PJ's Journal

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:1-2 What is the main goal of a gardener? Is it not to care for his plants in such a way that they produce a desired result? Plants left untended will die or fail to produce its desired results in most instances. That is where the gardener comes in. Plants need water! They need care! If a garden is not weeded, then the weeds literally choke the life out of the plants. The soil is important, but pruning is also very important. Jesus gives the illustration of a vine and branches to illustrate the "gardening" ministry of the Father. He describes Himself as the true vine. There is one vine that the Father tends to and gives His attention to... the true vine! This vine has many branches. Some are dead, some are not producing, and I am sure there are those that a...

Well, I am in the airport in Seoul, South Korea thankful that they have free Wi-Fi! It is the first opportunity that I have had to blog in a couple of days. It is Monday morning here, although most of you who read this will think it is Sunday evening. Saturday and Sunday were busy days with a tad bit of drama to them as well. Saturday: Saturday was our R&R day. We went to a beach on Mactan Island, rented some jet skis and a banana boat for our Filipino friends to enjoy, and ate a wonderful catered meal. Every thing was great until an incident throw a monkey wrench into the plan. While we were jet skiing, two of the boys were out while I was out, and their jet ski stalled. Normally, not a big issue except that there was a boat coming (about a 30 foot boat). It did not attempt to get out of the way despite one of the boys waving in desperation. The boat hit the jet ski and tore it into two pieces. You can imagine that the owner of the jet ski wanted us to pay for the jet sk...

Lets Celebrate! Sorry I didn't blog until late, but I enjoyed sleeping in!!! It was much needed. Devotions were at 6:30am and breakfast at 7:00. We then took off to the new property at 8:30am to celebrate three weddings of those in their congregation. It was a great experience! They really decorated nicely and everything and everyone was beautiful. I have to say that could not wait to get out of long pants!!! Paul had on black pants... poor guy! The wedding was very Filipino and was fascinating to watch. The music was good. I love to hear Mae sing... she has a beautiful voice! Funny story during the wedding. Rita was hot and several people were trying to cool her down, so Pastor Nigel asked me how she was doing. Well, I wasn't sure and she was two rows up from me with Karen. Paul was beside me was in my brilliance I leaned over and started whispering to Paul to sign Karen to see how Rita was doing. I started the process and quickly realized that you can't whis...

Last day of camp! Ministry was coming to an end this day with everyone. It was the last day for Girls Camp, Basketball Camp, and Pastor Mike's Small Group Training. We started out the morning with devotions with Pastor Mike about judging other people and then ate breakfast. I don't know what they use in the pancake batter but it is incredible! I could eat those things all day! We then left for the church around 8:30am. When we got to the church, I had a quick Skype session with Trish, uploaded some pictures to facebook and then headed out with the guys to visit a home that was burnt down. We provided money to rebuild this house. I will add the picture if Dan gets back with his camera cord so I can download the pictures from my camera to the computer. It was a family of 5 (dad, mom, and 3 kids). They were incredibly gratefully for what we were doing for them. The dad was doing the actual building and we noticed he stilled need some materials and a couple of tools, so w...

Sorry guys... so much to blog about for yesterday but no time to blog. I will try and due Thursday justice tomorrow.

Its gonna be a hot one! Wednesday was a scorcher! It was very hot and the sun was blazing... Pastor Nigel even said it was a hot one, and if it was hot for him, well you can just imagine what it was like for us. haha! We survived lol! Wednesday was a busy day for everyone, it started with devotions about gossip and then we moved to the table for breakfast where we enjoyed some very tasty eggs and bacon. We left the mission house at 8:30am (no communication problems today), but the van stalled as soon as we tried to take off. It wouldn't crank, so we had to push it to jump start it. Oh the wonders of having a stick shift where you can pop the clutch! When we arrived at church, Paul and Karen went to deaf camp, Jenny and Tiffany were getting things together for the girls camp, and everyone else was just kind of hanging out. I had to print out the small group lessons when Nigel told me they had fixed their internet, so I got on and Skyped my family. The connection was so go...

Rise and shine! I was up early yesterday thinking it was 4:30am. So I got my stuff quietly out of the room and headed down stairs. I looked at my Ipod and quickly realized that though my body was awake, it was only 2:30 in the morning... uhggg! I proceeded to the living room to blog, check my email, chat with my family, and spend some time in God's Word. I intended to go back to bed, but didn't have time before our devotional time at 6:30am. By the way, I need to hunt down a chord for my camera to insert pictures, that is why I haven't included any. Our devotion yesterday was about how rejecting people is an expression of selfishness. Pastor Mike is doing a great job with the devotional time! It was a reminder to me how I always need to hold my heart in check, because I know its deceptive and that there is a war taking place for its devotion. Is my heart for God and His creation (people) or is it for myself? After devotions, we ate breakfast... French Toast (my per...

Day 3... The first day of camp! I was up at 4:30am to blog, talk to my family, and have devotions with the team before breakfast. No mango for breakfast this morning :( but the oatmeal was good. We left for the church at 8:30am. Upon arriving, Karen and Paul hit the ground running. They have such a powerful and unique relationship with the deaf here in Mandaue. I believe they communicate to with the deaf kids a lot better than I communicate with the hearing students here. I am so thankful for their ministry. They were at it all day until 8:00PM... What troopers! My morning started off slow. I had to create small group questions for the basketball camp and work ahead so that the trainers could prepare a little. SIDE NOTE: Almost all the trainers are compassion students who are thriving. They love the Lord and have a passion to serve Christ. It is a testimony to the compassion program and the heartbeat of MCBC. There are many reasons to love Compassion International and this ...

Sunday was a long but very exciting day for me. In the morning, we did our normal thing... devotions at 6:30am and breakfast at 7am. We had pancakes, a mango, and some type of sausage thingy (wasn't a big fan of the meat). The pancakes were incredible and boy did the mango hit the spot. Yes! Be jealous! It was delicious! We headed of for church about 8:30. When we got there some of the team and Barb Wilkinson headed into the service in Cebuano and for the deaf children. I went down stairs and hung out in the corridor of the main entrance. I sat down and took some pictures and kids were flocking around. I met a little friend named Daniel and I am not sure the little girls name. Their smiles were so big and precious! After greeting people as they came in with a simple phrase... Mayu buntag (I am sure I misspelled that) which means good morning in Cebuano. Then I headed up stairs to the main service. The worship was a mix of Cebuano and English and Pastor Boy preached o...

Well, we got here with no hiccups. Plane ride was as smooth as can be, we got all our bags, and Korean Air planes recline significantly further than previous years. Needless to say, I got sleep! However, the seats were a bit narrow. We arrived Friday evening about 11pm local time which is exactly 12 hours ahead of New Castle local time. Being able to sleep on the plane made a huge difference for me. Saturday we hit the ground running. Lois, Karen, Paul, and Rita were at a camp for the special children all day. Pastor Mike, Dan, and Dick were with Pastor Jim Boy all day doing some shopping and trying to hunt down a Cebuano Study Bible. Jenny and Tiffany were with Bing Bing planning the Girls camp and gathering supplies. I was with Pastor Nigel, RJ, and Pastor Hermie shopping for equipment for the worship team. I must say that I enjoyed hanging out with this three incredible guys, but shopping was not very fun. We spent about 4 hours in the mall hunting down the right equ...

"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 Cor. 3:4-6 Confidence which leads to competence is important in almost everything you do. I remember playing basketball in high school on varsity as a sophomore, and the coach thought it was safe to put me in the game. I was the only white boy on the team and the only one in the gym for this game. At the time I played the number 2 guard (shooting guard) and 20 seconds into my entry into the game, I was given an opportunity to shoot a three ball. There was no one near me (or so I thought) so I pulled the trigger only to find my ball landing in the bleachers about six rows up. Out of no where, an opposing player featuring his 6'6" frame blocked my shot! That will do something to your ...

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" 2 Cor. 2:14-16 Have you ever walked into a home where someone was baking and you became really hungry in a hurry? I am getting hungry just thinking about it. The aroma of what was being cooked could not be ignored. Paul reminds us that we are the aroma of Christ and God leads us to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere we go. It's interesting that he does not say that your words are the aroma of God, but rather you are the aroma of God. I believe he words it this way because what people know about Christ goes beyond your words. It encompasses every part about you... your attitude, your reaction...

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Cor. 1:21-22 Have you ever walked across or along a creek bed? Its an interesting experience because you never know if your next step will provide you with a safe place for your foot or not. The rocks sometimes move or are slippery and if your not careful you could step in a hole, finding yourself a little more wet than you expected. Its always more secure when we step onto something that is firm. Paul uses the security we find in our footing to make the point that, in Christ, God has made us stand firm ! Our security in this life is in the promises of Christ. He has anointed us! He has set us apart and called us His own! I don't know what you think about being owned by other, but it is perfectly ok with me that the Almighty God, who is maker of all... knows all... and holds...

"Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus." 2 Cor. 1:12-14 Trust! Wow, trust is such a big thing in relationships... something that is easily destroyed and hard to get back. I love Paul's confidence as he is basically saying to the Corinthian believers, "You can trust me and my buddies!" They know their motives and can say with a clear conscience that God has enabled them to conduct themselves in a way that is pure and genuine relative to their relationship with the people. This relationship is rooted i...

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Cor. 1:3-7 It is difficult to understand this passage without understanding the context that Paul is in and his worldview on life. In the next passage, he explains to the believers in the church that he is going through an incredible amount of suffering... to the point that he and those with him despair life. He is clear about ...

Yes, I know I have not updated very much, but it has been busier than expected. We only get internet in certain places so I can only update in the afternoon, but haven't had time. OK, just to end the suspense of the blue food coloring... someone's mom told Josiah that he could use blue food coloring to dye his hair. So I am out in the lobby of our lodge and I see Josiah coming out of the bathroom with blue hands and a blue face. He tells me that he tried to dye his hair... I was laughing! He pretty much was a smurf all day until the color wore off. The students have been amazing! Chapels have been a highlight of the camper's day! You would not believe how much they love the puppets. David, Kelsey, Michael, and Josiah have all taught their lessons and they did a wonderful job! I will have to hold off on the pictures until I get home because I forgot my cable!!! sorry! The students have experienced the blob (a 40 ft balloon in the water that launches a person pret...

Well, it was quite a day yesterday after we finally got to Scioto. Actually, we had fairly good time, but we stopped way too many times. We had to stop twice before we even hit Columbus! We got to camp about 1:30 after grabbing a bite to eat at McDonalds and settled in. He had an orientation meeting and I took them on a tour of the camp. They quickly realized that Scioto Hills was named after its lovely terraine. I keep telling them that we are burning calories! We then set up for chapel and practiced for Monday evening chapel. Chapel went very well! I was so proud of our students. There hard work and faithfulness is proving itself to be worth it! There are 90 campers here this week for New Frontier Camp. After chapel we went to a bonfire, had a team meeting, and went to bed... or at least some of us did. Many of the girls stayed up and talked till 2AM or so... I am showing no compassion to there complaints today about being tired! hahaha! The food here at camp is very goo...

I challenged our adult youth leaders to think about what they would want a student to look like after they graduate from our ministry... what kind of person would they like to see our teenagers become! Then I shared my heart based on the idea that we have been called to love God and to love people. I would like to see students passionate about three things: 1. Obedience - because this is the way the you show your love for God. Jesus said it and John reiterates it. 2. The Truth - The truth is what sanctifies and transform us into the image of Christ. It reveals to us the heart and will of God! 3. Serving Others - The redeemed have been called to serve! This is part of our DNA as believers... we are servants! Jesus humbled Himself and became a servant. After washing the disciples feet, He told His disciples to go and serve one another. Here is the real question... How do we get there? God has been impressing on my heart that most of discipleship is caught not taught. Teac...

Trip Report Well, I am back home today and its Tuesday morning around 5am. Got plenty of sleep last night so I hope that curves the jet lag a little. This really is the first opportunity I have had to blog about the last two days of the Philippines trip. If you had family on the trip I am sure you have heard all about our experiences, but here are a few highlights that stuck out in my mind. Saturday, we went to a beach resort on the Island of Lapu-Lapu, and it was very relaxing and fun. We invited those that volunteered with us throughout the week and the leadership of the church. We rented Jet-Ski's, a banana boat thing, and some went para-sailing. This was a once in a lifetime deal for those 16, 17, and 18 year old students who helped us out. Most, if not all, of the students have grown up in the church through the compassion ministry. They are very poor, but have faithfully been participating at MCBC and servign the King, so to do this for them was so much fun!!! They w...

Trip Report Well, I am up late this morning (6:30), and just enough time to give you a snippet of yesterday. It was a good day of ministry and certainly a day that we began to mentally shift our hearts towards home. At least I can say that about myself. I certainly miss my family even though I can communicate with them often through Skype. I want to bring them over here sooooo bad! Jenny and I had our last day of camp! The students had so much fun playing games and spending moments together on the final day of camp. We had our closing program at 4 in the afternoon. 98% of the students came back for the experience and awards were given out. It was fun to watch them come forward for their awards and certificates. Affirming these kids is so important. We gave each person a basketball at the end of camp and I went outside with my sharpie ready. Student after student wanted me to sign their ball. It was quite fun! The students were teaching me some Cebuano today, and laughing a...