the sake of the gospel in the remote villages in Mindanao.” During these few days more than 150 people will gather to be encouraged through services and prayer, and to be blessed with practical needs such as clothing, children’s toys and grocery packs. In addition, the ministry efforts to provide Christmas gifts for each of the workers and if at all possible, attempts to pay for the transportation from the mountains. I’ve been invited to be the speaker for the three day gathering. I’m humbled to be able to share God’s Word and God’s character with a group of people that have chosen the gospel over everything, who daily spend themselves to glorify Jesus so that men might be redeemed.
I’m writing today to ask you to please pray for Noah and I as we travel, for God’s protection and provision, for the Holy Spirit to guide us step by step and for both of us to have our eyes, ears, heart and minds open to hear God speak and obey His voice fully. I would also like to ask you to consider giving toward the two main projects we will be a part of while we are in General Santos, the COMPHIL Family Reunion and the Gospel Clown Christmas Outreach. We already support the Gospel Clown’s weekly ministry, but I would love the opportunity to truly bless them so that they can reach and bless more children than ever before. Also, as I’ve shared above, my heart is truly moved by the opportunity to be a part of the COMPHIL Family reunion. The thought of blessing these church planters, of being a part of Jesus’ promise in Mark 10:29-30, that anyone who leaves homes, family or fields for the gospel will be rewarded a hundredfold, overwhelms me. It is my heart’s desire to be able to give to the COMPHIL leadership so that they can make this year’s reunion a blessing beyond their greatest prayers.
We will split our gifts between these two projects. If you would like to give you may simply give in this Sunday’s offering, just mark your envelope or the memo section of your check “Philippines” and 100% of your gift will be donated to these projects. If you can’t be present on Sunday but would like to give you can do so online via our website use the Missions: Philippines section of the drop down box. You may also mail a check to CORF, P.O. Box 27, Burlington, NJ 08016.
This Sunday, December 3rd, we will be praying for Noah, myself and this trip and the projects during our morning service. We would love to have you join us for this time of prayer. If you have any questions please feel free to email me. Thank you for your generous prayers and giving, thank you to my CORF family for giving me the freedom to be sent out from Burlington, to share God’s character through God’s Word. Thank you for giving yourselves for Jesus’ glory and the world’s redemption.
For such a time as this,
Abie