The Road to Miracles - What our outreach looks like

View heading to the tribe that had sufferred a massacre



A view from our bathroom window



Monday till early Wednesday morning will usually find us in our small rental house in the  southernmost city called General Santos City, Mindanao, Philippines.  We have rented here after several months preaching, teaching and outreaching throughout the autonomous Muslim Region.

Wednesday at dawn several of our permanent team members that live with us will practise the well rehearsed loading of the vehicle. For which vehicle we are very thankful, presently its a Toyota 2005, 4 wheel drive Land cruiser. Apparently a flooded but salvageable survivor from the Fukushima Tsunami, exported to the Philippines where they expertly switch the steering to the left hand side. Though seemingly not so expertly on this occasion, as we have an ongoing repair agreement with a local mechanic because of the constant rupturing and leaking from the steering fluid lines. Regardless, this thing climbs mountain tracks and traverses fast flowing waters and really is a God send that has safely brought us both in and out of hot spots and difficult situations.

During one of several, dead of night on a forest road, punctures, the security gate guard of a nearby small warehouse came to see why I was stopped. He was quite shocked to see me, a white man, in this area. He couldn’t believe I was here and asked if I even knew the SOP (standard operating procedure) for white missionaries in this place. I said I surely did but my trust was in God. Unfazed by my faith he proceed to show me a Youtube clip on his phone that a friend had just sent him of a Muslim beheading a young soldier they had caught. Can you imagine, I’m lying on my back under the car, trying to raise a jack that is too short for the vehicle and a phone is in my face, lighting me up as the only white guy in the area for miles around and it’s a video of a decapitation.  He questioned “aren’t you scared”? I replied “of God yes, of man no”. He continued “You are ready to die?” I replied “If my trust and faith in Christ is real then Yes, of course I’m willing to die, in fact I’d rather be in heaven with Jesus than under this car with you”. Hmm! He mused, I’m a Christian but not like that! Hmm! I mused back “According to the bible is there any other kind of Christian that loves not their lives unto death”? He helped to change the tyre and strange silence continued between us.



Packed Van

 

The Land Cruiser seating is comfortably designed for five with another two in the back at a push if there is no luggage. But we are thankful for the many workers that are willing to endure several very bumpy hours of discomfort just so they can be with us on the outreaches. That’s code for nine passenger plus sound system, essential luggage & lighting etc. On several emergencies even 12 adults plus luggage. Thankfully the average Filipino is a tad smaller than the average westerner which makes this sardine runs a bit more doable.

We have learnt to travel as light as possible, leaving behind the small comforts like pillows, changes of clothes, foods etc as there’s simply no spare space. Jesus sent them out saying “Do not take two coats, two sets of shoes etc”. Every trip is an adventure in God and He has more than proved Himself faithful. Though, we are planning a roof rack design that can keep stuff dry and secure from theft.

 

Anna Lisa on a River Taxi



Actually, some of or outreaches are a mere thirty minutes away from our home. There is one we like to revisit every chance. We were saddened to learn from the locals there that no one had taken the gospel there in nine years and the person that did had only visited for a few hours.  This is the village where the chief had a dream the night before our unplanned visit that white people were coming over the river and would bring good news and heal all the sick. You can imagine his surprise next morning after we waded 70 metres through a fast flowing river and arrived unannounced because the youth conference we were meant toattend had been postponed so rather than waste the day we went there. So, as per the chiefs dream we brought the good news of the gospel, many responded in repentance and the Lord Jesus surely healed all their sick. Dream accomplished!



Wary to begin with



The outreach we returned from yesterday was a five hour drive and the one we will return to this coming week Lord willing is seven hours then the hill walking through the mud begins.

An average journey to an outreach location can look like this, we will drive as close as we can, then traverse forest for an indefinite period, wade fast flowing waist high rivers, climb muddy, rocky mountain tracks, walk some more until we find tribes or villagers settled in remote locations. They are always bemused at our appearing, and though sometimes initially shy, that usually is replaced with a genuine friendliness and appreciation that you came to visit them in their place.

Horse or Caribou for deeper water

The team’s eating and drinking is by faith, where we can when we can and we can all testify that our Father is very faithful. Thankfully there are an abundance of public rest rooms along the way, locally known as “trees & bushes”.  Sleeping is at times on the floor – without mattress or pillow. Occasionally there is a bamboo slat bed, but I assure you the flatter boards of the floor is more comfortable. Usually there is no shortage of mosquitoes to keep one’s mind of any other small inconveniences and it is a step up from nine people trying to sleep in the vehicle.

Bathing is a luxury often reserved for before the trip or after. I can’t think of a time when you would most like to take a shower after walking, wading & climbing in very humid conditions and bathing is simply not available. Like air conditioning, it’s also simply not available. Coming from the north east of Scotland I could not understand why anyone would want to make a room colder? Ah! Once you have suffered at the suns unforgiving rays you will soon realise that air conditioning here is equal to heating during cold winters there. But many of the places we visit do not even have electric power far less A/C.



   

School Bus



Does he have a soul? Does God Love him?
Should we risk our lives to tell him about Jesus?



 THE VALUE OF

A SOUL

Those are the surface facts, the purpose, the goal, the rewards, far outweigh and minor discomforts of the flesh. For over a year now, we have found gold among the dirt, treasures in the darkness. Places, where for some yet to be realised reason, local Christians, pastors and even other missionaries have never found. And yet, without fail, we see again and again that Christ is already there before us and affirms His presence among these lost lambs with the comfort of His gospel and the healing of their bodies. Genuine tears are a familiar site as again and again we see the relief of a burden of sin being lifted off by Jesus and a sick body being whole. Who is like unto Him?

Daily, on “mission” we are astonished at His presence, His goodness, His power and His great love for us. We are so privileged to be eyewitnesses of His glory and trumpets of His mercy.

Vennie knocked on the deaf womans door
asking to use the bathroom. When she left the
 house the deaf lady was saved & healed

Though Jo & I describe ourselves as accidental missionaries we cannot think of what could be more missionary than this lifestyle? We meet with the “hidden underground ministries to the Muslims” and ask them what are you doing? Where is your fruit or the benefit of your secrecy and covered gospel”? The answer is frequently no reply. We have already been to too many potentially hostile locations, willing and ready to die and on departing we have all been astonished at what Christ did in that place and their pleadings and begging’s for us to return.

Every place where we have been told “you must not go there”. We have seen that Christ was there already. Of course we apply wisdom, that is, Spiritual wisdom. We seek and are led by the Holy Spirit. If we have no leading or permission to go – we don’t! Only going where there is a peace in our hearts. We have learnt this, the darker and more foreboding the place, coupled with a quiet inner peace to be there are usually the places where the local witches prove powerless and we reap the greatest harvests for Christ’s glory. Where sin abounds grace does much more abound.

However we arrive at a given location our strategy for sharing the good news of the gospel is usually the consistent. Our first mission is “HB” to go out into the “highways and byways” and compel the halt, the lame and the blind to come to wedding feast of the Lord. We carry a small battery operated sound system and will begin to play disco music. Yes, disco music. We are looking to catch fish so we use the bait the fish like. Often they will run towards us, children & adult alike, to hear the music up close. We used to try and introduce our presence by playing Christian music on our arrival, they wouldn’t even appear far less come close. So, we learnt, beginning with worship music is like sending an email to your enemy to tell him you are there to cause him trouble. But, once they are gathered they will soon realise exactly why we came and that is to rescue them from an eternal hell that most of them scarcely know exists. Surprisingly, these same people know they ways of darkness very well.

JSP - That's our tried, tested and successful tactic. No notice that we are coming, no advertising, no flyers or “worship band”, only asking the Holy Spirit to lead us and then we just show up and preach JSP Just Stop & Preach. We can reach 100,s a day several times a day like this and overall it’s inexpensive.

Church under the tarpauline
The girl on her knees was very prime and proper
Then she got filled with the Holy Spirit

Even if only a handful show up, though usually much more than that will come. The different team members as we are led will share a testimony that clearly incorporates the virgin birth of Christ, His sinless life, cross and resurrection... the cross, repentance & salvation through Christ alone. At invitation usually 90+% present will express a desire to give their lives to Christ and He confirms His great love for them in that 95+% of those seeking healing, which is frequently, every one that attends is healed. Many experience major healing miracles.

Saturday morning we home to a welcome shower and rest. Sunday morning we will fulfil any church preaching schedule we have been invited to.  You can visually witness the faith of the congregation rise as the real up to the minute testimonies of the last few days are retold and then we have the joy of seeing lives restored and more bodies healed. Only a two Sundays among a multitude of healings in a local General Santos Church three deaf people received their healing along with many kidney, back, asthma and chest pain issues resolved in Jesus Name.

Last week was particularly joyful as there in the healing line was an old retired missionary woman, she and her husband had served faithfully in Uganda for many years. She came forward for prayer as she was scheduled for an operation on Thursday for long term pain in the wrists, tunnel carpel syndrome. In a moment Jesus healed her completely and the pain was gone.

This week we revisited a fellowship and someone gave testimony that previously Jo & I had prayed 

Jo Crossing to Clag

for the man and his wife as they were both experiencing chronic kidney pain. On returning home both independently visited the bathroom both urinating what they described as black blood and experiencing instant relief of all symptoms. As we were about to leave this church we were asked if we would pray for a few sick people and a man deaf in one ear was instantly healed and a young woman with movement difficulties because of curvature of the spine was soon touching her toes and weeping with joy and the release from pain as Jesus straightened the spine.

Send an email for more information if believe Jesus would like you to join us on one of our outreaches.