The Cost of Buhang Christian Center Hamtic Antque Philippines

Serving in the Philippines

Monday August 22, 2011

The Cost of Buhang Christian Center

Hello Grace Chapel Partners,

Thank you

Again, this weekend was filled with joy and praise. What an excellent opportunity and privilege He has given us to love His people and children here in the Philippines. We, you and I, are indeed partners here in this Philippine Ministry. Without your love, prayers and generosity, my family and I would not be here serving in the Philippines and planting new Churches in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Together, with Pastor Alagos we have helped plant 3 Churches and we are in the process of establishing the fourth Church.

Praises

The new Church Buhang Christian Fellowship has enormous potential. Buhang is a large Barangay. There are other large Barangay in short distance that could easily be reached for the Lord through this new Church. We are praying this new Church will be across the street from the High School and Elementary School. These are large National schools. We are only a few kilometers from the St. Anthony’s College. Also, nearby are the Bible studies now taking place to establish this new Church.

The big praise was the study in the squatter’s area. Last week we only had about 12 attend. This week we had 30 children and 16 adults! Thank You Lord. We fed the children a nutritional snack. I mentioned last week a young man who had recently had his hand cut off. His name is Jun. Jun and his wife and son have opened their home for the study. I modified my message to reach the children. I pray the simplicity of the Gospel will also help the adults understand God’s passionate love for them.

I pray the Lord will help you experience the joy of helping these in greatest need of His love and salvation. Please pray the Lord will give Pastors Alagos, Zamora, his wife Jan and I the wisdom needed to minister here.

Please help

All of the Churches planted so far through Grace Chapel Ministries, and the many Churches Pastor Alagos have planted; each had the land donated for the church building. As a result, we have no budget to purchase land. However, this time it appears we will need to purchase land. I believe it is because we are so close to schools. All of the available lots are for sale and none to be donated. We have the possibility to purchase an excellent site with exceptional growth potential. This site is the same cost per square meter as the others. This one is the same cost and best location. We will be the only Christian Church in this and surrounding Barangays.

Another blessing is the school system will allow us to open an alternative school in this church building and will pay the teacher’s salary! This will be a tremendous outreach to educate the less-fortunate children. We will be a school during the week, a place to worship on the weekend and a facility to launch ministries to the community.

Can you help us purchase the land? It is 200 square meters for 100,000 pesos. It is about $2400 plus another $500 to prep the land to build the church building and parsonage. You may give to Grace Chapel through River Rock Church, Camas, WA.

Prayer Request

Please pray for the second Buhang Bible study. Last week and this week the host family had deaths in the family and funerals the same day as the study. Pray for the Lord to minister to them Lord. Pray that we will be able to minister to them.

Please pray for Julian and I as parents for Steven.

Please pray for me. I have considerable difficulty remembering people’s names and places. I also have even greater difficulty with the language.

Please pray for Pastor Alagos and his family. Pastor Alagos is both a full time school principal and Pastor/Evangelist. Pray that I will be a help and blessing to him and his family.

Please send me your prayer request. I will hold you up before our Lord.

One more Blessing

Pastor Alagos took me to the top of one of the mountains to give a message of encourage to a Church he helped planted 6 years ago. Their hospitality was a great blessing. Pastor Alagos worked with another retired missionary couple the Robinsons from Washington, England. Together, they established the Buenavista Christian Fellowship. Please pray for Mrs. Robinson as she is now suffering from cancer.

Ministering in the Philippines

Hello Grace Chapel Partners,

What an exciting week! Thank You Lord!!! I am totally in my element here. My experiences are night and day different than what life is like in American and I love the differences.

 Saturday August 13, 2011

My travel this week was on the back of Pastor Alagos motorcycle. I also traveled by three-wheeled motorcycle. It’s a motorcycle with a sidecar. They pile people high on these. They were not made for a big guy like me. I’m packed in like a sardine. I’m giving the messages, and Pastor Alagos is interpreting.

Pastor Alagos took me to the Buhang Barangay in Hamtic. Buhang is where our new Church plant is taking place. The name of our new Church is Buhang Christian Fellowship. It was about a 45 minute ride through the side streets of San Jose and some beautiful country side with rice fields almost ready for harvest. It is the largest Barangay in the Hamtic municipality. There are 48 Barangay in Hamtic. I gave messages to two of the Bibles Studies going on there. I met the Pastor of our new Church, Carlos Zamora and his wife Jan.

The first study was in what they call the squatter’s area. They truly are the neediest of God’s creation. My heart pumped with compassion for them. What a privilege to have the opportunity to love them for the Lord. I know now why the Lord had me live two years unemployed and the experience of relying on Him day by day for survival. I shared that experience with them and God’s faithfulness through it. One young man had a bandage around his wrist. Someone had recently cut off his hand. He is a good looking young man with a friendly smile. There were about 12 who showed up. As I shared how much God loves them, some had tears in their eyes. Afterward, we prayed for the Lord to heal 4 people who are sick. Please hold these in the squatter’s area in your prayers. We will introduce a feeding program for the children next week. We will provide healthy food for the children that come to the service each week. Malnutrition is the life enemy of these children. We are talking about a school supply program for them. About 1300 pesos or $31 will provide their school supplies and uniforms for the school year. People really don’t know how much you love them until you start loving them. James says I’ll show you my faith by my actions.

The second study was at the Barangay Captain’s home. There was a funeral, so many were not available. About 8 people attended. Again tears were in some of the teen’s eyes. The Lord is reaching their hearts. We still do not have a site to build this Church so, please keep this in your prayers. At the end, of the day we went back to Grace Chapel for services at 5:00pm.

Sunday August 14, 2011

We were back on Pastor Alagos motorcycle heading for two remote mountain churches. Both Churches were started by Pastor Alagos. This time we were on some dangerous mountain muddy roads. We climbed some hills that were about 30 degrees by my estimation. Pastor Alagos said many have lost their lives on this road. But we are on our way with prayer and faith to encourage them through God’s Word and the testimony of my life. In every message, I tell them about love and prayers of Grace Chapel Partners and River Rock Church.

The first Church we visited was about a 45 minute ride. This remote mountain Barangay was in a spectacular farming valley. I told Pastor Alagos I could easily live here. If my goal were to sit back and retire in God’s beautiful countryside, this would be the place. This is the Sitio Culby Igburi Barangay of Patnongon. The Church was 7 years old and is called Blessed Hope Fellowship. It was rightly named. Several teachers attend this Church. We had a marvelous time of worship and fellowship.

The next Church was in a different Barangay. This Church was only two years old. It is the first church that has survived in this Barangay. Pastor Alagos said many denominations tried and failed because of the prevailing witchcraft practiced there. This Church was also named appropriately. It’s called Miracle of Life Fellowship. The walls were half constructed and the floor dirt. There are typically about thirty that attend, but today was about 10. What an opportunity to preach the truth of God’s Word in the heart of that Barangay and encourage the faith of His Church established in the heart of darkness. Because the walls are only half up, many strolled by to see what was happening. I pray the Holy Spirit was active in their hearts as Jesus was being glorified through His Gospel. Please pray for the Lord to provide a new, young Pastor. The two Pastors there now, are very old. They are praying for a young Pastor to replace them. But still the Light of Faith showed bright in these old Pastors eyes.

We ended today at Pastor Alagos Church the Tabernacle of Praise. Its name is appropriate also. Praise and worship was the end of a blessed day.

Please continue to keep these churches in your prayers.

May the Lord bless us all,

Steve Bragg