HOLIDAY GIFT CONTRIBUTION

During the December fellowship, the congregation’s staff will be recognized with a Holiday Gift. Contributions can be given to Norma Bryan or Cary Miller. December 4^th is the deadline.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTPRINTS

“And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”” Romans 10:15

Photo by Adrianna Calvo on Pexels.com

We are excited to receive a lengthy missionary report from the Emperados in the Philippines. Due to its length, it will be posted in parts. This is part four of five. Please keep this work in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

In early November, I hope to travel to Masbate to visit the church we planted there many years ago. The Masbate church has since planted six other churches in outlying towns through the help of members there under the leadership of Robert Tau-toan. Robert was 12 years old when we baptized him during the church planting. Robert’s dad passed away when he was a toddler. With three other siblings, his widowed mother could not send him to elementary school. Robert ended up staying with a teacher’s family at 8 years old, he helped clean the house, feed their pigs, and do other chores to earn his board and keep. In high school, he lived with relatives who helped him go to school. He was able to live with relatives who were Christians, and they helped him grow and mature in the faith. In college, he worked selling food and clothes to put himself through school. At the same time the young church in Masbate was asking him to be their preacher, but they could not provide any support for him. He willingly served them throughout his college days. He took up accounting and graduated Cum Laude. Now he has a very good job as a city assessor there in the capital of Masbate, and he has started several businesses and doing very well. He is still the “self supporting” preacher there and he uses his finances to help them in their mission goal of planting churches in outlying towns in Masbate. Robert’s personal goal is to buy lots for the churches to build when the time comes. So far, he has bought lots in three towns. His excitement and zeal for spreading the Word and getting others involved in the work of spreading the Gospel is so encouraging to me & others.

That is why my favorite theme to speak about every chance I get, is “Never Underestimate Humble Beginnings”. In every church I visit here, I speak about this and use Robert as an example. My goal is to empower other churches and Christians to be like the Masbate church. I pray I will have the opportunity to preach this message in our supporting & partnering churches next time we visit the U.S. There is so much to share from the field that might infuse fresh energy to the local churches we visit here and in the U.S. We hope to be able to travel as a family back to the states in the summer of 2023. It will have been over 4 years since we have visited due to COVID. We pray Becky’s health will be better and there will be fewer restrictions for travelling back and forth by then.

Photo from Richard emperado

Much Love, Richard, Becky, and Kids (4of5) 2756