Hard to believe that 13 months, almost to the day, we are directly in the line of site of yet another category 5 Super Typhoon.
Nazarene Disaster Response teams are mobilizing across the central Philippines. We have met this afternoon with the Philippine / Micronesia Field Strategy Coordinator, Stephen Gualberto, to review our planning for communications / logistics strategy in the event that this turns into a devastating event like Super Typhoon Yolanda.
There are currently three tracks that the computer models are depicting. One track (20% chance) has the storm moving due north, skirting the eastern shores and then moving towards Japan.
The 75% or higher probability, is a direct hit to the central Philippines, with the eye passing directly over Manila on Tuesday night.
As you can imagine, given our roles as Communications / Partnerships / and Work Teams Coordinators for the Region, our office is a buzz of activity. This will be a very hectic 5 days and beyond if this storm doesn’t either alter course or dissipate. We remember all too well last year’s days, weeks, and months following Yolanda.
People are evacuating low laying areas on the eastern shores.
Please keep our Pacific Islanders in your prayers as areas that were so absolutely devastated by Yolanda are again in the line of site. People are evacuating low lying areas now in the Central Philippines.
You can visit our regional website: http://www.asiapacificnazarene.org/typhoonhagupit which is serving as the Region’s central communications anchor point for the duration of this event. We released this global call-to-prayer about 1 hour ago:
Connie and I are continually humbled and amazed at how God allows us to have a small part in his work. The Lord is always in the process of putting together a beautiful quilt work of time, talents, people, resources…. When I was working with Hands of Hope Northwest as the Executive Director, the HOHNW team was sending containers of hope all over the world. To-date, I hadn’t been on the receiving end of a container. That changed this month!
This last year a need was presented to me here in the Philippines by a Christian Birthing Center. My immediate thought was, “Hands of Hope NW could make a difference here.” Even though we were no longer officially connected to the organization, once you are a part of Hands of Hope, a piece of your heart will always remain.
We contacted Debbie Wheeler, the new Executive Director, and the rest is history. God did amazing things from funding to customs to items on the container that literally arrived the day they were needed. Our God is so very good! Enjoy this short video of the celebration of the container arriving!
God Answers Prayer! Must share this latest update with you!
Eastern Mediterranean Field: The Nazarene pastor on the Eastern Mediterranean Field who was kidnapped on Friday was released a day later.
Lindell Browning, strategy coordinator for the field, shared the following urgent prayer request on Friday:
“A Nazarene pastor from a sensitive access area has been kidnapped today and a heavy ransom is being demanded. Let’s join his family and the Church of the Nazarene around the world to pray for his safety and quick release.”
Nazarenes around the world prayed and shared the prayer request to friends, family, and congregations.
A day later, the good news was announced.
“Give thanks to the Lord,” said a Nazarene field leader. “Because of your prayers, God opened the doors. God is always faithful. [The] pastor that was kidnapped is back home. Details of the nature of his release are not available.
“Please pray for security in sensitive areas of our world; we don’t want issues like this to make the believers and leaders leave the places where they live.”
Browning rejoiced at the news.
“We are dancing … holy dancing that is!!” he said. “God has responded to our prayers!”
Global Mission Director Verne Ward shared his joy.
“We are rejoicing in the grace of God!” Ward said. “We are thankful for the prayer of His people! Rejoicing in tears!”
Please continue to pray for the Church of the Nazarene around the world and its mission to make Christlike disciples in the nations.
— Submitted: NCNNews
Eastern Mediterranean Field: Lindell Browning, field strategy coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene’s Eastern Mediterranean Field, shares the following urgent prayer request:
“A Nazarene pastor from a sensitive access area has been kidnapped today and a heavy ransom is being demanded. Let’s join his family and the Church of the Nazarene around the world to pray for his safety and quick release.”
More information will be posted as it’s made available. — Submitted: NCNNews
Living overseas is not so different from life in one’s home country. There are those moments of great highs, and moments of incredible lows, but one thing is for sure, as followers of Christ, we have the confidence that wherever we are, our Lord walks the path with us!
Connie sharing W&W Opportunities with conference attendees
The month of September was a great high as we had a tremendous time of speaking and meeting brothers and sisters united in Christ and Mission across the United States. We visited the Eastern, East Central, and Northwest Work and Witness Conferences (representing the Asia-Pacific Region) and then completed speaking tours on the Oregon Pacific and Northern Alabama Districts.
Todd speaking at NW Region Work & Witness Conference
The month included over 5,000 miles of travel in cars and innumerable miles of air travel. Through it all, your prayers of protection on our behalf were answered!
Here we are celebrating Work and Witness Together
We want to thank all of the families who hosted us in their homes and churches, those who shared their passion for mission at the conferences, and those who are praying about an opportunity to serve in Work and Witness here on the Asia-Pacific Region!
Aunt Beverly, faithful, loving Aunt and prayer warrior!
During our travels, God ordained the time for us to be able to stop and visit Todd’s Aunt Beverly and family. She had recently been diagnosed with cancer. We had no idea that the Lord would call her home so quickly. We feel so blessed that the Lord allowed us the opportunity to be home with family (even for just a few hours) when Aunt Bev finished her valiant race here on earth. We know that she is now one of the great “Cloud of Witnesses” who is continually cheering for her family! We will miss her notes, Facebook posts, and encouragement. She has been a faithful prayer warrior on our behalf for many, many, years!
Pastors Conference in S. Korea
Within just a few short days of returning to Manila, Todd was on his way to South Korea to take part in the Annual Regional Advisory Council Meetings, Field Strategy Coordinator Meetings, and 60th Anniversary Celebration of Korea Nazarene University, our largest Nazarene University in the world.
Retired and current missionaries from KNU who returned for celebration.
It was a great time of engaging with leaders from around the Asia-Pacific Region, celebrating the incredible accomplishments of KNU, and welcoming back some of the founding missionaries who began the work in Korea. Stay tuned for a great video story of God’s hand in action many years ago, and the impact on the Korean Church today as a result of that miracle.
Connie at work in the World Mission Communications Office in Manila.
Upon completion of the meetings, Todd returned to Manila with new vision and strategy for the year ahead, and word of a newly appointed assignment for Connie. As of this week, Connie has now been appointed to serve as the Regional Nazarene Missions International (NMI) Coordinator. She will be serving together with the former coordinator, Pauline Sheppard, who retains her elected position as delegate to the Global NMI Council from the Asia-Pacific Region. In this role, Connie will be working with the 6 field strategy coordinators, 46 districts, and thousands of churches spread across the Region; an area that includes 40% of the world’s population and 30% of the global land mass. This assignment is so much greater than any one person. We are clinging to James 1:5 and claiming the wisdom that God promises to give to those who ask.
Coming off the incredible high of the meetings in S. Korea, we were faced with a tragedy here on the campus of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS). One of our students and his wife who are from Papua New Guinea, lost there newborn son less than 48 hours after his arrival to the world. Baby Floyd White Berita fought a courageous battle against a neonatal pneumonia and the Lord chose to take him into his arms last Saturday.
Baby Floyd’s father, August, at memorial service.
Todd was by the family’s side for nearly 36 hours of the battle and was there to pray with them when Baby Floyd went home. The student body of APNTS asked Todd to share at the memorial service on Monday. You can imagine how difficult this was as we prepare to be grandparents for the first time in just a few short weeks. Todd shared on the storms of life and how in the midst, Jesus as he was with the disciples on the sea of Galilee, is right there in the boat with us.
APNTS Family gathers for prayer around the Berita family.
Over our years of missions, through typhoons, engine failures, wars, evacuations, illness, and trials, we have found this to be true – God is always faithful to be in the boat with us! We will never forget Christina’s (Baby Floyd’s mother’s) words, “You are my father and I am your child, and I will walk this rough path, but when I get to heaven I will ask you why!” Please continue to pray for the Berita family.
Container from Hands of Hope Arrives at Shaloam Birthing Center
As Todd shared at the service, praise God that after every storm, the sun comes through! We ended this week on a tremendous high. Over the past several years, our whole family has been involved with helping to load containers of donated medical supplies and equipment at Hands of Hope Northwest in Idaho. This week was the first time that we have had the incredible privilege of being on the receiving end of such a shipment!
Todd and Pami Ellis (Director at Shaloam) looking at the supplies, thanking God for his faithfulness.
About one year ago, we were introduced to two birthing centers here in the area of APNTS, on the eastern edge of Manila. These centers take care of mothers who might not otherwise have access to healthcare. The centers not only treat the physical, but address the spiritual as well. All mothers are engaged in bible studies and discipling as part of their pre-natal care plan. During the visit, we were so impressed by the incredible need. So many people, so few supplies and equipment. We knew we had to help! Hands of Hope NW was contacted and they jumped into high gear. Over the course of a year they prepared a container, raised shipping funds, and shipped this container of love and hope to the Philippines.
Doors of the container from Hands of Hope are opened at shortly after midnight!
Saturday morning (November 8th) at 12:00am, the container arrived at the Shaloam birthing center. Due to restrictions, the container had to be unloaded immediately. Several of the young people from Taytay First Church of the Nazarene (Generation Congregation) grabbed the opportunity to be part of this compassionate ministry. In just 90 minutes, the contents of the 40 foot container were unloaded and organized into the storage facility at Shaloam. The smiles on the faces of the workers were life changing! Gurneys, Exam Tables, Incubators, Cribs, Consumable Supplies, Diapers, Wheelchairs, Crutches, and on and on. The blessing of this container will touch many, many lives, and serve as a very tangible demonstration of the hands and feet of Christ in action! Thank you to everyone who took part in this ministry. Watch for an upcoming video on this in the near future!
Well, it is Sunday afternoon and the sun is setting over the western skyline of Manila. Thank you so very much to each and every one of you who have faithfully, prayed, paid, encouraged, sacrificed and partnered with us here in ministry. It takes a team to do mission! No one person or couple could do it on their own. We are able to be here because you are there, and together great things are happening for the Kingdom!
May God bless each of you, your families and ministries, in the days ahead.
Dreary eyed travelers, somewhere over the Middle East on the 13 hour leg to Washington, D.C.
Thank you so very much for your prayers! The flights from Manila to Washington, D.C. went well, albeit they were some of the more turbulent that we have been on in our years of travel.
Several times throughout the flights we were all advised to remain in our seats, cabin service was suspended, and it looked like one of those scary movies, with things jostling around inside the cabin. Needless to say, we were very glad to have our feet finally on solid ground.
Flying the long way around the globe to get to the States…saves a lot of money…just a lot of time in the air.Connie catching some much needed shut-eye in the terminal at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Oh…have to throw this picture into the story. Our air travel, with layovers and delays, took around 30 hours. Connie was about ready to crash (while on the ground – no airplane involved) so I told her I would stay awake and be her guardian angel while she took a nap on the terminal carpet.
Control Tower with the sun rising through the sands of the Arabic Desert in Abu Dhabi
We made our way from Washington / Dulles International Airport to the Eastern Region Work and Witness Conference where we set up our table and banners, representing the Asia-Pacific Region.
General Superintendent Emeritus Dr. Jesse Middendorf
There was a great turnout for the conference. General Superintendent Emeritus Dr. Jesse Middendorf was the keynote speaker for the conference and brought two great messages. He really hit a home run as he talked about the fact that going on a Work and Witness trip was not your only mission, a one-time thing, but rather an outflowing of your “life of mission.” He also spoke on the power and necessity of prayer covering for these missions. We definitely believe this! There is great power in prayer.
This morning we are getting ready to speak at the Reading, Pennsylvania Church of the Nazarene. After today’s meetings we will climb back in our little rental car and head three hours back to the area around the airport for a very early departure tomorrow morning for Boise, Idaho. We will stop here briefly, (give great big hugs to our kids and family) pick up more presentation materials, another car, and then head for the Oregon Pacific District and the Northwest Region Work and Witness Conference.
Prayer Requests:
Dr. John and Shauna Mullins and family.See earlier blog posting. We are planning to stop and visit/pray with them on Monday. We continue to claim healing for Dr. John.
Dr. Jim and Kathy Radcliffe. Jim is our lead surgeon at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea. He will be heading into surgery on Tuesday, May 9th, here in the states, for the removal of an adrenal tumor. Pray that it is benign and pray for rapid recovery. Great story about Dr. Radcliffe.
Many miles of travel to be made on this trip.
Traveling safety. We have many hours to drive and fly during this trip. Yesterday at about 4pm as we were driving to Pennsylvania, I finally told Connie, “I just can’t go anymore.” We found a McDonald’s parking lot, pulled in, and slept for about 30 minutes, so we could keep on traveling.
Family. Like most families, we have so many who are in desperate need of a touch from God. Please pray for healing for Aunt Bev, Aunt Sheryl, Curt, Ronan, our 6 kids (David, Dwayne, Jessica, Cale, Courtney, Landen). This is just the start – the family list is long, but prayer makes a difference!
We will close for now. Thank you so very much for your prayers on behalf of Connie for her shoulder and eye.
Connie with her super smile, sharing about our ministry at the Eastern Region Work & Witness Conference
She is doing so much better. You can tell that she truly loves what she is doing…I’m not sure that it is physically possible to smile any bigger!
Thanks for making the journey with us, for praying, partnering, encouraging and supporting. We definitely couldn’t do it without you! Together we are making an impact in Asia!
There are definitely more great things to come! Stay Tuned!
Sitting in the Manila Airport, waiting for our flight to depart. Manila – United Arab Emirates – Washington DC
Connie and I are sitting here in Terminal 1 of Manila International Airport, waiting for our flight to depart for the Middle East and then on to Washington DC. We will be at the first regional Work and Witness Conference in about 48 hours. You can see the travel and speaking schedule here.
We are so very blessed! Quite literally, we have received notes and comments from around the globe from friends and family committing to pray. God is answering! Connie’s shoulder is feeling much better. Her range of motion has increased substantially and the aching pain has decreased. The blistered area of her eye (the entire sclera – white area) has resolved with the medication. We are both feeling much better, fevers resolved, and we are ready for the next 4 weeks of conferences and speaking! God Is So Good…and we are so blessed to have such a tremendous prayer team. Thank you from the depths of our hearts.
Many of you receive an email each time we post and we don’t want to flood your inboxes over the next few weeks, so we are starting a special page on our site to share news about this trip. You may follow along as we post praises and prayer requests, but you won’t automatically be sent updates. Here is the link
The WMC-AP Team as we said goodbye this afternoon before leaving for the airport.
We would so greatly appreciate your continued prayers for:
1) Dr. John Mullins, Shauna, and their family (see the specific prayer request). We are hoping to visit with them in person on September 8th, and to be able to spend time in prayer with these dear friends and partners in ministry.
2) Kudjip Nazarene Hospital Surgeon Dr. James Radcliffe, as he is scheduled to have a tumor removed on September 9th (see his story here). Also pray for the rest of the doctors and the team in Papua New Guinea.
3) Our World Mission Communications Asia-Pacific Team, as they work on many projects over the next couple of weeks.
4) Our several friends and family members with cancer. The Lord knows their names and we would appreciate your prayers.
Thank you so very much for being part of our prayer team. We truly couldn’t be here without you there, praying and paying the price. Together, we are reaching the Asia-Pacific Region for Christ!
World Mission Communications Team Asia-Pacific (WMC-AP) Praying each morning from 9-10am.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16 (NAS) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NAS)
B-17 Bomber Picking up Flak
Our WMC-AP team has a saying, “When we are over the target we are going to pick up flak.” Just like a bomber in war, when it is flying over friendly territory, the flight is usually smooth and quiet, but the minute it gets close to or “over the target,” the enemy starts to throw up all the “flak” (anti-aircraft fire) possible.
For more than a year, we have not needed to see a doctor for anything, then in the last 2 weeks we have been to the doctor three times! Connie with a shoulder problem, then a drop of bacteria filled water off the roof landed in her eye and caused a major, immediate, issue; back to the doctor. Then followup on the shoulder involving a 20 mile drive, and a 30 minute doctor appointment, followed by a 30 minute physical therapy appointment, required more than 12 hours! As Connie says, “this is what happens when you live in a city of 37 million people and all of them decide to get on the road at the same time!” Add to this, two weeks of cyclical fevers for both of us, most likely a result of mosquito born viruses, and a kidney pain for me (Todd) that had me hurting with every movement…and we definitely feel like we have been picking up all sorts of Flak! It seems that almost weekly we have been adding another family member to the CPL (Cancer Prayer List).
“Been praying for you. You are in need of covering I think.”
One of our prayer and financial partners who has been with us for more than 40 years (was my childhood Sunday School Teacher) and who does not have email, just sent us a card saying, “Been praying for you. You are in need of covering I think.” Truer words were never spoken! We understand it for what it is.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NAS).
We just returned from a tremendous training trip to Indonesia. Click here for story. God was present great things are happening. The Kingdom of God is being advanced. WE ARE OVER THE TARGET!
WILL YOU PLEASE COMMIT TO PRAY!
We can only be here because we have a partnership team back home who prays and pays the price. One of our Team members, Dr. John (our family physician) has walked the road alongside us since our return to Asia. He completed our physicals, treated me (Todd) when I came home with a serious stomach infection, treats our kids, Connie’s brother, and is absolutely a vital link in ministry. He has provided us with his cell number, home number, email, and has encouraged us to call anytime day or night if we need help. As a Christian doctor he is so much more…he is a healer! Dr. John has battled a serious infection and has been hospitalized much of the past 3 months. Many of you will remember we paused our Daughter’s wedding reception on June 15th, and prayed corporately for Dr. John. While our team here in Manila has prayed daily, it’s time to CREATE A WAVE of prayer. Will you please join us in daily praying for this vital team member? Will you do more than pray, would you even consider fasting a meal? Dr. John needs a breakthrough! Pray for his wife Shauna and his precious family as well. Heading back across the ocean again…
In 4 days (Sept 3rd), Connie and I will head for the airport to begin one month of conventions, meetings, and speaking engagements across North America. We will be attending three Regional Work and Witness Conferences, promoting the mission projects here on the Asia-Pacific Region. This will find us in Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Idaho, and the Northern Alabama District. Pray for safety as we travel, and that God would lead us to the teams, churches and partners that he has for the Asia-Pacific Region. (Speaking and Travel Schedule)
Pray for Connie’s shoulder. The doctor has told her that it is frozen and needs specific physical therapy. Leaving in just three days, this is not possible. He gave her targeted exercises and instructions – we need healing.
Pray for our family. Within our close family we have several dealing with cancer. It isn’t easy when you are across the world and want to be home walking the path with those you love. Again…healing is needed. We have another family member leaving today for yet another term defending the freedoms of our great nation. We need prayer for his protection.
We are not asking for an ice bucket challenge, or a gift of finances, we are asking simply for effective and fervent prayer! We are definitely in need of covering. In our years of mission service we have seen that God Answers Prayer! Time and time again!
Have you heard this said before? I have, many times, again just recently. Rev. Dave McGarrah helped me understand the answer in a message he shared a few years ago.
Dave said in summary, “You are correct, no loving God would give us anything other than what we desired. No loving God would force us to do anything contrary to our will. He has given us free will and allows us to exercise that will. It breaks God’s heart for us to spend eternity apart from him, but he is willing to give us what our hearts desire.”
If our hearts are set upon being apart from God in this world, and we despise the things of the heavenly kingdom at this time, then a loving father would not force us to be part of these things for eternity.
He loves us enough to give us what our hearts have desired, eternity with him, or eternity apart. He loves us enough to let us choose.
So glad to be safely home back here in Manila. Doing a heart check this morning. Spending more than the norm time in the word and meditation. Wanting to have my heart set on the things that matter. Trying to choose well.
I (Todd) just returned back from the Central Philippines where I spent a few days working with a Volunteer Team from Rancho Cucamonga. We were working to rebuild one of the churches destroyed last year by Super Typhoon Yolanda. My plan was to post some great pictures and highlights from this trip. Things have been a bit busy, and this afternoon, the rains have increased to a steady downpour as Typhoon Rammasun places Manila directly in its path.
We appreciate your continued prayers. Schools and embassies have closed, several evacuation orders have been issued for villages on the eastern shores, and everyone is keeping a very close eye on this storm.
Todd & Connie Lou - back in the USA! 