“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:35
In November 2009, I had the opportunity to go on a missions trip with John Smithwick Ministries International. It was exciting to be able to do ministry in the schools, markets, mountains and streets of Dipolog City, on the southern island of Mindanao. The people were so friendly and hospitable, and the in country ministry was simply amazing.
We saw 57,689 salvations, and 289 healings in just 10 short days of ministry! Glory to God! The people were so hungry and open to receive the Gospel. It was truly an honor to be able to work with JSMI, and I look forward to hearing the wonderful testimonies from the region that we ministered in. The churches we worked with are so dedicated to reaching the lost, and that fire in their hearts will continue on. Please keep them in your prayers!
Click here to read my blog posts from the trip.
Click here to see photos.
About the Philippines
The Philippines (officially known as the Republic of the Philippines), is an archipelagic country located in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. The country is comprised of over 7,000 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, sharing maritime borders with Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam. The Philippines is the world’s 12th most populous country with a population of over 90 million people. Ecologically, The Philippines is considered to be among the 20 most “megadiverse” countries in the world.
Prior to the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, the Philippines was already settled by Austronesian peoples, who traded with other Asian civilizations such as those from China, India, Japan, and the Malay Archipelago. The Philippines became a Spanish colony in the 16th century. In 1896, Katipunan led the Philippine Revolution that won independence from Spain. American occupation of the Philippines during the Spanish-American War led to the outbreak of the Philippine-American War. A Commonwealth-style government was established in 1935, which allowed self-governance as well as the first national elections. The country gained its independence from the United States in 1946.
Political instabilty arose in the 1970′s and early 80′s until the People Power Revolution of 1986, which would bring the country back to democracy. Political upheavals and corruption scandals alternated with the peaceful transition of power during the period that followed the restoration of democracy.
The modern Philippines has been influenced by the Western world. Catholicism is the country’s predominant religion, although pre-Hispanic indigenous religious practices still exist; there are also many followers of Islam especially in the southern islands. Spanish was an official language of the Philippines until 1973. Since then, the two official languages are Filipino and English.
