No baby yet so I wanted to take the opportunity to write to you about something that is really a big part of our lives here in the Philippines. I know once baby boy is here that I'll find myself a little too preoccupied to keep up with the blog as much, so I wanted to be sure to share this with you as we would love for you to pray.
I often do a poor job of communicating to all of you back home about what all goes on here and things God has allowed us to be a part of. So let's go back a few months to June 2013. CABA Mission Training Center (CABAMTC) began its first year of classes. CABAMTC is a school or training center for students who desire to become foreign missionaries. The students take 3 years of courses very similar to courses we went through in our first two years in Trek-X (Old and New Testament, Theology, Servant Leadership, Cultural Studies, Bible Study Methods, Language, etc.) They're also involved in local ministry in Maria Aurora. Upon completing these three years, the students will actually have earned a bachelor's degree and will then proceed to a Southeast Asian country where they'll live and serve as missionaries. This is a big deal because it is absolutely unheard of for anyone in our area of the Philippines to leave the country for the name and cause of Jesus. However, for those who are committed to following Christ and have a desire for the nations, this training school is now available for them to be trained and sent. We like to think that Filipinos, especially provincial Filipinos, make the perfect missionaries because they're so adaptable. They're willing to eat whatever, sleep wherever, and do whatever. They're just naturally contented people. It's also a great advantage that they can physically blend well with other Southeast Asians. If we were to go to some of these closed countries, we would stick out like sore thumbs. We're white, we're big, and a number of other things. But these small brown Filipinos look like small brown Asians from other areas. They just need a change of clothes. That is not at all to say that Caucasians whom God leads to closed Southeast Asian countries should not go. By all means, GO! But what a blessing to be a part of sending these well-disguised missionaries to places where we would face much greater challenges. Again, challenge isn't a bad thing, but hopefully you get my point.
So in the past school year, from June to almost March, four students have been trained in CABAMTC. March 18 they will go to another city in the Philippines for a 2 week briefing and then be sent to various Southeast Asian countries for 2 months. They will be immersed in other cultures and brought to places where they'll depend on the Lord like never before. Because Christianity is illegal in most of the places they're going, their goal is essentially to build relationships with locals that will help to start up or strengthen ministries of long-term missionaries in these areas.
I want to share with you some pictures of the seven students who will be going in a few short weeks. There are four students in the training center but seven who will be going on mission. Ruben, whom I've mentioned in a previous blog, was just married so his wife is also joining. Plus a young pastor and his wife. A couple weeks ago we commissioned them for their summer term. It was a sweet time in the Lord.
These seven men and women are some of our dearest friends in Maria. We'll be sad to have them gone for so long, but we're rejoicing at the opportunity before them. At the commissioning, their teacher/mentor Pastor Arnold challenged each of us to be diligent about praying for them and loving their families while they're away. (The married pastor and wife are leaving behind a six year old son). I ask you to pray intentionally for them as well. At this service, I wept in my seat seeing them all so beautiful in these cultural wardrobes singing a song about being light in the dark and salt in the street. You could see it in their faces; they're ready. They're willing to do whatever the Lord asks of them. They're bold and courageous yet they're humbly depending on the Lord for provision. It's been such a joy to watch them grow in their faith the past year. Being able to relate to the emotions that they felt as they contemplated the upcoming years was an honor and privilege. Please join us in praying for their fears of flying, thier health, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit,
favor with the governments in these countries, and for them to fall deeper in love with their Savior as they experience Him in a new way.
