|
The Latest News |
| 3/23/2023 | Paul's 15th IRONMAN race (3/26) Please pray for our twelve orphan kids, for even though they are all very sweet & most are great students, a few are starting fights or playing hooky from school (skipping classes). Also please pray for me to be able to finish my 70.3-mile (swim-cycle-run) triathlon race within the 8.5 hours allotted this weekend. Praise God that, This past Sunday afternoon (3/19) our main church plant hosted a 6-hour regional youth event, entitled "Refiner" (Malachi 3:1-5), attended by over a hundred teenagers. A dozen of these were our own orphans, whom we brought over on a barge to the mainland over the weekend, planning as well to get a formal studio portrait made of each of the kids, as well as a group "family picture". I had to get back as well, for I had to get to the bike store to replace the bicycle shoes which I have used for the past 6 races. They finally fell apart. PTL that it didn't happen during my upcoming race! For my 60-mile daily practice Friday, I duct-taped them together. "This [C]- is [C]- the [D]- day [E]- that the Lord has made…" Seven of our twelve orphan children rang bells on cue as they performed on a recent Sunday. The handbells had been donated by a friend in the USA & were a true hit after our daughter Abby trained the kids in each playing his or her part. She also led them in a few worship songs to grace the congregation. The kids were in brand new clothes that they had picked out the week before week when we visited the mall on the mainland. Then we visited a church on the other side of the island. Samal Island is about fifty miles long, but the circumference road has a mountain in the way, so once you get just so far, you have to turn around to get back to where you came from. Also, there are hardly any street signs, so when we got on a mountain road, we ended up asking nearly a dozen people which way to go. Some gave opposing answers, & one particular mountain we climbed three times before finding the overgrown narrow, dirt path to drive on which would lead to the country church. Ah, but the tiny congregation was was thrilled to see us! With Elvie, me, Abby & our 12 orphan kids, we almost doubled the size of the congregation. We also made sure, after the kids performed, that we put more than usual into the offering, to help the church in this depressed area. This church has no pastor, & the people of the church keep services going each week. The view from there was incredible, as you could see down over the edge of the mountain to a wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean. From that height you almost automatically burst into praise for God & His wonderful creation. And to be kind, we couldn't refuse the sweet, ground coconut "snowballs" they fed us afterwards, along with lots of (very tart) unripe green mangos. On Tuesday on the mainland at BCA, Teacher Jezel entered her first-grade classroom for the day. Arriving an hour before her students, she turned on her laptop computer to find an "energizer" dance on You Tube. It is the tool she uses each morning to get the kids' creative juices flowing. They do this once at the head of the day and once after lunch. If she forgets, they are sure to remind her. After their little dance, she had them sit down and asked the Bible verse for the day. "Oh, Teacher Jezel, that one is easy!" exclaimed Jian. "Proverbs 22:6 is printed on the side of our BCA School Bus!" Together the 1st Grade class recited, "Train up a child in the way he should go, & when he is old, he will not depart from it." Jezel was pleased, remembering that at the beginning of the school year the kids were challenged just remembering all the letters of the alphabet. Now they not only knew them but had memorized how to recite Bible verses. As they started the lesson, Angela raised her hand. "Teacher Jezel, why do we keep going over the same information again, & again, & again & again?" Jezel smiled & responded, "It is the way to learn. Repetition, tied-in with application, is essential to learning." To which Angela sweetly quipped, "But maybe, just maybe, we could have a little more application & a little less repetition?" Jezel explained that, since the school year is already into its last quarter, we need to refresh those lessons that we had tackled way back at the beginning of the school year. "When our Bible verse says, 'train up a child,' that training is done like Pastor Paul's training for his upcoming triathlon. He has to repeat his bicycling over & over, for thousands of kilometers, so that he can have the strength to do well in his race." Back on the island, where I was daily training for the race, Elvie, Abby & I were still visiting teachers of our orphans. One said that our student was often in fights. I approached this child one evening after school. "Did you keep from getting into any fights today?" He responded, "Yes." I clarified, "Was that yes that you DID NOT fight, or yes that you DID fight?" A little tongue tied to find the right English for his answer, he solved his dilemma with just two words. "Yes-no!" (yes he didn't fight). Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH: A. PJ's Late Night Worship Masterlist - PJ Barner: actor · singer · director. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItygvjoq26FzOhEZ3k41BCzNbiSZ-qw2 B. Late Night Worship #314. 3 min, 44 sec. March 14, 2023. Join us on T/Th nights! How Great Thou Art (on harp). https://www.facebook.com/pj.the.barner/videos/589388756423755 C. Late Night Worship #315. 3 min, 56 sec. March 16, 2023. Join us on T/Th nights! THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD. https://www.facebook.com/pj.the.barner/videos/2824431237690449 Present Need: $300 for (installment #3 of 10) $3,000 generator for Barner Christian Academy. Frequent blackouts in the city require fans & lights with this alternate power source. It also pumps water from the new well. $2,100 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $1,215. Still needed: $19,785! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,455.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,455.99=51,455.99)= $28,544.01 Upcoming Schedule: Paul's 70.3-mile Ironman Race (3/26), BCA Teachers' Retreat (3/27-31), Easter week services (4/7 & 9), Philippine National Conference in Bacolod (4/25-29), DCL Annual Prayer Gathering (5/1), Barners' vacation (5/9-23), District Women's Rally (5/24-26), Davao Mass Baptism (6/12), BCA Graduation (6/22-23), Barners USA speaking tour (6/26-11/7), Davao Wedding for PJ & Bri, and Utah work team visits Davao (January, 2024), Arizona work team visits Davao (March, 2024). Barner Family 2023 USA TENTATIVE Speaking/Singing Tour: July: 2: Layton, UT. 9: Simi Valley, CA. 16: Rogue River, OR. 23: San Francisco, CA. 30: San Tan Valley, AZ. August: 5: Crestwood, KY. [12: PJ & Briana's wedding]. 13: Andover, NY. 20: Colonie, NY. 27: Yorktown Hgts, NY. September: 3-Ohio, NY. 10: Watertown, NY. 17: Poughkeepsie. NY. 24: Albany, NY. October: 1: Liverpool, PA. 8: Mt Pleasant Mills, PA. 15: Carlisle, PA. 22: Hoosick Falls, NY. 29: East Greenbush, NY. November: 5: Rensselaer, NY. Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 |
Support us through Amazon Smile! Go to smile.amazon.com and type "Paul M Barner Ministries Inc" as the charitable organization you want to support. That's all you have to do! Now when you shop, 0.5% of the purchase price will be automatically donated to our ministry, at no additional cost to you. Thank you! PayPal Merchant ID for Paul M Barner Ministries (Barner Christian Academy) is Z89E34M2ZBQM6 Philippines cell# +63 (0985) 152-3142 & +63 (0956) 754-9921 PAUL, +63 (0926) 684-6165 ABBY USA # (518) 434-6216 GINGER (USA) OUR ACTIVE MINISTRIES: Abby- Youth Group President, Church Music team, High School Varsity Volleyball team PJ- University of Albany Student Elvie- National Board of Trustees for CAMACOP, Principal at BCA, Sunday School teacher Paul- Senior Pastor at FAF church, Board of Trustees Recording Secretary & Professor at FIA Missionary School, Spiritual Aims Chairman at Kiwanis Club, Vice President at DCL Prayer Foundation, President at BCA, Honorary Member of PI Eagles FOE, President of PMBMI, Half-Ironman Triathlete Paul & Elvie- Founders & Directors of 25 churches & FHF orphanage, Kiwanis members, DCLFI Community Prayer team members & vice president, Professors at DABC College, Board members at FAF church. Rev. Paul, Elvie, PJ and Abigail Barner BCA Landline: 011-63-82-234-4000 Home address: 18 Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 PLEASE NOTE: OUR PJLILTIM@SKYINET.NET ADDRESS IS DISCONTINUED. PLEASE INSTEAD USE BLCKIDS@YAHOO.COM THANKS! |
|
| 3/16/2023 | Please pray for our church's Children's Sunday worship services, that the food (both spiritual and physical) is adequate & palatable. The 8-man Adult Worship singing team alternates with the 3-man Children's Church staff for personnel, ages 13 and above. Leadership Training & Discipline is required in all levels, and allotted by the Sunday School Superintendents, Darrell & Creslene. 1. Regular Discussion: Every Sunday, 2. Rewards and Recognition: Every Month, 3. Christmas Celebration: December 3, 2023, 4. Graduation (Kids' break): December 10, 2023, 5. Pre-Leadership Training: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday (March - May), 6. Music Workshop: Every 1st and 3rd Sunday (March - May), 7. Baptism Orientation: May, 8. Evangelism Orientation: June 25, 2023, 9. Evangelism (Gospel Tracks distribution): July 30 & October 29, 10. Outreach Orientation: August 27, 2023, 11. Outreach Program: September 24, 2023, 12. Christmas Celebration Practices: October 1 – November 26. Praise God that for two longtime supporters of this ministry who became octogenarians this month: Dean (in California & Mexico) & Dave (in Pennsylvania & Philippines). Also praise God that, when one of BCA's school buses was in a minor accident this past week, the damage to both vehicles was minimal & nobody was hurt. "Those kids are soooo fast!" As 30 Faith International Academy high schoolers came to our "Father's House" orphanage to build a protective metal fence around the property, they also built a cement wall around our "Girls' Town" cottages. Assisted by professional masons, & mixing the cement manually (using shovels), they were done laying the thousands of block & plastering them smoothly into place by day #4. So, we ordered 5,000 more block & the kids started, in the hot, tropical sun, digging the trench to lay the foundation for a wall around the "Boys' Town" cottages as well. In a week, the students, their adult chaperones & our orphanages, had a festival of singing praises to God for the newly completed walls, protecting our orphan children from any predators…four-footed & two-footed! Meanwhile, back at BCA, Teacher Janice was exhilarated over the progress of her 30 4th Graders' grades. Her ESP (Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao: "Learning about Humanization") subject was on values. "What are your five senses? Seeing, hearing, smelling, touching & tasting" But what about your 6th-sense: sensing when another person feels good or bad about you? She passed around to the class a story entitled, "I'm Sorry", which each of the students took turns in reading. one phrase per student. "I have a friend I like the best…" started Ram. Realyn continued a few pages later, "She thinks I'm nice too, but…" Some of the class gasped, since the book up to this point was very friendly. The word BUT changed all that. The two little children in the book shouted at each other & missed each other, considering aloud what the other one would do, if they made up…& then the book ended! "But what happened?" asked Mailyn. "It doesn't say." Responded Teacher Janice. "So, this is what we will do. Your assignment tonight is to write two follow-up stories. #1: what will happen over the years if they never make up, & #2: what will happen if they do." Teacher Janice put the book aside & then took out another book. In order to save time, she gathered her students around her on the floor & read the story to them in its entirety. Although by the same title "I'm Sorry," it had a different context. The story was about a girl who was lying & didn't admit her mistakes. During the discussion afterwards, Teacher Janice drew a bridge between this story & the Bible's story of redemption through Jesus Christ. "Students, we need to say 'I am sorry' to God, for the wrong things that we do. Are you willing to do that now?" Hands shot up all around the circle, & tears ran down Teacher Janice's cheeks as she heard little children's voices repeating after her the prayer of salvation, "Dear Jesus, I am a sinner…Please wash my sins away…" After these children prayed to receive Jesus into their lives as their Personal Savior, Janice, though choked up with emotion, prayed again, that as they grow up, they will fear God & will be used for the Glory of God. Janice's heart was filled with happiness after class, as she presented to the school chaplain Eunice, the names of the kids who will be followed-up in the weeks to come in their personal Christian growth. Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $230 for (installment #26 of 112) $33,500 2nd-floor of 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $22,644.01 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $1,215. Still needed: $19,785! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,155.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,155.99=51,155.99)= $22,644.01 Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 Note: Occasionally a post office has changed your address (due to enhanced 911 or other redistricting, etc,). If you do not receive the quarterly communication from your sponsored child, please email me at blckids.com. Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 |
| 3/9/2023 | Philippines cell# +63 (0985) 152-3142 & +63 (0956) 754-9921 PAUL, +63 (0926) 684-6165 ABBY USA # (518) 434-6216 GINGER (USA) Please pray for wisdom on the part of Elvie, Abby & I as we redesign the Child Protection Manual for the precious children at our orphanage & school. It is a known fact that the increase in child predator alerts in Davao has affected the security in this part of the country. When Elvie & I joined our orphans' parent-teacher mtgs we requested copies of the school's child protection policies. This week we also finished building a sturdy steel gate to close-off the final entrance area of our quarter-miler long fence encircling the orphanage compound. The cottages also have cement walls with barbed wire along the tops. Neither animals nor humans can get through uninvited. Specific items we noticed in the school manual are avoiding predators who "groom" children to trust them before attacking them. Such grooming techniques include giving gifts & money, hearing rumors (from the kids or others) of what the predator is doing in secret, & also when the predator insists upon being with the children in private. Along with other items, these will be included in our new "Child Protection Manual." Also please pray that, after my bicycle accident this past week, I will be able to repair the damage before my Ironman race at this end of this month. The drop-out (which holds the rear chain in place) was broken off when it hit the rocks during my training on Samal Island. Praise God that this past week, we led the kids at our orphanage to perform for this Sunday at church. While practicing various potential hymns, we sang "How Great Thou Art." One of the kids sang, "That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing., He bled and died, to take away my SKIN…" Immediately, the others noticed the error, & without judging (or laughing) they corrected the error. After the kids performed at church, the congregation took a special offering & we took the kids on a clothing shopping spree. Even though our orphan JonJon missed the performance due to his chicken pox, we nonetheless got clothes for him too. Praise God as well that Elvie, was the guest speaker twice this week: for a women's convention & for a youth conference. She also was nominated for a National Board of Trustees again, after 2 terms, totaling 8 yrs. However, she was disqualified due to term limits, so she gave the privilege to the election's 2nd runner-up. Also, praise God that 28 boxes arrived from the USA this week, many of them containing the sneakers that you gave money for. We will be distributing the sneakers in April, after sizing the feet of each of the children. "No more cell phones." A few months ago, unbeknownst to us, a visiting American guest gave each of our orphans a cell phone. It is now three months later & when Elvie & I attended the Parent-Teacher conferences of the high schoolers, the grades had plunged dramatically. One honors student flunked a key course, from 90% down to 73%! Although our American guest had never gotten permission from Elvie & I to give phones to these to the kids, after we found out, we decided to try an experiment to see if the kids could handle this new idea. It obviously was a mistake. However, the teachers agreed that, when we take away the phones, the kids still might be able to bring their grades back up. Hopefully the damage is not irreparable. Also, we will be much more alert when future guests arrive. Why do these little items cause so much trouble? As a sociologist, I watched the kids & noticed 3 things: #1 was, the kids are always taking pictures & videos of everything, especially of themselves. They also have developed a negative impression of themselves. #2, the time they used to take doing their homework they instead are playing games on their phones. Sometimes these games are so addictive that the kids sleep late & get sick more often. #3, they often want to go away in private for secret things, which they are unwilling to share. Also, what time they used to take in playing games with each other as a group, they instead are all by themselves playing games against the phone. The "family unity" of the orphanage has thus been attacked. So, we determined that the phones are now to be used as a reward. When they have earned this reward by improving their grades, the phones can be returned. The phones are not needed for classes, since they live in a poor area, & hardly any of their classmates can afford phones. So, for the next few weeks, no phones. Meanwhile at BCA, Teacher Charmie was discussing with her preschoolers about the letters & sounds of the alphabet. "What does the letter 'A' sound like? AYE & AEH." "Now, who wants to read the first sentence? Okay, Jashin. Go ahead." The whole class clapped expect for one troubled student, Nicholas, whose hand gently rose into the air. Teacher Charmie replied, "Because, Nicholas, Kylie learned from her mistake. All of us make mistakes. Instead of focusing on others mistakes, we can reward them when they grow by learning how to do it right." "Now class, let us review how to count things…" Charmie drew on the blackboard with colored chalk, four squares., "One…two…threhhh…" The class started to laugh, for even though they were preschoolers, they knew that Teacher Charmie had demonstrated the wrong way to pronounce "THREE." Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $300 for (installment #2 of 10) $3,000 generator for Barner Christian Academy. Frequent blackouts in the city require fans & lights with this alternate power source. It is also used for the new well. $2,400 remaining. Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,155.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,155.99=51,155.99)= $22,644.01 Upcoming Schedule: Paul's 70.3-mile Ironman Race (3/26), BCA Teachers' Retreat (3/27-31), Easter week services (4/7 & 9), Philippine National Conference in Bacolod (4/25-29), DCL Annual Prayer Gathering (5/1), Barners' vacation (5/9-23), District Women's Rally (5/24-26), Davao Mass Baptism (6/12), BCA Graduation (6/22-23), Barners USA speaking tour (6/26-11/7), Arizona Team visits Davao (November), Davao Wedding for PJ & Bri, and Utah team visits Davao (January, 2024) . Topics for preaching in Davao Faith Fellowship Churches in 2023: March: Joseph/ April: Easter/ May: David/ June: Elijah/ July: family/ August: Creation/ Sept: Stewardship/ Oct: Missions/ Nov: Jehoshaphat/ Dec- Advent… (this Sunday I compared the redemptive sacrificial work of Joseph for his brothers & all the known world with that of Jesus, for us & all mankind) Barner Family 2023 USA TENTATIVE Speaking/Singing Tour: July: 2: Layton, UT. 9: Moorhead, CA. 16: Rogue River, OR. 23: San Francisco, CA. 30: San Tan Valley, AZ. August: 5: Crestwood, KY. [12: PJ & Briana's wedding]. 13: Andover, NY. 20: Colonie, NY. 27: Yorktown Hgts, NY. September: 3-Ohio, NY. 10: Watertown, NY. 17: Poughkeepsie. NY. 24: Albany, NY. October: 1: Liverpool, PA. 8: Mt Pleasant Mills, PA. 15: Carlisle, PA. 22: Hoosick Falls, NY. 29: East Greenbush, NY. November: 5: Rensselaer, NY. Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 |
| 3/2/2023 | Philippines cell# +63 (0985) 152-3142 & +63 (0956) 754-9921 PAUL, +63 (0926) 684-6165 ABBY USA # (518) 434-6216 GINGER (USA) Please pray for our church's Children's Sunday worship services, that the food (both spiritual and physical) is adequate & palatable. The 8-man Adult Worship singing team alternates with the 3-man Children's Church staff for personnel, ages 13 and above. Leadership Training & Discipline is required in all levels, and allotted by the Sunday School Superintendents, Darrell & Creslene. 1. Regular Discussion: Every Sunday, 2. Rewards and Recognition: Every Month, 3. Christmas Celebration: December 3, 2023, 4. Graduation (Kids' break): December 10, 2023, 5. Pre-Leadership Training: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday (March - May), 6. Music Workshop: Every 1st and 3rd Sunday (March - May), 7. Baptism Orientation: May, 8. Evangelism Orientation: June 25, 2023, 9. Evangelism (Gospel Tracks distribution): July 30 & October 29, 10. Outreach Orientation: August 27, 2023, 11. Outreach Program: September 24, 2023, 12. Christmas Celebration Practices: October 1 – November 26. Praise God that for two longtime supporters of this ministry who became octogenarians this month: Dean (in California & Mexico) & Dave (in Pennsylvania & Philippines). Also praise God that, when one of BCA's school buses was in a minor accident this past week, the damage to both vehicles was minimal & nobody was hurt. "Those kids are soooo fast!" As 30 Faith International Academy high schoolers came to our "Father's House" orphanage to build a protective metal fence around the property, they also built a cement wall around our "Girls' Town" cottages. Assisted by professional masons, & mixing the cement manually (using shovels), they were done laying the thousands of block & plastering them smoothly into place by day #4. So, we ordered 5,000 more block & the kids started, in the hot, tropical sun, digging the trench to lay the foundation for a wall around the "Boys' Town" cottages as well. In a week, the students, their adult chaperones & our orphanages, had a festival of singing praises to God for the newly completed walls, protecting our orphan children from any predators…four-footed & two-footed! Meanwhile, back at BCA, Teacher Janice was exhilarated over the progress of her 30 4th Graders' grades. Her ESP (Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao: "Learning about Humanization") subject was on values. "What are your five senses? Seeing, hearing, smelling, touching & tasting" But what about your 6th-sense: sensing when another person feels good or bad about you? She passed around to the class a story entitled, "I'm Sorry", which each of the students took turns in reading. one phrase per student. "I have a friend I like the best…" started Ram. Realyn continued a few pages later, "She thinks I'm nice too, but…" Some of the class gasped, since the book up to this point was very friendly. The word BUT changed all that. The two little children in the book shouted at each other & missed each other, considering aloud what the other one would do, if they made up…& then the book ended! "But what happened?" asked Mailyn. "It doesn't say." Responded Teacher Janice. "So, this is what we will do. Your assignment tonight is to write two follow-up stories. #1: what will happen over the years if they never make up, & #2: what will happen if they do." Teacher Janice put the book aside & then took out another book. In order to save time, she gathered her students around her on the floor & read the story to them in its entirety. Although by the same title "I'm Sorry," it had a different context. The story was about a girl who was lying & didn't admit her mistakes. During the discussion afterwards, Teacher Janice drew a bridge between this story & the Bible's story of redemption through Jesus Christ. "Students, we need to say 'I am sorry' to God, for the wrong things that we do. Are you willing to do that now?" Hands shot up all around the circle, & tears ran down Teacher Janice's cheeks as she heard little children's voices repeating after her the prayer of salvation, "Dear Jesus, I am a sinner…Please wash my sins away…" After these children prayed to receive Jesus into their lives as their Personal Savior, Janice, though choked up with emotion, prayed again, that as they grow up, they will fear God & will be used for the Glory of God. Janice's heart was filled with happiness after class, as she presented to the school chaplain Eunice, the names of the kids who will be followed-up in the weeks to come in their personal Christian growth. Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $230 for (installment #26 of 112) $33,500 2nd-floor of 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $22,644.01 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $1,215. Still needed: $19,785! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,155.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,155.99=51,155.99)= $22,644.01 Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 Note: Occasionally a post office has changed your address (due to enhanced 911 or other redistricting, etc,). If you do not receive the quarterly communication from your sponsored child, please email me at blckids.com. |
| 2/23/2023 | Anniversary of the 1986 Philippine: EDSA People Power Revolution (2/25/23) Please pray for ongoing protection for the hundreds of children in this ministry, as there is a police manhunt for a team of suspected homosexual-pornographic international video stalkers who may be targeting Filipino children on our island of Mindanao, baiting them into hotel rooms by offering them money. We have considered hiring armed guards for our orphanage & school until the Davao government notifies us that the alert has been lifted. Praise God that you had assigned this ministry as recipient of your Amazon charity allotment these past two months to the amount of $64.02 (Amazon Smile) Thank you! Praise God as well that, during December & January, many gave through Christian Aid Mission for the following needs: Bibles: $100, Children's Emergency Medical Fund: $45.00, Student sponsorships: $8,127.00, Jericho Lunch Program: $72.00, Triathlon Race (BCA Garage/ Chapel): $5,000, Orphanage walls & well: $2,999.80, BCA Bus fuel & repairs: $2,000.00. Can I ride?" When I drove BCA's brand new, big, white bus onto the school campus, the 6TH Grade students were practically drooling, as they sounded out the words emblazoned on its side, "BARNER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY". Not because they were hungry (they'd just been fed a scrumptious & filling lunch by the BCA staff), but they each really wanted this bus to be assigned to THEIR route. Elvie led the 4th through 6th graders to lay hands on the vehicle. The other 5 grades watched on from the gym, so there wouldn't be too much crowding around. After Elvie led them in singing the doxology, I prayed for them, the drivers, the bus, & so forth. Collectively the kids responded with a resounding "Amen!" & then they started hopefully begging again, "Please, please, please can this beautiful bus be assigned to my route?" The second-grade teacher Espe collected his students back into the classroom for the follow-up of their previous lesson: "Problem solving related to multiplication''. At the end of this discussion, Espe transitioned into the next subject (English), by discussing "Solving Problems by Evaluating Opposites: What is the relation of synonyms to antonyms? They are opposites." Espe reached onto his desk, picking-up his medium-sized black Bible. Often in his personal quiet time, he uses his cell phone's app for Bible reading. However, as a teacher he strongly believes in using visual aids to bring home a point. By showing the kids that a Bible is a book of substantial size, he was also developing a deeper appreciation for the vastness of God. "The Bible is filled with synonyms & antonyms: things that are the same & things that are different. As I read a verse, please tell me the things that are either the same or different in each verse." 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come.'' Fiona raised her hand. "Both, teach. The verse has both a synonym and an antonym. Synonym: being in Christ & being a new creature. Antonym: old things are replaced by new things." Espe showed his obvious pleasure as he then went on to the next verse: "Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong & courageous. Don't be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go'' Karylle then spoke up. "Synonyms: Command & be strong & courageous. Antonyms: fear & discouragement versus God's presence." Excellent, congratulated Espe on the correct responses of these astute second graders. Next verse: ROMANS 15:5 "May the God who gives endurance & encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had." Athena was the next volunteer. "Synonyms of God of endurance & encouragement plus attitude of mind of Jesus." Next verse: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16 "For this reason, we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day.'' Alexis spoke up. "Antonyms of decay & renewal." Next verse: Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong & courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.'' Shien was the last volunteer. "Antonyms of fear & God's presence." Espe was so pleased with the responses of his students, that he gave them a 3-question quiz to analyze & solve on their own. About 15 minutes later they already finished answering the verses. The students then exchanged papers & graded their classmates on: #1: Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, & do not lean on your own understanding." Antonyms: trust in God versus leaning on personal understanding. #2: Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run & not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Synonyms: wait for God & renew your strength. Lastly, 2 Timothy 1:7: ''For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power & love & self-control.'' Antonyms of spirit of fear & power. Love & self control. Calling out the names of the students after the quizzes were returned to their owners, each student responded with his/her grade. While not all got 100%, all did very well, reflecting a grasp of both the English lesson & the Bible verses themselves. Now Epse was ready to delve into yet another deep topic: the best relationship between government & religion, & how both are meant by God to assist each other… … as synonyms? Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $300 for (installment #1 of 10) $3,000 generator for Barner Christian Academy. Frequent blackouts in the city require fans & lights with this alternate power source. $2,700 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $715. Still needed: $11,285! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,085.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,085.99=51,085.99)= $28,914.01 Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 |
| 2/16/2023 | Please pray for the 30 high schoolers (& 10 adult chaperones/cooks) who will be coming in this week to build a low cement wall around our girls' cottages, & also a wire fence at BCA's "Father's House" orphanage on the nearby island of Samal. The twelve orphans will also divide up into three groups to join the high schoolers as they visit some of our new churches in an evangelistic outreach for over a hundred children this Sunday. Praise God that Sunday's 26th Anniversary celebration of our church went great! The Theme was decorated on the back wall of the stage by the youth group, in colored construction paper, "God's Love is Everlasting", from Lamentations 3:22-23 ("…great is Your faithfulness…"). Abby & 3 of her buddies spent a week practicing their tambourine number, as well as designing, purchasing materials, & sewing together matching dresses for the performance. They looked so sweet with the big bows in their hair. Abby also sang, in her angelic voice, a brand-new solo for the occasion. "You got me wet!" when the electrician turned on the switch for our new 700-pound ($3,000) generator, dozens of gallons of water splashed out of the orphanage's new well pipe. The orphans rushed over to douse their heads & also to get each other wet. I took off my cap & plunged my whole head into the turbulent flow, shaking my hair at the others like a wet beagle. Since we had opened the orphanage over fifteen years ago, water has always been a limited commodity which never was enough. Yet this past year while our family was in the USA, two churches & a few individuals donated funds so that we could finally dig a 210-ft deep well, & also build a raised, cement, thousand-gallon water tower. The project to reach water by digging the well went incredibly quick (2 weeks), even though it was entirely bored through solid limestone. Just in time too, as a high school team is coming over this week to build a cement wall & fence around the girls' cottages. Future water-required projects include replanting the gardens & also raising funds to build a fishpond. Next month when the solar panels arrive from Manila, we will transfer the generator to the school campus on the mainland. In the past, whenever we had the frequent power outages, we would have to load up the buses to send the students home early. The classrooms were too dark & hot. Now, we can power the lights & fans through the generator. The school also has a deep well, but it is manually operated. Perhaps we might consider installing a submersible pump as well, sometime down the line. BCA's new school bus will arrive Wednesday, in ample time for me to get used to driving it, before making the daily treks to bring the students back & forth for the work week. This bus was paid for through generous gifts which you gave as I competed Ironman triathlons over the past few years. The weeklong delay in releasing the bus has been due to the time for the dealer to paint the school's name, motto "Providing a Quality-Christian, Values-Based Education", logo & Bible verses on its exterior. Meanwhile at BCA… "Teacher Donna, can we skip our English & Language lessons today? I am tired of reading." A few of Mitch's fellow 3rd-Graders chimed in, "Yes Teach. How about longer classes in Art, Music & Drama?" Donna, having taught High Schoolers a few years before coming to BAC to teach elementary kids, considered the difference in these ages: younger students tend to be more hands-on & less concept oriented. "That is a very good question," responded Donna. Mitch grew a proud smile on her face as she glanced around at her admiring classmates. Donna continued, "How many hours do we have in every school day?" Mitch answered, "I think about 7, when you erase time for lunch & recess, Teacher Donna." "So, since you do need to pass the end-of-year exam in English, what is the least amount of time that you need to get the information learned?" Mitch quipped back, "If we do very well in all the other subjects, is it ok that we just fail English?" "But how will you study Drama without English & Language & Filipino? You need the structure of language to do drama well. Words are necessary to communicate. Everything works together in our lessons." Rose asked, "What if we did them at the same time?" Donna enjoyed the thought process of this question & answer format for discussion. "How do we do that? Let's try an American Indian-style pow-wow." Donna then had the 30 students arrange their chairs into a big circle & each raised their hands to discus the best way to use drama in the learning of grammar, parts of speech, etc. After about 20 minutes of discussion, Ociee stood up, sighed & stretched to say, "Wow, I never before realized that trying to make things easier was so hard!" The students all laughed & Mitch spoke up again to say, "You know, Teacher Donna, maybe the way you do things is better after all. English is not really that bad. After all, how could we have had this discussion if we didn't know how to communicate?" Donna & the students replaced their chairs & desks in their rows as she informed them, "You know, God knew that we would be having this discussion today. That is why He had me read in the Bible this morning from Proverbs 22, 'Train up a child in the way he should go, & when he is old he will not depart form it.' So we have now discussed which way is the way we should go. Thanks, kids for working together as a team. Now, we have used our English class to discuss in English these things, It is finally time for…Drama!" YAY! Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $300 for (installment #25 of 112) $33,500 2nd-floor of 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $23,014.01 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $715. Still needed: $11,285! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,085.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,085.99=51,085.99)= $28,914.01 Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 |
| 2/9/2023 | 26th Church Anniversary (2/12/97: our very first church plant). Happy Valentine's Day! (2/14) Happy BCA Teacher's Appreciation Day! (2/14) Please pray for a team of high schoolers who will come alongside our cement workers this next week to work on the perimeter security wall of BCA's orphanage, as well as to complete the smaller perimeter wall around the "Girls' Town Cottages" section of the 5-acre complex. Praise God that the deep well of BCA's orphanage has been completed. We are now installing a 100-gallon water tank, which will be an accessory tank to the larger 500-gallon one after the new water tower is completed in March. We also are using a new generator which will be transferred to the school after the new solar panels arrive from Manila in April. "The whole company pooled together for this need!" Last month Donna, a dear widow in Pennsylvania had listed BCA as the recipient of any memorial gifts for her deceased husband Dale, who had been a much-loved truck driver for many decades. We earmarked any memorial gifts that might arrive for the security walls at BCA's orphanage. When a company check for $250 arrived, I sent to Donna a scanned copy of the check. She immediately responded with joy that this gift was a collection from Dale's fellow truckdrivers! Imagine these guys & gals, daily climbing up into their truck's cabs to clock hundreds & thousands of miles. As they watch those dotted white lines pass by on snowy Pennsylvania highways, perhaps they were thinking about the orphaned children who are cozy & safe in their cottages under the coconut trees down near the equator! Meanwhile on the BCA campus, Teacher Romick began his lesson with, "The 8 Parts of Speech…" Looking out among his 30 sixth-grade students, he saw a sea of blank faces. Hmmm…….. "Okay, let's approach this differently." Romnick invited 8 students to stand before the class. These particular kids were exceptionally bright, so their confidence was bound to be contagious, once they grasped these English concepts. "Elizah, what is your favorite Philippine fruit?" Mango. "Okay, please draw a mango on the blackboard." Next was Keth. "And you?" Keth grasped his new piece of chalk from the box & drew a guava. It looked kind of like a blob, yet when he quipped, "Bayabas" (Filipino for guava), a collective sigh of understanding emanated from his classmates. Romnick now introduced his creative plan. "In this activity, our 8 chosen students will draw a mango fruit if the statement is correct & a guava fruit if it is wrong. You, the rest of the class, will call out in unison which fruit is being drawn. If you already know the answer, you can call it out before it is finished. Yet if you are wrong, you will be OUT & stand in the back of the classroom. We can see who will be left!" Romnick then assigned Parts of Speech to each of his "Chosen 8". Then he said, "Jessa, JUPITER" Since Jessa was assigned the "noun" part of speech, & since Jupiter is a planet, which is a noun, she drew a mango on the board. Nobody had called out the answer, so Romnick asked for a show of hands to see if she was right or wrong. The whole class knew that Jessa is a smart student, so all agreed with her. During the next ten minutes, nobody was sent to the back of the classroom. Students were starting to understand the parts of speech. Yet because Romnick was also trying to blend-in their lesson on Agriculture, he said, "Angel, you have the 1st ELEMENT in planting trees." Ooh, but that was thought provoking. The "1st ELEMENT" is: Find the best place for planting. The "2nd ELEMENT" is: Select seeds that best suit the season & soils. The "3rd ELEMENT" is: Add sufficient fertilizers in the soil, & the "#4th ELEMENT", is: Take Care of the soil & plants. Many students are from non-farming families, so all waited for their star student's picture to be drawn. Angel, who had been assigned "Adjectives" started to draw, very slowly. Suddenly, Jack called out, "ADJECTIVE! It's an adjective! She is drawing a mango." Romnick grew a smile on his face and said, "Angel, please stop drawing." At this point, the artwork could go either way. It could become a mango or a guava. Romnick continued, "All who think Angel is drawing a mango, raise your hand." The entire class (except Angel) shot their hands toward the sky. Before the class could notice Angel's reluctant response, Romnick said, "Please put your hands down. Now Angel, please finish your drawing, regarding the 1st element, to FIND." Sure enough, as she finished her obvious mango, the entire class got up from their seats & headed to the back of the classroom. "This is a triple lesson," explained Romnick to 99% of his class, which was standing in the back of the classroom. "#1 is, don't just follow the crowd, for they might not be right. #2 is, that the 1st Element in planting trees is to FIND a place to plant, and #3 is that FIND is an action word (a verb)." At the cafeteria that afternoon, the snack was guavas & mangoes. But surprisingly, the only student of Romnick's who chose the deliciously-tart mangoes was Angel. Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
|
| 2/2/2023 | USA National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance (2/1/23), Groundhog Day (2/2) Please pray for the processing this week of our first new school bus in 15 years. The dealer has some final paperwork to fulfill on the licensing, etc., but promised we'd be driving the bus by Valentine's Day. The triathlon race I completed a few years ago raised funds to make the downpayment on this bus, & it is set to arrive before a high school group arrives for a work week at BCA's orphanage. Praise God that BCA's orphanage well is completely dug, at 185 feet. While the diggers said they need a new transformer installed to bear the additional electrical output, I decided to wait for the professional opinion of a solar panel installer, instead. "You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving." Preaching from the Bible on Sunday, I challenged the congregation to exemplify Ruth's devotion to her mom Naomi, as well as God's love for the church, as they radiate God's overflowing love through us, to those we meet. A few days ago at Barner Christian Academy, Teacher Violy called to her kindergarten students as they entered the classroom. "Zahavia, wipe off the mud from your shoes before you come through the door of this classroom!" Violy then led the students in the Gummy Bear Dance, & then they sat down. It had been raining & muddy outside, & the tracks of the kids' feet could be seen heading to each of their desks. Catching the glance of another student, Marlon, she could tell he was up to something. So, she caught him off-guard by directing her comment, so only he could hear, "Remember our routine, Kuya…" She was referring to a set of good habits that she had already instilled into the minds of the students since day #1 of school, when they had first entered the classroom. She had had the students recite after her the words she had previously written on the blackboard and would recite every day. "Rule #1: the teacher is always right. Rule #2: if in doubt, refer to Rule #1." While this was a tongue-in-cheek humorous aside, they also had a set list of given rules. But when a child had a bad day & skirted the rules, Violy would refer back to the "BIG 2" that she was the "Queen of the Classroom". Teacher Violy took roll call for the attendance. Suddenly, Apollo cried out "Zean took my pencil, Teacher Violet." Violy asked, "Zean, why did you take the pencil of Apollo?" Zean reasoned, "Teacher, I didn't take his pencil, I did just touched it & threw it." Suppressing a chuckle at this 4 yr old's personal attempt at justification, Violy commanded, "Next time Zean, don't do it, okay? Now, tell Apollo that you are sorry." Remorsefully, Zean apologized with, "Sorry Apollo." Apollo then said, "…'tsokay, bro." One boy, Clinton, may be small, but he has a booming voice. Even before he responds, the whole class, including Clinton & his teacher, start laughing in expectancy. It lightens the atmosphere every day. And Clinton loves the attention. Violy figured he might even be practicing at home, since a lower & louder voice tends to make the other students think you are older & more mature than you really are. Of course, if she asks him a question, he tends to ramble on in his enormous voice, & she has to keep on calling out his name until he will give the others a chance to speak. Also, the other students can't hear Violy when Clinton is thundering on & on. When they were ending the class, there was still a few minutes to play the game "The Boat is Sinking." In this, Violy announces "The boat is sinking. Group yourselves into groups of…" If she says three, then three students hug each other & if there are four, one has to go & join a group of two. It was a whole lot of fun, & taught them the importance of togetherness & cooperation. As the students left, Violy looked down & saw the face of little Clinton, beaming up at her. Violy instantly gave him a warm embrace. Clinton in his booming voice quipped, "Group ourselves into a group of two for Valentine's Day, huh, Teach?" Violy smiled. After Clinton left the room, it seemed as if she could still feel his arms around her as she heard his adult-like voice trail down the school hallway to where his bus waited. Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH: PJ's Late Night Worship #201-300 - PJ Barner: actor · singer · director. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItygvjoq26FzOhEZ3k41BCzNbiSZ-qw2 Present Need: $300 for (installment #23 of 112) $33,500 2nd-floor of 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $23,614.01 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $520. Still needed: $11,950! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,085.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,085.99=51,085.99)= $28,914.01 Churches, Schools & "Safe House" (orphanage): Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 |
| 1/26/2023 | NOTE: 2022 DONOR RECEIPTS have been mailed out. If you have not yet received yours, or if the one you received requires revision, please submit any updates to blckids@yahoo.com. Please pray for wisdom for the solar company which will install the solar panels which will connect to the 150-foot-deep BCA orphanage well, which is already almost finished. Praise God that an American couple has donated $5,000 for BCA's new chapel, which is receiving funds through my triathlon race this coming March. "Dear Jesus, please give us your wisdom today!" BCA's 1st Grade Teacher Jezel led the hundreds of BCA students in the school gym during their Monday morning Prayer & Flag Raising Ceremony. Since the boy who was assigned to raise the flag had gotten a little overly ambitious, Jezel misspelled the event in her daily journal by calling it the "flag RACING" instead! Grades Nursery through Six then sang the Philippine National Anthem, recited the Flag's Pledge of Allegiance, joined their 3-minute Christian Zumba (music & gymnastics) & school cheer, & prayed. "Good morning, students!" Hundreds of voices immediately responded, "Good morning, Teacher Jezel!" JEZEL: "What is the 1st School rule?" STUDENTS: RESPECT! They then broke off into their classes, with each student placing his hands on the shoulders of the student in from of him & making his way in a line, single file to his respective classroom. It was exam day, so English was to be tackled. This is one of the hardest tests for 1st-Grade students. They followed RULE #1, being respectful of Teacher Jezel as she read over the rules out loud. They followed RULE #4, being quiet as they wanted to get all the words from her mouth so they could get high grades to…maybe one day… become honor-students. They followed RULE #2 by behaving & propping up notebooks between them & other students so as to avoid the temptation to look at others' papers. Then they followed RULE #3 by participating in using the properly sharpened pencil & filling in all the blanks required. After just one hour, the last student turned in her completed exam. As the students began their Math exam, Teacher Jezel graded the English ones. Halfway through the Math test, she asked each student to put down his or her pencil as she made the announcement: "Students, I am very proud of you! Every single one of you passed with an A or a B in English!" The class all cheered together & picked their pencils back up to delve into their Math tests with vigor. Math is one of the longest tests, as it includes not just solving problems, but to show how they achieved their solutions on their test papers. This was to prove that they did not copy the answers of their seat mates. By the end of the day, five subjects were completed. While not every test came out as well as English did, Still, every single student passed every single test! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $300 for (installment #22 of 112) $33,500 2nd-floor of 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $23,914.01 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $520. Still needed: $11,950! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $39,085.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $39,085.99=51,085.99)= $28,914.01 Churches, Schools & "Safe House": Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 NOTE: Davao is home to 11 unique ethnolinguistic Filipino tribes. |
| 1/12/2023 | Please pray for God's Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance our clear presentation of the Gospel, in the minds of hundreds of unbelievers who heard us clearly, via microphone, during our church's family day at the beach. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, FISH…" after our daughter Abby gave an incredibly fun Bible lesson for our orphan kids during their visit to the mainland, each of the kids recited their favorite Bible verses. When it was Esabelle's turn, since Filipinos often interchange "Ps" and "Fs", PEACE sounded like FISH. This was especially humorous as a recent American visitor had nicknamed 13-yr old Jonas as "Fish". So essentially, Jonas was now one of the fruits of the Spirit! This Christmas, in order to spread the festive Christmas joy to our orphans, we divvied them up to stay a few days with volunteer families from the church. The kids had a blast! And the families had the joy of another smiling face at their tables. The kids also joined the church youth group for their quarterly "Youth Jam" multi-church concert, as well as the regional 3-day youth camp for hundreds of church teens. The dozen kids' grand finale (before staying with our family one night) was the annual New Year's DCL mountain fellowship. Only since the event was cancelled due to rain, we invited the whole church to head to the beach! Rain? No problem! We stayed up all night preparing food for 60 people, & I also jotted notes for a Bible message & Bible quiz. The orphan choir sang, then the youth group choir sang, & then Abby sang a solo. Even though we had a karaoke machine, there were hundreds of others at the drizzly beach, & they too were blasting away their music. But for some reason they turned down their volumes when they heard our church group was present. Immediately I revised my message to be more evangelistic. The plan of salvation was clearly presented. A few days later, on Wednesday, BCA's classes resumed from their winter break. Teacher Jovi was ready to teach TEAMWORK to her 5th Graders. "Our motto in 5th grade is like the Musketeers: 'All for one, & one for all!'" The challenge had been that some students had problems understanding conjunction FANBOYS (F stands for For, A for And, N for Nor, B for But, O for Or, Y for Yet, & S for So). Using each of these words, she instructed, "Some did well YET some did not. SO, those students who did well AND got correct answers will teach their classmates, FOR them to be ready for our gameshow, 'GAME KA NA BA!' BUT in this game, there will be neither winners NOR losers. No Good guys OR bad guys, since we are a team." After ten minutes of the students' helping each other, Teacher Jovi divided the blackboard into 4 sections, labeling each section with the letters A through D. "I will read some questions & all you need to do is to choose & go to the letters of the best answer." The kids did so incredibly well, that she decided to also try the same with Math: GCF (Greatest Common Factor) & LCF (Least Common Factor). She blended this with their subject in Business: contrasting "Produkto" (Products) & "Serbisyo" (Service) & giving examples. Yet when she pressed it into the third subject (Music) she had a glitch. She also was developing a hoarse voice, speaking like a Game Show announcer. After introducing the notes, she quizzed on the number of beats & the rests as well. For the whole note, there are 4 beats. She led as each clapped their hands to show the beats of the whole note (4), half note (2), dotted half note (3), quarter note (1), dotted quarter note was a challenge: (1 & ½ beats), and so on. Jovi noticed one of the students was not clapping at all. When asked, the student cried out, "Teach, I don't like music, I just like Math." Jovi kindly responded in her hoarse voice, "Then that's the purpose why I discussed that topic for you to learn." The girl said again, quite emphatically this time, "TEACH, I REALLLY HATE MUSIC!" In practically a whisper now, Jovi calmed her down & shared, "I want you to execute the beats or else you will fail during the exam." That seemed to get the student's attention. As Eunice, the sponsorship coordinator, entered the room to guide the kids in writing letters to their sponsors, Teacher Jovi pulled this particular student aside to dig farther into the reason for her sliding behind, especially in her homework. "I am so sorry Teach. I have no dad & I am the one to take care of my little brother, since my mother works at night & she sleeps in the morning. That's my big problem. I have no time." Wow, thought Jovi. A nine-year-old with adult problems of time management! "What is our motto? All for one and one for all! So, borrow a cellphone from a friend & contact me after school three days a week & together we will perform a surprise musical number for the rest of the class, okay? Just you and me!" That little girl beamed like she had just swallowed a lightbulb! Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $316.65 for last 3 sections: #158-160 (with foundation & posts) of 160 sections needed for perimeter wall for Father's House orphanage. 160: ten-foot long, eight-foot high sections. Needed for protection of the orphans & also to stop thieves from stealing any more equipment and/or animals, as well as to keep neighboring animals from coming in to eat the kids' gardens. Cinderblocks: 95 @ 25 cents each = $23.75 per section, x, Cement 4 bags @ $4.56 each = $18.24, 8mm iron rough stability bars 3 @ $3.08 each = $9.24, 10mm iron rough stability bars 6 @ $3.48 each = $20.88, Coarse sand 1.5 cubic meters @ $22 each = $33, Tie wire ¼ kilogram @ $1.76 each = $0.44: $105.55 TOTAL per section (x 3 sections = $316.65. 0 sections remaining, totaling 0! Yay, God! 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $260. Still needed: $11,740! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 1st-floor Garage & 2nd-floor Chapel for new BCA multipurpose building: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $80,000. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $38,285.99. Remaining need: $80,000- ($12,000 + $38,285.99=50,285.99)= $29,714.01 Churches, Schools & "Safe House": Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 NOTE: Davao is home to 11 unique ethnolinguistic Filipino tribes. |
| 1/5/2023 | Happy Rizal Day (National Hero: December 30, 1898). HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2023! Please also pray as I plan the Christmas festivities for DCLF (Davao Christian Leadership foundation) at a friend's mountain resort in early January. We delayed the event since some members were out of the country. Praise God that, after years of accidents, burns & fatalities during the holidays, Mayor Belmonte of Manila banned the use of firecrackers by private households. & the holding of their own fireworks displays. This is due to a 47% increase in emergencies & injuries related to firecrackers & fireworks this year. Meanwhile, the city approved permitted fireworks displays in public places. Following this mandate, during Elvie's family reunion in the jungle, the cousins designed a homemade "popgun" canon which is a pvc pipe (previously they used bamboo) triggered at the end after rubbing alcohol is generously sprayed inside it. Praise God also that over a thousand families in Northern Mindanao were successfully evacuated after flooding caused by nonstop rains, since Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). About 696 families or 1,863 individuals have remained in the evacuation centers as some of the families already went back to their respective places. Road blockage caused delays in getting supplies in, due to loosened gravel, fallen rocks & trees, & overflowed canals. Whattaway to spend Christmas! "Yay! Last church!" December has brought smiles to the faces of 600 BCA students, as Elvie, Abby, BCA's teachers, friends & I have visited our 30 church plants to bring gifts to every single child (including a few siblings who are not in the sponsorship program…we can't resist those little tykes' huge brown eyes!) Holiday traffic is horrendous, & it took 3 hours to travel to the Lasang church, which typically only takes 45 minutes. Last Thursday it was 2 churches: Lasang & Oceanview. Tuesday was Bangkal & Matina crossing. But Sunday…ah, Christmas Sunday, December 25. What a day it was! After my preaching on the Christmas story (yay, no more laryngitis!), all the age & gender groups performed. Then the kids came up one by one to get their toys & food & clothes & other gifts. The luncheon followed. Whoah, so much FOOD! Rice, sticky rice, sweet rice, & even scrumptiously roasted pig! Then other churches started to arrive, & up until midnight we had an exciting series of back-to-back concerts. The youth from each church played their instruments, praising God through their singing. Some was pretty loud, while others were mellow & thoughtful, but all alike were rejoicing in God the Father's generous "Best gift at Christmas!" A few days later Elvie & her sister Anilyn, as well as Abby & I, sat around the Christmas tree at home. We watched my dad's last video, 2 years ago, & just a few days before he died at 91, reading the Christmas story from Luke 2. Then we watched PJ & Brianna & the pastors of Auburn Alliance Church in New York, reading our family "Christmas Book" YEAR OF THE CHILD. This has been read every year since 1973. I still have a cassette tape of Dad reading it way back then when we were all a whole lot younger. And now, the teachers are all back home on winter break. But before leaving, BCA's Teacher Janice prepared her lessons for when the 4th graders will return January 3. Kids love music. So, one of the first things she will do to get the students "back on track" into studying mode this January, is to get them to sing. "I love my class…" started Janice, as she began composing her original composition. "And I love my classmates." Hmm, that doesn't rhyme, & it also follows no real time signature. Setting aside the song itself, Janice designed a setup where teams would perform one after the other, choosing their own musical instruments to play. While samples are in the classroom (recorder, ukulele, juice harp, bongos & maracas), the kids could also come up with some homemade or varied other instruments. Extra credit would also be given if the music is native to the Filipino tribe of one of the students. Wait a second, thought Janice. If they have tribal or other themed musical genre, why not also draw & color a backdrop for the performance? Beach theme, or forest theme, or… Janice was thrilled at the direction this lesson was taking. Let's see, thought Janice. What else can I add? Bible verses? Maybe they could add a verse of their own, including a Bible verse, yes, that's it! …and also a dance. They LOVE dancing! Oh, & tribal outfits! Any costumes, actually…and include all three languages spoken in the school: Filipino, Cebuano & English! Now, to help them with their spelling, they could also write out the words so that the other students can follow along. And they could also mention something about their course subjects…maybe like with Science, if they bring up the Phases of Matter…all in the form of a song! Ooh, I can't wait until next Tuesday! Muttered Janice, as she closed up her laptop and headed home for vacation break. Until next time…Let the islands rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $300 for (installment #60 of 155) $46,500 1st-floor of 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ church sanctuary & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $28,014.50 remaining. 2023 Christmas 2nd school uniform for BCA Students: Need: $20 x 600 students = $12,000. Donated: $230. Still needed: $11,770! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 https://tithe.ly/give?c=6118435 Garage for new BCA school buses: (from 2023 Davao Ironman Triathlon): Total need: $46,500. 2022 Ironman gifts: $12,000. 2023 Ironman gifts: $6,135.55. Remaining need: $46,500- ($12,000 + $6,135.55)= $28,364.45 Churches, Schools & "Safe House": Barner Christian Academy: PHILS: PO Box 82,224 Davao City, Philippines 8000. USA: 18 (or #5) Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144 GOALS FOR 2023: 1. Make 23 2023 goals…DONE! 2. Complete March 26, 2023 Davao, PH 70.3-mile Ironman triathlon race (#15!) to pay off BCA's $30,000 garage loan. 3. turn 62 4. Read thru the Bible 3x cover-to-cover (lifetime total so far: 84x). 5. Build temporary fence (or finish permanent cement wall) around orphanage, with help of FIA High School students. 6. Dig canal w/culverts for tribal BCA campus in Subasta, Davao. 7. Build 1st floor of new multipurpose building at BCA. 8. Bring weight down to 159 for March triathlon (165 now). 9. Perform & participate in wedding for PJ & Briana in both New York (August) & Davao (December). 10. Confirm & schedule visits to 5 Western USA churches in July, 2023, to challenge for missions. 11. Send out all 2022 PMBMI tax receipts by January 20. 12. Get Abby settled at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois for the fall, 2023 semester. 13. Raise $12,000 to buy each of the 600 BCA students a new school uniform (or scout uniform) for Christmas. 14. Work part-time in USA between church visits. 15. Read 100 books. 16. Run 500 miles. 17. Bicycle 5,000 miles. 18. Swim 5,000 laps. 19. Schedule & speak at churches in NY, NJ, CT, PA &/or VT for August through November. 20. Find sponsors for the 27 BCA students on the waiting list (total: 600). 21. Fix our 2005 pickup truck. The air conditioning doesn't work & the security alarm goes off when the door is unlocked. Also, cement the bumpy dirt road in front of the BCA guest house. 22. Visit & speak at a dozen different churches in the Philippines. 23. Gather our Philippine "CMT" leadership team to organize the three ministries (orphanage/safe house, churches, school) for our absence while in the USA, June through November. NOTE: Davao is home to 11 unique ethnolinguistic Filipino tribes. |
| Archived news from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 Last edited
March 20, 2023
|
|