Our first game today was at 9:00 a.m. Since we arrived in Cagayan de Oro last night, we were assured that we had no chance of beating our opponents. The team was made up of alumni/former players from Xavier University. We definitely looked sluggish at the start but rallied for an even score at halftime. During halftime we introduced ourselves, and shared our testimony with the opposing team and all of those in attendance. Then as we handed out tracts the Christian radio station who promoted the game (The New J) gave away free merchandise such as CDs, T-shirts and Coffee Mugs. They had promised over the radio that the first 300 guests would get a chance to win prizes as a way to help build the attendance. It was a great time of ministry and we made a lot of good contacts for one of the radio station's partnering pastors. Please keep pastor Kevin in your prayers as he follows up the contacts that were made at our game. We also would like you to pray that those who were in attendance would also switch their radio station to 103.3 fm, and be ministered to even more through the Christian music that is played on the radio. After all of the halftime festivities, we started the second half. We had to overcome a power outage for a while, and some interesting calls from the officials, but we managed to pull off a 90-77 win.
Ball Hog Count: 913 + 90 = 1003
Our second game of the day was in Balulang, a small community just outside of CDO. The game was played against a selection (all-star) team from the area. The New J radio station had also done a lot of work to prepare for this game. The crowd was pretty good for a small covered court outside of town, and the team we were playing was very talented. We were up about 10 at half time. It is amazing how excited people get during a half time presentation that includes free gifts. They really seemed to be into it and were excited to hear what we had to say as it was leading up to the raffle for free stuff. For our part of half time, we all introduced ourselves and then Alvin gave a brief Gospel presentation. While we handed out tracts The New J gave away Christian music, Tshirts and coffee mugs. As the buzzer sounded to start the second half, what we had come to do was complete! We still however, had 20 minutes of basketball left to play. We did our best against a very talented team and despite some excellent play by our opponents we hit a couple of late shots and some free throws to take a 3 point lead into the final buzzer: 85 -82.
Please keep the city of Cagayan de Oro and the province of Bukidnon in your prayers. We layed a lot of groundwork that pastors will follow up, but they need your prayers as they work to bring in the harvest. We are so thankful for those who have been following along have prayed and will continue to pray for the work in Mindanao. Salamat Po! (Thank You)
Ball Hog Count: 1003 + 85 = 1088
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Day 7: Radio Personalities
Today, we had a game at 9:00 in the morning in Kiburiao. There was not a huge crowd, as is generally the case this early in the morning, but we still took advantage of those who were there and made sure they all got a gospel tract and heard a testimony from our Filipino teammate Alvin. Alvin has been such a crucial part of this trip and we could not be more thankful that God has blessed us with such a great friend and ministry partner. Alvin is employed by Faith Academy as a computer technician, but he still makes time in his schedule to help share the Gospel across the country. He is the head coach of our Buhay Bombers Basketball Team, and has joined us on other ministry outings. On this trip, Alvin has followed up each players testimony with a short recap in the local language and an explanation of the tract we are handing out. Please keep Alvin in your prayers, he works so hard to be a part of our different ministries and we want to bless him by praying that God watches over him and his family.
We won the game 43 - 31. Please also keep the people in Kiburiao in your prayers. Pastor Noel will be following up with them over the next few weeks!
Ball Hog Count: 875 + 43 = 913
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
After our game we headed back to Cagayan de Oro. Those of us "veteran" missionaries had to take the bus while the rookies got to ride in the nice air conditioned truck with Pastor Noel.
We were met at the bus station by our local contact John, another American Missionary. He is the manager of the local Christian radio station called The New J. In our past visits to CDO we have commented to each other that it would be so nice if we could get a station like The New J in Manila. No Luck Yet.
John had set up a live interview for some of the players with the early evening DJ Charlie. It was a lot of fun for some of the guys to be on the radio, but it was also a great opportunity for us to invite the listeners to our games the next day.
Tomorrow is our last day! 2 games and a flight back to Manila all in a few hours.
We won the game 43 - 31. Please also keep the people in Kiburiao in your prayers. Pastor Noel will be following up with them over the next few weeks!
Ball Hog Count: 875 + 43 = 913
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
After our game we headed back to Cagayan de Oro. Those of us "veteran" missionaries had to take the bus while the rookies got to ride in the nice air conditioned truck with Pastor Noel.
We were met at the bus station by our local contact John, another American Missionary. He is the manager of the local Christian radio station called The New J. In our past visits to CDO we have commented to each other that it would be so nice if we could get a station like The New J in Manila. No Luck Yet.
John had set up a live interview for some of the players with the early evening DJ Charlie. It was a lot of fun for some of the guys to be on the radio, but it was also a great opportunity for us to invite the listeners to our games the next day.
Tomorrow is our last day! 2 games and a flight back to Manila all in a few hours.
Day 6: Morning Off
This morning we finally got some time to rest and relax. It seems we hit the ground running and through the 3 games yesterday our bodies were starting to really get worn out. Thankfully, our 2 games today were both after lunch so we were blessed with some time off and each person spent the morning however they wanted. Most of us slept in, and then took advantage of the different pools at the resort where we were staying. After lunch, we gathered around 1 pm and headed to our first game.
We arrived in Maramag, and stopped to visit the captain of Barangay Base Camp. We had a nice visit, and got a taste of local ice cream sandwiches... literally! Take some bread, throw some ice cream in there and voila! Ice Cream Sandwich! After visiting with the barangay administration, we took a trip over to the covered court and got the game started. The game was not too tough, especially since we were energized from the morning off. At halftime, Ben shared his testimony and talked about how his salvation at the age of 20 changed his life. We handed out some Bible tracts and got started on the second half. We let it slip a little and it got close, but in the end we held on to a 47-46 win.
Ball Hog Count: 758 + 47 = 806
After our game at Barangay Base Camp we took a short break then headed over to Barangay North Poblacion in Maramag. This game was in a good size gym and there were quite a few people there. We had a little scare at the beginning of the game when the team we played seemed to make every shot they put up. We recovered though and were in pretty good control for the rest of the game, we won 69-56. Craig shared at half time and we handed out tracts. We had the pleasure of meeting a local city council woman who was a Christian and she was so excited that we had come. She invited us to the Barangay Hall after the game for dinner and we had a great time visiting with some other city officials.
Ball Hog Count: 806 + 69 = 875
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
Please keep these 2 barangays of Maramag in your prayers and for the different people who will be following up with those who heard the Gospel at our game.
We arrived in Maramag, and stopped to visit the captain of Barangay Base Camp. We had a nice visit, and got a taste of local ice cream sandwiches... literally! Take some bread, throw some ice cream in there and voila! Ice Cream Sandwich! After visiting with the barangay administration, we took a trip over to the covered court and got the game started. The game was not too tough, especially since we were energized from the morning off. At halftime, Ben shared his testimony and talked about how his salvation at the age of 20 changed his life. We handed out some Bible tracts and got started on the second half. We let it slip a little and it got close, but in the end we held on to a 47-46 win.
Ball Hog Count: 758 + 47 = 806
After our game at Barangay Base Camp we took a short break then headed over to Barangay North Poblacion in Maramag. This game was in a good size gym and there were quite a few people there. We had a little scare at the beginning of the game when the team we played seemed to make every shot they put up. We recovered though and were in pretty good control for the rest of the game, we won 69-56. Craig shared at half time and we handed out tracts. We had the pleasure of meeting a local city council woman who was a Christian and she was so excited that we had come. She invited us to the Barangay Hall after the game for dinner and we had a great time visiting with some other city officials.
Ball Hog Count: 806 + 69 = 875
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
Please keep these 2 barangays of Maramag in your prayers and for the different people who will be following up with those who heard the Gospel at our game.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Day 5: 3 Games in 1 Day!
Tuesday's schedule had us going all day. We originally scheduled 2 games per day, but in order to accommodate some of our traveling requirements, we opted to move our Thursday game to Tuesday, rather than have to rush around and possibly miss some important events.
Our first game was in Salawagan. We showed up and met the coach of the local team who informed us he was a Christian. We did our best to encourage him and thank him for his efforts to coach these players and minister to their spiritual needs as well as their physical/sports needs. While we were waiting for the game to starts, some of the guys walked through the surrounding villages and invited the players to come to the game. The game was fun, Evan shared his testimony at half time, and we handed out tracts. We had control for the duration of the game and won 69 - 65.
Ball Hog Count: 507 + 69 = 576
Our second game of the day was in the Municipality of Quezon. This was a very exciting game, as the local administration had done a fantastic job of promoting the event and helping set everything up. The game was in the middle of the town square, and the court was well shaded as large trees lined both sides of the cement. We arrived, to see a very big physical team warming up on the other end. We knew we would be in for a tough contest. The game was close the entire first half. We went into half time up by 5, but knew we were going to have another tough half ahead of us if we were going to win. Daniel shared his testimony at half time, and we handed out tracts. Our host pastor, Noel Colita, has a church in Quezon and has a regular ministry in town. Please pray for him as he follows up the contacts we made during our game in Quezon. He will also be coordinating the follow up from all the areas where we played. Of all the pastors we work with, he will have the most work to do after we leave. We will bless him with a nice love gift to help with some of his expenses, but more than anything... he needs your prayers! We started the second half by hitting a few good shots and getting some key defensive stops. It was no cake walk, but we managed to keep command through the end of the game, winning 77-72.
Ball Hog Count: 576 + 77 = 653
Our final game of the day was in Kiburiao. We arrived in the middle of their town festival, so everyone in the area was there. We estimated that there were close to 1000 people in attendance during the game. As we warmed up, we looked at the other end of the court to see a young team, that did not have a single player over 6 feet tall. Given our lineup of 6'8", 6'3", 6'2" and so on, we were pretty confident that we would have an easy battle on our hand. We could not have been any more wrong. Before the game, Dave, our musician for the trip, sang a tagolog song called "Superhero" that everyone loved! Shortly after his song we started the game. We were excited to see that the the same coach from our first game of the day was also the coach of this team. It is great to know that there are Christian leaders in this community getting involved in the lives of young people. We had a tough game from the start, with these quick little guys running circles around us. Going into halftime, we were losing by 12 points. During halftime, Dave shared his testimony to go along with his musical stylings. we also handed out tracts. At the start of the second half we made a nice run, but we still battled until the very end. It was like these guys could not miss! They hit almost everything they put up, especially the crucial shots. With a minute left we were up four, only to have one of their players hit his third consecutive three pointer. We came down, got fouled and hit one of two free throws to go up two. Finally they missed a shot, and had to foul us. We hit both free throws and took the four point lead to the locker room, so to speak, the final score was 105-101. After the game, we were so blessed by our hosts, they brought out boiled bananas, and buco (coconut) juice in the natural shell. The most encouraging thing about our game, was just after, while we were waiting to take a remembrance photo with the other team, we had to wait, as their coach led them in prayer. Leaders like Coach Raymond Mercader are the people that are going to be crucial in seeing this country come to Christ. Please keep coach Raymond in your prayers, as well as the ministry he helps with in Bukidnon.
Ball Hog Count: 653 + 105 = 758
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
Our first game was in Salawagan. We showed up and met the coach of the local team who informed us he was a Christian. We did our best to encourage him and thank him for his efforts to coach these players and minister to their spiritual needs as well as their physical/sports needs. While we were waiting for the game to starts, some of the guys walked through the surrounding villages and invited the players to come to the game. The game was fun, Evan shared his testimony at half time, and we handed out tracts. We had control for the duration of the game and won 69 - 65.
Ball Hog Count: 507 + 69 = 576
Our second game of the day was in the Municipality of Quezon. This was a very exciting game, as the local administration had done a fantastic job of promoting the event and helping set everything up. The game was in the middle of the town square, and the court was well shaded as large trees lined both sides of the cement. We arrived, to see a very big physical team warming up on the other end. We knew we would be in for a tough contest. The game was close the entire first half. We went into half time up by 5, but knew we were going to have another tough half ahead of us if we were going to win. Daniel shared his testimony at half time, and we handed out tracts. Our host pastor, Noel Colita, has a church in Quezon and has a regular ministry in town. Please pray for him as he follows up the contacts we made during our game in Quezon. He will also be coordinating the follow up from all the areas where we played. Of all the pastors we work with, he will have the most work to do after we leave. We will bless him with a nice love gift to help with some of his expenses, but more than anything... he needs your prayers! We started the second half by hitting a few good shots and getting some key defensive stops. It was no cake walk, but we managed to keep command through the end of the game, winning 77-72.
Ball Hog Count: 576 + 77 = 653
Our final game of the day was in Kiburiao. We arrived in the middle of their town festival, so everyone in the area was there. We estimated that there were close to 1000 people in attendance during the game. As we warmed up, we looked at the other end of the court to see a young team, that did not have a single player over 6 feet tall. Given our lineup of 6'8", 6'3", 6'2" and so on, we were pretty confident that we would have an easy battle on our hand. We could not have been any more wrong. Before the game, Dave, our musician for the trip, sang a tagolog song called "Superhero" that everyone loved! Shortly after his song we started the game. We were excited to see that the the same coach from our first game of the day was also the coach of this team. It is great to know that there are Christian leaders in this community getting involved in the lives of young people. We had a tough game from the start, with these quick little guys running circles around us. Going into halftime, we were losing by 12 points. During halftime, Dave shared his testimony to go along with his musical stylings. we also handed out tracts. At the start of the second half we made a nice run, but we still battled until the very end. It was like these guys could not miss! They hit almost everything they put up, especially the crucial shots. With a minute left we were up four, only to have one of their players hit his third consecutive three pointer. We came down, got fouled and hit one of two free throws to go up two. Finally they missed a shot, and had to foul us. We hit both free throws and took the four point lead to the locker room, so to speak, the final score was 105-101. After the game, we were so blessed by our hosts, they brought out boiled bananas, and buco (coconut) juice in the natural shell. The most encouraging thing about our game, was just after, while we were waiting to take a remembrance photo with the other team, we had to wait, as their coach led them in prayer. Leaders like Coach Raymond Mercader are the people that are going to be crucial in seeing this country come to Christ. Please keep coach Raymond in your prayers, as well as the ministry he helps with in Bukidnon.
Ball Hog Count: 653 + 105 = 758
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
Day 4, Arrival in Bukidnon, Mindanao
Today we woke up at 6:00 a.m. and headed for the airport. Our plane departed at 8:15 and we arrived in Cagayan de Oro at 9:30. Pastor Noel picked us up and we had a 3 hour drive to Valencia.
Our first game was with the Valencia division of the PNP (Philippine National Police). We started off well and going into half time we had a commanding lead. Alvin shared his testimony at half time and we handed out tracts. There was maybe only 100 people in attendance, but throughout the trip, we have talked about the fact, that it only takes one unsaved person to hear the message for the Holy spirit to use that message to change their heart. In a results driven society it is so difficult to stay focused and not be driven by numbers. As the leaders of the team, we do our best to relay to the new players our experiences where God has moved in big ways, even though it looked like it could only be small from our perspective. Who knows what God did in someone's heart on Monday morning? We may never know this side of heaven, but we trust that because God sent us and provided the way for us to go, our part was a success! After halftime, fatigue from the day's travels seemed to set in. Despite our efforts, we found ourselves down 12 points with 4 minutes to go. We have been in this position before, but never against such a physically strong team. We fought hard, and with seconds left we regained a 2 point lead. Winning a hard fought game by both teams, 76-74.
Ball Hog Count: 379 + 76 = 455
Our second game of the day was in Dologon. We arrived just as dark was setting in, and it seemed like we would have to modify our ministry since the covered court appeared to have no lights. We were pleasantly surprised to see that there were lights and electricity for our sound system. We got the sound system set up and started the game. We could tell early that we had our opponents outmanned, but there is definitely a "Home Court Advantage" for the teams we are playing against. Even on cement courts, there is rough terrain, uneven goals and spotty lighting. Specifics to each court are new to us, but very familiar to the teams we are playing. Using all of these factors to their advantage, our opponents stuck in the game until the end. We had a great halftime presentation, with Craig sharing his testimony. The crowd seemed very interested and excited to receive the tract that gave the details about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. After halftime, we were still battling the team and the surroundings, not to mention the crowd that was started to get excited that their team might pull off a win against the visiting Americans. It went back and forth, but in the end we pulled off a 52 - 41 victory.
Ball Hog Count: 455 + 52 = 507
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
Please keep the members of the Valencia PNP and the town of Velencia in your prayers. Also, remember to pray for the people in Dologon who were at our game and heard the Gospel.
Our first game was with the Valencia division of the PNP (Philippine National Police). We started off well and going into half time we had a commanding lead. Alvin shared his testimony at half time and we handed out tracts. There was maybe only 100 people in attendance, but throughout the trip, we have talked about the fact, that it only takes one unsaved person to hear the message for the Holy spirit to use that message to change their heart. In a results driven society it is so difficult to stay focused and not be driven by numbers. As the leaders of the team, we do our best to relay to the new players our experiences where God has moved in big ways, even though it looked like it could only be small from our perspective. Who knows what God did in someone's heart on Monday morning? We may never know this side of heaven, but we trust that because God sent us and provided the way for us to go, our part was a success! After halftime, fatigue from the day's travels seemed to set in. Despite our efforts, we found ourselves down 12 points with 4 minutes to go. We have been in this position before, but never against such a physically strong team. We fought hard, and with seconds left we regained a 2 point lead. Winning a hard fought game by both teams, 76-74.
Ball Hog Count: 379 + 76 = 455
Our second game of the day was in Dologon. We arrived just as dark was setting in, and it seemed like we would have to modify our ministry since the covered court appeared to have no lights. We were pleasantly surprised to see that there were lights and electricity for our sound system. We got the sound system set up and started the game. We could tell early that we had our opponents outmanned, but there is definitely a "Home Court Advantage" for the teams we are playing against. Even on cement courts, there is rough terrain, uneven goals and spotty lighting. Specifics to each court are new to us, but very familiar to the teams we are playing. Using all of these factors to their advantage, our opponents stuck in the game until the end. We had a great halftime presentation, with Craig sharing his testimony. The crowd seemed very interested and excited to receive the tract that gave the details about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. After halftime, we were still battling the team and the surroundings, not to mention the crowd that was started to get excited that their team might pull off a win against the visiting Americans. It went back and forth, but in the end we pulled off a 52 - 41 victory.
Ball Hog Count: 455 + 52 = 507
For more info about our Ball Hog Fundraiser click here!
Please keep the members of the Valencia PNP and the town of Velencia in your prayers. Also, remember to pray for the people in Dologon who were at our game and heard the Gospel.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Church, Shopping, and Game 4
Today (Sunday) we were able to bring our team to worship at a local Filipino church. Pastor Better Labuca shared a message on Philippians 2, which was a great reminder to do all things without grumbling and complaining. This meant a lot to our team as we are about to head out to remote areas to play for the next five days. We will spend a lot of time in the sun, playing hoops, and traveling many hours each day through rough terrain. It will be very easy for us to get tired and start complaining. Please pray for us as we go through the most difficult time of the trip.
After church we headed to the local market for the boys to pick up some souvenirs for the friends and their families. They had a great time experiencing the culture and negotiating lower prices with the shop owners.
Our last event of the day was our final Manila game at Barangay Quirino. As soon as the ball was tipped we knew we were in for a track meet. Each team pushed the ball up the floor and shot a high percentage from the field. With a strong last five minutes we prevailed with a 124-108 victory. Most importantly we were able to share the Gospel with the locals and interact with some fellow Believers. Please pray for the people of Brgy Quirino and those who took interest in the Good News.
In the morning we will jump on an early flight and will be updating you tomorrow from the southern Philippines. Thanks for all your prayers.
Ball Hog Running Count: 255 + 124 = 379
After church we headed to the local market for the boys to pick up some souvenirs for the friends and their families. They had a great time experiencing the culture and negotiating lower prices with the shop owners.
Our last event of the day was our final Manila game at Barangay Quirino. As soon as the ball was tipped we knew we were in for a track meet. Each team pushed the ball up the floor and shot a high percentage from the field. With a strong last five minutes we prevailed with a 124-108 victory. Most importantly we were able to share the Gospel with the locals and interact with some fellow Believers. Please pray for the people of Brgy Quirino and those who took interest in the Good News.
In the morning we will jump on an early flight and will be updating you tomorrow from the southern Philippines. Thanks for all your prayers.
Ball Hog Running Count: 255 + 124 = 379
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Day 2: Barangay Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City; Tanza, Antipolo
This morning we started out our day with a fabulous American breakfast and devotion from one of Josh and Daniel's good friends and ministry partner who lives in the Philippines. Eggs, Toasted Pandesal, Jimmy Dean Sausage - oh yeah! It was great!
We were challenged with a passage of scripture from Matthew 25. We were encouraged and reminded that whatever we do to the least of these, we have done for Christ. It was such a great reminder as we are heading out to the poorest of the poor, that we are the hands and feet of Christ!
Our first game of the day was in Pasig City, Barangay Pinagbuhatan (barangay is a term for small village, numerous barangays make up a city).
Since we arrived in the Philippines 5 years ago, we have gotten involved with some local uniform tailors who make athletic uniforms. We have used this as a way to help other ministries across the world with their uniform needs and also as a way to fund some of our ministry activities. Somewhere along the line, I (Joshua) had the opportunity to meet Dioni (pronounced Johnny). He runs one of the bigger uniform shops in our area and he has helped me tremendously as I have learned the ins and outs of making uniforms. Recently, Daniel and I started to play with the basketball team he sponsors. We have really enjoyed getting a chance to know Dioni and the players on his team. When we join a team like this, it is always with the intentions of building relationships and sharing the Gospel.
While we were working on setting up this trip, we immediately inquired with Dioni about our guest team Buhay Sports playing against his team. This would be a great way to continue building that relationship, but also a way for the players that we usually play with, to hear why we really live in their home country. It was great! It was back and forth the entire game. We shared the Gospel at half time and handed out tracts to everyone there, probably over 300 people were in attendance. In the end, we let a late 3 point lead slip away and ended up losing by 5, 80-85.
Ball Hog Count: 104 + 80 = 184
After the game, Dioni took us back to his uniform shop and fed us a fantastic lunch of Chicken Adobo, Barbecue Chicken, Fish, Watermelon, Mango and of course - Rice! We are so excited about the friendship that we will continue building with Dioni and all of the players on his team. We know that this event has helped us tremendously in that area. We are also excited about the many people who heard the Gospel and were given a tract about how they could have a personal relationship with Christ.
After our first game, we headed home to relax. We then headed out to our second game of the day in Tanza, Antipolo. Many of you have heard us talk about Tanza before. Tanza is one of the areas where we have a regualr ongoing ministry. Church, feeding program and widow care are just a few of the things that First Love is involved in there. Our first pig farm livelihood project is also in the Tanza area.
There were only a few people there when we first got to the court, but as we set up our sound system and turned on the music and the lights, more people started to wander over to see what all the fuss was about. The game was fun, and we won easily 71-50. During halftime, we shared the Gospel with almost 200 people. We gave them all a Gospel tract and invited them to our Church service on Sunday.
Thanks for keeping the people in these two areas where we played games in your prayers as well as the players on the team that Daniel and I play with. We trust that the Holy Spirit will use our efforts to touch someone's heart regarding their need for Salvation.
Ball Hog Count: 184 + 71 = 255
Click here for info on our Ball Hog Fundraiser.
We were challenged with a passage of scripture from Matthew 25. We were encouraged and reminded that whatever we do to the least of these, we have done for Christ. It was such a great reminder as we are heading out to the poorest of the poor, that we are the hands and feet of Christ!
Our first game of the day was in Pasig City, Barangay Pinagbuhatan (barangay is a term for small village, numerous barangays make up a city).
Since we arrived in the Philippines 5 years ago, we have gotten involved with some local uniform tailors who make athletic uniforms. We have used this as a way to help other ministries across the world with their uniform needs and also as a way to fund some of our ministry activities. Somewhere along the line, I (Joshua) had the opportunity to meet Dioni (pronounced Johnny). He runs one of the bigger uniform shops in our area and he has helped me tremendously as I have learned the ins and outs of making uniforms. Recently, Daniel and I started to play with the basketball team he sponsors. We have really enjoyed getting a chance to know Dioni and the players on his team. When we join a team like this, it is always with the intentions of building relationships and sharing the Gospel.
While we were working on setting up this trip, we immediately inquired with Dioni about our guest team Buhay Sports playing against his team. This would be a great way to continue building that relationship, but also a way for the players that we usually play with, to hear why we really live in their home country. It was great! It was back and forth the entire game. We shared the Gospel at half time and handed out tracts to everyone there, probably over 300 people were in attendance. In the end, we let a late 3 point lead slip away and ended up losing by 5, 80-85.
Ball Hog Count: 104 + 80 = 184
After the game, Dioni took us back to his uniform shop and fed us a fantastic lunch of Chicken Adobo, Barbecue Chicken, Fish, Watermelon, Mango and of course - Rice! We are so excited about the friendship that we will continue building with Dioni and all of the players on his team. We know that this event has helped us tremendously in that area. We are also excited about the many people who heard the Gospel and were given a tract about how they could have a personal relationship with Christ.
After our first game, we headed home to relax. We then headed out to our second game of the day in Tanza, Antipolo. Many of you have heard us talk about Tanza before. Tanza is one of the areas where we have a regualr ongoing ministry. Church, feeding program and widow care are just a few of the things that First Love is involved in there. Our first pig farm livelihood project is also in the Tanza area.
There were only a few people there when we first got to the court, but as we set up our sound system and turned on the music and the lights, more people started to wander over to see what all the fuss was about. The game was fun, and we won easily 71-50. During halftime, we shared the Gospel with almost 200 people. We gave them all a Gospel tract and invited them to our Church service on Sunday.
Thanks for keeping the people in these two areas where we played games in your prayers as well as the players on the team that Daniel and I play with. We trust that the Holy Spirit will use our efforts to touch someone's heart regarding their need for Salvation.
Ball Hog Count: 184 + 71 = 255
Click here for info on our Ball Hog Fundraiser.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010: Marikina
After some flight delays that led to an arrival 14 hours later than expected. Our visiting players arrived in Manila, Philippines, ready to spend a week serving Christ and sharing the Gospel with countless lost souls. We are so excited to have them here, and help them experience the joy of working for His Kingdom.
Please keep them in your prayers as they adjust to a new climate, new culture and the many other factors that can make going overseas a challenge. We know that God has brought each of them here for a reason and are excited to see how he uses each of them to change the lives of Filipinos, and how he uses Filipinos to change each of their lives.
After getting everyone back home from the airport and going over some need to know information regarding living in the Philippines, everyone headed up to Josh's place for a fabulous meal of Bicol Express. There are a lot of fun things to do in the Philippines, but if you leave the country without trying Bicol Express, you have missed out on a major cultural treasure. There is also a restaurant in Mindanao that serves another variety of the dish, that we will most definitely visit during a later part of our trip.
After dinner, we loaded up and headed to the game. Here is the recap:
In 2005 when our family first arrived on the mission field in the Philippines, we met Eddie. He had recently been led to Christ by another First Love International missionary who was also discipling him in his Christian walk. Throughout the last few years we have watched Eddie grow in his faith and currently, in the absence of a church in his area, Eddie leads a Bible study in his home and has a men's fellowship Bible study once a week with another First Love International missionary. It has been exciting to see Eddie develop as a Christian man of God.
As we were canvassing areas where we would take our short term missions team to play games, we were excited to partner with Eddie in an effort to evangelize and help recruit new members to join the different Bibles studies that Eddie holds in his home.
Tonight, we tipped off the first game of our current ministry trip in Marikina, at a court that is just outside the back wall of Eddie's home.
The game went well. We had over 100 people from the small community courtside to see what all the fuss was about. As the 3 new guys (Evan, Ben and Craig) were introduced to Filipino basketball, we were able to share the gospel, hand out tracts and invite everyone to join one of the Bible studies that Eddie hosts.
It was a fun game, and in the end, we pulled off a win 104-100. Everyone watching was excited to see a few dunks and some long range three pointers. As a team, we were excited for an opportunity to share the Gospel. With God's blessing, Eddie will have a few more people at the Bible Study this week asking questions and learning how they can have their own, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Thanks for joining us in praying for the people in Marikina who were at the game tonight. That the Holy Spirit would touch their hearts and they would take advantage of the life changing information that was given to them.
Tomorrow we will be playing 2 games, 1 in Pasig City, and 1 in Tanza.
BALL HOG RUNNING COUNT: 104
Click here for info on our Ball Hog Fundraiser.
Please keep them in your prayers as they adjust to a new climate, new culture and the many other factors that can make going overseas a challenge. We know that God has brought each of them here for a reason and are excited to see how he uses each of them to change the lives of Filipinos, and how he uses Filipinos to change each of their lives.
After getting everyone back home from the airport and going over some need to know information regarding living in the Philippines, everyone headed up to Josh's place for a fabulous meal of Bicol Express. There are a lot of fun things to do in the Philippines, but if you leave the country without trying Bicol Express, you have missed out on a major cultural treasure. There is also a restaurant in Mindanao that serves another variety of the dish, that we will most definitely visit during a later part of our trip.
After dinner, we loaded up and headed to the game. Here is the recap:
In 2005 when our family first arrived on the mission field in the Philippines, we met Eddie. He had recently been led to Christ by another First Love International missionary who was also discipling him in his Christian walk. Throughout the last few years we have watched Eddie grow in his faith and currently, in the absence of a church in his area, Eddie leads a Bible study in his home and has a men's fellowship Bible study once a week with another First Love International missionary. It has been exciting to see Eddie develop as a Christian man of God.
As we were canvassing areas where we would take our short term missions team to play games, we were excited to partner with Eddie in an effort to evangelize and help recruit new members to join the different Bibles studies that Eddie holds in his home.
Tonight, we tipped off the first game of our current ministry trip in Marikina, at a court that is just outside the back wall of Eddie's home.
The game went well. We had over 100 people from the small community courtside to see what all the fuss was about. As the 3 new guys (Evan, Ben and Craig) were introduced to Filipino basketball, we were able to share the gospel, hand out tracts and invite everyone to join one of the Bible studies that Eddie hosts.
It was a fun game, and in the end, we pulled off a win 104-100. Everyone watching was excited to see a few dunks and some long range three pointers. As a team, we were excited for an opportunity to share the Gospel. With God's blessing, Eddie will have a few more people at the Bible Study this week asking questions and learning how they can have their own, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Thanks for joining us in praying for the people in Marikina who were at the game tonight. That the Holy Spirit would touch their hearts and they would take advantage of the life changing information that was given to them.
Tomorrow we will be playing 2 games, 1 in Pasig City, and 1 in Tanza.
BALL HOG RUNNING COUNT: 104
Click here for info on our Ball Hog Fundraiser.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Let the Games Begin!
This month we will start off our summer of basketball ministry trips. We have a few trips planned and we are trying to finalize a couple more teams from the states who are trying to work out the details and finances for trips.
Our first trip will be in Metro Manila and Bukidnon Province, Mindanao. We will be working with some local contacts for the Manila portion of our trip and then reconnecting with Pastor Noel Colita for the Bukidnon portion of the trip. Pastor Noel was the organizer of the very first Buhay Sports ministry trip, which was also in Bukidnon, Mindanao and we are excited to partner together with him and the members of his pastors conference. Please remember to keep the team in your prayers from May 14 – 21. We will be traveling a lot, mostly by jeep, but also by plane and some boat. We will also be sharing the Gospel in close to 20 areas and each game working with a different local pastor who will work with his church to follow up our event. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but with your prayers we know God will bless our efforts to see people come to know Him!
Stay tuned for daily updates from our trip as internet access allows!
Here is a recent picture I have of Pastor Noel, for you dog lovers out there!
Our first trip will be in Metro Manila and Bukidnon Province, Mindanao. We will be working with some local contacts for the Manila portion of our trip and then reconnecting with Pastor Noel Colita for the Bukidnon portion of the trip. Pastor Noel was the organizer of the very first Buhay Sports ministry trip, which was also in Bukidnon, Mindanao and we are excited to partner together with him and the members of his pastors conference. Please remember to keep the team in your prayers from May 14 – 21. We will be traveling a lot, mostly by jeep, but also by plane and some boat. We will also be sharing the Gospel in close to 20 areas and each game working with a different local pastor who will work with his church to follow up our event. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but with your prayers we know God will bless our efforts to see people come to know Him!
Stay tuned for daily updates from our trip as internet access allows!
Here is a recent picture I have of Pastor Noel, for you dog lovers out there!
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