Philippines Update 2 (2019-11-10)

Our team flew back to Manila tonight (Sunday), and tomorrow (Monday) we’ll begin our three-day conference with most of our country directors from the Southeast Asia / Pacific region. Along with some strategic planning, we’ll equip them to train others how to teach Chiseled, our new course on the life of Simon Peter.

But first, here’s an exciting report from Rich Leland, our VP of International Ministries. Enjoy!

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They approached tentatively to tell me their story. I would guess Ivy to be in her early 20s and Choa her mid-40s. What they shared was remarkable.

Phil, Gil, and I had just completed our tag-team teaching of Chiseled to 200 eager Filipinos in the city of Bacolod. I didn’t expect to hear the story these two told.

They regularly take the good news of Jesus to a remote area in the nearby mountains, a place so crime- and drug-infested that police stay away and rebels find eager recruits.

Here, Choa and Ivy serve children and teens through VBS and Awana ministries, along with delivering bread and gospel literature. Choa runs a small store to earn the money needed to carry on their work. Ivy doesn’t let her own serious heart condition hinder her.

Their ministry venue was certainly a place that Walk Thru the Bible would have difficulty penetrating, or so I thought. But these two shared with excitement their plan to take Chiseled to the teens of their mountain. They are convinced that the Jesus who transformed Peter would do the same for these kids. I was simultaneously humbled and amazed.

These two Jesus followers then joined an impromptu hour-long training session. We had not planned this, but Gil said there were more than 30 people who wanted some direction in how best to share our Chiseled course with others. This will certainly not become our new model for international training, but in this case, it was an honor to help these eager servants of Christ see how they could use Phil’s latest course in the Biblical Character Series to bless others.

The hospitality and food these Filipino brothers and sisters share with us are beyond description. But their love for Jesus and people is even greater.

Please pray that God will continue to use Ivy and Choa, and others like them, to present our Bible courses and see Him revolutionize lives. Thanks for being part of our life-changing team!

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Phil Tuttle is President & CEO of
Walk Thru the Bible. 

Rich Leland is Senior VP of
International for Walk Thru the Bible.