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NEW WEBSITE! Check it out!
www.riverrockchurchphilippines.com

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Palawan Church Report June 30, 2012

My Dear Grace Chapel Partners,

I arrived at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan June 20th. Pastor Alagos and I returned from Palawan yesterday June 28th. This was one of the highlights of my life. Many times each day I praised God for the opportunity to serve Him. Many times each day the Lord confirmed he was with me in my life and in the ministry He has set before me.

Finishing Our Current Work in Santa Lourdes, Palawan

We are almost complete, establishing the fifth church, in our mission, here at Barangay Santa Lourdes, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines. The congregation is assembled. The Pastor and his family have lived among them 10 years. The building will be completed within a week. There were 4 baptisms this last Sunday. Praise God!

Along the way our Lord has opened doors for us to start another church in Palawan.

Pray for our New Church at Barangay Tagumpay, Palawan

While building the church in Santa Lourdes, the Lord provided an opportunity to visit a barangay 95 kilometers north. This barangay is Tagumpay. Tagumpay means victory! It is a part of the municipality Roxas, Palawan, Philippines. There is no Christian church there. Pastor Alagos’ brother, Prodencio Alagos, is a Pastor living in Santa Lourdes. Pastor Prodencio is willing move to Barangay Tagumpay to plant and pastor the new church there. He has many family members and friends that live in Barangay Tagumpay. When we visited them, they are extremely excited to have a Christian church there. There is no place for Christians to worship. The result has been scattered sheep and no harvest of the lost.

Most of Barangay Tagumpay is a squatter’s area. They are the poorest of the poor. The Philippine government has given each family a small piece of land to build a home on. There are 9 surrounding Barangays that we can minister to. The Tagumpay River is connected to Barangay Tagumpay and has many homes. Some of the homes can only be reached by boat.

We traveled the river, but did not see any of the crocodile that inhabit the river. Pastor Alagos said he was sure they saw us.

At the mouth of the river is the Sulu Sea. Barangay Rizal is located there. It is only 10 minutes from Barangay Tagumpay by road. However, many will not be able to travel to Barangay Tagumpay as they cannot afford the expense. Pastor Prodencio was invited to start a Bible Study at Barangay Rizal. The Lord provided an opportunity to talk with a lovely senior lady who invited us and will host the Bible Study.

*Please pray that early September we will be able to go back to Palawan to dedicate the Santa Lourdes church and launch the new church at Tagumpay. Thank you Lord!

We Have A Plus!

Almost 4 weeks ago, we were invited to Sitio Franks in Barangay Mabasa, Antique to start a church there. Thank you Lord! This is close to where our 2nd church Tabernacle of Praise is located. It is like Tagumpay as it is also a squatter’s area. This Barangay was destroyed by Typhoon Franks in 2007. The government bought the land and dedicated it to squatters. Each family is given an area of land to build a home. It is theirs long as they live there. It is deeded that way. Each piece of land is just large enough to build a small bamboo home.

We had 3 services at Sitio Franks already. The average attendance is 70. We believe this may become one of our largest churches.

Lord willing, we will start building the Franks church immediately. This will be church number 6. This one will be called River Rock Church Franks. Praise God!

Please keep us in your prayers. We will begin immediate construction of the church building at Sitio Franks. Barangay Tagumpay, church 7, will launch early September, 2012, Lord willing.

Only God!

I am as astonished as you are! When we arrived here less than one year ago, August 6th, 2011, we were 3 churches. Now we are planning church 7 the first week of September 2012. ONLY GOD could do such as a work as this. Pastor Alagos and I have the next 5 churches in sight. We are laying plans for them now, Lord willing!

Only the Holy Spirit!

·         Only the holy Spirit could move the hearts of the cheerful generous givers for this ministry

·         Only the Holy Spirit could move the hearts of the faithful to unite in prayer for the lost and scattered sheep in the Philippines

·         Only the Holy Spirit could move the hearts of the Pastors wanting to join us

·         Only the Holy Spirit could move the hearts of the leaders in the barangays to clear our way

·         Only the Holy Spirit could move the hearts of the lost and the scattered sheep of the Philippines to repentance in each of these churches

Only in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

·         Only in Jesus name do we call the lost and scattered of our Lord to salvation and repentance

·         Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ do we proclaim

·         Only the Lord Jesus Christ’s Church do we establish in the Philippines

·         Only the hope of the Lord Jesus Christ do we offer to the hopeless

·         Only in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ are broken lives and families being healed

·         Only in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ do we ask the sick may be healed

Only for the Lord Jesus Christ do we live each day in His presence, His grace, and His power! Amen!

May our Lord, Jesus Christ, continue to bless us all,

Steve Bragg and Alejo Alagos

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Building the Church in Santa Lourdes, Palawan

Dear Grace Chapel Partners,

Tomorrow I leave to meet Pastor Alagos on the island of Palawan. Our new church is in the municipality Santa Lourdes on Palawan. Please pray for Pastor Alagos and me as we will build their new church building over the next 9 days, Lord willing.

Also please keep us in your prayers as Santa Lourdes has the malaria mosquito.

Thank you for your prayers,

Your servant, Steve

Sunday, June 17, 2012

A Call to Macedonia Week 2

My Dear Grace Chapel Partners,

Today we gave a worship service at a squatter’s area, Sitio Franks. The poorest of poor live there. The leaders of Sitio Franks invited us to bring the church to the people. It was our second service.

My friends, you could feel the presence of the Lord. People started coming barefoot and tattered clothes. One person came in a wheelchair, and two were helped by friends to walk to the service. They came that we could pray for them. I felt as we were at Peter’s house when they let the crippled through the roof.

We did not invite a healing service, they just came. 80 plus people filled the little bamboo house. They also gathered out into the kitchen and bedrooms. Many were people outside the house peering through the door and windows.

I was in tears watching them come. I was praising God in my heart. As I was wiping tears from my eyes, Pastor Gary, my interpreter, turned to me with tears in his eyes and said this is from God! He took the words right out from my month. Sister Edna led worship with tears of joy, as well. I was so moved as I gave my message of encouragement to them in tears.

The presence of the Lord was full. I knew it was the working of the Holy Spirit that brought them, and the Holy Spirit was also powerful in the message to their open hearts. Many of them were crying as I talked to them about repentance and the power of prayer. The message was Hebrews 4:16.

Thank you all for your prayers for us here. We service an awesome God. We don’t deserve this blessing and ministry. But thank You Lord that You allow us this privilege and this marvelous blessing. We are only joyful participants of the Lord’s blessing to those there.

Today, we fed 80 hungry hearts for our Lord. We also fed 35 hungry children a nourishing meal.

Thank you for being my dear partners in this magnificent ministry.

Your servant, Steve

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Call to Macedonia



Worship at Brgy Mabasa/Sitio Franks
My Dear Grace Chapel Partners,

A Call to Macedonia

“A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:9, 10).

Worship at Brgy Mabasa/Sitio Franks
More and More our work here to plant churches for our Lord Jesus Christ takes on the likeness of the work (Acts) of the Apostles in the Book of Acts. We have many similarities. Maybe one day I will write a book titled the Acts of the Philippines.

In this comparison, like Paul’s call to Macedonia, we received a call back to Barangay Mabasa and a new Sitio that is part of Barangay Mabasa called Sitio Franks. A Sitio is a smaller area of a Barangay. Sitio Franks is a squatter’s area. The neediest live here. Sitio Franks was a place wiped out by Typhoon Frank several years ago. Thousands of lives were lost in Typhoon Frank here on our island. The Philippines’ government bought this land and donated it to the neediest. They can have a small piece of land as long as they live there. Most families who live at Sitio Franks are fisherman.

Thank you Lord for the children! 


Tabernacle of Praise, our second church in this work, came under extreme oppression. This caused Tabernacle of Praise to leave the church building they used for worshiped in Barangay Mabasa to avoid the oppression. This church was started in 2007. Pastor Alagos, during this time, built a strong congregation. With our Lord’s blessing they were able to overcome the storm. When the congregation decided it was time to leave the only available place to rent for worship was in the neighboring Barangay Igbarawan. This was hard on the Mabasa congregation as most walk to church.


All were feed a nutritious meal
The Lord always turns hardships to blessing. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). This verse should be our banner. Always the Lord causes proposed evil to good. We continually pray that our work here for our Lord is “according to His purpose.”

Our first blessing is we lost none of the Mabasa church, Tabernacle of Praise; not a one! Their faith has increased through this, and they are stronger in the Lord. Even their giving has increased to meet the challenges of the increased expense.

The second blessing is many are now attending from Barangay Igbarawan. Our average attendance in Mabasa was 25-35 people. Now, in their new location we are 80 plus. If everyone came at the same time, there would be standing room only. After only 2 weeks at the new location, we are planning a second service! Praise God! His providence is absolute!  Magnificent are His blessings! Faithful is His care of His children!

The third blessing is the people who had only attended occasionally or who had stopped attending, called a meeting and want us back in Barangay Mabasa. Also, the people of Sitio Franks have donated a piece of land for us to build a church building for worship.

Worship Service at Brgy Igbarawan
We had our first combined worship service of Barangay Mabasa and Sito Franks this evening, Sunday June 10th,2012. I estimated almost 60 attended. We feed lots of children! A family donated their home for the service. Next week we will meet in another home. It appears we will meet house to house until we build the church building. WHAT A BLESSING!

Lord willing, Tabernacle of Praise will be 2 services in Barangay Igbarawan Sunday morning and 1 service at Sitio Franks Sunday afternoon!

PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS. I’M SURE THE ENEMY IS NOT DONE. PRAY WE CONTINUE TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OUR OF LORD JESUS CHRIST. IT IS ONLY BY HIS MIGHT, PROTECTION, AND BLESSING THAT WE HAVE SUCCESS IN HIS MISSION AND MINISTRY HERE, IN THE PHILIPPINES!

IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!

Thank you for your partnership in this ministry to the Filipinos.

Steve Bragg