Dear co-laborer in Christ’s kingdom,
In behalf of my family and the Harvest for Christ Foundation officers and staff, I wish you and your family a most joyous Christmas, and a prayer for the Lord’s overflowing abundance for the coming year.
The year 2016 was one of our busiest and blessed years for the Lord, thanks to the Lord’s leading and your gracious support for the ministry of the Foundation. Please allow me to do a quick year-end summary:
1. SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPORT MISSION– We are currently supporting eight (8) full-time pastors who minister to a total of seventeen (17) congregations, which by our latest estimate number to more than 600 believers, including women and children.
Our latest recipient-preacher, Bro. Romulo Subong , ministers to around 50 believers in the city of Kalibo, Aklan, in Panay Island. The church conducts a weekly feeding ministry (shown above) to the street children in Kalibo, which we now support. We have planned a surprise “Christmas child” program for them— complete with a Christmas Day luncheon for the street children and their families, and a take-home food/ groceries bag for each chlld. Sometime end January, 2017, used children clothings (shirts, pants, shoes, socks) from New York city churches (4 balikbayan boxes) will be distributed to them. The children are not aware of these coming blessings—it will be a joyful surprise for them!!
2. MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION MISSIONS:
In continuing partnership with IDES (International Disaster and Emergency Services, Indianapolis), and some families who co-sponsored the Munoz and Baguio City missions, we conducted nine (9) medical/dental/vision free clinics, the last one done last Oct. 26-28 in Naga City (shown in previous section)) as part of the church anniversary celebration.
Bro. Recem Grencio, our minister in Naga City Church, said in his report: “This was the very first time our church in Naga City has made that community service and it’s worth it! And we cannot explain the joy we feel when we somehow become the arms of Jesus in sharing His love and compassion with the people. Thank you so much for your continued support…”
UPDATE !! The 2016 medical missions ministered to a total of 2,299 patients: medical- 1,001, dental – 824, vision/optical -374 patients, Bible distribution – 100 patients. All of the free clinics now include a lunch/food distribution for all patients who come.
3.CHILDREN FEEDING/SPECIAL PROGRAMS:
We now sponsor a Sunday feeding program for Kalibo street children through the Kalibo church (around 30 to 40 children). Last Dec. 11, forty (40) street children in Tanduay, Quiapo, Metro Manila enjoyed a special Christmas lunch, and received food bags, in addition to school bags/supplies previously given them at the beginning of school last June. At Sitio Payong, Quezon City, we provided lunch and take-home food/grocery bags for around 100 indigent children during our November medical mission. We also sponsored Christmas gifts to some 150 children in Tabaco church, Albay (first time the children here received Christmas gifts).
4.DISASTER/EMERGENCY SERVICES AND LIVELIHOOD MISSIONS:
A. Super-typhoon “Lando” disaster/ assistance mission: Last January, IDES helped provide funds which allowed us to provide rice seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to 43 farmers in the communities around Talavera, Nueva Ecija. Their crops were totally destroyed by “Lando” in November 2015, and our assistance allowed them to re-plant their fields with fresh rice seedlings.
B. LIVELIHOOD PROJECT: Last April, through a special grant from IDES, we donated six (6) heavy-duty, commercial sewing machines to a community in Burgos, Montalban, Rizal, through our local church- Burgos Church of Christ.
The sewing machines (shown above) are being used for a supervised livelihood project by the local community, under the supervision of Bro. Arnel Gajolin, the minister at Burgos Church.
C. SPECIAL BEREAVEMENT/ ILLNESS ASSISTANCE :
We extended bereavement assistance to the family of Bro. Gilbert Guillermo, a minister who was killed in a hit and run accident in Nueva Vizcaya last March. We also gave financial assistance to Bro. Glenn Pintuan for the sudden unexpected death of her mother last November. Special illness assistance was given to several preachers whose children became ill, and who needed emergency financial assistance.
As we all prepare for 2017, we once again thank you for your prayers and financial support for the ministry of the Harvest for Christ Foundation. The Board of Trustees will be meeting in a few weeks’ time to finalize our 2017 plans and budget. Several exciting challenges have come up: more consistent feeding programs for street children, funding a church building project for one or two churches we support ( five of them are requesting for badly-needed support), and enhanced local church capacities and reach (community programs, livelihood projects, or prison ministry) to name a few. So many unmet needs… so many opportunities for grace.
We ask for your prayers and loving financial support, not only to continue, but to improve and enhance the stewardship ministries that God has put in our hands, for His glory alone—for He alone deserves it.
Please join us in praying that wherever He leads us, we will leave His footprints and fingerprints behind us for all to see. God was personally there… He cares, He loves, so He sent us there.
Will you join us? Your fellow servant in Christ,
David G. Romulo
Executive Officer
Harvest for Christ Foundation, Inc.
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