 “A
SCOUT IS REVERENT…”
“Did you know that scouts were mentioned
in the Bible? The wise men scouted out where the star was to lead them.
The twelve spies from Israel scouted out the Promised Land, and two came
back with a favorable report. These scouts prepared the way for those who
would follow them.
“Tell me, as you prepare the way for your
children, are you making it safe for them? Are you leading them to Jesus?
Or is your example leading them away from eternal life in Him?”
120 pupils from our Barner Leaning Center,
along with their parents and also officials from the Davao scouting
program, listened and participated, as I challenged them from scripture,
and as their kids were accepted into the BLC scouting program.
The enemy tried to stop the event. While
the Girl Scout reps got lost trying to find the outdoor basketball court
venue and arrived late, the Boy Scout reps got sick, and didn’t show up.
I filled in their places, initiating each boy with the handshake and
salute. Cyrus is so short that he stepped on the hem of his shorts and his
pants fell down!
A distraction came as we began, when kids
all ran to see something lying on the ground near the foul line. One
tugged on my pant leg, “Sir…patay! (dead)” Sure enough, a dead goat
was lying on its rope. I tugged the rope and dragged the dead animal to
the canal. The show must go on! God is glorified!
FROM FLOOD TO DROUGHT
 The line of dirty faces and ragged
clothes wound around the building. Buckets, barrels, and jugs came into
the school grounds empty and left full.
Because of a water shutoff for a week, neighbors
appreciated the deep well that came with this school building. As all
came, they were reminded by signs all around the school that:
Working During Vacation
With brown faces darkened even more so by charcoal, hundreds
of old and young Kadayawan dancers paraded in their colorful native dress
past onlookers in the streets. It was Davao’s annual fruit harvest
celebration. Two in the crowd were my brother and sister from New York,
Bud and Sue.
Bud and Sue are more than just family. They love the Lord
and long to see the Great Commission fulfilled, so that everyone in the
world might hear the gospel. We took them through jungle mountain paths
past skyscraper-high bamboo trees, canopy-sized banana leaves, and water
buffaloes coursing their ways through muddy rice paddies.
They shared with believers and unbelievers in both rural and
urban areas, and experienced the thrill of spreading the Good News through
gospel tract distribution.
 Now they are back home in New York teaching, yet
their two weeks’ stay here, from mountains to beaches to banana
plantations to jungle, will remain for years to come in the scrapbook of
their memories.
Their completed projects of
painting bright and colorful cartoons on the exterior school wall, and
rewiring of the electricity in the administration building will make our
ministry so much more effective and smooth.
Praise God for willing hearts! |
