Warm Welcome

We arrived in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (Elena’s hometown) last April 28 after more than 12 hours of travel by land and sea. We were greeted with warm welcome (including the weather!) by the people in her church. The last time I (Ef) had my vacation in San Jose was in 2006. That was 7 long years ago! The church building is now beautifully furnished. 

It was also a privileged for us to meet Rev. Arsenio Eneigo, former pastor of Bethany Mindoro. He is now a minister in the U.S. but he came in San Jose to officiate a wedding. We are blessed to have this time of reunion with Bethany San Jose family.

Family Retreat

Time for a break from our normal daily activities and withdraw to a beautiful island off the coast of San Jose. Elena’s sister (Glo) planned for this short relaxation last May 9-10. We have fun swimming in clear white sand beach filled with beautiful sea creatures. It was one of the best days of our vacation in San Jose. Ian Carlo enjoyed collecting orange starfish and swimming with his cousins.

Tribal Youth Camp

One of the ministries of Bethany Mindoro (Elena’s homechurch) is reaching the Mangyans, a tribal group living in the highlands. They have already sent some of them in San Jose town to study. This is their strategy in training leaders especially in the ministry. 

Last May 15-17 we had the opportunity to train them in evangelism together with some of the youth from San Jose town. During the three-day camp, campers learned to present the gospel in different ways. One of the ways they liked was the presentation of Biblical events and stories in chronological order. After our short training, the campers went out to share the story with their neighbors. It was a new experience for most of them. To help the campers, we went out with them and provided some coaching. It was a great experience to see the younger generation learn to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission. A church building is under construction in this village.

Children of Bayotbot, San Jose

These are the children of Bayotbot, a farming village in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. Most of the families here are tobacco planters. Last May 25-26 we held a two-day VBS together with Elena’s sister and brother-in-law who is serving as outreach pastor of Bethany Evangelical Mission Church, San Jose. It was attended by more than 50 children. During the two-day VBS, the children learned songs, heard Bible stories, had fun games and singing presentations. The ministry here in Bayotbot is not easy. Many workers came and left without much success. It is our prayer to see a thriving church in this place in the near future.