More Opportunities

I have learned that every time I open my email to expect another opportunity to help meet the needs of people in the Philippines.  Pastor Jul (from Bohol) has worked with many small churches throughout the islands.  After the new year, he will travel to the province of Masbate.  There is a church there who is in need of a building.  The building they are renting is made of bamboo and nipa leaves.  The roof leaks and there is little shelter from the weather.  Electricity is non-existent. The floor is dirt (or mud, depending on the weather).  Setting up a building project like that is something the World Mission Builders would do . . . I might be willing to help, but it all depends on life here in the States.  It would be a difficult assignment, as building materials on the island are hard to come by.  Oh. . . there are a couple more churches on the island that have similar needs.

And of course, for each of these churches, there are needs for health care and education.  The problem with starting a Christian school at these churches is meeting the logistical needs:  building space, books, desks and chairs, teacher supplies and so on.  Most of these churches are barely surviving, so starting a school isn't even on their radar.  Lots of opportunities -- I'm not sure how to approach all of these needs -- I have no choice but to put it in God's hands and to be patient for His timing, not mine.  Pray for these churches, the families served there, and the needs of the hundreds of children.

The conditions for the church I will be working with in Bohol are significantly better then the church in Masbate.  Brother Jul is concerned about trying to do a project like the Masbate church, as the condition are so austere, especially for American volunteer work crews who are just not used to the absence of the usual creature comforts.  I would like to give it a try, but again, let's see how I survive the Sierra Bullones project first and then go from there.