Living Waters Asia and Star Youth Ministries' mission trip for this year (Gospel Buzz '08) at Pamplona and Sanchez, Cagayan, was a big success, thanks solely to our Lord above. The team was there from Oct. 27-30 (they left Bulacan on the evening of Oct. 26). They endured a total of 33 hours of road travel on a rented bus just to get there and back to Bulacan.
With God's help, the team was able to saturate with the Gospel (through tracts, one-to-one witnessing and open-air preaching sessions, and evangelistic film showings), both the Ilocano-speaking communities of Allasitan and Biduang, Pamplona, Cagayan. For three days, from morning to afternoon, participants of the trip were at the streets of these communities, under the heat of the sun, knocking at doors and approaching people to give out tracts and to talk to them about the Gospel. They were also able to conduct two evangelistic crusades for the children. The children loved the program that LWA and SYM prepared which featured songs, games, puppets and a presentation of what Jesus did to save people from going to Hell.
Before the team went to Cagayan, they have already arranged to conduct an evangelistic film showing, with Dennis Mark Aglosolos preaching at the end, at the covered basketball court of Allasitan, Pamplona, Cagayan. But when the team were at Biduang (the community next to Allasitan) to invite people to attend the event, people there were telling them that they should also do one at their community. And so, leaders of the mission trip right away arranged for it with the local officials of the place. On Oct. 28, they conducted their first film showing at Allasitan from 7pm to 8:45pm and then packed up quickly and rushed to Biduang for their 9pm schedule there. It was such a tiring day for the whole team but they surely were filled with joy to have served their Master from morning all the way to late in that evening. The response to the Gospel of the many people that attended these events was also a significant source of joy for everyone. The following day, they were again out early, this time at Sanchez, Cagayan, to give out tracts and to In the afternoon, they conducted a WOTM seminar for their host church, Highway Baptist Church. Oct. 30, they were at Laoag, Ilocos Norte to again deliver the Gospel on their way home.
God really delivered for the trip. The team needed about P160,000 (about $4,000) for this event and fifty days before the trip, they really had no money on hand for this. They just kept on telling themselves that because what they will be doing is God's will (deliver the Gospel to the regions beyond), they should expect God to provide for the needs of the trip even if it's the last day before they take the road. But thirty days before the trip, people started giving. Even LWA's office janitor surprised everyone by giving what seems to be a small amount for most people, but a large amount for him. He told the team that he always hears about the trip from them during their prayer time and just decided to be a part of it. LWA and SYM even ended up with some savings for the next Gospel Buzz after everyone got to their homes.
Another concern the team had was the weather. The past months, the province they were going to had been experiencing heavy rains. The team kept on telling God that if it rains during the time they're there, people will be mostly inside their homes and it will be very difficult to find them. But during the trip, when most provinces around Cagayan were experiencing a heavy downpour of rain, Cagayan was so sunny. Rain only fell on the way home.
God is really in the work of making wonders. If Gospel Buzz '08 is a big proof of this, then there is no reason why Gospel Buzz '09 should not take place.
Thanks to all of you who prayed and supported financially this mission trip. May God bless your generous and obedient hearts.
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Praise the Lord for how God has been allowing Living Waters Asia to expand the scope of people it tries to reach for Christ! It has been the desire of the ministry to have access to people of all ages. Recently, God has made this a reality when Children for Christ Ministry affiliated with Living Waters Asia. This ministry has been in existence for several years already, faithfully heeding the Great Commission, going to different schools and sharing the Gospel to children. Members of the Star Youth Ministries (the current evangelism arm of LWA) have even joined in the past in crusades to children they have organized. When the need came for them to have some legal identity, they thought of affiliating with us. Even before, their group has been subscribing to the preaching of the biblical Gospel message that uses the Law to show man his sinfulness. They've even asked Living Waters Asia to conduct a WOTM seminar to the volunteers of their ministry in the past.
