My wife and I spent a week in Cebu City to take care of business and fellowship with others also in the business of impacting lives in this world.
We had our “interview” at the Bureau of Immigration regarding my application for Resident Visa. The visa application process is now in the hands of those who will decide if my application will be granted or denied. We will now wait to find out the results. Hopefully the application will be approved and we can continue to pursue the project as planned without the need for constant visa extensions.
We also got to spend some time with Dr. John Bailey one afternoon. John is the founder of Body and Soul Ministries.
From the Body and Soul Ministries website it states:
“Body and Soul Ministries provides free medical, dental and optical care to those in foreign countries who typically go untreated. This non-profit organization was started by one man, Dr. John Bailey, who desired to volunteer his medical and dental expertise to people without access to the kind of services that are considered common in the United States.
Because of his dedicated efforts, an organization of part-time volunteers and financial donors has evolved which, through their generosity, continues to make a profound difference in the lives of people around the world.”
Dr. Bailey was passing through the Philippines to check on some of his efforts here while on his way to Indonesia where 533 eye surgeries were completed on the most recent medical mission there!
We enjoyed an afternoon coffee with Dr. Bailey and talked about our efforts to do good for those less fortunate than us in this world. We thank you Dr. Bailey, for taking time to visit with us. Our hope is that someday, when our planned multipurpose pavilion is built, we can invite Dr. Bailey and other congregations or missions to conduct a medical mission at our facility, as part of our community outreach initiatives.
- More articles about our mission in the Philippines:
- Learning More about the Need for Help in the Philippines
- The Meaning of Casa Esperanza of Angels’ Name
- The Philippine Paradox
Recognition Day At Theophilus Center
The next day we attended the child recognition ceremony for the children at the Theophilus Early Childhood Care and Development Program which was founded by one of our board members Elmer Palacio. He also fills the position of Administrator for this work and his wife is the Registrar.
We are immensely inspired and thankful to these people for the work and efforts to assist those less fortunate and provide them with learning opportunities and improved life. We will continue to work with them once we start with our Child Education Program at the mission.
Who Is the Greatest?
Matthew 18: 1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Matthew 18:10 – 14
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
We are very thankful to those who have already made donations toward our project of Casa Esperanza of Angels. We have collected enough funds to meet the required bank deposit in order to file for the incorporation as a non-profit foundation. We will be doing this soon!
But this is just the beginning. We need additional sponsors for the purchase of land and the construction of the facility to house and care for the needy children and eventually establish a church of Christ congregation in Tanjay City. Please pray for the success of this project and if you are able to help in some way please contact us!
Ronald and Georgia Brown
Tanjay City, Philippines
Casa Esperanza of Angels
PHILIPPINE MISSION INC.
Volume 1/ Issue 5
Newsletter – April 2015