July 2015 Blessings Report

My Dear RRCP Partners,

We have received a tremendous blessing from River Rock Church America. They are now financially supporting the ministry here. Always many RRC individuals have supported us and still do - thank you all! This new support from RRC itself is specifically to help with pastor allowances and hire new pastors. It is also for new church buildings. What a great blessing!

In praise of our pastors, they work hard with very little pay. Each pastor’s family understands the sacrifice and cost. If they can feed and clothe their children and send them to school they are quite happy. Often times, regular fasting is a way of life. Most of our pastors, when available, work other jobs, plant gardens and raise chickens or pigs to support their families. Work is not easy to find here. Four walls made of bamboo and no leaks in the roof is another blessings. They truly understand the need to save their people through the spreading of the Gospel. They are willing to pay the price and their families are willing also. They work tirelessly with no complaint and only continuous praise to our Lord. They are excited and eager to serve the Lord. The new Incentive Pay Program provided by RRC will help them support their families and stabilized them for the future of RRCP.

More Blessings

• We just completed the construction of church and parsonage in Barangay Anini-y. The church started as a house church one year ago. Already their youth meetings are 18-20 students. The average Sunday worship is about 50 including all ages. This church is busy starting two more house churches. Pastor Lachica lets no grass grow under his feet. Three of our 24 churches are fruits of his and wife Teodora’s labor. The money for the Anini-y church is from Shepherds of the Savior Foundation.

• We finished the construction of the Buenavista Tribal Church on the island of Palawan. This church building was funded by First Baptist Church of Phoenix Foundation.

• We are nearly complete with construction the Hill of Zion church. They recently started a new house church in Salaguiwan. The Hill of Zion church building is the result of the RRC donations.
• When Hill of Zion is complete we start the construction of Barangbang. We are completing the land donation papers now. They currently worship in a bamboo church that is no longer adequate. This is also from the RRC donations.
• This last week we started the construction of the Maranat church building. This one was also a house church for one year that has grown to a large congregation. The land was donated by the host family of the house church. It’s placed along a beautiful river where we recently baptized 7 from this congregation. We also baptized 12 here last year. We are considering to call it the Riverside Church RRCP. This church is the result of a donation from the First Baptist Church of Phoenix Foundation.
• We just started two more house churches here near Grace Chapel. Both have had three meetings. They are Minoro and Padang. Padang is held in a rented venue twice a month at Villa Alma. There were 68 in attendance for Padang this last service! We are not ready to add them to the count of RRCP, but they are very promising.
• There have been four deaths in the past month of people outside the church. We held services for each and the Lord is blessings our efforts to proclaim His Gospel.
• We have a new experienced pastor being mentored by pastors Lachica and JoJo. We certainly have room for him and more like him.
• As a result of RRC new donations, we just promoted Pastor JoJo to Regional Pastor with oversight of the island of Panay. We are 14 churches here and growing. One of his responsibilities is the oversight of new church construction on Panay. Because of Pastor JoJo’s oversight, the Hill of Zion church is coming in under budget.
• Pastor Stephen is the new Regional Pastor of the island of Palawan which is currently 10 churches. Already the construction of the Maranat church is ahead of schedule. Praise God and thank you RR.
• Our application is submitted at Shepherds for the Savior to construct a church in the tribal community of Maryogon. There is land available, at an extremely discounted price, if we are approved. We are praying for an approval this month.

Just finished RRCP Anini-y – ready for our logo

            

Buenavista Tribal Church on the island of Palawan.

     

Construction of our Hill of Zion Church in Maracrina, Patnongon Antique

                       

Breaking Ground to Construct our new RRCP in Maranat, Palawan

                

Our First Worship Service for Padang, Patnogon Antique

                

New Children's Feeding Program for Minoro, Apgahan, Patnongon Antique

                  

Thank you Lord!

Thank you everyone and blessings!

Your partner in ministry,

Pastor Steve Bragg

1-2-3 GO!

I don’t know why I was so surprised. It happened just this way last year. There

Franks/Mabasa Church & Parsonage

was a rest and spiritual reflection time provided from our Lord January to March. Then from April through December, with blessings from our Lord:

·         We built and dedicated the Santa Lourdes church.

·         Launched the Tagumpay church, the new Tabernacle of Praise church, the Magarang home church.

·         Launched and built Franks/Mabasa church.

·         Sent twelve new college students to Asian Theological Seminary.

First Annual RRCP International Convention

·         Provided for 14 student Scholarships.

·         Found support for four pastors.

·         Celebrated our First Annual RRCP International Convention.

With provision from our Lord Jesus, prayers and financial support from you all, we did this all March through December, whew!

Graduation Grace Chapel DVBS

This year we hit a lull, again. January through March was a stand still. When I talked with Pastor Kelly about this, he said rest. Pastor Alagos is very busy as a Principal this time a year. We removed the added burden of building churches from him during this time.

However, I’m a different story. I’m so called retired. Starting and building churches are all I have to do. Last year, at this time, was no different. I’m a little slow sometimes, and don’t always recognize God’s patterns.

Bags of clothes for graduating DVBS students

God used this time to rest Pastor Alagos and me. But, equally or most importantly, God used this time to get me ready for the next ministry.

Most of my time, during January through March, was spent fasting and praying. I went through another desert time in my relationship with God. By desert, I mean I did not feel the usual presence of God. Numerous trails of my faith came at this time. Several times I felt discouraged. However, I was determined to remain faithful. This verse comes to mind.

Feeding children in Sugnod

 “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (1Peter 1:6, 7).

Gold… I’m not sure my faith is like gold, yet. However, today my faith and relationship with God are much stronger. I feel a new exuberance in my walk with God. Pastor Alagos says my preaching and teaching are improved, and the same with my public prayers. I feel a greater presence of God, thank you Lord.

Sometimes God says no, sometimes wait, and sometimes GO!

Fruits of our labor

Well, again, April came with GO!

·         We have been funded to plant three more churches this year. We are in the process of preparing for these.

·         We are now completing three churches from last year. Two of these three churches are being built today.

·         We started 5 new children feeding programs in 5 of our churches.

·         We are currently conducting Daily Vacation Bible School in our 9 churches.

·         16 students are receiving school scholarships.

·         8 students are continuing their second year at ATS.

·         We are distribution clothes to children in need.

*We are praying to be able to support  an additional three pastors this year, and we still have one more child in need of a school scholarship. We are praying to start 3 more feeding programs in the new churches we will launch this year, Lord willing.

And this is only the beginning of May! Maybe this year will be GO-GO-GO!

All glory goes to God!

Thank you for your prayers and financials support.

Please continue to keep us and this ministry in your prayers.

Your partner in this ministry,

Steve Bragg