June 2006
"You will revive us after two days; You will raise us up on the third day that we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth." Hosea 6:2-30
Philippines
This month we receives a pleasant and unexpected surprise as God touched the heart of one of our partners to help one of our poor Pastors. This recently happened when a sister in the Lord called to say that God had put it on her heart to support Pastor Joy. He is the Pastor who lives in the mountains and Pastors two churches. The small church that he established last year and the new church that was established when Ron evangelized a native tribe. We are hoping that with this support Pastor Joy can devote full time to the ministry and will no longer have to work as a laborer on the coffee plantation. We wrote of him in our Feb. newsletter.
This unexpected blessing for Pastor Joy caused us to think of the other Pastors in the rural area who are struggling financially. So this month we would like to present some of them to you. We do apologize for the quality of the photos.
PASTOR FRANCISCO ALCALA’s parents were Moslem but he was adopted by a Christian family when he was still young. He has a heart to reach the lost. He is presently Pastoring a small church and working at a fish pond. His church is in a very rural area where the people are very poor. He and his wife have 8 children. Three of the children have to quit school because there are not enough finances for education. They also have a handicapped child. $50.00 a month would greatly help him while he is Pastoring for the Lord. It is amazing how so little will really help.
PASTOR
NOTITO OBREGON is a native pioneering Pastor. In the last three years he has established five churches and is presently starting church number six. He and his wife have seven children and he is presently farming to support his family.
Pastor Obregon is a dedicated servant of God and ministers to two tribal peoples, the Tiruray and Manobo tribes. He has won the hearts of the tribal people and has been able to bring many of them to Jesus. $50.00 a month would greatly help to support him while he is doing pioneering work among the native people.
PASTOR
HENJIE REPASO is an orphan who grew up looking for his Parents without any success. At the age of 20 someone told him about Jesus and that was the beginning of a new life for him.
He went to Bible School and after graduation became the Associate Pastor at a big church. He had three children but he always had a desire to return to the area where his wife grew up.
He took his wife and three small children and went to Lebak. He is now the Pastor of a small church. He and his wife work during the day in the rice fields by weeding, taking care of the paths and of course harvest at the proper time. They live six miles from the church and often they must walk with the three small children as they do not have money for transportation. They live in a small one room hut with very few amenities. Pastor Repaso could do the work of the church and the Lord full time for only $50.00 per month.
Pix 2 Pastor Repaso Please put the Pastors name under the photo in the same color as the writng
Mexico
Looking forward to this summer we will have one and perhaps two work teams coming to help with construction on the new property. Francisco, the Director of the Children’s Home, has been taking the boys out to the new property each weekend. They have cook-out and campfires and the boys play soccer, ride their bikes, and help with the animals.
Praise God, we have received all the money to purchase the land. We thank God that we now own the land free and clear. Thanks to Dan Gailey for doing a great job of fund raising so we could purchase this property.
We are also thankful to Rivers of Living Water Church in Alma, MI for purchasing 10 sets of new bunk beds for the dorms. The old bunks will be moved to the new property which will give us sleeping accommodations at both places.
This is the building on the new property.
In the foreground are some of the animals we have. We also have chickens that are laying eggs for the children and turkeys that will be eaten at Christmas.
We thank God for those who gave to meet the needs of the children. We still need three washing machines at $400.00 each. We have mountains of clothes that we have to wash every day. We have thirty children and four directors, that means laundry every day and lots of it. Our washing machines are old and breaking down often.
We are also in need of two small pick up trucks that get good gas mileage. One for running errands in the city when only one or two people will be in the vehicle so that we do not have to use the van at such times. The other for the new property as whoever will be out there will need transportation. The roads are basically non-existent at this time. There are many rocks and pot holes in what we use for roads. Please pray that these needs will be met soon.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Ron & Bernadette Gartner
25th Anniversary Year
Ron and Bernadette Gartner
Your Evangelists to the world.
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