March 2016 Vol. 3 In this Issue

March 2016
In this Issue...
Philippines Discover Trip 2016
DC Baptist Convention Holy Week Activities
A Fond Farewell to Rev. Logan Dunn
Vol. 3
CONTENTS
features
Holiness
3
Also This Month...
Can You Be Faithful?
4
In Every Issue...
Philippines Discovery Trip 2016 5
advocate: Engaging Communities 6
MissionServe is BACK! 8
From the Desk of the Executive
Director/Minister 3
Church Gifts 7
Churches in Partnership 10
Holy Week Activities 11
DCBC Foundation: Blessings 9
A Fond Farewell to
Rev. Logan Dunn 12
News You Can Use 14
Rooted 10
Calendar 16
2
From the Desk of the Executive Director/Minister
By Rev. Dr. Robert D. Cochran
Holiness, specifically the holiness of God,
presents humans with multiple challenges.
“Holiness” struck me in the last several
months, given the debates surrounding us.
There appeared no quick source to guide
my thoughts about holiness. God is so
different from humans that we rarely speak
clearly of Divine holiness.
A first
challenge is to define the nature of God’s
holiness.
Part of the definition of God’s holiness is
the element of separation. Holiness is not a
separation in presence from humans.
Rather, “separation” notes the difference
which God has from created humanity.
This difference makes God unique. A
second characteristic of God’s holiness
springs from the word itself which can
mean “burning, glowing or radiant.” A
third aspect of God’s holiness is weight,
importance, gravitas. Holiness cannot be
reduced to the trivial. God’s holiness
encompasses the continuums between
grace and punishment, between will and
freedom, between love and wrath, between
transcendence and immanence. Humans
have difficulty holding polarized concepts
in tension, and have little confidence in
their choice between the poles of each pair.
3
How is it that God
is holy? God’s
holiness is found in
the difference, the
uniqueness, that
God has to strike
the right tone, to
find the right place
to come down
between poles of
either concepts or
experiences.
In the vernacular, one might
say, “God, unlike humans, is
always spot on!” Whatever the
social circumstances or parties
involved, God’s holiness allows
Divine pronouncements or
judgements to be on the mark.
In at least that way, God is holy.
Humans can never match that
ability regardless of their
wisdom or their efforts. Even
this answer about holiness falls
short, although it is an earnest
effort to discover and embrace
the holiness of God.
A second challenge is, “What
does holiness mean in our
time?” God’s people always
have wrestled with the challenge, “You shall be holy, for I
the Lord your God am
holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) The
people of God have never been
able to rely finally on one set
of rules or laws to define their
present or future actions. The
context in which we apply any
rules is constantly changing.
Holiness has to do with
striking the right tone or
finding the right place to come
down between polarized ideas.
Indeed, the prophet Hosea
proclaimed
that
love
overwhelms any separation in
space that holiness demands,
yet the unique character of
holiness remains.
The third challenge regarding
holiness is how do we express
holiness once we begin to
understand it or at least to seek
understanding of it? That is
both a challenge to individuals
as
well
as
to
every
congregation. Clearly, it is an
important challenge for the
people of God today as they
live out our faith in this world.
Let us allow radiant friendship
with God to burn so in our
lives together that God’s
holiness can be seen by any
who need light. No doubt that
our society needs such light
now. (II Corinthians 4:6-7)
CAN YOU BE FAITHFUL?
By Rev. Starlette McNeill
Lee McGee, author of Wrestling
with the Patriarchs: Retrieving
Women’s Voices in Preaching,
provides powerful questions for
women who would answer the
call to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is important to note
that her title indicates that the female preacher’s voice is not lost
but that it needs to be repossessed, reclaimed and perhaps
even redeemed. While much of
what she writes will answer questions for women called to preach
and lead in churches, the questions are just as necessary if not
more so. An initial one that she
asks of her readers is this: “What
does it mean to be a faithful woman preacher?”
So, often the story of the female
preacher begins not with her calling but with those who rejected it.
She begins not by telling her audience what she heard but who
did not listen, of missed opportunities, of disappointing and meanspirited exchanges. McGee’s
question reminds her of the calling. She does not argue about
whether or not you heard it but if
you can be faithful to it—even
when no one listens, when opportunities are not easy to come by,
when persons do not agree with
what you heard.
Can you be faithful?” It is a
necessary beginning for the
woman who would incline her
ear to the Spirit of God and
repeat after the Wind. She cannot be blown about by every
blank stare, every shaking head
of refusal, denial and rejection. No book and no one except she who is being called can
offer a response.
While it is important that the
woman preacher be prepared to
lead and to serve, the calling requires a faithful ear. This is not
to be confused with or exchanged for a faithful following,
consistent finances or regular
preaching engagements. She
must be willing to listen again
and again.
If the woman preacher would
find her voice, she must be
faithful to listening for the
sound of her. She must listen out for herself, for the
Spirit speaking through her.
This means that she must not
listen out but listen in for
her. More than attending
preaching conferences, listening to sermons and reading books on hermeneutics,
the woman preacher must
listen to herself. The woman’s voice in preaching is not
lost; in fact, she is calling out
in search of us. But, it requires faithfulness.
“Can you be faithful?”
Visit us on
And the woman preacher must
preach when no one is listening. It is important that her
mind, body and spirit hear and
get the message first. She must
be faithful to her own voice and
develop a relationship with the
sound of the feminine.
4
Philippines
Discovery
Trip
2016
By Gail Lacy
On January 28, seven American Baptist
women set out on a two-week International Ministries Philippine Discovery trip
to explore American Baptist mission
work in the Philippines. We were each
from different states and most had not met before. We left
Chicago about noon on Friday and at midnight Saturday we
were in Manila where we were joined by American Baptist
Missionary Debbie Mulneix. First thing Sunday morning we
worshiped with the friendly congregation at Faith Baptist
Church in Quezon City.
Our first week was spent at Samaritana Transformation
Ministries (http://samaritana.org/ ) in Quezon City.
Samaritana is a nondenominational ministry founded and directed by Thelma and Jonathan Nambu which is a holistic
ministry of intervention and aftercare for Filipino women caught in prostitution. We stayed in
Samaritana's beautiful headquarters which houses offices, chapel, classrooms, kitchen and dining room,
workrooms, storage and utility rooms as well as beautiful air conditioned guest rooms. (AC was much appreciated in the 90 degree heat.) The Samaritana
house is a beautiful, peaceful place in the overwhelming congestion of Manila.
We were treated to wonderful Filipino food, cooked
by Marissa and Joy, two of the Samaritana leaders.
We worshiped each morning with the Samaritana
women in their basement chapel (please leave your
shoes at the top of the stairs) and tried to sing the
Lord's Prayer in Tagalog. We worked one morning
alongside trainees on their money-making projects,
making beautiful fabric applique greeting cards and
costume jewelry. We brought them an electric sewing machine and Kate Ulmer gave an introduction to
how to use it. One day a week is given to education, and one of our group members, Angela Sudderman,
led a creative session on “Tangling”– meditative doodling. All of this is part of the healing that Samaritana
tries to bring to women trying to put prostitution behind them. (Continues on Page 15)
5
Societal priorities are most clearly expressed
during times of scarcity. Whether it’s war, famine, or national disaster, unexpected jolts to the
system causes us to move past aspirational pretenses and rally around the things we truly value.
A recent example of this is the hard choices that
were made during our most recent series of
snow storms and subfreezing temperatures.
Which streets would be plowed? Which would
be neglected? Can we afford to open more
homeless shelters and warming stations? Can we
afford not to?
Whether it was waiting for a snow plow to liberate you from your neighborhood or feeling a
pang of sympathy or guilt while driving past a
homeless person battling the bitter cold, most of
us have thought “there has to be a better way.”
Jesus’s words, as recorded in the Gospel of John,
allude to this “better way” for which most of us
intrinsically yearn.
“If you love me, you will keep
my commandments. And I will
ask the Father, and he will give
you another Advocate, to be
with you forever. This is the
Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.
You know him, because he
abides with you, and he will be
in you.” (John 14:15-17)
Engaging
Communities
By Rev. Andre Towner
advocate
noun ad·vo·cate \ˈad-və-kət, -ˌkāt\
: a person who argues for or supports
a cause or policy
: a person who works for a cause or
group
From these words we can deduct two
points. The first is that Jesus considered
himself an Advocate (one who helps
and/or comforts), hence his reference
to the coming Holy Spirit as another Advocate. Secondly, we are all called to
keep Jesus’s commandments in part by
emulating his identifying with and
acting on behalf of the marginalized,
dispossessed, and oppressed among us.
However, the cross reminds us that of
the very real cost often required of
those seeking to be like Jesus. Thankfully, Easter morning combined with the
continued existence of Christ’s Church,
vindicates Jesus’ worldview and gives us
the faith to follow the way of the cross.
(Continued on page 12)
6
2016
Annual
Gathering
7
MISSIONSERVE IS BACK
By Lashanor Doolittle
D.C. Baptists, we have the opportunity to partner with MissionServe again.
They will be with us July 9 through July 16, with 250
confirmed, eager volunteers who are coming to help repair
the home of seniors and single parents as well as provide
VBS for churches that have the children but need the
programming, supplies and volunteers. As a Convention, we
have continued to overwhelm the volunteers with our
expressions of love. My prayer for this year is that we will
exceed the bar we have already set. And I keep praying that
this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good
things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of
it. Philemon 6 (The Message)
What is needed?

A facility(or church) to house all 250 volunteers for the week. Within the facility they will need
multiple classrooms to serve as sleeping quarters, use of the sanctuary for their nightly worship service, use of the kitchen to store their food, and a space to setup their office. They will
bring shower and cooking trailers.

A donation of $350 to provide a pizza meal (pizza, chips, cookies & beverage) for the group on
Saturday, July 9.

Twenty-two (22) of our churches to adopt a work or a ministry team of thirteen volunteers.
*The work or ministry team assigned to your church would attend your worship service on
Sunday, July 10 and we ask that you provide them with lunch.
* Commit to prepare and bring lunch to their work or ministry site Monday, July 11 through
Friday, July 15 (Wednesday is an off day) for the team
and the homeowner(s).
* Follow-up with the homeowner(s) once the work
project is complete.
This is an amazing ministry opportunity for your church to
reach their community! To sign-up to adopt a ministry or work
team, or to request a ministry team for VBS, please contact
Lashanor Doolittle at [email protected] or at
202.265.1526, ext. 203.
8
WE
NEED
YOU…
VOLUNTEER
TODAY
At
DCBC
DCBC Foundation
By Ellen Teague
The DCBC Foundation serves as a partner with the DC Baptist Convention to
assist with ministries in the DC metropolitan area and to support DCBC
churches. This takes the form of direct support, grants, scholarships, financial
services and church loans.
Currently five churches have a total of more than $575,000 in outstanding
loans with the Foundation. The loans range in amounts from $40,000 to
$250,000 that, for larger amounts, required security through a second trust
on the church property. Our policy states that interest rates will be based on
1% over the prime rate as reported in the Washington Post on the day of
settlement.
Last year one of our DCBC member churches requested a small loan, under
$2,000, for an urgent need. Unfortunately, we couldn’t respond to their request since our policy on loans required an extensive application process and
board approval. Furthermore, since the board only meets in January, May
and September, there was no way to respond in time to meet their need.
As a result of this request, which we could not accommodate, our Board of
Trustees has agreed to provide for a new loan category – Small Church Loans.
(That’s small loans, not small churches.) It would allow our Executive Committee to approve loans in amounts under $10,000, based on a recommendation by the DCBC Executive Director and a simple application. This type loan
could be processed quickly and without the security usually required for larger loans. Church officers (or the appropriate church representatives) would
need to sign a promissory note on behalf of the church. The loan would be
structured to be repaid within five years with the time to be determined by
the amount of the loan and church resources at the approved current loan
interest rate.
Simply put, the Foundation will now be able to grant a small loan to a DCBC
supporting church with a simplified process and a quicker response time.
If you have questions about this new loan program or if your church has such
a need, please contact Ellen Teague at the DCBC Foundation via email
([email protected]).
9
By Rev. Starlette McNeill
Churches in partnership are hands extended
across pews, pulpits, fellowship halls and
parking lots. It is shared space multiplied
by the number of connections we share as
Christ’s Body and when we think of it this
way, there is no end to what we can do together. This is what the D.C. Baptist Convention strives to do: to join hands and
make connections, to initiate conversations
and bridge- building across cultures, communities, cities and states. I was reminded
of this while attending a webinar sponsored
by the American Baptist Home Missions
Society.
“Congregations Working Together: Finding the Dream and Living It” was led by
Joy Skjegstad, author of 7 Creative Models
for Community Ministry. Joy had a list of
ideas that astounded me as there seemed to
be no end to the number of ways that
churches could partner to multiply community impact. From shared space to shared
ministries, there was no need to reinvent or
reinvest in opportunities for which your
church may have in common with another.
The partnerships described could change
the way that a church sees itself, how it
identifies with the larger Christian community and could positively impact the witness of the Church.
These kinds of partnerships, which included
sharing worship space and co- hosting Vacation Bible School, offered lots of pluses. The
benefits of these kinds of agreements were
many. But, there has to be agreement between the churches. This means that there
will be shared leadership, responsibility and
accountability. In fact, it is an act of humility
and an expression of mutual service to one another when we decide to share in the labors of
Christ.
Consequently, partnerships require more than
a handshake. Instead, these relationships of
mutuality will require courageous conversations, authentic compatibility and community
responsibility— all hands in or none at all. It
only takes two churches and it really isn’t unusual as Jesus sent the disciples out two by
two (cf. Mk. 6.7; Lk 10.1). So often, churches
are in competition in communities— big versus small, traditional versus contemporary,
my pastor versus your pastor. Talk about a
church fight!
10
Holy Week Services
With The Churches of DC Baptist Convention
Palm Sunday
Chevy Chase Baptist Church
5671 Western Ave, NW Washington, DC 20015
11AM Worship Service
With Fort Washington Baptist Church, Fort Foote Baptist Church and 12 additional churches
Ark of Safety Christian Church (2016 Host Church)
9402 Marlboro Pike Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Service begins at 7:00PM
The 7 Last Words
Third Baptist Church
1546 5th Street NW Washington, DC 20001
Service begins at 6:30PM
Easter Sunday
Village Baptist Church
1950 Mitchellville Road Bowie, MD 20717
Service begins at 11:00AM
11
(Advocate: Continued from page 6)
So what does Jesus’ call to advocacy look like in practical terms? It can be as simple as assisting a neighbor
with confusing paperwork, helping traditionally excluded populations gain a seat at the communal decision
making table, or acting to change dehumanizing and harmful public policies. Regardless of where you choose
to start, remember that you are not alone. Part of DCBC’s commitment to community engagement includes
helping its members develop the sensitivities and skills required to be advocates. To this end, we are forming an
advocacy team to help discern the most pressing issues facing the communities we serve and then strategize on
ways to equip our people to address these issues. Please let me know if you are interested in serving in this capacity. Additionally, I have included a few advocacy related training events occurring in the DC area in the near
future.
Advocacy in Action Conference- March 8-10, 2016
Club Quarters Hotel, Washington, DC
http://www.cbf.net/advocacy/
Explore advocacy as a faithful expression of Christian mission
Develop a biblical basis for advocacy
Meet CBF partners who are actively involved in advocacy, including Bread for
the World and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
Learn how to be an effective advocate – locally, nationally, and globally
◦Exercise our voice by interacting with members of Congress
Experientially engage an issue (e.g., poverty) through various media, daily
reflection and prayer, and discover how transformation occurs
Develop individual and congregational capacity for leadership around advocacy
Interact with hands-on ministries among most-affected populations through
CBF missions
National Council of La Raza National Latino Advocacy
Days-March 9-10
Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University, Washington, DC
http://www.nclr.org/events/Other-Events/NLAD-Latino-Voter-Summit/
National Latino Advocacy Days brings hundreds of Latino leaders from across
the country to advocate on issues important to the Latino community. Registrants participate in advocacy training and carry out meetings with their congressional representatives.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days-April 15-18
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Crystal City & Church of the Reformation, Washington, DC
http://advocacydays.org
Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness
and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Their
goal, through worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning
and witness, is to strengthen the Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy
on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues.
A Fond Farewell to Logan Dunn
From Rev. Logan Dunn
I am grateful to Dr. Cochran, first
for hiring me as Coordinator of
Project Restoration, then for
encouraging me in that ministry,
and now for blessing me as I
follow God's call.
In a few weeks I will move to
Luxembourg where I will serve as
the Associate Pastor for All
Nations Church, an evangelical
English speaking congregation
comprised of people from all over
the world. Though not Baptist, it is
the kind of congregation that
Baptists can be thankful exists to
give witness to Jesus Christ in
Europe. I am both excited and
humbled to receive this
opportunity. I would be furthered
strengthened for this journey
knowing that I do not go alone but
rather with prayers and support of
the DC Baptist Convention. It
would be an honor to be called one
of your own and to seek to
maintain and grow the
relationship I've begun here.
12
13
Anniversaries
True Gospel Baptist Church under the
direction of Rev. Larry E. Hentz will
celebrate 59th Church Anniversary on
March 2-6, 2016. Please visit their website
for more information on this celebration.
www.truegospelbc.com
English as a Second Language
(ESL) Ministry NorthStar Church Network helps
training church members and leaders so they can
begin ESL ministries in their church as an outreach program. Workshop training is held for
teachers of ESL once a year. Skills and methods
are taught to prepare teachers for the classroom.
The manual, Teaching English Language Learners The Good News, tasks ESL teachers to not
only teach English, but to share the Good News
of Jesus Christ through word and deed. Many
churches are dedicated to this ministry because it
not only helps people who live in the community,
but it also provides a way to share the good news
of Jesus with the international community.
Conversational English Workshop 2016:
ESL Teacher Training
April 2 & 9, 2016 / Saturday 8:30 am to 3:00 pm
(Check-in begins at 8:00 am.)
Reston Bible Church, Sterling (Dulles), VA
45650 Oakbrook Court, Dulles, VA 20166
ESL Teacher Training is a workshop that has
been developed to help volunteers learn to teach
Conversational English to Internationals. You can
become a teacher in an existing English program
or help your church begin such a ministry. Both
sessions must be attended to complete the
course. Register by March 25, 2016.
Carmody Hills Baptist Church celebrates
the 5th Pastoral Anniversary of their pastor,
Rev. Oscar L. Broadie, Jr., Saturday, March
12, 2016 at the Renditions Country Club in
Davidsonville, Md. Please visit their
website for more information
www.chbconthehill.org
Faith Shepherd Baptist Church will be
celebrating the 13th Pastoral Anniversary of
Dr. Alton L. Haynes, Jr. beginning on April
1st. For more information on this
celebration, please call the church
202.582.0055
The New Creation Family will be
honoring Dr. Ella Redfield for her 25th
Ordination Anniversary on Saturday, April
25, 2016 at the Greenbelt Marriott to
celebrate her dedication to ministry. To
attend please email Rev. Faye Dance
([email protected])
Conferences
ABM Conference American Baptist
Women’s Ministries is hosting two concurrent events for women and girls in July
2016 at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel in Herndon, Virginia. “Dwelling,
Discovering, Discipleship/Dedicando,
Descubriendo, Discipulando,” based on
Romans 12, is the theme of the national
conference for women and the national
gathering for girls.
14
(Philippines Discovery Trip 2016 Continued from page 5)
Thelma Nambu says her hope is that each woman who comes to the ministry will not only become whole
herself, but become someone who reaches out to give others a way out of prostitution. Those who become leaders do the ministry of home visits and outreach to the bars. One afternoon, we went with pairs
of leaders to visit the homes of some of the trainees. Tricycles (motorcycles with sidecars) and jeepneys
(colorfully decorated, long-body jeeps with benches for passengers) took us to barangays (neighborhoods)
crowded with tiny, makeshift houses. The families seemed to have little, but they were unfailingly welcoming. Laundry and cooking and other household tasks are carried on in the narrow spaces between the
houses. One mother proudly showed us her 2-month old baby girl swinging peacefully in a hammock. Another told how she carries water from the park some distance away. QA third makes a little income recycling junk to sell in the market.
On our last night at Samaritana we participated in the bar outreach, visiting briefly with some of the women working the bars in Quezon City. Our leader J says she loves the home visits, but the bar outreach
makes her cry. “We do not blame them.”
Many women have little choice but to turn to
prostitution. Unemployment is high and there
is no other way to support children, parents, or
brothers or sisters. Some women are manipulated by pimps or bar owners, others are betrayed by the boy friends they claim to love.
Anti-prostitution and anti-domestic violence
posters are prominently displayed in Quezon
City, but many of the prostitution establishments seem to enjoy tacit government protection. J says the Samaritana outreach workers
keep going to the bars, week after week,
month after month, talking to as many women
as they can, and eventually some listen. At
Christmas 40 of the women met on outreach were invited to a Christmas party at Samaritana. They came
and brought 40 or more, friends, relatives, even pimps to the party to hear the Christmas story.
Our second week was spent in Iloilo and Bacolod in the central part of the Philippines, visiting institutions
and ministries of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/
Convention_of_Philippine_Baptist_Churches. Henna Baclagon, CPBC Director of Development Ministries
(Community Ministry) and the Filipino Baptists gave us the most gracious hospitality at every stop, explaining their work and answering our innumerable questions. We stayed in apartments on the campus of Central Philippines University. We enjoyed all manner of magnificent seafood and a variety of delicate rice
cakes. We heard a great deal about the work being done be the 1000 churches of the CPBC, and we visited
several important CPBC institutions that were started by American Baptist missionaries in the early 1900s.
15
1
Church Starting Class - 6:30 PM
Baptist Building
5
Teacher In-Service Workshop 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Baptist Building
8
Church Starting Class - 6:30 PM
Baptist Building
9
Staff Meeting- 10:00 AM
11
OAM Meeting-10:00 AM
15
Church Starting Class - 6:30 PM
Baptist Building
17
Minister’s Fellowship
19
JBCC Meals For Kids
20
Palm Sunday
22
Church Starting Class - 6:30 PM
Baptist Building
24
Empowering Congregations Work Group
25
Good Friday
D.C. Baptist Convention Offices are closed
27
Easter
28
Easter Monday
D.C. Baptist Convention Offices are closed
Calendar
March
16
At Antique Christian Center we were honored guests for a
School celebration of the history of Antique Province. Each
class Kindergarten to 6th grade wore elaborate costumes
made by their parents and sang and danced enthusiastically.
This school started with 30 students and one teacher 30
years ago and now has more than 400 students. We also
visited an outreach point of the school where teachers and
volunteers conduct Bible study classes for children and
adults in a rural area with no Baptist church. On another
morning we visited Veterans Village Christian Center where
two teachers, one of them unsalaried, teach 90 preschoolers
every day in a tiny building that has no water supply–neither
for drinking nor for flushing the one water sealed toilet.
What the director says she needs though is books for the
children. 80% of these students are Catholic, some Muslim,
but parents make sacrifices to send their children to the
Baptist Schools because of the values taught there.
At each place we were welcomed by children and mothers
alike, who repeatedly expressed their thanks for White
Cross school supplies and hygiene kits. Some spoke nostalgically about the patchwork pieces and other sewing supplies that American women used to send for the women's
sewing fellowships at these Christian centers. Although we
too often wish we could send something more personal, it is
much better stewardship to send the money so the CPBC
can purchase exactly the right supplies on the local market
and distribute them where they are most needed. I hope
Baptist women's groups will remember the Philippines
Christian centers when they choose their projects this year
from the White Cross opportunities.
We also worshiped at Jaro Evangelical Church (the first Baptist Church in the Philippines) and at University Baptist
Church on the Central Philippine University campus. We
had opportunities to visit Capiz Emanuel Mission Hospital in
Roxas City, Iloilo Mission Hospital, and the Bacolod Christian
College and Bible College. Along the way we heard how the
5 great mango trees on the campus of the Bible College provided 65,000 pesos to help feed the students and how CPBC
development ministries is working to help farmers and others in poverty improve their livelihoods. We heard how the
American Baptist One Great Hour of Sharing grant immediately
17
(Philippines Discovery Trip 2016
Continued from page 15)
after Typhoon Yolanda enabled to CPBC to
begin delivering water and bread the very
next day. Even more marvelous, when Filipinos saw something being done, even
those who had suffered loss found ways to
help their neighbors and send aid to those
worse off.
Jaro Evangelical Church was celebrating
their anniversary when we were there.
Their theme song seems to sum up how I
feel about this trip to the Philippines:
“For what has been, praise God. For what
will be, Amen.
To God we give all honor, laud and praise.
To Christ we offer our lives in service, sacrifice and love.”