Elijah had done some fascinating things during his ministry. God was with him and blessed him everywhere he went. He was troubled by many yet each time he faced his foes with God’s strength and was able to resist and to repel them.
One day after rebuking King Ahab and being threatened by Jezebel that she would kill him, Elijah ran away.
He ran long and far and completely exhausted he sat down under a tree and said to God, “It is enough…”
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever said to God, it is enough?
I believe God tests all He loves and takes them to their limits but never past them.
Job experienced it after a long and excruciating endurance of Satan’s attacks as he cursed the day he was born. He never went against God and neither did Elijah but they just showed their frustration.
Job, after God yelled at him and Elijah, after God showed him His power, were both brought to a better place. Job was restored everything tenfold and Elijah went up to heaven in a chariot of fire.
Many times I feel the testing of God pulling and pushing me into new strengths. Sometimes I want to scream out, “It is enough” but then I ask God to give me more strength. I ask Him not to take me so far that I will cry out, “It is enough.” I want to pass His tests.
Sometimes I will get a bit grumpy and complain and my wife will say something like, “Hold on, everything will be alright.” I will answer and say, you have been telling me that for fifteen years now! Yet I know she is right. With every passing of a test come a raise in grace from our God and He will fill me with peace which means, we’re cool!
I try to explain to my wife that no matter how “Christian and Godly” one is, if you drop a concrete block on their foot, they will scream. They may have great faith and now they also have great pain.
Lastly, it is alright to spout off once in a while. Try to keep it between you and God and try not to let the whole world see. (They are working on their own issues and don’t need yours also)
God knows how hard you try and also that you are human. Sometimes I say, Father, I know you are always right so there is no need to try to argue (I would always be wrong anyway) but I would ask for a bit of peace. Do you know what? He gives it to me.
So don’t forget, no matter how difficult it gets,  like Job and Elijah, in the end we will always win with God. 

I got the idea (as all my ideas) as a inspiration by God.

The PBC shirt does so much for those who wear it.

#1- It shows that we belong- anywhere we go, the PBC shirt is recognized by other members of the community

#2 – It advertises the Church – It has a insignia on the front with the PBC logo

#3 – It advertises the need – On the back of every shirt it has SAVEPAYATAS.COM which is a web site showing the need here in Payatas.

#4 – It shows solidarity – New people coming to the Church anxiously await their very own PBC Shirt

#5 – It removes class distinctions – Sometimes children in their pursuit of “being cool” seek to wear something “better” than someone else. When we wear our shirts, we are all equal.

Shirts are worn every Saturday for door knocking and anytime we make an appearance such as playing our musical instruments in another Church or arriving at camp…

When we wear our shirts we are a team. We are the local church. We belong to the congregation of Saints. To the unbelievers, we have integrity, we are there to uplift the community and to many, it creates a desire also to belong.

There are no ranks in our team. The Pastor as well as the youngest member wear the same exact shirt (except for the size of course)

What sets you apart from those in your community? Do people associate you with Jesus Christ? I used to say that I would not have a Christian bumper sticker on my car because of the way I drive. Now I want the sign that says I belong to Christ to be an example to all.

Here in Payatas you have men , women and children scavenging for recyclables whether it is in the actual dump site or up and down the garbage strewn streets of Payatas.

Of course in any promotion of the Gospel it is ultimately the Holy Spirit who will break down the heart and turn a unbelieving, hopeless individual into a new creature.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Yet our God uses His children to bring the Gospel in many different ways.

Poor people need reality. Their first reality is food.

Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

When you help them with their physical needs they know you care.

We are not speaking of a program to sustain people by feeding them daily for the rest of their lives.

We are rather giving them the energy as well as the key to self-sufficiency that will allow them to make their own way.

There are some people who have been taught from birth to be dependent. They put their hand out and take what you offer and then they move on to the next person offering something.
We realize we can not help everyone and not everyone will come to repentance so with those people, we move on.

When a person believes they are capable, their ability to produce increases and as it increases so does their hope and so on as they grow in strength and ability.

It’s sometimes a rags to riches story but they must be enabled.

Here at PBC we mainly work with the children.

When we started, we had to wash the hands, arms, feet and legs of the many children that would come. They would arrive from scouring the land for recyclables to help their families.

After a while, they started coming washed and with clean clothes.

They learned respectability. They learned to have a nice appearance. Before they were just garbage pickers. Now, they have become people, deserving of looking good and feeling good.
It became important to be presentable.

Once inside we teach them about Jesus and how the bible says that we can do all things through Him.

We also tutor them in their general studies so now when they go to school, they are above the other children. Once that happens, they see that with hard work and serving God they can excel in anything and their confidence increases even more..

While other children in the area have high hopes of perhaps driving a garbage truck one day, our kids are looking forward to becoming police officers and stewardesses, nurses and doctors and anything else they can believe.

We keep growing our orchestra

We integrated a music ministry because music builds confidence and causes a person to become disciplined.
Our children have taken up guitar, flute, recorder, Ukelele, harmonica, keyboard, clarinet and violin.

This is how it works. I f a child wants to take the violin for example, we send them to our Notes teacher. There they will first learn how to read music. Once they are capable of reading music they are sent to the instructor for violins where they will be taught how to put what they read to sound. After they are able to play two songs, we know that they are sincere and dedicated enough to persevere, than we buy them an instrument.

They are told to practice one hour per day. They get better and better as time goes on. Last Christmas, a group of them made a Christmas CD at a real recording studio!

We are a family here at PBC. It is as a large mentoring program as the old students teach the new students and all grow together.

We focused on the children because their hope was not completely vanquished. They still could believe

that they could become someone. When they started doing well in school and started to play wonderful music it was confirmation that obeying God was going to bring them literally and spiritually, to the promised land.

Some of the kids we started with have entered college this year and after four years we will see the results of the investment made in them.

Our goal, is to have God fearing young men and woman who will have good jobs and good housing with good food and will share what they have as we continue the process.

It is a multi level marketing system. We have around 70 now and in time it will turn into thousands as we teach each one to do the same to others.

Each adult in our church teaches something as well.

It is a giant mentoring program that works.

None of this works unless Jesus Christ is our main focus. We give Him all the honor and glory and praise.

Every idea, every bit of support and every accomplishment could not have happened without Him.

Sunday is our day of worship and celebration.
Smiles light up the room. Songs give pleasure to the soul and our worship wafts up to our Lord.

This is our formula here in Payatas but it was given to us by God. It has never been our own ideas but inspiration by the Holy Spirit.

How you will reach those in your neck of the woods will depend on your relationship to God and your ability to give Him all the praise , honor and Glory!

The recipe is obedience to God and to do as He leads.

Father’s and mother’s work together as well as their children. Little children no higher than your waistline roam the streets with sacks in their hands looking for recyclables they might find. Going home only when it gets dark, their dirt blackened bodies blending in with the twilight sky.

In this community, many will get no education, will receive no medical care, and will die well before the national average in a first world Country.
Even with all this pain and suffering, there are no complaints. They continue to work at the tons of garbage as ants going back and forth until they have sorted through the throw offs of society to find some treasure of their own. There treasure sometimes only amounts to being able to buy a small amount of rice for their families.

As I said, even with all this they have continued on without complaint, until now.
The wonderful and beneficial Government which oversees all and looks out for the oppressed (in case you can not tell, this is sarcasm) has decided to build homes for the “poor” right here in Payatas.
“Wow”, you say, what a great Mayor we have. Let’s see if that is true. To build the homes they need to tear down the meager shacks of those who have been working the Governments waste management for free and for many years.
These people are offered a pittance to move. (about 10,000 pesos). $240 U.S.

Looking for salvation

Rents in the area are about p1500 per month so that money would quickly disappear and because these people do not make enough on their own to pay that rent, they would quickly be on the street again.

The Government houses cost p2,500 per month. This is middle and upper class range and is not for anyone anywhere near being poor.

The Government should be subsidizing new homes for these people as they do the Governments work here in Payatas, The thing is, here in Payatas, there is no shortage of poor people and so you can indiscriminately rip down their houses and ship them off and it doesn’t make a dent in the labor force.
This is the Government.
If I was able to vote this election, I would vote against any sitting politician as none of them are worth anything to the people of Payatas.
Perhaps the shut down of the garbage dump would wake some people up.

People, not one TV, radio station or newspaper found this interesting enough to tell the story. Sounds like the Government owns the media also.

The one thing I had was a complete dependency on God. I knew if I was going to have a thriving Church, God would have to build it. After all, didn’t Jesus say:

Mat 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. “

I was asked to preach in a few places and I started getting tired of it. I was invited to a Church in Makati and I said to God, “Today, please start your work here.”

That was it. So I went to Makati and a man came running up to me and said, “Do you want to start a ministry in Payatas? I have a small group Bible study there with about a half dozen people. Perhaps you can take it over?

The man was Pastor Jerry Anota and we became fast friends.

I said, Thank you Lord as I realized God answered my prayer to start His work that day.

A few days later Pastor Anota met with me and we went to the home in Payatas where the study took place.

He introduced me to the people, and they all stared at me with suspicion. They wondered why on earth would this man come all the way here from America? What does he want?

However, after a short time, they realized that I was there to work for the Lord, and we all became very close.

We encouraged the people to invite their friends, and we asked God to increase our Church. So we grew. We were holding church in one of the squatters homes. It was a rough, two story cement block building.

The lady who live there suggested that we could break through the wall downstairs and make a Church, and they could move everything upstairs.

Although it was a sweet and generous offer, I felt God telling me that He would build His Church.

So I invited Pastor Anota over to my house, and the next day we went out looking for a building.

We saw one that had potential. We went next door to speak to the people and we found out the floor was all rotted and the building wasn’t stable.

We told them about the Lord and they made a profession of faith.

We then went further down the road to the building we now (2013) occupy.

We met with the landlady and we agreed upon a price and after she finished painting, we moved in.

That was in November of 2006 and we have been there ever since.

We are now severely over crowded and are in dire need of a new place.

We have gone through many stages while here but we found out the secret of growing a Church is let God do it.

Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

We had this man in our Church that was asking visitors why they were coming to our Church? He said our Church was no good. The devil works his ways.

I didn’t know about it but some members did. When I found out I told the members that if something like that happens again, I need to know about it and whoever knows and doesn’t tell, can go to another Church.

I am strong about loyalty. Whoever is not with us is against us and we need to maintain a good watchful eye.

I was about to throw this man out of the church. It was Sunday morning and I was up in my office. I was beginning to get nervous. I thought that there might be a split and when I go downstairs the Church will be half empty. Finally, my strength came into me as I prayed. “God, this is your Church, not mine. If you allow a split so be it but whatever happens, Blessed be your holy name.

I went downstairs. That man was gone and not only that but we had more people than we ever had before.

It seemed to always work that way. We got rid of some people. One was a bookkeeper. I loved her dearly. She was a very generous woman, a good worker and friend. The problem was, she would only come to Sunday morning service. Not only that, I had to speak to her about texting during the sermon as well as falling asleep.

Finally, I took her into my office and told her that unless she attended the services she would have to leave. She decided to leave. That made me very sad, it still does but the devil will use people close to you. You need to cut them.
God immediately replaced her with another bookkeeper as well as a helper who has now learned also to do the books.

We had a man who claimed to be a missionary and wanted to work for the church. His Pastor in America endorsed him . I set him up with a desk and work to do and every time I passed he was looking at a dating site. He wanted a wife. I told him to do that on his own time. There was a lady who worked at one of our medical clinics. He showed an interest in her. I warned him not to get involved with her. Even though she had been separated from her husband for eight years, she still was married.

One afternoon I was in my office and I heard a loud noise outside. I believe God caused the loud noise to get me to look out the window. There was this supposed missionary getting in a taxi with this women.
When he returned the next day, we parted ways.

Another man from America came and decided he was going to do what he wanted. He was generally obnoxious. I caught him smoking in front of the Church with all our kids outside. I found out he was drinking in the streets with another guy. He was quickly removed.

There were others. The reason I pointed out those stories was if I wasn’t prepared to take immediate action, I feel I would have lost the Church.

I use the old saying -One rotten apple spoils the bunch and it’s true.

We had women arguing and I immediately brought then into my office and we straightened everything out.

1Ti 5:20 “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”

A successful church has everything to do with obedience to God. It depends on a strong Pastor who is willing to discipline when necessary.

Man can not build a Church. He might build a successful business but it won’t be a church.

God’s strategy was to focus on children. We had plenty of them. Most were from the garbage dump families. They would come and they would be filthy. So we lined them up on the side of the building and we washed the hands,arms,legs,feet, necks and faces of these precious children.

We taught them hygiene and how to keep their clothes clean and before you know it , supporters were telling us that our kids did not look so poor. They were changing by the grace of God.

Another thing God told me was everyone has to have a job in the church. If we are truly a family, we all need to work together. So we have a preacher (besides me) teachers, cleaners, cooks, bookkeepers, Music leaders, maintenance and whatever else we need.

If you are not working together you will soon feel like an outsider.

We focused on teaching the word of God word by word. I break it down and we go through the bible on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. All of our adults and most of the children know how to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Every Saturday we go out with anywhere from 55-75 door knockers.

You would think many people come to the Church by our efforts. The answer would be no. As I said in the beginning, God builds His church. We go out because God requires it. God brings visitors all the time but not by our efforts lest we say we built the Church.
All our people are aware of this rule.

We also have what we call a two by two program where couples go to witness to any of the children’s parents that do not attend. The ladies also have another visitation program where they visit those they deem in need of an immediate visit for whatever the reason.

The children invite their friends. We are constantly growing and if we were taking any credit at all is that we are doing what we are told to do.

There are principles of God which we try to follow very close.

One simple principle is:

2Ch_15:2 “… The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. “

Those who forsake the Lord are expelled from the fellowship. Paul had no trouble doing it and neither do we.

Amos said:

Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

We will work with people growing and learning, We understand each person is at their own level, There is a point where discipline is necessary and it works for the morale of the entire Church.

Building a church is easy when you let God do it.

If you will listen, He is always glad to lead.

When I first came to Payatas I was aghast at many things. The poor, the destitute, the uneducated,suffering children,,,

One thing however, stuck in my mind. The people had no hot water. No hot water for washing dishes or taking a shower or bath. It was awful.

My thoughts for Payatas when I was first planning to come here was to help people get little hot water heaters so they could have some comfort.

It was a generous but naive desire. Do you know why? It is because people here do not use hot water. They have no desire for hot water and even if you gave them a free heater, they would not, probably could not, pay for the electric or gas to run the hot water heater. So despite my good intentions, it was and still is a ridiculous idea. I have been here six years and I still do not have one. If it is your intention, I will gladly accept it but don’t worry about the rest of the people.

We have had some very nice medical missions here of which I am thankful. They came and they diagnosed and performed minor operations and even paid to send some people for treatment at a hospital. These missions were very profitable and successful.

Then we had one group that came here and basically did little more than hand out some vitamins. Perhaps a month’s supply. These people although they had good intentions. Had water heater mentalities. They spent thousands of dollars on plane fares, food , and fancy hotels. They had offered to reimburse us for the food we bought to feed about 1000 people. We bought it, cooked it and distributed it. When it was time to reimburse us the Pastor asked for receipts. I just laughed and told him to forget it. It was $200 which was a great deal for our Church. I told him that there are no receipts in street markets. So the Church lost on that deal and these people got to feel good about how they helped the needy. There was however no real help and it turned out to be a vacation for these people.

Medical Mission vacationers

Not one of the people in our church has a car. I am the only one. It is a put together 21 year old “Owner type Jeep”. It needs repairs on a weekly basis.

Unlike churches in better off communities, Payatas is the home of the infamous garbage dump. It is here that men, women and children who are called bums by the wealthier neighbors , work 12-16 hours per day to support their families. The Government balances their waste management programs on the backs of thousands of the residents of Payatas. Entire families work just to get food to eat. From the perspective of the more well off, they are lazy bums. This is a term that boils my blood and brakes my heart as I think of how industrious these people are and what they endure in life.

Looking for salvation

There are so many Filipino overseas workers all over the world living life in peace. The number that send anything to help us help these people is almost none. We have some Filipinos who give. One person emailed me and asked how could he give. I gave him the account number of our Local bank. He deposited 200 Pesos. That equals $4.90 U.S. I wanted to cry. No, not because the amount was low according to American standards but because it was so high according to a poor man with a heart to help. When I think of people who claim to be friends and how easy they could sign up to send $5 per month and don’t bother, it drives me nuts. When I think of those people who faithfully send to this Organization, it touches my heart to think how much they care.

I don’t mean to judge how much money people have but even when I was poor in the States I could give $5.

There was on Face book the story of the police officer who gave the homeless man who had blisters on his bare feet in the winter, a pair of socks and boots. He got 5 million hits. People think this is wonderful. I think it’s more than wonderful and it makes me feel that there are good people with good hearts out there. However, these millions of people will get touched by it, put it on Face Book yet never give a dime to help another human being.

Policeman gives boots to a Homeless Man.

Our ministry survives at poverty level. Not U.S. Level but Philippine level.
I think how my own children could not go to school last year because we had no funds and how many kids in Payatas do not attend at all. Yet we still teach our children and we have been teaching the children here.
We have had six years with these kids and have watched them grow. Kids with no hope now look forward to a brighter future. Kids who had no idea who Jesus was are now calling on his name. Yes, in a so called Christian Country they had no idea that there was a God.

With all the poverty, these people still say Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays. They thought it was insane when I told them how many churches cancel services on Christmas. These people know how to worship and praise the Lord. They know how to pray and seek God and without money and the frivolities that accompany money, they still know how to love and be loved.

As you go buy your Christmas presents, and decorate your houses and trees.
When you visit your friends and family and celebrate with sumptuous foods. When your children wake up in the morning and rush out to the bedazzled Christmas tree to see all the presents they will receive, please, take five minutes and think about this:

Our children don’t expect presents, there are no trees or decorations, no special foods or presents under a tree. This is not all of the Philippines. There are plenty with money here, just not in Payatas. The forgotten land.

The poor faces are beheld by their Saviour

The one born on this day, Jesus, said there were two great commandments:

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

When you are doing all your running around ask yourself, have I showed God love in any of this? Then ask, have I shown my neighbour love? Have I considered the plight of the poor? Have I though of my fellow man?

The world is changing. People have left Christ out of Christmas and people who claim to be Christians show no evidence of being one.

Please, show some love towards Payatas:

I looked down and there was a sweet little girl, dirty and wearing ragged clothes. Her big brown eyes staring me down and her little hand stretched out as her life depended on it.

Then I looked around and saw children everywhere. Hopeless little children trying to raise money for perhaps their only meal of the day.

On another day I would see children sitting on a pile of garbage in a open back garbage truck. I would also see little children walking the roads with a sack in their hands looking for whatever it was they could collect and sell for a couple of pesos. These children were as young as four years old.

That was the time in 1999, when I first discovered Payatas and God told me that it would be my mission.

It took seven years to get back there but in July of 2006 our plane touched down in Manila to start our incredible journey.

There is so much to tell. For example, my desire to go burned within me for seven years. My wife, not so. We had just married. It took one year to get her to the U.S. And she was happy to be there. It would be about three years later when the Holy Spirit put it in her heart to return to her people to help.

I could tell you how the Devil tried to stop me from going. He used supposed men of God to do it. They were all shown to be out of the will of God but it was nerve wracking to go through that.

I could tell you of how we went on deputation, a system that I despise. Going from Church to Church to get support. I was told it was also to get prayer support but we got little of each. Some man mentioned we should make a date and not a dollar amount. He said if God was in it, He would make the way.

We had one miracle donation from a non-Christian across the world in Dubai who found us through a website (actually it was God) and sent us the money for our flight.

We left with $550 per month support although we were promised $750. Some who promised weren’t truthful.

I could tell you how $250 of that money was needed for my medications and that in two weeks I ran out and told God I would not take another pill until He told me what to do. I went for a medical checkup after one month and again in the second month and all my conditions were fine.

Most Missionaries are told not to go to the Philippines without at least $4000 per month but I am here to tell you that there have been many who left and went back home with more money than us because it wasn’t enough for them. It has been six years and we are only up to $1200 per month to support home and Church. That is with a 20% drop in the exchange rate as well as high fees to turn it into cash on this side.

I can tell you how we have no medical coverage but I received a Gall bladder operation for $200!
We have no retirement, medical, furlough…

I drive a 21 year old put together vehicle that breaks down weekly. My wife washed clothes on a scrub board for the first two years here until one of our supporters bought us a washing machine. It was also five years before we got a regular oven. Prior to that we cooked only on a two burner stove top.

We started preaching the Gospel in Payatas working out of two of the locals homes. These were squatter homes with little room but we saw hundreds pass through those doors and mouth their repentance to our Saviour. By the way, I never say anyone has gotten saved. There have been some I believed that were saved and later proved me wrong and others who I thought could not be possibly saved yet they were. We did not come to save anyone. Jesus did that. We are allowed, yea commanded, to tell that wonderful story to all we encounter.

We did that to tens of thousands. In three months we rented a two story house and turned it into our Church.

We had so many children come from the dump site families. I remember my wife and I having to wash their arms and legs as

( they were filthy from garbage picking) they arrived at Church.

Although we have adults that came and became good , loyal, lovers of Christ and servants along with us, we have had so many more children. This was the ministry God showed to me.

We fed them, clothed them, sent them to camp, had V.B.S., Christian movies, Christmas celebrations,
and most importantly taught them the word of God. They love it. Most of these little ones can present the Gospel of Christ as well as the adults and it is a sight to see when on Saturday 50-70 of us go door knocking throughout the community.

Recently, two college students, working on their thesis, asked to interview the kids. When they finished they were amazed. I asked why and they said these children stated they wanted to be doctors, nurses, police officers… when they grew up. I asked what was wrong with that? They said , no where in Payatas do children have this kind of hope. Their future is comprised only with the garbage. Our children also told them it was very important to obey their parents, to study and to serve God with all their heart. I am so proud of these kids and so thankful to God for allowing me this blessing.

Showing the world Jesus is not just a mouth thing and so we have many programs to show the love of God and ending with their decision making concerning following Christ.

One such program we have is music. We started off with one donated guitar and through a couple of knowledgeable guitar players and a part time teacher, we now have 26 musicians and will be making a DVD for Christmas. It is comprised of guitars, Ukeleles, Violins, Harmonicas, keyboard and a flutist along with recorders.

When they learn an instrument it instills confidence that they are able to accomplish their goals. They do better in school and at home and in Church. We have some great kids.

Additionally, we have a scholar program where we work with the kids in the subjects in which they are behind. We also help the kids who will be graduating High School to obtain their goal of a college and subsequently a career.

We also have three different types of visitation programs to bring the Gospel to the community which is our major concern.

We have only been here six years but the results so far have been very promising. We just saw two young men who started with us when they were ten, move up into the adult classes as they have turned sixteen so our plan for growing the Church from the youngest up is working.

Finally, the pitch.

As you probably have surmised, the Church does not run without funding. We have some Churches as well as individuals who support the work but for some reason, this year has been the worst as far as donations are concerned.

As mentioned, the exchange rate has dropped 20% since we came here so donations of $100 have gone down to $80. Then there is another $5 off for the International bank charge and another $2.60 for the local bank charge bringing the $100 donation down to $72.40.

To make matters more interesting, after six years of being in this building the landlord wants us to leave and use the building for himself.

We have searched high and low and have found one perfect place for us. From the beginning I have had a vision for this ministry (http://www.payatasmissionoutreach.org/vision.asp?page=proposedplan )

It is to have at least a 2000 seat sanctuary, a medical clinic, missionary quarters and perhaps a covered court in which to have huge evangelistic outreach meeting to the community each week.

Here is what it looks like: http://escobia225.multiply.com/photos/album/183 (Our vision)

The cost is $1.6 million U.S. dollars and it will also require $2.4 million to outfit the existing buildings and land to conform to the plan.

It is a great amount which we are sure, God can meet.

This message does not begin to tell you of the work done here in Payatas.

If you go here:http://escobia225.multiply.com/photos you will see over 14,000 photos documenting the work God has done here. BTW, this site has dropped the business and will be closing in December. We are presently working on a plan to host our photos.

Go here to see a complete diary from the time we stepped off the Airplane in Manila until the present. http://www.payatasbaptistchurch.org/update.asp

Of course you can go here to make a donation: http://www.payatasmissionoutreach.org/donation.asp

You can make a donation as low as $1 and all donations are sorely needed and appreciated.

While you are visiting those links feel free to backtrack around those sites to see our statement of faith, some of our history and other interesting things you might enjoy.

I want to appeal to your heart as to the urgency of the need here. For the first time we will not celebrate our Anniversary on the first Saturday of November due to lack of funds.

If we do not get donations, the children, (again for the first time) will not have a Christmas celebration.

My own two little girls did not attend school this year because we were $350 short of what was needed for the materials.

If you are led by God, please become a regular supporter or send a generous one time gift. It’s for the kids.

God Bless,

Rev John J Wilson aka “Pastor Jack”

If you are reading this and you don’t believe in God or the Bible as His word it will be pointless for you unless it turns you into a believer.
However with that said, I have been studying the Bible for 43 years and do you know, God always gives me something new.

David said:

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

I never prepare my bible studies. I study the word but we do a through the Bible type study and I have always asked God to teach it. It works best when He does and every time, He gives us a refreshing new word.

Tonight it was Psalm 139. He showed us just how much He loves and cares for us.

Psa 139:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Psa 139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Psa 139:3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

It said that God knows our every move. When we get up, when we sit down and he knows all our ways.

Imagine, the God of all the universe is interesed in all our ways and what we do.

Psa 139:4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Psa 139:5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Psa 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

The verses really blew me away. It said that God knows every word that drops off my tongue. It said he protects us all around and His hand is upon us. This is the hard part. David said such knowledge is too wonderful , too high that he could not understand it.

We thought about it tonight and realized that we can not fully grasp what we are reading. Can you imagine if you really understood that God was next to you all the time? You can’t. Oh, you can know it. You can believe it because it is true. You just can not understand it. Our minds are not built for that type of understanding.

David goes on to say that there is no where to go from His presence.

Psa 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Psa 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Here is the part that shows us that abortion is terribly wrong.

Psa 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

Literally, reins means kidneys but figuratively it means the mind as the center of ourselves. It says that He has covered us in our mother’s womb. He has caused us to be.
But it gets so much deeper.

Psa 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Psa 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

It speaks about how wonderfully made we were. Not accidentally pushed together but made. We must realize that life began with Adam and we were made at that time (DNA) God uses the normal process with a man and a woman to cause it all to come together.

139:15 says: My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret
He said my substance. Not a fetus, or sperm or an egg but my substance all that it would take for me to form. I was made in secret, within the framework of my mother.

Again He refers to the “substance” that was un perfect. Just a wondrous mass of ingredients that some say is not yet life but God said even though they were not yet complete, In His book, all my members were written. He has already ordered my arm, legs, toes….

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

It said as the process continued, I was fashioned.

Psa 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

God has made us in Adam and has continued us in substance and in due process form. He loved us even back in Adam as He promised a Saviour to redeem all of mankind. That promise to redeem mankind when Adam and Eve were the only two visible parts of Mankind, knowing the rest of us was within.

Praise be to our God and creator who recognizes us as His own, made by His hand and to be protected not murdered.

Over and over this verse comes back to me as a constant reminder to stay the course, to do when no one else will, to be the person God called me to be.

Once again we were struck here with a violent Typhoon called Ketsana. People started dying. People started watching their homes, their possessions just wash away as water down the drain.

What to do? What do you do as you see the helplessness of the situation? You look to the Government but they are impotent. You call the Red Cross but they say they are out of funds. As a last ditch attempt you put all the information on FaceBook. Surely those who live in Air Conditioned homes and drive cars and eat three meals a day and their kids can afford to attend school, surely they would want to help.

Alas, no not one! Perhaps in other places they are helping. Perhaps it is too much to send $5, $10.

I can only be a voice for those who can not be heard.

There is a man in San Mateo, He is the Pastor of the San Mateo Bible Baptist church. I have looked high. I have looked low. I have never met a man with such integrity as he.

Last year there was another Typhoon. I believe it was Ondoy, There are many. The residents around his place were forced out of their water filled homes so he opened the doors of the Church for them.

They were not the cleanest people in the world and perhaps because of the huge crowds they started using the entire Church as a bathroom. He and his members had much to do to restore his church when it was over.

Pastor Reuel believes the Church is Christ’s Church. So once again and without hesitation he threw the doors open and he has 500 indigent people sleeping on the floors of his building. This Pastor is not rich. His car is loaned to him and he lives very modestly as he gives all he has to the poor.

This brings me back to the opening verse. It says that the oppressed cry out to God and He will hear. The faithful ones he is looking for are the Christians and the question proposed is will he find any?

This is just a frustrating rant for me. I, like like my Biblical counterpart ask the Lord why do the wicked prosper.

Pro 21:13  Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

As you go to work today and turn down your A/c control to save money or complain about the expensive gas your new car takes or how the price of steak has gone up, remember these people.      http://www.reuters.com/article/slideshow/idUSBRE87613J20120807#a=1

Little children, “knee high to a caterpillar” as they say , roam the streets with burlap bags over their shoulders seeking valuable recyclables to help pay for their families food.

Payatas is a place of limited joy , peace or happiness. Each day brings with it another set of problems.

Here at Payatas Baptist Church, we spend much time telling the people of the love of Christ if only they would surrender their failed life and accept that which He has in store for them.

One of the ways we help the poor here is to instruct them in music. Those who wish to participate learn to read music and play a musical instrument.

It all started in my own house. I bought Laura a violin and for $3 per week, got her lessons from a local Pastor and violinist. In the meantime, Linda expressed an interest in the flute so I was able to find a very nice used one on eBay.

Laura started learning immediately while Linda found the flute too long for her little arms. We switched Linda to a electric keyboard which she like much better and started learning immediately. My wife, not to be left out, took over the flute and is doing incredibly well.

It was at this point God gave me the thought that we could do this in the church so we purchased another violin for Laura and gave one of the children her violin. Laura started to teach the child what she was taught and the child became very proficient.

We had one old guitar in the church that another Pastor had donated to us. I made an announcement that anyone who could learn to read music and play two songs will get a free guitar.

We keep growing our orchestra

So far we have 11 guitarists!

We took it another step and added violins to that offer.

We now have 6 violinists!

A close friend and I were at a music store as I had to buy guitar and violin strings. (Yes, these kids are so poor that if they break a string they will no longer be able to play.)
He noticed the recorders they had and bought 6 for the littlest children.
We had received one from some friends so now we have
7 Flutists!

We also was gifted a couple of Ukeleles and I bought one and so we now have 3 Ukeleleists (Is that a word?)

Andrei is a little boy with a birth defect so he only has one arm but was very determined to be part of this group so we bought him a harmonica and one for his instructor and he is doing very well.

Now I am searching out a used coronet as we have another interested party.

Music has caused these children to learn discipline. They also know what it is to be part of the family of God. Each one of these children know the Gospel and love the Lord. They are also quick to share it with whoever they come in contact.

Their love and progression in their music has made them believe the scripture: Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

These children when asked have expressed their desire to be Doctors, nurses, police officers… as opposed to their un churched counterparts in the same district which only see the garbage business in their future.

Every Sunday before evening service all these musicians practice Christmas songs. We are hoping to make our very own Christmas dvd this year.

I see a orchestra in our near future. Little by little I squeeze money from here or from there and buy another instrument. Little by little we train another child for this purpose. So I will buy a coronet and a trombone and a Viola and a Celo as the Lord allows and soon, before you know it, Payatas will have an orchestra.

With God, even the sky does not limit us.