Mission Bohol 2018, a short 4-day trip (5-8 April 2018), was yet another occasion where the mission team experienced God’s goodness as we ministered to unsaved souls and encouraged brethren in Tagbilaran City and Anda. We praise God for His grace and help in strengthening the 10-member team, together with Pr Edsel and the Bohol brethren, for all that was done for the Lord.
It was a long journey from Singapore to Bohol. The team decided to fly from Singapore, transiting for 6 hours in Manila and landing directly at Tagbilaran City Airport, Bohol. By the Lord’s grace, the team did not feel overly tired. After a quick dash to the nearby supermarket to stock up ingredients needed for the preparation of all participants’ lunch for the following day’s DVBS, the team left to visit Bro Buchio and his family. What a blessed time it was to renew our friendship with him once again after so many years since our last visit (that is, for some in the team).
Friday, 6 April 2018 was a blessed and memorable day for all of us, both the mission team and Pr Edsel and a few of his brethren. We not only had the joy of ministering to the children at Baclayon where none in the community comes to the mission church, but the brothers also had the opportunity to reach out to a large crowd of inmates at the local jail. The day ended with yet another blessed time of fellowship at the home of Bro Nestor, a long-time member of the mission church.
By the Lord’s providence, the aunt of Pr Edsel who is the chief in the village of San Roque allowed us to hold the DVBS at the San Roque Barangay Hall. We had anticipated only 30 children would come, but the Lord brought 42 children instead. It was a joy that with Pr Edsel’s quick rush to stock up some materials, coupled with the judicious redistribution of the art and craft materials, as well as the small gifts that we had brought, none of them were left out.
The 5 sisters in the mission team, together with Sis Thelma who interpreted from English to Cebuano, reached out to the children joyfully in various areas. They led in singing, played the guitars, taught Bible lessons and memory verses and worked with the children in the art and craft session, while Sis Elizabeth also taught a practical lesson on oral hygiene. 20 of the children indicated their desire to accept the Lord and follow Him. May the Lord be pleased to truly save some young souls and preserve them for His glory.
During the morning session, Pr Dennis preached the Gospel in Cebuano to 12 parents who had brought the young children. In the afternoon, the brothers made their way to the local jail to visit Bro Levi, one of the members of the mission church, who is an inmate there. We praise the Lord for the joy of encouraging Bro Levi and also to spread the Gospel of Jesus to scores of inmates and some of their visitors. Bro David Ng shared his testimony of his past and of how the Lord Jesus had changed him. His moving testimony fell upon attentive ears of many inmates who could relate to his past experience. By the Lord’s grace, I shared from the text Isaiah 30:18 – “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” Let us pray that some of these inmates will turn to the Lord as their Redeemer.
We ended the long day with yet another visit to the home of Bro Nestor, one of the long-standing members of the mission church. It was truly a memorable and blessed day. May the Lord be pleased to grant bountiful fruits from all these outreach efforts in due time, for His glory.
Early the next morning (on Saturday, 7 April), the team set off for Anda, an estimated 3-hour journey to the south-eastern shore of Bohol to have the regular Bible study at the home of Sis Roscelle’s grandmother and her family. The family made beautiful name tags for each of the 15 members of the family and each of the visitors. It was good to accompany Pr Edsel’s in his weekly travel to Anda for the Bible study among a group of brethren hungering for God’s Word. He usually makes his way at 5 am and travels by the regular bus, only to arrive home at 4 pm. Let us pray that the Lord will send a faithful and well-trained servant to serve permanently in Anda, in His time.
Mission Bohol 2018 climaxed its work with the team participating in the Lord’s day worship service, together with the 14 local brethren, 5 children and several other visitors, including Sis Vicky, an active past member of our Filipino Service here in Singapore. Pr Dennis preached from the Mission theme verse, Hebrews 12:2, while Sis Kim Lei taught the children in a separate class. The lunch that followed gave us further opportunity to fellowship, after which we had to rush off to the hotel to check out and then made our way to the airport for the flight departing at 2.55 pm. After another transit of 6 hours at Manila Airport, our flight landed at Changi at 1.45 am on Monday, 9 April.
May the Lord be highly exalted in all that was done for Him, and may He be pleased to prosper the work in Bohol.