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| 2/19/2026 | Chinese New Year (2/17/26). BCA's Teacher Appreciation Day (2/13/26) UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (2/10/26): This past Tuesday (2/10) was my final visit to the Philippine heart doctor to get the specific (second-by-second) details & evaluation of the stress test, since I was on heart monitors for the entire time. When we get back to the USA, I'll have appointments with three doctors: 1. Primary care, 2. Cancer, 3. Heart. Fortunately, I have medical coverage that should cover almost everything as long as I am in New York. Praise God that BCA's "Father's House Orphanage" were blessed to host a Pastors' Prayer Fellowship, attended by nearly three dozen pastors form around Davao City and Samal Island. The Bible theme was "Reviving the Pastor's Prayer Life." It was so exciting to see all those pastors united in prayer—seeking God together, strengthening one another, and enjoying sweet fellowship in His presence. When "shepherds" pray, the Church grows stronger! Praise God also that this past Friday (2/13) I (Paul) gave the Bible message during BCA's annual Teacher Appreciation Day. Praise God too that, even though I could not attend due to my limited energy levels, Elvie participated in a pastors' community event, hosted by BCA's very own orphanage! Praise God! Christian Aid Mission donated $11,044.80 to this ministry from faithful donors. The designations were as follows: Children's Emergency Medical Fund $45// Student Sponsorships $7,497// Jericho Free School Lunch Program $72// Various Ministry Activities $3,430.80. Praise God also that, as Elvie & I have been seeking God on where & how to build BCA's new 11th & 12th Grade classrooms (to finally be a school with all , the two empty lots adjacent to the BCA campus that have been vacant since we bult the school 29 years ago, have finally come up for sale! Each lot is 1,452 sq ft, for a total of total 2904 sq ft. The asking price is $36,160 per lot, to total $72,320. If & when Elvie and I are able to earn these funds while stateside, permits & construction (for a single-story, metal building, with cement foundation) would run us $6,000 (per classroom) for each lot, totaling $12,000: plus the price of the land would be $82,320. Since BCA's new permit allows one new grade each year, our target would be: 2026-7 Nursery thru 9// 2027-8 thru 10// 2028-9 thru 11// 2029-30 All grades. Please pray for: The mom of one of BCA's students. Her name is Abigail and this past week she prayed (with one of our BCA staff) to receive Jesus into her heart! Please also pray for BCA's new CCL "Community Christian Library", which is located at our orphanage on nearby Samal Island. Although almost finished with enough metal shelves inside to hold 40,000 books, due to the incredible work of both our orphans, visiting pastors and parent-volunteers, has over 15,000 books already shelved (but not yet categorized). We plan to open it to the public in March. Please also pray for our trip to the USA: Chicago on 2/18 & New York on 2/24. My (Paul's) body needs to acclimate from tropical heat to "canned" heat in the c-c-cold Northern USA. Although my breathing has been fine since leaving the hospital in December, I had been intubated during my hospitalization, due to an inability to breathe during the 2 weeks of my confinement. Please pray too for our international flights. The heart doctor suggested I (Paul) wear compression socks to avoid any blood clots in my legs on the trip, since we'll be sitting down for 4 flights, the longest of which is 14 hours! Here is our flight schedule: 2/18/26: 8:45-9:50am (Philippine time) Davao to Cebu// 12:30-3:20PM (Philippine & Taiwan time) Cebu to Taipei// 8-7:35PM (Taiwan & Chicago time) Taipei to Chicago// 2/24/26: 11am-2:10pm (Chicago & New York time) Chicago to Albany, NY. "Sorry, but your secretary cancelled your appointment with the heart doctor!" Elvie & I had just arrived at the medical clinic, after much traffic & then the difficulty in squeezing our pickup truck into the only (tiny) parking space available, to get an analysis of my recent stress test. Last week, the stress test included a treadmill workout with gradual increase in speed & incline, to reveal my heart's response. Actually, looking for a parking space was kind of a stress test too! Not only squeezing the car into a tiny space, but squeezing an appointment into our busy schedule as we prepare to fly back to the USA for a year. Elvie attended more meetings than me with our pastors, houseparents, lawyer, faculty & staff, since she is fluent in the Cebuano language. So, while she was in the meetings with those whose English is as bad as my Cebuano, I was home baking cakes, brownies and cookies. Filipinos are all into hospitality, and to schedule a meeting without food is, well, not a well-planned meeting. In the waiting room, Elvie called our secretary to find out where the scheduling glitch had happened. Doris gasped and explained that one of her children also had a doctor's appointment, and when our doc's office called to confirm, Doris said, "Oh, please change it to next Thursday, as she has a conflict in her schedule." Thursday definitely did not work for us, as we are leaving the country on Wednesday! Although it required a bit of extra waiting, Elvie did convince the secretary that the doctor's opinion is urgent, as we need to know, since I had a heart attack just 2 months ago, if my heart can withstand our upcoming flight back across the planet to Chicago & New York. Finally sitting down in his office, we were consoled that, since my heart performed well in the stress test, the cabin pressure on the plane should not be an issue. However, we must keep moving (even while seated), and not let our legs or feet swell up, lest a blood clot could form due to decreased circulation. A few days later, across town on the BCA Campus, I (Paul) gave the morning Bible lesson for the students after Flag raising, morning exercises and "The Philippine National Anthem & Pledges". I challenged them that, since the Bible says Jesus is in my heart, we have added strength to face anything that comes our way, good or not so good. After my message & prayer, the classes were dismissed one by one, and since Teacher Eden has the Kindergarteners, hers was one of the first lines to go, single file, with hands on each other's shoulders, to their classroom. Once the students were calmly in their seats, and after they stood and unanimously and simultaneously greeted each other, they sat back down and Eden began her 1ST lesson, on Numeracy. The students were filled with excitement and active participation as they engaged in a variety of hands-on activities designed to strengthen their understanding. Beginning the lesson with a short interactive discussion about numbers, Eden used real-life examples such as counting equal groups of fruits and arranging chairs in rows. "Aiden?" Aiden is a daydreamer, and Eden occasionally must call his name just to keep him focused. When his seatmate Elijah noticed that Aiden was not responding, he gave him a gentle nudge, which effectively brought him back to reality. "Y-y-yes, Teacher Eden?" "Aiden, we are counting. I noticed that you were daydreaming. What were you thinking about?" Aiden explained that he was thinking about last night when he was scrubbing his uniform by hand, so that it would look great alongside of the shiny new black shoes that his sponsor had bought for him as a Christmas gift. "Thank you, Aiden. Now, how many new shoes do you have?" Aiden responded that he had one pair of shoes, thus it was two shoes. "Since all your classmates also received new shoes when you went to the mall with Pastor Paul & Madam Elvie, how many students in this class received new shoes?" Aiden stammered, "I-I-I d-don't know…everybody?" "Well, yes, everybody. But how can you find out how many everybody is?" Elijah whispered for Aiden to hear, "Just count everybody in the classroom, Aiden." Aiden repeated Elijah's suggestion, and started to count, standing up, turning around and counting form the back row across and down to the front. "28-29-30! Thirty students in our class got new shoes from their sponsors, Teacher Eden." Eden then asked Francesca, "We have memorized the names of the twelve disciples of Jesus. As the class recites the song about Jesus' calling of His disciples, you write down the corresponding number, ok?" So, when the class began to sing, Francesca held the orange chalk in her hands, ready to jot down the first number. "There were twelve disciples, Jesus called to help Him, Simon Peter, Andrew, James…" "HOLD ON! Francesca called out, you are singing too fast. Go slower so I can write down the numbers!" When the song was ended and numbers 1-12 were in orange on the blackboard, Francesca curtsied in response to the applause, and then sat down. Teacher Eden then added, "Very good. By the way, with twelve disciples, do you think they all were just as fast as each other to obey everything that Jesus told them to?" Elijah raised his hand. "I think that no two people are the same. So probably when Jesus told Nathaniel and Philip to go get firewood to cook their dinner, Philip might have been daydreaming too, or maybe he had to ask Nathaniel to slow down, like Francesca asked us to!" Eden closed her lesson with, "Class, we know that our God is so very patient. He never gets tired and never gets weary. He is always right by our side. Just like Pastor Paul in the hospital. Did you know that when they were going o do a heart scan, and maybe surgery, he talked to Jesus? Yes! His wife, Madam Elvie told me that they spoke to Jesus just before he was wheeled out to the operating room! God is always, always, always right here by our side!" Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435 A. February 8, 2026- 16 minutes, church's 29th anniversary- Pastor Paul's first Sunday preaching since being released from the hospital https://www.facebook.com/gillianfaithtabasa/videos/1239387941457974 B. BCA Christmas presentation February 9, 2026 1 hour https://www.facebook.com/shelamehS.viray/videos/873220595481548 C. BCA students choosing & trying on their new, shiny, black uniform/Christmas shoes and then headed down the escalator in the mall. https://www.messenger.com/e2ee/t/7328339753959974 D. PJ Barner #484 Tune in every Tuesday! I LOVE TO TELL THE STORY. So much has happened in the past month! Traveling around the world, we do it because we love to tell the story of Jesus and his love to everyone we meet. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1400793398259282 Present Need: $300 for: BCA Bus "N": expenses: gasoline $96 & fuel hose $4, Partial Renovation of Grade 7 & HE rooms (labor) $200. Ongoing Projects: 1- SUBASTA Tribal campus ($250,000): $79,647. Still needed: $170,353. 2- DAVAO Bus Garage/Chapel ($120,000): $81,620. Still needed: $38,380. 3- SAMAL ISLAND Orphanage Cottage, Community Library & Chapel ($150,000): $32,730. Still needed: $117,270. 4- BCA High School wing: Phase #1 (of 2) Junior 11th Grade classroom ($25,000): $2,030. Still needed: $22,970. NOTE: two vacant lots alongside the BCA campus are now for sale. The lots alone (270 sq meters) are $60,000. If we purchase these, they will be the location of our new 11th & 12th grade classrooms, instead of building a 2nd floor alongside our present offices. 5- (ongoing) Food (& daily/medical needs) for 8 unsponsored (of 15, total) children at BCA's "Father's House" orphanage: {Raised (since January, 2026): $2,000} [monthly need: $800: 8 kids x 100/mos]. Months until JUL, 2026 [7mos x 800/mos = 5,600]. NEED: $5,600-2,000=$3,600. 6. LOOKING AHEAD: 2026 Students' Christmas gifts: BCA Sweatpants & t-shirt for gym class. $20 per student @ 616 students = $12,320 - $40 (received so far) =$12,280 (remaining). |
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 OUR ACTIVE MINISTRIES:
Rev. Paul, Elvie, PJ and Briana & Azariah, & Abigail Barner USA Landline: (518) 434-6216 GINGER |
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| 2/12/2026 | Happy 29th birthday, to our first church plant (2/8/1997) Happy BCA Teacher Appreciation Day (2/13/26). Happy Valentine's Day (2/14). Happy USA Presidents' Day (2/16/26). UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (2/3/26): Tuesday was my stress test at the hospital, to see if my heart has regained its strength. On the treadmill, I walked for fifteen minutes as they steadily increased the speed & the incline. I have been practicing briefly at home, walking & also using the stationery bike. The doctor was amazed, since I had only been out of the hospital a little over a month. When I made it through the entire test, the doctor mentioned that many patients do not endure more than the first three minutes. Next Tuesday (2/10) will be our visit to the heart doctor to get the specific (second-by-second) details & evaluation of the test, since I was on heart monitors for the entire time. Praise God that the students at Barner Christian Academy have been on field trips these past 2 months (and for the remainder of February) to the mall to get their brand-new black shoes, plus a special lunch at a nearby restaurant. What fun it is to watch the smiling faces of other customers, as our dozens of kids (sometimes as many as eighty at a time), in uniform, traipse, single-file with hands on the shoulders of the one in front of them, through the mall and up the escalators! Then the kids sing "Amazing Grace," give the BCA cheer, and recite together John 3:16! Praise God also that this past Sunday (2/8) I (Paul) was strong enough to preach my first sermon since my heart attack. God is sooo good! The Title was: "God says, 'Don't worry…I've got this!" based on Proverbs 3:5-6. Please pray for: (Students' requests): Protection from Physical and emotional harm, & focus on their Studies, & Good health, & Inward Strength to do what is right in the sight of GOD. (Parents' requests??): Protection against violence. Physically, mentally & emotionally, & inward strength to do what is right in the sight of God, & also for daily provision - food, clothing for the family (their basic needs), & hunger for Jesus, to develop intimacy with God. "I have a secret for you…" The little seven year old, in her colorful school uniform from Barner Christian Academy, cupped her hands and held them up to my ear as she confided in me, "Ever since I heard you were sick, I pray for you every single night before I go to bed." I smiled and responded, "Your prayers are why I am alive today! Thank you. But I am not totally well yet." She cupped her hands again & said, "Well then, I will not stop praying for you until you do get well!" I looked around at the 80 children gathered there at the shopping mall. Since we have 616 students, & all need to get brand new black shoes as part of their Christmas gifts from their sponsors, we cannot bring them all at one time. So in groups of 40, 60, or in this instance, 81 at a time, our school bus drivers load 'em up & drive them across town to the mall to get shoes. They are so incredibly cute, walking single file across the floor, up the escalator, then after trying on their new shoes, & singing & reciting Bible verses, back down the stairs (the "down" escalator hasn't worked for over a month), and across the street to a restaurant for lunch. 81 kids kinda fill up that restaurant. Elvie and I have been with a different group of kids at the mall just about five days a week. I leaned over to mention to our school treasurer: "With all these kids praying constantly, it doesn't matter that I've had a stroke (2015), Covid (2020), cancer (2025) & heart attack (2025). I'm gonna live to be 300!" Speaking of prayer, at BCA, Teacher Eunice was leading the kids in their prayer time at school the next day. "Kids, I have one goal for Barner Christian Academy for 2026: that every kid and family will be transformed in the name of Jesus!!!! And to do this, I will be interceding in prayer for your Spiritual blindness to be healed, and bring in a restored relationship with Jesus Christ." She then led all the students, of all ages, to "Pray for Pastor Paul, until he gets well!" The kids took her seriously, as she had become their Spiritual confidante over the past few years. She's counselled those from broken families (along with the kids' parents), evaluated the SRC (Spiritual Report Cards) of the students, and led the singing in children's worship at church, when there was a fifth Sunday (Children's Sunday). Each week, Eunice also leads a Ladies' Bible Study in the gym, and 60-100 attend each week. Week after week, Eunice is noticing deeper involvement by the moms. Sometimes they sing a solo, sometimes they group together for quartet or choir, and often are willing to lead or close the meeting in prayer. They also do not even have to be asked, but faithfully set up the 120 white, plastic chairs in the gym for each Ladies' Wednesday morning Prayer meeting & Bible Study. As to the lessons for each child, Eunice gave a survey to the parents and the results were that her teaching for the children every week, had a different goal; Week #1 Lord, give me wisdom to make right decisions. Week #2 Lord show me how to control my mind. Week #3 Lord, help me to be a forgiving person. Week #4 Lord, plant me so I will bear the fruit of the Spirit. Week #5 Lord, instruct as I put my life in the right order. As to memorization, the weekly goals for each student were: Week #1: Psalms 23:1-6. Week #2: the 12 tribes of Israel. Week #3: the 12 Disciples of Jesus. Week #4: Books of the Bible. A special, special praise was that Krystmeo, a 7th Grade boy, & Alexis, the dad of a student, & Hannah, a girl in 8th Grade, all prayed to receive Jesus into their hearts! To help them grow in the faith, Eunice gave them brand new Bibles…and also a pin that says, "Today I became a Child of God!" Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435 Video: Azzi's baby announcement for his parents Present Need: $300 for: BCA Bus "Od": Government inspection $21 & gasoline $88 for 29.036 gallons, Partial Renovation of Grade 7 & HE rooms (labor) $291. Ongoing Projects:
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| 2/5/2026 | 2026 XXV Winter Olympics (Italy: Feb 6-22, 2026), Groundhog Day (2/2/26). UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (2/3/26): My heart-stress test was this week and next week will be the doctor's evaluation of it. I have regained enough strength to preach a short message this Sunday, during the 29th anniversary of our first church plant. Some of our daughter churches are combining their services with ours and will be performing songs & presentations along with youth, men, women and children's groups. Praise God that this week, a couple from a recent American missions team began sponsoring the food, clothes, medical needs, education & other needs of one of our unsponsored orphans, at $100/month! Praise God as well that during the CMT (Church Ministry Team) dinner meeting at our house this past Sunday evening, a great unity was felt as we planned-out the year 2026's events, speakers, topics and budget strategies. After Elvie and I fly back to the USA on Feb 18, we will keep in touch with these church ministry groups, via phone & email to follow the plan and make any necessary revisions. Elvie plans to return to Davao in late May through June for other meetings and also to host a missions team from Arizona. We both will return to Davao for a national convention in April, 2027, and also to plan out the operation of the new library we have built at BCA's orphanage. Please pray for Rickyboy, the public "tricycad" driver whom Elvie led to Christ this past week, while riding home from the store. Our pickup truck was in the shop, which was why she was using public transportation. Our disappointments are "HIS" divine appointments! Please also pray for the travels of Pastor Willima & his wife Doctor Threresa, as they travel from Davao to other points around the globe, in ministry. After their 2 weeks of ministry to our pastors, staff, church & orphanage, we were blessed with an extra "bonus week" of ministry, since their shipment of Bibles to be distributed at their next destination was delayed. May God use them as greatly in these other destinations, as He has here in Davao! "Honey, come home quick!" Elvie had just driven three hours away to join dozens of church leaders in the rural town of Tomayun for a TEE (Theological Education by Extension) leadership training seminar. (*explanation of TEE at end of this weekly diary) Since the town is rural, there is no cellphone coverage, and it seemed impossible to get in touch with Elvie. We had most of the school staff working on trying to get in touch with her, when finally, BCA's treasurer was able to get through to a pastor she knows, who told Elvie of the emergency, and Elvie immediately rushed back the three hours to Davao City. What was the emergency? Backstory: as you know, I had a heart attack the day after we arrived in the Philippines in early December. When I was released on Christmas Day, we noticed, amidst the shuffle and confusion of the moment, that my passport was misplaced. For the past month and a half we have been searching high and low but to no avail. With our 2/18/26 return flight to the USA for my cancer appointment fast-approaching, I called the embassy in Manila to cancel my lost passport and to order a new one. My siblings in NY applied to get a copy sent to them of my birth certificate. I quickly got passport photos taken twice (1st time was wrong size). I searched all my cabinets in my office to find an old passport (from 1998). On and on the list goes, and I also checked the schedule for an appointment date: April, at the earliest! What? Unacceptable! A separate category: EMERGENCY Passport, actually might get me in a little earlier. Then a few hours later I checked my email. There was one form the embassy! "Your appointment at the embassy will be tomorrow morning at 7am!" Ooh, this will be pulling it close! Ok, buy tickets to fly to Manila…tonight. Reserve a hotel…tonight. Elvie arrived home…in time. We got on the plane…in time. We got to the embassy the next morning, loaded down with half a dozen manila (pun intended) folders filled with documents…in time. We even shared our faith with our seatmate on the plane, giving her a copy of the "Wordless book" with colors explaining the plan of salvation. After the embassy's half-hour interview, in which I described my heart attack & upcoming cancer appointment in New York, they released the purple, 1-year USA "EMERGENCY Passport!" Yay, God! When we notified our family on Facebook, PJ declared, "We had the whole praise team at church praying for you!" Abby also responded, "Here at Moody in Chicago, we had my Bro/Sis dorm friends praying for you!" Meanwhile at Barner Christian Academy, Teacher Rita was challenging her preschoolers, "Students, as you know, I am your teacher. But your parents are a real part of your schooling, as well." Looking into the big eyes & chubby, cute faces of "her kids," Rita continued, "I love both you and your parents. You can be proud of them, since their dedication, love & unity are such an inspiration to me! We are a real community. As they say in Africa, 'It takes a whole village to raise a child.'" As Rita was teaching, she heard a knock at the door, and paused from her lesson to announce, "Students, we have a special treat today. Our international visitor, Dr Theresa, is here to give each of you a checkup to be sure that you stay healthy and strong!" What a joy it was, as each preschooler had a flashlight shown in their ears, and had their weight registered from the scales, and also eyes & nose were checked. The love and appreciation of the kids were deeply obvious, as seen in the smiles on their faces. After Dr. Theresa left for the next grade level's analysis, Rita led in songs, fun activities and short stories which she had prepared ahead of time, knowing that today was her scheduled day for the international visitor. After the fist three activities, she heard another knock at the door, and a few of the parents also came into the classroom, assisting Rita with colorful visual aids, as storytelling was incorporated to make the topics easier for them to understand. Seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter during class made all the preparation worthwhile. Until next time…Let the islands…rejoice! Brief testimony and salvation challenge: Paul, after confinement. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1262541385740581 Philippines Mission Trip Report Auburn Alliance, Jan 26, 2026. Join us for the report of the team that went on the Philippines Mission Trip from January. Sorry, the recording setup in the Fellowship Hall wasn't working too well that day. Hopefully you'll be able hear the report well enough to know that Jesus blessed this team on the trip! Philippines Mission Trip Report
Present Need: $300 for: Partial Renovation of Grade 7 & HE rooms (labor) $77; BCA Bus "N": engine oil $6 & renewal of LTO registration $87; Bus "Fi": gasoline $47; Bus "Lx": gasoline $38 for 13.9 gallons, Bus "Ph": electrical wire $26, Bus "L": change of tire $5, Bus "M": seven-clutch sleeve assembly $14. Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2026 Students' Christmas gifts: BCA Sweat pants & t-shirt for gym class. $20 per student @ 616 students = $12,320 - $0 (received so far) =$12,320 (remaining). *NOTE (from top of this entry) TEE (Theological Education by Extension) is a global, decentralized approach to theological training and discipleship that allows pastors and church members to study the Bible and receive training within their local communities, rather than having to leave for a residential seminary. It is "extension" education because it brings training to the student, rather than requiring the student to travel to a central campus. Methodology: TEE programs combix`ne three main elements: self-study with prepared workbooks, weekly or monthly group meetings with a facilitator, and practical application of the lessons in daily life and ministry. |
| 1/29/2026 | UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (1/26/26): Improving each day. Daily outdoor walks & indoor cycling extended to 15 minutes each. 90% of my medications are completed, & down to just heart and cancer control pills. Stress test in 2 weeks! This past Sunday in church (1/25) we announced it had already been one full month since I (Paul) was released from the hospital after my heart attack!) Praise God that this past week we opened the 15 boxes we had shipped from the USA, filled with clothes, food (cans, cake mixes & chunky peanut butter!), books & stuffed animals. Praise God too that this past week, during the funeral of the mom of a lifelong prayer partner and friend of Elvie, she was asked to both plan the internet and to lead in the prayer/Biblical challenge of life after death. The mom was predeceased by one of her sons, who was a former student of mine in Bible college. Praise God also that the missions team from Utah gave out over a hundred Bibles to our students at BCA and also to our youth group and orphans at church. Praise God again, that Elvie and I finally were able to get the name on the deed of the school transferred from Elvie's name to that of the Barner Christian Academy, Inc. To protect it from any other usage, a "usufruct" was developed. This is a statement that, if at any time the main purpose of the school campus is used for anything other than a Christian school, the property's ownership will revert to the former owner or her beneficiaries. Please pray for BCA's Chaplain Melvin, who was, way back when the school started in 1998, the very first poor, sponsored student. Now he is an adult, married, a pastor & soon to be a dad. He recently resigned from his positions in the church and school, since he was offered & accepted a church downtown for his very first solo pastorate! May God grant Melvin many souls for His kingdom! Please also pray for our eleven-year-old church plant in the village of Communal, four miles from BCA. This past Monday they had a groundbreaking ceremony, since they'd just paid off the property & received a $500 grant to start construction! In attendance were the architect, an international visitor, plus some government & religious leaders from the community (including Elvie and me). During the ceremonies, the Gospel was clearly presented. Please pray for my strength to continue to improve, so that in two weeks (just before we fly back to the USA on 2/18), I will be able to preach at church. These past 2 Sundays, though not yet able to preach, I was able to climb the stairs to the stage & give the benediction. Please pray too, for the Auburn Alliance church in New York. Even during a snowstorm, this past Sunday the church had services. During church, the missions team which had served here in Davao for a week just after the New Year, presented a stirring report of their trip to their congregation. They also challenged more servants of God to join the next trips, in coming years! Watch the service here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEhPISzq6UY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEhPISzq6UY "Aline [stay in single file] & hands on shoulders [of the student in front of you]." On Saturday, our BCA Bus drivers took the barge out to Samal Island to bring 32 of our rural students to the mainland to try on their Christmas gifts: new, shiny, black shoes. Some of the kids had never been to the mainland before and watching them try to get on and off the escalators, was amusing. We made sure to hold their hands, to keep them from falling. Some jumped up into the air at the end: from the moving stairs to the solid floor. Of our 31 churches, we are alternating which churches to corral the 613 BCA students from, until they all can have the chance to get their Christmas gifts. This weekend it was time for the Penaplata church: families of farmers & fishermen, out on nearby Samal Island. While in the mall, the kids pulled off their flip flops and stuck their toes into the shiny new black shoes. Over the years, these will be passed down from one child to the next in families & in their church. So as not to let them wear out on the way to church or school, they will only wear the shiny new shoes once they arrive at the building itself. On the journey there, they'd either be barefoot or wear flip flops. Now at the mall, the kids waited for those dozens of boxes shoes of various styles and sizes, to be rung up by the cashier. While waiting, the nearly 3 dozen poor kids recited Bible verses and sang Christian songs like "Jesus Loves Me," that they had learned in Sunday School. Many customers hung around to see this cute sight. And all the kids had brand-new yellow BCA t-shirts with the nativity scene on them and the words, "God's Promise…in a manger". After traipsing single file back down the escalator and out the door of the mall, we stopped traffic to bring the kids to the chicken restaurant on the other side of the street. As a courtesy to the restaurant, Elvie & I had pre-ordered and pre-paid for the food. That way, the kids could be served as soon as they were seated. Plus, we all had arrived half an hour before the lunch rush, so none of the kids had to stand while waiting for a seat to be vacated. Even though the kids were all served within about fifteen minutes, none of them started eating unto I stood up to pray. I began, "I fold my hands…" The Filipino children had heard this cadence before and immediately repeated in unison with me, "…bow my head, close my eyes and pray. Dear Jesus…" It was a short prayer, but we were sure to pray for the cooks, the customers and each other. We also had to fit an evangelistic invitation, by thanking Jesus for dying on the cross to pay for our sins. The restaurant grew strangely quiet, as the children prayed. Some customers even pulled out their cell phones to record the unique sight. Then, after the kids opened their eyes, they waited yet a little longer as they recited John 3:16 and also sang the doxology. Then boy, did they eat. They were hungry, and some had never been inside a restaurant before! And a real treat: the restaurant gave all-you-can-eat rice with the meal! Hungry Filipino kids eat LOTS of rice! The day previous (Friday) at BCA, Teacher Jannah was teaching Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) to her 1st Graders. As part of the overall curriculum, Araling Panlipunan is part of the core subjects in the K-12 curriculum, focusing on developing critical, productive, and nationalistic citizens. Particularly for 1st through 3rd graders (Key stage 1), the lessons focus on "My Self, My Family, My School, and My Community". In later grades, they'll cover Philippine history, geography, and culture. This foundational subject helps students to understand their identity and their role in society. "Students, what are the different places in your neighborhood?" Answers included, "sarisari store" (where families sell individual sachets of soap, soy sauce, etc. out their windows), and a gas stations and a "Local Government house". In the greater community, there were schools, fire station, hospital, church, police station, etc. Then Jannah specifically asked Karyll, "Could you name some community helpers in one of these places?" She correctly answered, "Sure, Teacher Jannah. Firemen are in the firehouse!" Very good. Many pupils eagerly raised their hands to share their experiences, demonstrating excitement and familiarity with their surroundings. Jannah then introduced pictures of various community places and discussed their purposes. "What do you do in school?" Krystal Joy's hand was up in a moment. "Yes, Krystal?" The little 1st grader took a deep breath and dove right into her explanation. "Wweeellll, we learn, and…we pray… and we sing… and we love each other!" At this, Teacher Jannah immediately reflected on the uniqueness of a Christian school. The students and staff here really do love each other. Not that they don't in public school, but especially in a Christian environment like this. "Yeah," blurted out one of the 1st grade boys. "Not much love in my home. That is why I so enjoy coming here!" Ooh, that hurt. But Jannah knows these kids. She knows the stress in the homes of some of the very, very poor kids. Often, they do not even have ample food on the table, so they not only arrive at the table with growling stomachs, but they also leave the same way. Since it was still over an hour until lunchtime, Teacher Jannah decided to give the kids a break from this discussion and come back to it after the Reading subject. "Students, identify and pronounce the long sounds of the letters A and E." Jossiah was chosen to also demonstrate how to say short vowel sounds and introduced the contrast of long sounds using familiar words such as cake, gate, & name for long /a/, and me, tree, & kite for long/e/. For each "long" sound, Jossiah was chosen to give a contrasting "short" sound. Jannah: CAKE. Jossiah: CAP. Jannah: GATE. Jossiah: GAP. Jannah: TREE. Jossiah: (since this was a difficult one, Jannah crossed out the choices which Jossiah had already used on the blackboard) Only a few choices were left, and Jossiah correctly read, TREMBLE. Jossiah's classmates all clapped for his good work and then Jannah used flashcards and pictures to help them recognize long & short sounds in words. At this age, memories tend to be short, so Teacher Jannah returned to her previous discussion. "Students, when do you usually pray?" Imari: "Before we eat." Timothy: "Before I sleep." SHAIRMIE: "WHILE I sleep!" At first, Teacher Jannah thought Shairmie was joking, but this astute 1st grader then explained. "I always look forward to when I sleep, because that is when Jesus comes to me and talks to me. Sometimes in my dreams we go for walks, and sometimes we just talk together about the day before and my family." Jannah was amazed, and was tongue-tied as Shairmie sat down. Jananh realized that the students' sharing was like tiny windows opening, each child showing a piece of their simple faith. Together they discussed how prayer is not only asking for things but also saying thank you and showing kindness in our thoughts. "Students, being prayerful means remembering God in both happy and difficult moments. Whenever you are with your family, make sure you pay attention and are willing to pray with them. It brings the family closer, teaches respect and kindness, and helps the home stay peaceful, reminding everyone to be thankful, as Jesus guides the family in making good decisions, and His Holy Spirit strengthens your faith." In closing this session, before heading down to lunch, the class stood up and, in unison, recited the week's poem and then the Bible verse, "1 Thessalonians 5:17, Pray continually". Teacher Jannah, noticing a few students slouching, challenged the kids with, "Again. But this time, speak clearly, use proper expression, maintain good posture, and show respect while listening." Even shy students were gently encouraged by classmates, as they each turned to a seatmate, patted their neighbor on the back, and gave them an applause. Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! Video of BCA Kids reciting bible verses: https://www.facebook.com/100020872954435/videos/pcb.1801391260566622/1763419284347175 Present Need: $300 for: BCA Bus "Lx": $203 for miscellaneous repairs; Cleaning of Airconditioners (3 units) $21; Partial renovation of Grade 7 & Home Economics classrooms (materials) $76. Ongoing Projects:
2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $7,072. Still needed: $4,928. |
| 1/22/2026 | American Martin Luther King Jr Day (1/19/26) UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (1/20/26): Continuing rehab. NOTE: THANK YOU to many who sacrificially gave to help with hospital expenses after my heart attack & pneumonia. If you gave through "Go Fund Me" ( https://gofund.me/25d32590d & https://gofund.me/2dbca3ca3 ) or Venmo (@pjbarner label: "Paul's hospital bills") or Cash App ($peejbarner, captioned "Paul's hospital bills") or check (DM on Facebook: abigail barner) or Instagram (@abigailbarnerishere) or tithe.ly (https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435), 2025, and did not get a receipt, please let me know and we can release a tax-exempt receipt through this ministry (PMBMI). Thank you again. Though it seemed touch-and-go for nearly two weeks, in response to your prayers, God used the doctors in the hospital to get my heart working again and clear out the infection from my system. (Please see notes from our children (PJ & Abby) at bottom of this email, including note from 6th grade BCA students to me while hospitalized***) See the end of this post for past updates on Paul's health. Praise God for the pastors from poor churches in Davao and nearby Samal Island, who were hosted in seminars by our recent American missions teams. After one such seminar, thirteen Island pastors came to our residence to pray for my recovery from cancer, lung infection & heart attack. Since being hospitalized in early December, these pastors had had their entire congregations praying for my healing & came to rejoice in God's handiwork: singing, praying, & fellowshipping together. Praise God also that a nearby Korean seminary & small Christian school, at which I had spoken a decade ago, last Friday sent a team to BCA to perform Korean dance & songs & a short Bible lesson for our hundreds of students. Praise God too for the Utah, USA missions team, who during their 2-week stay in Davao, treated our orphans to a shopping mall visit for clothes, lunch & also gave a brief apologetics seminar for them in one of the classrooms at BCA. Since we have 31 churches, different missions teams have accompanied our staff to visit these churches to distribute Christmas gifts to the 613 sponsored students in this ministry, give medical checkups & hygiene seminars for the students, & also bring them to local stores to buy them new black shoes. Please pray for the pastors, students & Church youth group who have all attended the "Called to Serve" seminars which Pastor William (from the USA) has given over these past two weeks. Most of these messages (including his Sunday sermons) reminded us that believers must be faithful in studying the Bible diligently & also sharing the precious message of salvation with others in a way which will lead them to receiving Jesus & growing through Bible study & Christian fellowship. Please also pray for Nena, the wife of our resident pastor/houseparent Ernesto, at BCA's orphanage. With 6 children of her own, she is also managing the BCA orphans alone this week while her husband travels 16 hours each way to the other end of our island for a weeklong seminar for ministry interns. "Wow, it is great to meet the former 1st Lady of the Philippines!" When the New York missions team brought BCA's orphans out to eat and also to the mall to buy Christmas black shoes, Elvie met a former Philippine First Lady (president's wife) whom she knows personally, and this distinguished woman surprised everyone when she paid for their meal: She fed 28 people! Meanwhile, last week at BCA, Teacher Cristy was challenging her 8th Graders, "Now that you have been back from Christmas vacation for these past two weeks, you need to get out of vacation mode!" Cristy was noticing the lethargy in some of her students: the difficulty to get them focused. Gradually, with her prompting, the students adjusted back to their regular routine. "Patience, Lord, Patience!" she mumbled in prayer through a quiet whisper. This was the third period of the day, and the class-time Math assignment was "Word Problems". Cristy began, "Students, I know that solving these problems require strong comprehension skills, so I will keep giving you more practice to help you to improve." She began with, "Bumili si Ana ng 3 libro…" (Ana bought 3 books…). After reading the problem out loud, she asked individual students, one-by-one, obvious questions which were answered right there from the text. "Jhasper, What was the price of each book?" That was easy. "Each book was 150 pesos and fifty cenravos, Teacher Cristy." Correct. He then was asked to come up and to write that amount onto the chalkboard. Next, how much did Ana's mom give her to buy the books? Rhean correctly answered, "P500." A few students later, once figures were correctly written as an equation onto the chalkboard, a final student correctly wrote that the change which Ana received was P48.50, since the cost of each book was multiplied by the quantity of three books, and then subtracted from the total golden-colored 500-peso bill given by her mom. Cristy noticed to her joy that he very students whom, a few classes previous, were "gahig ulo" (hard headed) from their vacation, were now totally focused on their work. She could see that this was, in a great part, due to God's answer to her prayers that she impose authority while still being patient and understanding. Cristy then opened her Bible to Matthew 1:13-21, the story of when Jesus fed the 5,000. When she got to verse 17, "We have here only five loaves and two fish," she asked Jhasper the same simple question (from the text) as she had asked for in the Math word problem earlier. It was confusing, since the math did not seem to work (5+2=5,000, with 12 baskets change). Cristy had them break down the problem, so that she could be sure that they were not just stating the obvious, but actually thinking through the situation. "How many fish sandwiches do you think you could eat before you couldn't eat anymore?" After a show of hands, Cristy averaged it out to 2 per child. "So, if 5,000 people ate two fish sandwiches each, and each small loaf made enough bread for two sandwiches, how many loaves would you need?" Rhean walked up to the board and, picking up an orange-colored, short piece of chalk, added "5,000 people x 2 sandwiches divided by 2 sandwiches per loaf = 5,000". Correct. "Now, how about the fish?" Rhean stayed at the blackboard and, after the class (all fish lovers) figured each medium-sized fish could be cut up for two sandwiches, he jotted down the equation, "5,000 people x 2 sandwiches x 1 fish divided in half = 5,000". Correct. Cristy continued, "So, they needed 5,000 small loaves of bread and another 5,000 medium-sized fish. But they only had 5 loaves and 2 fish. How many fish and loaves did Jesus have to miraculously add?" Bread: 5,000-5=4,995 & FISH 5,000-2=4,998. So, Jesus had provided that much extra food, not including the "change" of 12 baskets of food for leftovers, nor the thousands of extra family members who also ate there on the hillside. "What did you learn from this exercise, class?" Jhasper: Word problems help us understand better how to calculate in formulaic expression the results. Rhean: No matter how much or little you have, Jesus will provide all you need. Mhike: I want Jesus for my caterer, since I have a limited budget. Ace: Uh, no rice? They must not have been Filipinos! Mailyn: Of course they had rice, silly. That is what the women and children ate, after the men had gobbled down all the sandwiches! Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435 A. PJ & Abby sang "How Beautiful," reminding the congregation that obedience to God's calling is a joy, not a burden. There is beauty in saying yes to Him—with willing hearts, faithful steps, and lives fully surrendered. Here I am, Lord—send me. https://www.facebook.com/reel/867508109476849 B. KING OF KINGS: Moody Bible Institute's Annual Candlelight Carols December 5 & 6, 2025 (Abby is playing the French horn in the orchestra). https://www.moodyconferences.com/candlelight-carols/king-of-kings C. Pastor Paul's deepest heart cry is to make Jesus known—to see every person given the opportunity to hear the Gospel and receive Jesus as their Savior. This is his life's passion, all for the glory of God. https://www.facebook.com/reel/916710481045229 D. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News—walking in love, faith, and obedience. BeautifulFeet #GoodNews #Romans1015 #GospelCarriers #CalledToGo #FaithInAction #WalkingInObedience #SpreadTheGospel #ToGodBeTheGlory https://www.facebook.com/reel/1556428338906479 E. COME! Let's Worship the Lord! Faith Alliance Fellowship @!Barner Christian Academy https://www.facebook.com/elvie.barner/videos/2367113373721179 F. The Presence of God through Christian Friends can thoroughly change your mood. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1356679722261833 G. Elvie Egan Barner is with Abigail Barner and 5 others at Barner Christian Academy of Davao City, Inc. Auburn Alliance Missions Team Leader, Pastor Jim, conducting a Discipleship Seminar at Barner Christian Academy on January 7, 2025. #AuburnAllianceMissions #DiscipleshipSeminar #BarnerChristianAcademy #MissionsWork #ChristianLeadership #FaithInAction #RaisingDisciples #KingdomBuilding #TeachingTheWord #highlightseveryone https://www.facebook.com/reel/1895195567736359 H. Elvie Egan Barner is with Abigail Barner and 11 others at Subasta Calinan Davao City. Kuya PJ, thank you for sharing God's Word and encouraging our hearts. We are so grateful for you—truly a blessing to our family. #FamilyBlessing #FamilyFaith #EncouragedByFaith #BlessedBeyondMeasure #highlightseveryone #fbreelsfyp https://www.facebook.com/reel/1860369138698517 I. Album FAITH ALLIANCE FELLOWSHIP Cly Rosal added a new video. Abigail Barner https://www.facebook.com/reel/1546749136563922 Present Need: $300 for: Paint, brush & lacquer thinner to paint BCA's chaplain's office $15 (& $5 for food and snacks for laborers); BCA Bus "Ph": 1 set spindle w/ brake pad left side $70 & Oil cylinder $6; "Lx": $204 for gasoline 73.388 gallons. Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $5,987. Still needed: $6,213. (Continued from the beginning of this email***) UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (1/20/26): My Daily exercises have been revised drastically: from "miles run" to "minutes walked", from "miles bicycled" to "minutes on stationery bike", from "laps swum" to "reps of stretches", from "5-lb weight reps" to "2-lb reps". NOTE from BCA students while I was in the hospital recovering from heart attack: Grade VI Proverbs's Post: "Dear Pastor Paul, We, the Grade 6-Proverbs students, gather ourselves in prayer for you. In this moment of your weakness, please know that we, together with all the sponsored kids, are lifting you up in our strongest and sincerest prayers. Every day, we ask God to place His healing hands upon you to strengthen your body, calm your spirit, and restore your health completely. You have touched our lives in ways we will never forget. Because of your heart, many children have been given hope, education, and a brighter future. Because of your faith, we have learned to trust God more deeply. Because of your love, we feel seen, valued, and inspired. Pastor Paul, we want you to know that you are not fighting this battle alone. We are here loving you sincerely, praying for you faithfully, and believing with all our hearts that God, the Great Healer, will raise you up again. Your life has been a blessing to many, and even now, your strength and courage continue to inspire us. We hold on to God's promise that "nothing is impossible with Him." (Luke 1:37) May God surround you with His peace, comfort, and miraculous healing. We love you, Pastor Paul, and we are here with you always. Love, Grade 6-Proverbs #barnerchristianacademy #grade6proverbs #prayers Abigail Barner. ·Way Maker (Instrumental) · Maranatha! Instrumental ·I've spent way too much time trying to find the right words. I still haven't found them. My dad, Paul, a missionary in the Philippines, is in the hospital. He's responsive right now, but his condition fluctuates quickly and often. We have a GoFundMe that explains more. Thank you to everyone that's reached out with support via encouragement, prayer, and fundraising for hospital bills. Sorry if I haven't gotten back to you. https://gofund.me/25d32590d (The link is also in my bio) In case you missed it: From December 13, 2025: PJ Barner: https://gofund.me/2dbca3ca3 Hi friends! We have an emergency. My dad is in critical condition. (SCROLL DOWN FOR MOST RECENT UPDATE: 12/16 4pm EST) As many of you know, Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in November and began taking a hormone blocker. To attend to some ministry matters before his scheduled return to the US for treatment in February, he and Mom traveled to Davao City, Philippines on Dec 7. We saw them off at the airport; he was feeling well, only experiencing some mild hip pain from the cancer. Within 24hrs after arrival, Dad had a heart attack. He is now in the ICU at Davao Doctor's Hospital with a severe, non-cancer-related infection that went to his blood which caused heart damage and possible pneumonia and other complications. He is medically unable to travel back to the US. He has been in the ICU for the last two days. They've been monitoring him closely. Just an hour ago, things got worse very quickly. Dad told the doctors he couldn't breathe. His oxygen levels dropped drastically and he needed to be intubated. Mom had to sign the consent form for intubation, and the doctors immediately rushed her out. She is understandably terrified and weeping right now. The last words he was able to say to her were, "I love you. I love you. Now I can sleep." He is fighting for his life right now. The procedure was completed but he is resisting the intubation even after 6 sedations. UPDATE: He is able to sleep, his body can rest and get the oxygen he needs. The situation is compounded by the financial pressure. We must pay over $1,000 a day in cash for his critical ICU care here in Davao due to having no insurance coverage in the Philippines. This cost is unsustainable for us. --- Please pray! We need your immediate prayers for: - the complete restoration of his heart and lungs. Pray that the Enemy has no hold over him, in the Name of Jesus! - Mom as she waits outside the ICU, scared and alone. - the Lord to meet the financial need of over $1,000 per day for his continued critical care. Any donations are appreciated! If you feel called to send support, here are several options : - Donate directly to the GoFundMe by clicking the link at the top. (GoFundMe takes 2.9% +$0.30 from every donation.) - Venmo @pjbarner & CashApp $peejbarner, captioned "Paul's hospital bills" (100% goes to Dad's medical fund. I will deposit directly into his account.) - Send to Tithely by clicking this link Tithe.ly Givinggive_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435, selecting "Other" (NOT EMERGENCY MEDICAL FUND), and sending a message to me that your donation goes to "Paul Barner Medical Fund" (Tithely takes 2.9% +$0.30 from every donation.) - You can send checks payable to "Paul Barner" (NOT THE SCHOOL) to Virginia Bruce, 18 Eileen Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144. Thank you so much for reading all this! Our deepest thanks to everyone who has donated and prayed! I will post another update as soon as we have one. Thank you for lifting our dad up to the Great Physician. --- UPDATE (12/13 10:40pm EST): Dad is still sleeping and Mom has gone home to get rest as well. Friends and family are checking on him 24/7 at the ICU. We will continue to wait, pray, and remain hopeful. Friends, we're amazed that in less than 12 hours, our GoFundMe reached and surpassed its initial goal of $15,000! Thank you so much to everyone who has given any amount, and thank you to everyone who is praying! We will leave the link open for anyone who would like to contribute to Dad's medical fund. Thank you, thank you, thank you! My sister Abby said it best: "It has been so encouraging and heartwarming to see all of the financial and verbal support from friends and family and friends of friends as well. We can't express how many tears have been shed from seeing the names pop up from friends we haven't heard from in years, but who love us dearly, from all over the world. From all of us Barners, from all around the world, thank you." --- UPDATE (12/16 4pm EST) from a doctor friend: The doctors are sounding hopeful. First, his lung congestion (pulmonary edema) is improving and they are able to progress with weaning down the ventilator. Still not sure when he can come off but moving in the right direction. Second, his kidney function is recovering faster than expected. While he was in shock, it had suffered injury but is now showing recovery. Third, he is alert and Mom is having to keep his computer away from him because he wants to get work done even though he is on the ventilator. (Oh Dad!) His clarity of thought is another indication that his body functions are improving. In 8 hrs from now (midnight EST, 1pm Philippine Time) they will proceed with the angiogram (and angioplasty if they find a stenosis). If he does in fact have vessel narrowing (stenosis), this could be an important step to allow him to travel back home for further care. Areas to focus prayer on: 1. Wisdom and skill of the physicians performing the angiogram 2. Continued recovery of the lungs and kidneys and ability to wean off ventilator in the next few days 3. Continued control of the infection that likely caused the whole thing resulting in septic shock 4. Patience for Dad in that he has to allow healing in God's time and not push things. 5. Strength for Mom in making decisions and holding fast to preventing Dad from overdoing it. God is good and has worked a healing in Dad- better than the doctors expected. How great, How GREAT is our GOD! -Paul (1/19/26). |
| 1/15/2026 | Happy 30th "Paperversary" (when Elvie & I signed our marriage license, 7 months before our wedding 1/15 & 7/6, 1996). UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (1/13/26): Just over a month since my heart attack (Myocardial Infarction, 12/11/25), pneumonia & UTI (2-week hospital visit), the heart doctor is letting me do limited exercises, which will prepare me for a stress test in February, a week before our return to the USA. The heart attack was Stage 2, which is Cardiomyocyte Necrosis: some heart muscle cells died, but small vessels remained intact. The chest x-ray and blood tests showed pretty normal levels in the blood except slight anemia (low hemoglobin: 109 instead of 140-170), for which I will be taking iron. Regarding the partially-collapsed lung, "complete re-expansion of the subsegmental atelectasis, left…Pulmonary vascularity is now normal". Atherosclerosis of the aorta is again "appreciated". Thank you again for praying! Please pray that, even though the cancer "hormone block" medication causes sweats, back to back with chills, that God will relieve me of this bothersome effect. God is truly our Great Physician! Praise God for the new community library being built at BCA's orphanage. Its construction is halfway completed. Due to the humidity in the Philippines (and especially on Samal Island where the orphanage is situated), the shelves are made of iron bars and termites are excluded due to Solignum treatments around the base of the building. Please pray for the newest missions team which has just arrived from Utah: Pastor William & his wife, Dr Theresa. They will be presenting seminars for church leaders and also doing general checkups for many of the hundreds of children in this ministry. "Discipleship is part of our Christian Growth!" As the Auburn, New York missions team came for their 8-day visit to the Philippines, Pastor Jim's seminars on discipleship were the high points. However, the 12person team also visited both rural and urban churches, helped students to try on and be fitted for their Christmas shoes at the mall, and put in hours of work at the orphanage & BCA's new community library, sorting books! Since PJ's family was on the team, we also spent some quality time with our grandson! Elvie quickly removed Baby Azzy from my shoulders when I forgot about my heart condition and couldn't resist lifting him up over my head. Also two members of the team offered to sponsor some poor children who are still on the waiting list to be enrolled at BCA! One of the many groups blessed by the team's visit from classroom to classroom in the school, was Teach Trisha's 3rd-Grade class. As the team knocked and then entered the classroom, the students, in unison, stood up and recited, "Good Morning, class. Good morning visitors. We hope you enjoy your visit." And then they sat down. A few minutes later, as the team exited the classroom, they noticed the sign over the door, which not only mentioned the grade level, but the book of the Bible which the school has chosen for the room. In this case, "Grade Three: Chronicles." Trisha continued her lesson, pairing-up the students to assist each other in their reading abilities. This was to help those students who have slow reading comprehension to take it slow and improve by pronouncing every word carefully. The words in each story had both monosyllabic words (like "Mom" & "school) as well as multisyllabic words (like "brother" & "mango"). Since this was the first time the students had seen these particular readings, each partner could tell if carelessness was made: like skipping through challenging pronunciations. The fun part was, after the first person in each pair had read the assigned paragraph, the second person came up with a question on the paragraph, such as "Identify the Main Idea", or "Sequence the Events" or even "Predict an Ending", to stump the other. It really made both members of the pairs have to pay attention to the mini-story. Gathering the class together after half an hour of this assignment, Teacher Trisha asked, "Vennes, could you share something interesting that you learned from this assignment?" Vennes stood & said, "Well first, my partner Aaliyah is a much better reader than me. But second, that even though 'banana & bandana' sound alike, they have totally different meanings. I can't imagine trying to eat a bandana!" About to close the reading lesson & go on to Math, Trisha added in, "There is a spiritual lesson here on pronunciation. Some people think that GOD is ODD because He loved us enough to come down to earth & die on the cross to pay for our sins. But actually, JESUS will PLEASE US as we give back to Him our very lives every day in what we say, do & even think!" Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435 Present Need: $369 for: Vehicles' expenses: BCA Bus "M": -motor oil $46, BCA Bus "Ph": starter repair $34, 2 sets of tie-rod-end & wheel alignment $70, repair of alternator, repair of carbon brush & I.C. $62, motor oil $6, BCA Bus "Fi": gasoline $32, starter $44, rubber cups $4, replaced clutch lining, pressure plate & overhaul of transmission $70, sand paper $1. Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $5,987. Still needed: $6,213 |
| 1/6/2026 | UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (1/8/26): I've been out of the hospital for 2 weeks now. This week's visit to the pneumatologist & urologist declared my lungs are clear of infection and I am breathing deeply now. Visit to cardiologist next Tuesday (with xrays & tests) will reveal whether medication is effective in combatting the 50% blockage to the main artery in my heart. I still get dizzy if I move fast, So, am "taking my time" around the house. An appointment with the cancer doctor in New York is set for March. The Philippine heart doctor will determine if I am ok by that time to fly, since airplanes have pressurized cabins. Thanks so very, very dearly for your prayers and for those who sacrificially paid many of my hospital bills! Praise God for the Auburn, New York missions team, which has been very busy this week showing love to Filipino families. They helped dozens of students to try on and choose black shoes at the mall, as a Christmas gift from their sponsors. They also taught discipleship seminars for both pastors and parents, and joined in a schoolwide luncheon feast, with 400 being fed! Other events were sorting books in BCA's new community library, and distributing Christmas gifts to very poor children in some of our far-flung rural churches. They also anointed me for healing from my cancer and heart blockage. Please pray for the widow & daughter of a close missionary friend, Mark Wortman, aged 54 who died of a stroke on January 6. "FIRE!" Last Friday (1/2/26), Elvie & our daughter Abigail had visited the bank in a nearby shopping mall (Gaisano Grand Citygate Mall) to withdraw funds to prepare for the incoming missions team from New York. But while exiting the bank, they noticed customers rushing out to the mall exits. Many were using their cellphones to take videos of the ceiling. Looking up, Elvie & Abby noticed & smelled billowing clouds of smoke, and sirens began blaring from outside. It grew to a 3-alarm blast, starting around 4pm. Fortunately, within a few hours, the blaze was contained and nobody was seriously hurt. But our family was amazed that they were right there in the building when the top floor was burning! Meanwhile, the students of Barner Christian Academy were still enjoying the last three days of their Christmas vacation. BCA's 7th Grade teacher Rona was preparing for the many events to come on Monday. Not only were the students to return, but also the New York missions team was to arrive, from the opposite side of the planet! Preparing for the opening classes, Rona sat at her desk, glancing at pictures & videos on her cell pone of her students at the schoolwide Christmas party just over a week ago. She couldn't help but grin at the smiles, simple gifts, and heartfelt messages, which were more than enough to inspire Rona to continue giving her best in this profession which she deeply loves. The pictures reminded her of that special day of pure joy, filled with laughter and appreciation that renewed her passion for teaching. As her mind continued her journey through the weeks preceding the party, she looked down at her desk, glancing at her Spanish history book. Was it just three weeks ago that Rona's students joined her in exploring intriguing Spanish literature, which had played a major part in developing today's realities, during the Spanish period of Philippine history, for the past four centuries? On that day, she dove into the rich cultural and historical influences that shaped the way Filipinos write and express themselves today. Rona had looked up from her book that class day, and noticed that not one of her 7th Grade students was sleepy, nor distracted. They were genuinely interested, for she was talking about THEM: what made them think, speak, sing and act the way they do today. Teacher Rona felt proud seeing their curiosity bloom. "Students, in all of our rich heritage of history, we know that God has been sovereign in His control. His presence has guided our ancestors. In spite of times of fear and/or joy, by God's grace, they managed to handle every situation in a positive way to make this the great country it is today!" "We may not all look alike, but we are family: fellow Filipinos and also fellow Children of God!" As she shared, there was a sense of unity that reminded Rona of the strength we all have when we work together. They now saw each other, not just as a school community, but as one family under God's guidance. Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:PJ's latest Late Night Worship: PJ Barner #483 Tune in every Tuesday! COME AND SING PRAISES. Psalm 29:1-2 "Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name,worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." 4 minutes, 55 seconds. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1173382391672344 (follow to next frame, #483) Present Need: $300 for (installment #172 of 400) $120,000 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $38,400 remaining. Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $5,987. Still needed: $6,213. |
| 1/1/2026 | Happy New Year, 2026! UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (1/2/26): every day gets a little stronger. Thanks for praying. The medication is working. Next visit to the doctors is Tuesday (1/6). Until then however, cannot leave the house. Body & muscles still sore for the long stay in a hospital bed. Still go through three or four shirts a day, with profuse sweating, even in air conditioning. Praise God that 2 former BCA students are becoming teachers on our very own campus of Barner Christian Academy! One has passed her govt licensure exam and will begin next week. The other is from our orphanage and will begin next year! Please pray for strength and endurance for the Auburn, New York missions work team (arriving this Sunday), as they adapt to jetlag and also to the 90 degree heat, coming from very cold and snowy winter weather, with temperatures well below freezing, & highs around 10 degrees, typical of a harsh winter in Central New York. Also, their internal clocks will be off kilter, since they'll be on the other side of the world where night is day and day is night. "On the 12th day of Christmas, the hospital gave back to me…my nose!" It has been very good to be back home these past seven days. When I was hospitalized, as the days came closer to Christmas, I noticed, on my 12th day of confinement, it was "Christmas Adam" (the day before Christmas Eve, since Adam was created before Eve). 12/23 marked my 12th day in the hospital, and finally, the four-inch tube, which fed me through my nose for 2 weeks, was finally being pulled out. It reminded me of growing carrots when I was a child. A really long one would just come and come until its roots were removed. As the hose made its exit, and as the strong putty which had held it in place pulled off (with some of my skin too), I felt up with my hand. "Ah, I finally have a nose again!" Over the past week, thankful parents of BCA students have come over to the house to help scrub and clean up. Sicne we have been out of the country for over a year, there have been mouse droppings in the cupboard and other grungy stuff. Our infant grandson will be here in less a few days, so we are making the place "child friendly". The parents & Elvie also are transforming it into a hygienically safe place for me to recuperate from my illnesses. When New Year's Eve arrived, even though I am supposed to stay inside, as midnight approached, we couldn't help but to go out and join the neighbors in their loud banging, yelling, horns honking, motorcycle engines revving up, loud karaoke and radios and tape decks blaring, firecrackers booming, & plastic horns screaming, all to usher in the new year. Even our son PJ joined us online, although back in New York, he still had another 13 hours before the calendar changed form '25 to '26. New Year's Eve is NOT a quiet place in the Philippines! I also did my part, gently banging a small hammer against a frying pan while I sat on a stool in the road. A few days later our daughter Abby was over at the school, opening huge boxes that we had shipped over the ocean this past 16 months. She separated out books, school supplies, stuffed animals, and other items, so they could be put into heir proper places. The timing couldn't be better, as many of the stuffies will be given out, one to each child, by next week's New York missions team, after they arrive. Also on the BCA campus, Nurse Anilyn was preparing her clinic for the influx of students next week when school classes resume after the Christmas break. She swept, dusted and sanitized with spray alcohol, all the shelves and bed and floor and even the walls themselves. Next, she arranged on the shelves the new medicine that she'd ordered form the School office to be bought at the pharmacy. Let's see…there is mentholated minty efficascent oil, which she will be rubbing on the backs and sore muscles of students…especially Little 3rd-grade Jacob. He is a regular, due to his frequent tummy aches! Now, there is capsicum, for Renzhea's toothaches. She has definitely GOT to stop being fed candy by her grandma. The blood pressure cuff is in place, for the frequent visits by teachers and staff as well as a few parents too. Once a month, Nurse Anilyn will go through the entire staff to check everyone's BP, registering it in her little black notebook. They ranged all the way from one of the bus drivers (105/68) to the cook (151/89). Oh, I still remember the mom who died a few years ago of a heart attack while climbing down the school stairs. She never made it to the clinic. Then there is the gauze pads and medical tape. Angel's mom is on dialysis, and occasionally her wound dressing splits open during morning prayer meeting, dripping blood all over the gym floor. And the hundreds of adolescents…well, it is obvious that scrapes are almost a daily event. Gotta put the mercurochrome toward the front of the shelf, definitely. Anilyn reached down into the medicine bag for the next item: four bottles of cough syrup. They'll definitely need this after the break, since the kids are bringing in germs from their respective family reunions over the holidays. Especially Alleiah, Ayesha & Kaiden. Let's see: cold compresses (for sprains), a new coconut-leaf broom (for outside and inside the clinic), and…and…now where is it? My most important medication for these kids? I know it is here somewhere…Ah-ha! My greatest cure-all! Anilyn reached down and pulled out…her clinic Bible. This is different than her own Bile, as she wants to keep this one in the clinic at all times, even when she is absent. She reached over and slid her fingernail alongside the bookmark to open to James 5, "…and the prayer of faith will make the sick person well." Nurse Anilyn closed the Bible and clutched it to her chest as she prayed to the Great Physician Himself, tracing class by class, and student by student for the hundreds of children who have been placed into her care. "Lord, I feel so very unworthy to care for these precious children, the leaders of tomorrow. But as with everything You have called me to, I thank you for the privilege. On Monday, Lord, may they be healthy and strong as they are introduced to the American team which they will be meeting for the first time." In Jesus,' Name, Amen. Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435 TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH: A. PJ's latest Late Night Worship: PJ Barner CHRISTMAS #482 THE GIFT GOES ON (FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN) • JOYFUL MEDLEY (HOW GREAT OUR JOY / JOY TO THE WORLD) Merry Christmas from the Auburn Alliance Church Choir! 8 minutes, 59 seconds. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1173382391672344 Present Need: $300 for: Vehicles' expenses: BCA Bus "N": engine oil $13, gear oil $5, BCA Bus "M": diesel gas $150, 2 tubes vulcate & sew interior $12, relay $4, clearance light $2, electrical tape $1, change oil expenses -oil filter $15, BCA Bus "Ph": gasoline $100, repair flat tire $2. Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $5,027. Still needed: $6,973. |
| 12/30/2025 | Happy 1st Birthday, Azariah Barner! (our grandson) 12/5/24. 12/30 (update) After 2 weeks in the hospital (mostly ICU), the twelve doctors were able to clear out the infections in my body & lungs, so I could breathe & eat on my own again without intubation. Nurses removed the restraining straps, tubes, monitors, gadgets and IVs from me and sent me home (in the Philippines) for a month of bedrest. (finally, I could drink water again!) Tests showed the partial blockage is still in a vein to my heart, but since it is in a sensitive area, they did not operate. Plus, they did not want to compromise my ongoing cancer treatments. I will see the heart doctors again next week. Please keep praying that God will clear that troublesome calcium buildup out of the vein to my heart. I am now on heart meds for that purpose. Thank you so much for you who have prayed and sacrificially assisted in the expenses of this ordeal, Paul. 12/11 PAUL HAD A HEART ATTACK. Upon arriving in the Philippines a few days ago, Paul was having severe pains in his lower chest cavity, and trouble breathing. At the hospital, the doctors found that he has 3 health challenges right now: #1-heart attack. After observations of a few days they may do an angiogram and then possibly (though not likely) an angioplasty. Calcium has built up over the years on his heart's blood vessels, and they need space for the blood to get through to the heart. #2- Pneumonia. His lungs have a lot of liquid in them and Paul is on oxygen to clear out his lungs. This is conceivably caused by #3-Uirinary Tract Infection (UTI). While shivers and trouble breathing have been occurring since November, this is the first time that the pain was extreme enough to convince Paul to be hospitalized. Please pray: first, for Paul to get well, and second, for the procedures to not get too expensive (it is already over $20,000), since Paul's USA health insurance does not cover hospitals in the Philippines. UPDATE ON PAUL'S PROSTATE CANCER: even though the cancer is very widespread throughout my prostate & bones (with "innumerable lesions in the musculo-skeletal system"), the hormone blocker should do the trick for the next few months, but we need to come back to NY in February instead of June, and have a checkup with the oncologist at that time, for more tests. The medicine needs the time to try to diminish the cancer that has spread, since it is already Stage 4. Thanks for your prayers. I have now changed my flight date. When the doctor told me, "no caffeine…no soda….no orange juice" I responded, "That'll sure change things!" Please pray for the Philippine ministries, as we are now back in Davao after our long American speaking tour. We will be focusing on preparation for the work projects for the two American teams coming out in January. What a blessing it will be to get these much-needed things finally done! Praise God that on Sunday (12/7), both Elvie & I visited Renewal Church in Chicago, Illinois, with PJ, his wife Briana, their son Azariah, Abby & her roommate Sarah. Before and after worship, we shared with many about my cancer, and they in turn prayed for strength to do the work God has called us to. "Hallelujah!" The grand finale of Moody Bible Institute's annual "Candlelight Carols" Christmas concert, featured Handel's landmark piece in "The Messiah". The concert had featured over half a dozen music groups, including the orchestra, of which Abby is the president. After the concert, I noticed that the college's president, Dr. Jobe, had a moment when he was not surrounded by guests. So, I made my way to the front and congratulated him for an incredible performance. He recognized me as Abby's dad, and I requested he pray for our trip back overseas the next day. "Anything in particular to pray for?" After mentioning my prostate cancer, he said, "Then let's pray right now." And there, in the middle of the concert hall, as everybody was leaving, the president of the Moody Bible Institute laid his hand on my shoulder and prayed for God to place His healing touch on my body! God is sooo good! Sunday evening, our kids saw us off at the airport in Chicago. But since PJ's train ride back to New York was close to that time, they zipped out to take a train to the other end of the city. When they arrived, the gate had already closed. But we were all praying for them, and the lady dispatcher, hearing one-yar old Azariah crying, radioed ahead to the engineer to have them hold the train until this young family of three could board. Praise God! Meanwhile on the other side of the planet, BCA's bus driver Ben was waiting for students to board his bus. In the morning, he picked up students from Delapina, Villapark, San Nicolas, San Vicente & Buhangin. After dropping them off, he did his second trip of the morning, back-to-back with the first. Then it was time for errands. With over 600 students in BCA, there is often a relative or church member who has died, gotten married, or has other need for flowers. So, off to the flower shop he went. This time for the funeral of Mr. Capito, the dad of four BCA students. He arrived back on campus just in time to get back for the afternoon pickups of students. Later, as he parked the bus, he got out the grease gun and lubricated the joints of his "faithful steed", before bringing the teachers to the funeral, and singing with them during their part of the ceremony. Next day, Tuesday, Ben needed to, between runs, drive Faith, one of BCA's secretaries, to the DepEd (Department of Education), to submit documents. While waiting for her, he found a place downtown with a hose and scrubbed the dust and grime off the sides of his bus. A shiny bus reflects on its driver and passengers. After Faith texted him that her errand was finished, he picked her up and drove her to the bank, since Pastor Paul had sent Faith an email that we finally had enough in the bank to write a check for the month's salaries. Just in time, enroute back to the school, they spotted one of the other BCA buses stranded along the side of the road. Since many of BCA's buses are over a quarter of a century old, they often break down. Yet the drivers always look out for each other and have tow ropes to help out On Wednesday, since the school guard was needed at the orphanage (out on nearby Samal Island) to help with construction of BCA's new "NCL: Neighborhood Christian Library", Ben took his place guarding the school's gate until the next bus-run was due to begin. He also dropped-off the transfer forms for those students whose families had moved and the new schools needed the students' records; plus, he swung by the bookstore downtown to pick-up some office supplies for the faculty & staff, plus others for each grade level of the students. On Thursday, in-between runs, Ben assisted the parents in transporting full shipping boxes that had arrived from the USA, carrying them from the top floor to the bottom floor. One of the other drivers was driving the bus to carry these 6 huge boxes out to the orphanage. It was just to be a week later when these boxes would be opened by Elvie and me, after our plane lands. Inside these boxes are much-needed school supplies, children's books, evangelism tools and stuffed animals which will be distributed to each child this Christmas. Elvie and I had shipped these boxes from various points across North and Central America (including Alaska) these past 16 months on the "western side" of the planet. Ben also zipped over to BCA's guesthouse, since the plastic PVC toilet pipe had cracked and needed replacement. On Friday, the "extra duty" for Driver Ben was to bring the treasurer and secretary to two different lawyers, to research the status of BCA's clearing of the deeds so that construction can resume in both the city campus's multipurpose building and also for its new tribal campus in the mountains. He then dropped-by the Motor Vehicles building to pick up the renewed annual registration for one of the buses. Before his evening run, he headed up to the roof of the school. The roof is cement and flat, and we have twelve-inch-deep soil there where vegetable plants are being grown. Ben was sure to pull weeds and also to water the plants and rearrange the dark net which protects the plants from burning in the heat. Before heading home for the weekend, Ben rode his motorcycle to the BCA guesthouse where the Barners' black pickup truck has been parked for the past 16 months, while they were on speaking tour in the USA. He inserted the key into its ignition, and everything worked fine except the air conditioning. With the heat often topping triple digits here in the tropics, this would definitely need to be worked on before their return on Thursday. …all in a week's work for one of BCA's four bus drivers! Until next time… TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH: A. PJ's Late Night Worship Master list - PJ Barner: actor · singer · director. YouTube: #300-201: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItygvjoq26FzOhEZ3k41BCzNbiSZ-qw2 B. #400-301: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItygvjoq26EAnhq36C3vdyKCuYefKUop C. CHRISTMAS #479 - Happy Birthday Azi! Tune in every Tuesday! AWAY IN A MANGER Our son turns a year old this week! The gift of a child is so precious. As we look into our son's eyes, we imagine what Mary must have felt holding her little baby, the savior of the world. https://www.facebook.com/reel/705322158934836 Present Need: $300 for (installment #169 of 400) $120,000 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $39,300 remaining. Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $4,927. Still needed: $7,073. |
| 12/25/2025 | Merry Christmas! (12/25/25) UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH (1/1/26): Continued bedrest and heavily medicated. Alternating frequently from chills to profuse sweating. Each day gets a little stronger, but still cannot go outside, nor bathe himself, in concern for falling or otherwise losing consciousness. (I am trying to write a book…already on chapter 3!) Praise God that, during the visit of the Auburn, New York missions team (which arrives on 1/4/26), they will bring two of the BCA classes to the shopping mall to help them choose & try on their new black shoes, which are the special Christmas gift from their sponsors for 2025! Please pray for fifty of the pastors & church leaders (from our 31 churches) who will be participating in a series of seminars these next two weeks. From the Auburn (New York) team, Pastor Jim will be teaching discipleship and the next week the seminar speaker will be Pastor William from a Baptist church in Utah. "We'll get you home before Christmas!" After 2 weeks in the hospital, I couldn't wait to get home. One by one, the nurses, each day, had removed another appliance from my life support system. Finally, on Tuesday, December 23, they removed the intravenous and all the needles which connected it and other "stuff" to my arms. "You can leave in about five hours," informed one of the doctors, "once we have you checked out, and have released your prescriptions and medications." Inside, I was thinking, "Praise the Lord, that I was able to escape without needing an MRI!" I get claustrophobic easily, and the enormous MRI machine slides you into this freezing, tiny tube, where for an hour you stare at your surrounding cocoon while it clicks and burps, taking pictures of your brain. There in the hospital bed, I asked Elvie, "Could I have a bath? I feel so grungy, and my body aches from lying down for so long!" Against her better judgement, Elvie helped me take my first few steps in twelve days. Oh, the warm water felt so very good on my skin, as Elvie scrubbed away the hours & days of innumerable needle pokes & probing tests & bandages & lethargy. "Oh, I feel a little dizzy," I whispered to Elvie, after she'd dressed my newly-cleansed body in the bathroom. Suddenly, she cried out to our friends outside in the room, "Help! Pastor Paul has passed out!" strong arms lifted unconscious me and carried me over to the chair next to my bed. There, I woke up and passed out a few more times. Finally, I awoke from my dream and said, "Oh, that felt good! And it was a nice nap, too!" The doctor didn't think so. None of the docs did. And Elvie was still shivering in worry. "You may have had a seizure. We will have to take an MRI! Oh, and it looks like you will not get home for Christmas after all. Maybe by the New Year?" I asked sarcastically (frustratingly under my breath), "WHICH new year?" Fortunately, it was not a seizure. They only found scar tissue from a mini stroke which I had suffered 15 years ago. However, I actually was released on Christmas Day, as they outlawed me from moving too quickly, saying Elvie has to bathe me for awhile. Since our home has no hot water heater, each day Elvie boils water on the stove in prep for my bath. Meanwhile at BCA the students were having their Christmas celebrations, and Teacher Chona led her 2nd graders in their carefully prepared dance presentation. Every day for the past few weeks, between lessons, the children would practice for this very special day. Each time, as they improved, their excitement, energy and joy became more and more evident. "Remember for whom you are performing," Teacher Chona advised. "You are performing for your parents, for your fellow classmates, and especially, for your Savior Jesus, whose birthday it is!" This comment hit home with the kids, for birthdays, in fact all holidays, are a high point in the lives of almost all Filipinos. They love to celebrate, and what better way was there to celebrate, than to honor another year for the celebrant Himself? Chona's 2nd-Graders came into class each day anticipating their practice time. With this in mind, Chona used the practice times as a reward for performing well in their other subjects. On Monday last week, practice time was sandwiched between the subjects of English and GMRC (Good Manners and Right Conduct). GMRC had been reintroduced into the Philippine Core Curriculum during COVID, as the Department of Education felt a deeper need to focus on universal values, ethics, and social behavior. Previously, it was taught as part of Values Education Curriculum. During COVID however, students had become socially inept with interpersonal interaction declared illegal to avoid spread of the pandemic. Now, the increased emphasis on respect, honesty, and good citizenship was welcome at all grades, especially those of high school. Since the Christmas dance practice and performance were based historically on tribal dances, they fit into her Makabansa subjects. In Makabansa, Filipino students learn more about being Filipinos by engaging and unifying, especially younger students: connecting their understanding of their country with their own well-being and creativity. The students would be graded on their performance. Last Monday morning was Chona's schedule to give the weekly Bible lesson for her fellow teachers before the students arrived on campus. Confident that this established a deeper, more personal connection with God, Chona entitled her devotional, "Trusting in God's Plan". Referring to Proverbs 3:5-6, she encouraged complete reliance on God, not human intellect, promising His guidance in return: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight". It was a reminder for them to always trust God in all their ways and they will never go wrong. He will lead us in the right path. He guides us in our journeys through life. "The Lord wants us to always trust him at all times. Right now, as our school's dear founder Pastor Paul, struggles to stay alive in that hospital bed, we know that his true strength comes, not from the body God has given him, but from his precious Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!" After weekly flag raising exercises, Chona's thirty 2nd graders followed her, single file with hands on each other's shoulders, into their classroom, up the six stairs and behind the stage-left. In her English subject, Chona had them practice reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 in the Bible. She then passed out worksheets, to answer simple questions to help them in their reading comprehension. In GMRC, she discussed how Jesus is the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23. Between the two classes though, was the practice. They even had reserved the stage at that hour so they could practice as a type of "dress rehearsal". Once their performance was complete on their very, very special day, the 2nd graders chanted together the song, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!" Then to each of the students, Chona gave a special, wrapped-up treat. Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
Present Need: $300 for (installment #170 of 400) $120,000 3-story, flood-proof (9-foot-high backfill) raised parking garage/ school chapel & teachers' apartments next to BCA's present building. $39,000 remaining. Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $5,027. Still needed: $6,973. |
| 12/18/2025 | UPDATE ON PAUL'S HEALTH: Bedrest & homebound for at least a month. Heart not strong enough for flying until late February (plane pressurization). Heavily medicated. Follow-up doctors' appointments (cardiologist, pneumatologist, urologist & neurologist) on January 6. I cannot self-bathe, but I can feed myself, and am breathing freely. No strenuous exercise allowed, which is making my muscles painful. Lost 25 pounds. I have grown quite the beard, though ?? Praise God that gifts were sent through Christian Aid Mission over October & November for this ministry: $45: BCA Children's Emergency Medical Fund (for life & death cases of BCA students, ages 2 through 22); $6,759: Student sponsorships; $81 special gifts for students; $72: BCA's Jericho Free-Lunch program; $2,139.30: construction of high school classrooms, plus evangelistic outreaches by former BCA youth. Praise God as well, that to date, all my hospital expenses have been covered by loving friends globally, through "Go Fund Me" and other means. One doctor friend in the USA has an atheist buddy who heard about the need and also gave! Please pray for the missions team which is arriving from our son PJ's church in Auburn, New York, Sunday, January 4. Their tentative schedule is as follows: SUN: church, get settled & unpacked. MON: BCA flag raising, visit each classroom & clinic, teach. TUE: Christmas shoe shopping at mall with BCA students, visit three churches for stuffie gift-giving and children's Christmas performances. WED: BCA morning prayer meeting and discipleship seminar for pastors, parents and staff. More stuffie gift-giving and church visits. Take barge to nearby Samal Island. THU: Work at BCA's orphanage, sorting & shelving books in BCA's new community library there. FRI: Pastors' Discipleship seminary taught by Pastor Jim on PJ's team, for pastors and church leaders in BCA's ten churches on the island. SAT: Take barge back to mainland and visit jungle for outreach among tribal people (especially children). SUN: Church. Pastor Jim speaking. PJ & team leading music. Pack. MON: Return to USA. Please also pray that Elvie heals form her sore throat & laryngitis. Caring for me in my illness has taken its toll on her too. "I was once your BCA student!" I heard the voice, while strapped down by hands & feet in the hospital bed. The feeding tubes which passed four inches through my nose & down my throat, plus large plastic intubation assembly (in my mouth) to help me breathe, made me look more like Frankenstein than human. Elvie did the talking, since I was unable. This nurse-in-training was not assigned to me, but once she had heard that a Barner was in ICU Room #9, she just had to come over and see for herself. "I graduated from your school. From a poor family, we could never have had the funds to pay for me to attend elementary or preschool. But with the head start you gave me, after graduation, I continued on to nurse's training!" Seeing her there in her lavender nurse uniform and white cap, my faced beamed what my mouth could not express. A shy med-tech student also visited, who had schooled for free at BCA from 5 grades of preschool (Playschool, Nursery 1 & 2, Kinder 1 &2), right up through 6th grade, for a total of eleven years. In essence, I had known this young lady since she was born. She is like a daughter. (She had graduated before we were enabled to open high school grades). Their precious, humble family of seven had lived in a tiny roofless shack, open to the sun, rain & stars. During my 15-day hospital stay, Elvie & Abby & I prayed for/with & sang to doctors, former students, and "watchers" for fellow patients. One Muslim dad, in tears, approached Elive regarding his daughter. "Her illness is similar to your husband's, except that her sepsis has spread to the brain and she is incoherent. She does not even know who I am! Please pray to your God!" Without hesitating, Elvie held the hand of this devastated unbeliever and prayed for our God, through His Son Jesus Christ, to place His healing touch upon this man's daughter. Elvie had a virtual church in that waiting room, as "watchers" would stay in beds there around the clock, day after day and week after week, until their patients either died or were released. Reading the Bible together, crying together and singing together, we gained a reputation. In fact, when I was scheduled for my angiogram, which if necessary, would have been immediately followed-up by heart surgery (angioplasty), the last thing the nurses heard as we were wheeled out of the ICU room were three songs form our cellphone on YouTube: "Final Countdown…We Are the Champions… & The Hallelujah Chorus" (with full orchestration from a church in Texas!). When I had come into the hospital on December 11, I was "Patient Barner", but when they wheeled me out on Christmas Day, the doctors referred to me on the PA system as "Pastor Paul". Meanwhile at BCA, every morning the students arrived on their school buses, and immediately gathered into small groups around the school gym, to pray for my survival and recovery. In tears these precious children, from preschool through high school, poured out their hearts in praying for my heart to function properly, the pain to subside, and the poison to be released from my lungs. The more they prayed, (along with thousands like you globally), the less I had to ring the bell for the nurse to come with a suction hose to clear out the phlegm that had, for the thousandth time, clogged the intubation apparatus which dominated my mouth and face, causing gagging reflexes in the back of my throat. Parents and teachers, bus drivers and others from the church joined the growing army of BCA juvenile prayer warriors in the BCA gym. In the hospital, one of the doctors commented to Elvie, "You are praying people. Keep doing what you are doing, because it is working! By the way, can your beautiful daughter sing for us again in that angelic voice of hers?" Thank you too for lifting me up during this trying time. I have already read three novels since coming home. While the medication has my overworked glands sometimes pouring with sweat, and then, just a few minutes later shivering with cold, and while the black & blue marks from IV on my arms, diaper rash & bedsores gradually subside (but not quick enough), we know that…Hallelujah! We are the Champions through our Precious Savior Jesus who fought for our souls at the cross of Calvary, and continues to intercede for us every moment of every hour of every day of our lives, until we see Him face to face on that sweet and grand, glorious day! Until next time… Let the islands…rejoice! TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH: A. PJ's latest Late Night Worship: CHRISTMAS #480 - Christmas Karol-oke Tune in every Tuesday! HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING • O COME O COME EMMANUEL • SILENT NIGHT After inviting the Auburn Alliance Church Christmas Choir to our house for rehearsal, we finished the night with hot cocoa and karaoke! PJ Barner 3 minutes, 10 seconds. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1353152922615035 Ongoing Projects:
LOOKING AHEAD: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Needed: 610 x $20 = $12,200 Raised: $5,027. Still needed: $6,973.
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| 12/13/2025 | Update from PJ Hi friends! We have an emergency. My dad is in critical condition. As many of you know, Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in November and began taking a hormone blocker. To attend to some ministry matters before his scheduled return to the US for treatment in February, he and Mom traveled to Davao City, Philippines on Dec 7. We saw them off at the airport; he was feeling well, only experiencing some mild hip pain from the cancer. Within 24hrs after arrival, Dad had a heart attack. He is now in the ICU at Davao Doctor's Hospital with a severe, non-cancer-related infection that went to his blood which caused heart damage and possible pneumonia and other complications. He is medically unable to travel back to the US. He has been in the ICU for the last two days. They've been monitoring him closely. Dad told the doctors he couldn't breathe. His oxygen levels dropped drastically and he needed to be intubated. Mom had to sign the consent form for intubation, and the doctors immediately rushed her out. She is understandably terrified and weeping right now. The last words he was able to say to her were, "I love you. I love you. Now I can sleep." He is fighting for his life right now. The procedure was completed but he is resisting the intubation even after 6 sedations. UPDATE: He is able to sleep, his body can rest and get the oxygen he needs. The situation is compounded by the financial pressure. We must pay over $1,000 a day in cash for his critical ICU care here in Davao due to having no insurance coverage in the Philippines. This cost is unsustainable for us.
Any donations are appreciated! If you feel called to send support, here are several options:
Thank you so much for reading all this! Our deepest thanks to everyone who has donated and prayed! I will post another update as soon as we have one. Thank you for lifting our dad up to the Great Physician. You can receive more up to date information from PJ and Elvie on Paul's Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/paul.barner.5 |
| 12/12/2025 | Update on Paul's Medical Condition Paul was recently diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. He is on a hormone blocker to stop the cancer from advancing. Paul and Elvie decided to go back to the Philippines to be able to take care of some things before he would return in February for treatment options. He was not feeling any symptoms from the cancer besides some hip pain. However, the day after he got to the Philippines, he became very sick, not necessarily related to the cancer. He is in ICU right now in Davao with urosepsis, he had a heart attack at some point and pulmonary congestion and other issues. They have to pay over $1000 a day while he is in the ICU at the Doctor's Hospital in Davao. He cannot travel back to the US unless his condition improves. |
| 12/4/2025 | Happy Bonifacio Day, Philippines! (11/30/25) Please pray for plans for our return to the Philippines next week. A gift of $1,000 was given by a Japanese friend at a church we spoke at recently. These funds, along with others given for the same purpose, will be used to finish constructing the "community library" building and shelves at BCA's orphanage. This library will provide Christian books for neighbors to read, and theology books for the local pastors to study. Praise God that on Sunday (11/30), both Elvie & I visited New Beginnings Alliance Church in Poughkeepsie, New York, giving the Missions Moment, on how thankful the thousands of children have been for their free schooling over these past 28 years since we opened the Barner Christian Academy, with some who have become professors, pastors & engineers. Pastor Denes brought out from Genesis 6:5-8, reasons why Jesus came to Earth on that first Christmas morning. Praise God also that our daughter Abby, since she couldn't fly back to New York (from Chicago) for our family Thanksgiving, joined her roommate's family in Indiana, and also helped lead the singing Sunday in that Indiana church! Abby will also perform in Moody Bible Institute's "Candlelight Carols" this next weekend (12/5&6). Praise God as well that our annual family Thanksgiving get-together lasted two days long, and was filled not only with food, but with rousing games and singing and discussion of everything under the sun and also praying for each other. Also, my lifelong friend Wally joined us too, since he had driven up more than 6 hours from Virginia, and his own family's gathering was the next day. "Paul, you have cancer." As Paul's prostate PSA levels have gradually increased over the years, his New York doctor (Bob) began to be concerned. After a multitude of tests (MRI, Ultrasound, CT & PET scans, biopsies, etc.), medicine was prescribed. During our family Thanksgiving, I informed my siblings, who agreed to pray for my recovery. On Sunday, as our last speaking engagement (of 120 churches, this 16-month furlough), I mentioned, in passing, the prognosis. After worship, many came up to both Elvie & I, informing us of their own treatments and success stories regarding prostate cancer. Some even gathered around us and held our hands, praying for God's intervention to eradicate the disease so that I could get back to training for my next Ironman race, this coming August. Meanwhile overseas in the Philippines, Ernesto, the intern pastor whom we have installed at BCA's orphanage, gave his own report. "We are preparing for your return next week, Pastor Paul & Madam Elvie!" Ernesto told how the orphans keep hearing every day, "Double time! Double time!" as they attempt to cut the grass and pull the weeds on the 5-acre property and in the garden at BCA's orphanage. Each evening, Pastor Ernesto leads the group Bible study time, as he has scheduled each child to have his or her turn to present what God has shown them through scriptures that week. Yet in the middle of their time together one day last week, they could feel the ground shaking! Immediately they all hit the ground, and just stayed laying on their stomachs, away from any falling debris, to finish the lesson! There had been a multi-church youth rally & concert (of over a hundred youth, both in-person and online) a few days ago. They had asked Elvie and I to send a five-minute video of greeting and guidance on how to raise a Christian family. Since they had requested not only Elvie and I, but also our son PJ's family, the Barners had a combined total of ten minutes to share our faith in how God has directed us to lead our kids the way God wants us to. However, while some of our orphans were present at the youth concert, Ernesto's son Prince and couldn't make it, since he had been chosen by his school to compete in a drum & lyre contest. Then, God helped the kids to meet some of their financial needs when they harvested the fruit of the 50 coconut trees on the orphanage campus. The total income was $30, and they tithed $3 for giving to the poor. Ernesto also stayed up all night to prepare a Bible message for the monthly Pastors' rally, about 3 hours away on the other side of the island (in Tukunga), for which he was chosen as the speaker. His title was, "Committed in Service" from Proverbs 16:3-4. Finally, Pastor Ernesto's wife Nena, while the kids ae at school, leads a Bible study for women. They rotate which home they will meet in, and the other ladies, mostly unbelievers, are being led by the Holy Spirit closer and closer to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! Until next time… Link for credit card donations: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/6118435 TOOLS FOR PERSONAL CHRISTIAN GROWTH: A. PJ's Late Night Worship Master list - PJ Barner: actor · singer · director. YouTube: #300-201: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItygvjoq26FzOhEZ3k41BCzNbiSZ-qw2 B. #400-301: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItygvjoq26EAnhq36C3vdyKCuYefKUop C. #478 - Happy Thanksgiving! Tune in every Tuesday! THANKFULNESS SONG We're teaching Azi to say thanks everyday! PJ Barner is with Briana and Azariah Barner in Auburn, NY. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1507807873606770/?s=fb_shorts_profile&stack_idx=0 Present Need: $$303 for: Printers- repair $55, School building maintenance (carpentry & painting materials) $248.
Looking Ahead: 2025 Christmas gifts for 610 BCA students: black shoes for school uniform. Upcoming (General) Schedule: November-December, 2025: Paul & Elvie's 2025 USA Speaking/Visiting tour: (tentative): NOV & DEC, 2025: NY, IL, Philippines |
| Archived news from 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 Last edited
February 18, 2026
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