A Message From the Philippines

Mike Hosey, Elder

I am writing this edition of "reflections" on our last night in Tinagong Dagat, Palawan, Philippines. It is a beautiful place.  We will miss it.  And we will never forget the friends we have made here. Tomorrow we ride to Puerto Princesa, and the next day we catch our first plane home.

Buddy and I have seen and done many things in our short time here.  One thing I am learning is that every experience of the third world is a bit different from another.  But there are a few things that all places in the third world share with all places in the developed world. People need Jesus in all those places.

So because of that, we've preached the gospel; warned people of the consequences of sin; helped a missionary improve his reach and power; enouraged people to evangelize; and we've prayed for people.  We've prayed for the sick and for the lost. In one of our outreaches, we personally prayed for individual people, one after another, for half of an hour or more.  The look of need and desperation in the eyes of some of them was something I cannot describe adequately with words. You just have to see it.

But as I write this, I am most moved by the teamwork involved to bring the gospel to these people.  Funding must flow in from givers all around the world. If those people don't give, then the team here in Palawan cannot do their job as they now do.  The individuals on the team here must be committed to each of their jobs. The cooks that prepare the food for the hungry at the outreaches must volunteer their time, the praise and worship team must practice and volunteer their time to praise the name of Jesus, the driver must drive the bus, the people who pick up and clean up, must pick up and clean up.  If any of these team members fail in their job, the whole job can potentially fail.

Finally, I've noticed the joy in the faces of missionaries and native peoples when someone outside their country comes to visit and help them with their work. We will never be as effective as they are at bringing Jesus to the people of the countries where they do their work.  But one thing we can do when we go is offer them a kind of encouragement that they just can't get any other way.  And encouraging one another is an integral part of teamwork.

Thank you Fellowship Church for doing your part to help the people of Palawan, Philippines!