PHILIPPINES - MAY 2017
New year New opportunities! God has opened a new door for BLi to serve Him in Philippines in May 2017.
We will be bringing a medical dental mission team to San Isidero this April- May where we will serve the needy alongside Pastor Fely and the local pastors. Due to the growing need for a home for abandoned children, the team will also help out on the start-up of a second children’s home, minister with medical dental services at 3 prisons and villages as well as the agricultural plantation projects.
General Information
When will the trip take place?
The trip will be from 29th April – 7th May 2017.
What will we be doing in San Isodro, Philippines?
There will be 5 main focuses during this trip:
1. Medical and Dental Clinics
2. Orphanage Ministry
3. Prison ministry
4. Agricultural plantation
5. Encouraging & supporting the local Churches
The agenda will be as follows...
29-30 April: Travel to Manila, transfer to Tacloban, then a 6 hour bus ride to Delores and lastly a 45 minute boat ride to San Isidro.
1-6 May: Medical & Dental Clinic, orphanage ministry, Prison ministry, Community projects, Agricultural plantation.
7 May: Travel home.
DAILY MISSION JOURNAL:
Day 0_'Touch-down!'
The BLi x Philippines team have safely arrived into Manila today:
"First day, boots on the ground. The heart's excited, for the mission at hand!"
Day 1_'Enroute to San Isidro'
It's Day 1 and it's the first time the entire Philippines mission team are together - travelling from the UK, Hong Kong and Australia!
Today, we follow Yin Tse & Elliot Hwang with their first impressions of Manila, the long travel to the Eastern Samar province and meeting our local partners and hosts River of Life Missions (RoLM). Very excited indeed!
Day 2_ 'Doctors, Dentists & Delores'
"Soon after breakfast we gathered the team to trek up to Prayer Mountain. As we prayed over San Isidro and the Philippines, we had no doubt that God was so real in this place. Indeed, God had raised people from the dead in this land, and we too had come with hearts full of excitement and expectation of what He was going to do." - Alice
Day 3_ 'Fear & Faith'
"One of the most incredible sights was seeing the inmates and guards worshipping and singing alongside each other; the barrier between guard and inmate felt fully broken down during these moments. As we were leaving, the prisoners sang two of their usual worship songs for us, which felt so incredibly humbling, and even more remarkable as many of them had had teeth removed and were still numb around the mouth!" - Rick
Day 4_ 'The Upper Room'
It was an amazing and significant day, working together as a team, seeing the reality of the power of God at work, leadership strengthened, and knowing that the work He does has nothing to do with us - we are just His vessels, and just very blessed to see God's power at work. Praise God!
Day 5_ 'Pain Killers'
"It was such a blessing to share God’s word with them using the guidance of the Spirit and call on them for repentance and prayer. It was humbling to boldly stretch out my hands across the barbed wire to lay on hands and pray for those that came forward to accept Christ or to repent. As I prayed for prisoners, I could just sense the presence of God; His glory again overcame me, and I could do nothing but tear up mid-prayer."
Day 6_ 'Pills & Prayers'
"Having seen God working wonders and miracles over the last few days, and with our medical supplies running low, it became a standard practice for the pharmacy to offer a comprehensive service of Pills & Prayers. Even the doctors and dentists say that what they prescribed will only last the patients no more than a week, but through prayer in the name of Jesus, there is an eternal source of pain relief and full restoration of any illness on offer. Prayer beats multivitamins and paracetamol hands down all day, every day!"
Day 7_ 'Awaking for the Final Morning'
"Goodbyes are never easy, especially between family but the knowledge that ‘God with Us’ is comfort to the soul. We have shared intimate moments centred around the Saviour and it will shape all of our realities... San Isidro (River of Life), we shall see you soon.
...As you have taught us – Praise be to God"
Philippines Mission Report 2017
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free". This was Jesus' mandate and also ours - yes yours and mine - not just the pastors, the leaders, or the worship leaders, but yours and mine. We have truly seen this happen on our trip and continue to bring this back to where we live.
