DON'T FORGET!!!!

Hey everyone, don't forget EMC International's Gala Dinner will be held this Saturday, June 16 at 6pm. We hope it will be a night of inspiration to all who attend and participate. For those who are unable to make it, continue to pray for us and our mission. We're down to our last stretch!

-Melissa M.

Meet A Missionary: Sarah

As the mission trip draws near, I can feel anxiety, hope, and excitement beginning to set

in. There is so much to look forward to - especially in what God has planned for us - that 

I can hardly wait to set foot in the land called the Philippines. With all the hard and amazing work

and preparations that Tito Virgil has put in along with the mission team, I hope that when we

get there, we will be able to touch the hearts of the people that we reach out to. A part of me

is truly looking forward to meeting the beloved people of the Philippines that are often talked about

L: Vicky, R: Sarah

by the previous mission team and the other part of me wrestles with knowing that once I've

experienced the mission, the real struggles and the truth of the need for Christ in unreached

places of the world, I cannot stay silent nor be unknowing. But I cannot wait to meet and work

with the staff, the teams, and children. There's so much that we can learn from each other

that I only hope that I give back as much as I am give!

-Sarah

Meet A Missionary: Vicky

It's hard to conceive what being in the Philippines will be like. I've never been to the Philippines before. I've seen pictures, but seeing a place through pictures and actually having been in a place are different experiences. Yet, even though I have never been to the Philippines, I can sense the importance of the mission that we will do there. My hope for our time in the Philippines is to win souls and raise up disciples who are passionate about loving and serving the Lord and others. My hope for myself in the Philippines is to learn what it means to be the salt and light for Christ in the world.

-Vicky

Food for thought

"What do you think a man does who has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hillside and go back and look for the lost sheep." Matt 18:12

You've heard it a million times, "Don't sweat the small stuff" or "Don't get caught up in the small details!". And in many cases it's appropriate. Nobody wants a doctor that has memorized a million and one symptoms but can't seem to differentiate between one disease and another. Even in test taking, teachers tell you that if you're stumped on one questions move on! Better to get one question wrong than never finish a test. Nobody wants to be described as the person who can't see the forest for the trees. But isn't it wonderful, that despite being among the multitudes, Christ never lost sight of the value of one soul?

Missions is a broad field. We work with different pastors, have different programs and train different people to deal with a variety of age groups. We have directors, coordinators, trainers, and missionaries taking in all the information and applying it the field. It is important to remember the big picture: spreading the gospel throughout the world. We are human and thus limited and we can't meet every need but we do what we are called to do. But as we go forward in our ministry in the Philippines it is crucial that we never ever forget the value of one soul. The Philippines mission isn't just an event. It is not an abstract cause where faceless workers toil behind the scene. It is a small part of a greater movement: the building of the Church. It is filled with real people who have real struggles and who have found real love and joy in Christ and in fellowship with each other.

I hope that as you read this blog, you would realize that while we must never lose sight of bigger picture that you would also realize that we cannot "sweat the small stuff". As our ministry grows, we must never forget the little things; the joy of a child's smile, the hug between a missionary and worker, and the joy when one soul recieves Christ.

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance"-Luke 15:7

-Melissa M


Do forgive my late updates. My responsibilities prevent me from updating on a daily basis and as of now, we are unable to contact our Pastors in the Philippines due to the typhoon. I will update more as I get more information about the typhoon.