We have been in the Philippines for a little over a month and a half, and we praise the Lord for safe travels and an uneventful return. There were lots of requirements prior to departure and lots of paperwork in hand as we departed, but praise God we made it successfully and were not required to quarantine upon arrival. I was a little nervous about how well the boys would handle the long travel, but they did great!
We began getting our house organized. We spent a couple of weeks buying the necessary things needed to make our house a home. The boys enjoyed being able to get out and were more energetic than usual with everything being new and exciting.
Once we got settled, we began spending a day or two each week surveying areas throughout the Negros Island. We started by visiting places where our family and friends have personal contacts. One area we visited was absolutely beautiful. It seemed to be a very strategic spot for a new church plant just by driving through the area and doing a visual survey. After returning for a face-to-face survey with community members, we discovered that the area already has at least five Baptist churches that are being held in individual homes.
We have not found the exact location where we will begin a new church plant, but we are continuing to survey different locations. Our desire is to plant a new church in an area that has not yet been reached with the gospel. We continue to prayerfully seek God’s guidance and direction as we also learn to patiently wait on Him and His timing.
The boys are adjusting very well. They do still mention their “Grammy” and “Papa” and other family and friends on a daily basis and often ask about “Mississippi,” but we couldn’t be happier with how well they are adjusting and enjoying life in the Philippines.
This is such an exciting adventure that we are a part of, and we are extremely grateful for the blessing of being able to serve the Lord in this capacity. Since we are still seeking the place that God would have us to work, Cris and I have begun going through the DCPI church planting materials again as preparation for the work we will soon be a part of. Please continue to pray with us about the right location. We are hopeful that we will know the location by our next newsletter.
Pray for us as we continually study and prepare ourselves for God’s kingdom work. In addition to our personal church planting studies, Cris is currently enrolled in the Master’s classes being offered by the Philippine BMA Bible College together with the BMA Seminary in Jacksonville, Texas. These classes are held every Monday morning and will be completed by October or November of 2022.
Pray for our boys — for their growth and development as we minister to people who may not be the best example for them, that Cris and I can parent them in a way that points them to Jesus each and every day, that they will learn the Ilonggo language and that they will develop great friendships with other Filipinos.
We love you all and we are grateful to have such loving and godly men and women standing with us in this ministry. May all that we do bring honor and glory to the name above all names, Jesus! (alicia.ramshur@gmail.com)
