Hello Prayer Warriors! This is the video that my parents will be showing on their quick min-furlough. It simply shows the need we have for a church building and property in Cebu. It is only 3 Minutes long, I hope you will watch it.
Dear Praying Friend,
It is said that a true local church must be a “soul-winning station”. I believe this whole heartedly, and have done my best to teach this to our members here in the church. One of the young ladies who was saved during our campus ministry in the high school started attending our church. Her name is Jenessa, and while God began to work on her heart about her spiritual growth, she was burdened for her friend named Honeylyn. “You need to come to church with me”, she told Honeylyn. Failing kidneys, pain, and daily blood dialysis was a normal thing for Honeylyn, and she was in desperate need of kidney transplant. Knowing that her days on earth were coming to an end, she willingly tagged along with Jenessa to church on Sunday morning. I remember seeing her all bandaged up on her neck since they drew blood and filtered it through her neck. The Holy Spirit began to work on her from the very moment she walked in the doors, she suddenly understood just exactly what Jenessa had been telling her about Christ, and the salvation he offers freely through his grace!
Honeylyn, was saved that wonderful Sunday morning. Her heart was ready, and she knew death was nigh. Only 3 weeks after getting saved, Honeylyn died at the young age of 24. Life is short Christian, and we must rescue the perishing, and care for the dying. I feel like I am on the frontlines here of the spiritual battle for the souls of men. Thank you for all the love and support in reaching the precious souls of Cebuano people. We are in this battle for the souls of mankind together.
COLLEGE MINISTRY - God has blessed the in the starting of Bible Study at local private university. One of the teachers was saved in Bible study I started in 2008 is now a teacher there. She coordinated with her students on who would be available for the Bible study. So, far there have been six students gloriously saved at this technology college.
I also got to start another Bible study started through a Bible Club at a local State University. This is the university that is center of training teacher s for the public school system. They say that aside from parents and preachers, teachers are the most influential person in a young person’s life. My hope and prayer is that these young teachers -in-training will trust Christ, and then go one day to be faithful Christian teachers in public schools, and be able to share the glorious gospel to their students. In some ways, I look at this as salvation by multiplication! One teacher can get saved and lead dozens of her students to Christ in the future!
QUICK TRIP TO THE STATES - I will be traveling back to the states for a short trip. Though my heart is still here in the Philippines, I surely cannot miss my sister’s graduation at West Coast Baptist College. She is graduating with an English Ed. Degree, and that following weekend I will be attending the wedding of my other sister in Atlanta.
Upon returning to the Philippines on May 16, I will be bringing a young man with me who has heart to serve the Lord in any capacity.His name is Daniel from Chicamauga, GA, and he will be spending three weeks with me in the Philippines. Please, pray for him that God would even touch his heart about missions. I believe in investing in young people. I would not be a missionary today were it not for other Christians who invested in me when I was young. What kind of investment are you making in young people to encourage them for missions?
SUMMER YOUTH CONFERENCES
We had a great turn-out for the Summer Youth Conferences that I and my youth attended. I will be a main speaker at a Youth Conference on Camiguin Island this May 29-31. Please, pray for this special conference as it will be a pioneering conference for this Island. We are praying for God to work.
I had two of my young ladies surrender for Bible College this past summer. I praise the Lord for what he is doing in them. They have sensitive hearts to the word of God, and I consider them my children in the faith. Pray for them to have great first year of Bible College. Their names are Sarah Mae and Ninalyn. Ninalyn is praying everyday for her older sister named Rosalyn to get saved. One of my boys named Christian was baptized on the Sunday before camp, and surrendered to be a preacher during the 2nd night of camp! He is pictured on the left.
CHURCH PROPERTY UPDATE
The property that we are praying for is just in sight! We are about half-paid on it, and I really believe that through sacrificial giving we can get this land paid off very soon. Our building now is quite small, and only holds about 80 comfortably. We have had over 100 in attendance for the last 6 out of the last 8 weeks. There is another rental lot that is 1,200 Square meters in space, this is a huge improvement on the tiny 450 square meter lot that we are using now. Lord-willing we move there in July and will be there until we can to our own church property. I believe you build the people to grow the church, and not the other way around. So, we praise the Lord that he is blessing our labor for his glory. If you would like to help with the property, you can actually buy one square meter for $25. There are only about 1,500 Square meters left to buy! God will build his church!
SUMMER SOULWINNING
Our members have really gotten a hold of reaching our area during the summer months. The Summer here in the Philippines is only during April and May. So far, God has really blessed and many people are coming to Christ, we are praying for all of these people to get baptized in the upcoming weeks. Please, join us in prayer to see the fruit of our summer ministry baptized in the near future.
Thank you once again to all of you who have partnered with me, and my parents with prayer, love and support. I thank you for all the notes, e-mails and letters I have received just to let me know you are praying for me and the work here. It really encourages me to work harder to better represent you all, and most of all our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Your Servant in Missions,
Frank Denisi
Ministry Needs:
Thanks so much for all the prayer for me to get into the colleges here and hold on-campus Bible studies. God allowed to start one already through the help of one of our members who is a teacher. I led her to the Lord back in 2008, and now she is a teacher at a local university. Six students were wonderfully saved at the first Bible Study! All the glory goes to God!
Another, Bible study has opened up at another university. Pray that God will continue his blessing on the Campus outreaches! – FD
CEBU CITY (9th Update, 9:56 p.m.) — The death toll from a series of earthquakes that struck Visayas Monday continues to increase with more and more bodies retrieved from buildings that collapsed and houses buried by landslides in Negros island.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported seven fatalities, but reports from the Philippine Army showed 43 people confirmed dead.
Some of the fatalities were recorded in Negros Oriental province. One of those confirmed dead was nine-year-old Bernadette Raidan, who was pinned down by a collapsed wall in Matuog Elementary School in Tayasan.
Another fatality, 11-year-old Anafe Estrabella, died after she was hit by a collapsed wall in a chapel in Jimalalud. The other victims remain unidentified.
The NDRRMC reported at least 12 people injured and several others missing, but their identities have yet to be known by authorities.
The government ordered local officials and disaster agencies to validate incident reports, evaluate damage to infrastructure and property, and assist the victims.
The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Negros and Cebu islands at 11:49 a.m. also wiped out five cottages owned by Comendador Beach Resort in La Libertad, Negros Oriental.
It remains to be seen, however, if the cottages were swallowed by advancing waters as a result of the earthquake, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
A three-storey Laturnas Building in the same municipality also collapsed, but the Philippine National Police is still trying to verify if someone died or got injured due to the incident.
Over 150 aftershocks were recorded by state seismologists hours after the 6.9-magnitude quake hit; the latest of which occurred around 8:29 p.m. 17 kilometers northwest of the epicenter, Tayasan, Negros Oriental.
The latest aftershock was felt at Intensity IV in Sibulan, Negros Occidental and Iloilo City; Intensity III in Dipolog City; Sipalay, Negros Occidental; Guimaras; Tagbilaran City; Cebu City; Dumarao and Dumanlag, Capiz; and Oton, Iloilo; and Intensity II in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique; and Bugo, Cagayan de Oro City.
The quake Monday prompted local officials to suspend classes and government work, while residents in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental suffered a blackout due to tripped power lines.
In Cebu City, panic enveloped the city due to tsunami scare brought by reports of rising seawater after the 6.9-magnitude earthquake. Elsewhere along the coast, people rushed out of schools, malls and offices.
Sun.Star traced the reports on the rise of seawater in the coastal village of Ermita in Cebu City. Alejandro Galledo of Barangay Ermita said seawaters rose after a fast-craft passed by the area.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lowered the tsunami alert at 2:30 p.m. after the threat of one-meter waves has dissipated.
“There is no more threat of unusual waves. There was no evacuation at alert level 2 and what was advised was for people to stay away from the shoreline and for people with houses near the coast to be watchful,” Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum told Sun.Star.
Solidum said, however, that weaker quakes are expected to continue until next week.
As of this posting, several residents who earlier evacuated to higher grounds following the tsunami warning refused to go home despite the lifting of the alert Monday afternoon.
Tayasan police officer Alfred Vicente Silvosa told The Associated Press by phone that aftershocks were preventing people from returning to their homes.
“We are outside, at the town plaza. We cannot inspect buildings yet because it’s dangerous,” Silvosa said. “I felt the building shaking, so I rushed out of the building. Our computers, shelves, plates, the cupboards, water dispenser all fell.”
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Vice Admiral Edmund Tan, however, directed his units to allow any ships and other water crafts to sail or to venture out to sea after the tsunami alert was lifted.
“However, PCG search and rescue units and deployable response groups (DRG) in the respective units are still on full alert for possible deployment in case of another strong earthquake,” Coast Guard public affairs chief Lieutenant Commander Algier Ricafrente said in a text message.
Immediately after a series of earthquakes jolted parts of Visayas and Mindanao, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona directed the agency’s field health units from the affected provinces to quickly respond to the situation.
Ona advised the public to ensure safety by staying away from structures that have been damaged or compromised due to the magnitude of the quake and to seek immediate medical attention for injuries.
For its part, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said quick response teams have been alerted to assist local government units in assessing the impact of Monday’s shaking.
“Rest assured that concerned DSWD regional offices have enough standby funds and supplies, ready for distribution to affected local government units,” Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said.
The Philippines sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire” where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. About 20 earthquakes hit the country everyday but only a few are felt. (Virgil Lopez/AP/Sunnex)
MANILA, Philippines – A strong earthquake in the central Philippines killed at least 13 people Monday as it destroyed buildings and triggered landslides that buried dozens of houses, trapping residents. At least 29 people were missing.
The 6.8-magnitude quake, in a narrow strait just off Negros Island, caused a landslide in Guihulngan, a city of about 180,000 people in Negros Oriental province. As many as 30 houses were buried and at least 29 people were missing, Mayor Ernesto Reyes said.
“Their situation is bad because if you are covered by landslide for one hour, two hours, how can you breathe?” he said. “But we just hope for the best, that there are still survivors.”
Rescuers were using picks and shovels to dig for survivors, he said.
At least 10 people were confirmed dead, including students at a college and an elementary school and others in a town market that collapsed, Reyes said. About 100 were injured.
The quake, which hit at 11:49 a.m., triggered another landslide in the mountain village of Solongon in La Libertad town, also in Negros Oriental. An unknown number of people were trapped, said La Libertad police chief inspector Eric Arrol Besario.
“We’re now getting shovels and chain saws to start a rescue because there were people trapped inside. Some of them were yelling for help earlier,” Besario told The Associated Press by phone. Three key bridges in the town suffered cracks and were no longer passable, he said.
Philippine seismologists briefly issued a tsunami alert for the central islands. Five bamboo and wooden cottages were washed out from a beach resort in La Libertad by huge waves, but there were no reports of injuries, said police Superintendent Ernesto Tagle. Elsewhere along the coast, people rushed out of schools, malls and offices.
The epicenter was closest to Tayasan, a coastal town of about 32,000 people flanked by mountains in Negros Oriental province. Two died there, including a child when a concrete fence of a house collapsed, said Benito Ramos, head of the Office of Civil Defense.
Another child was killed in a church when a wall collapsed during a funeral in Negros Oriental’s Jimalalud town, Mayor Reynaldo Tuanda said.
Tayasan police officer Alfred Vicente Silvosa told The AP by phone that aftershocks were preventing people from returning to their homes. Seismologists recorded nearly 45 aftershocks.
“We are outside, at the town plaza. We cannot inspect buildings yet because it’s dangerous,” Silvosa said. “I felt the building shaking, so I rushed out of the building. Our computers, shelves, plates, the cupboards, water dispenser all fell.”
A three-story office building also collapsed in La Libertad, but occupants managed to run out.
Negros Oriental police chief Edward Carranza said the temblor damaged many houses in Guihulngan and he ordered his men to help displaced residents find shelter.
Officials in some areas suspended work and canceled classes. Power and telecommunications were knocked out in several places.
Carranza said police rushed out of his building when the quake struck. “All my personnel ran out fearing our building would collapse,” he said.
“Now it’s shaking again,” he said as an aftershock hit. “My keychain is dancing.”
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 44 miles north of Dumaguete city on Negros and hit at a depth of 29 miles. The area is about 400 miles southeast of the capital, Manila.
The Philippines is located in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A 7.7-magnitude quake killed nearly 2,000 people in Luzon in 1990
Pagan Leader of Cebu named Prince Lapulapu, the one who killed Ferdinand Magellan.
Jan – March Prayer Letter 2012
Dear Friends & Supporters:
I arrived back here in Cebu on Jan. 7, 2012, and we have been extremely busy since. We had a great turn out for our church anniversary service, and 6 people came forward during the invitation for salvation. It has been great to see the spiritual growth of the young people in the church. They indeed have learned a lot, and I am humbled to see how God has blessed our efforts in training them. It is a great blessing to see the nationals here with a great passion to win souls, and to support more Filipino missionaries to foreign fields. These people are not too poor to give, though they are poor. They give of themselves, and give their hearts. It is an honor to be around such people who are rich in the Lord, not in earthly riches, but still are content.
Please pray for the area of radio ministry, that God would lead me to the right station, to have the best deal for airtime with most ready audience for the gospel. Airtime on the radio waves has since gone up in price since the last time I checked. However, I know God will work it all out. Also, I will be trying to get into the colleges to hold Bible studies after class hours. If we can get at least a small group of students interested to invite others, and pass out flyers coupled with a cooperative administration, I am sure that we can penetrate these universities with light of the Gospel.
Back in 2009 I was privileged to enter into the prisons here and preach the Gospel to the prisoners. During that time, the husband of one of our church members was saved. Since then, he’s really grown spiritually and the inmates have been telling me that he went from “Robber to Preacher”. What a testament of God’s power! We praise the Lord that He has called a family from Rock of Ages Prison Ministry to help in reaching and training the inmates who have trusted Christ as savior. Please pray as we make preparations for our first, annual, week-long, youth revival this May, and also for the power of God during our summer camps.
Your Servant in Missions,
Frank Denisi
PS: Please note my new Vonage™ number 423-388-4337.
Pray for the people in Northern Mindanao. There was a flash flood that was spawned from a late-season tropical storm in the area. These are the Cebuano people. The same people group that I work with, but not in the same area in which I work. Our church is located about 300 miles North of where the hardest hit area was. One pastor named Bro. Morales sadly lost his 3 children in the flood. He was pastoring in Iligan City. Over 1,000 people have died. And a crate of Cebuano-KJV Bibles costing tens of thousands of dollars was swept out to see. These people need prayer, and we know God WILL get the glory. He is worthy, and He is still God! (More information to come) – FD, 12-23-11
Mambajao Bible Baptist Church
Comon, Mambajao, 9100 Camiguin Island
PHILIPPINES
Mobile: +639167462729
Email: mbbc_camiguin@yahoo.com
NOTE: This is a letter from one the Pastor’s whom he helped during every stage of his church plant. You will enjoy reading this. Praise the Lord! – Bro. Frank
Dear Christians,
ABOUT THE ISLAND The island-province of Camiguin is a pear-shaped volcanic island in the northern tip of Mindanao. It is approximately 90 kilometers north of the City of Cagayan de Oro. It is bounded to the north by Bohol Sea, to the west by Macajalar Bay, to the southeast by Gingoog Bay and to the east by Butuan Bay.
Camiguin is the smallest province in Northern Mindanao, with its land area pegged at 29,187 hectares. It is composed of five towns, namely, Mambajao – the capital town, Mahinog, Guinsiliban, Sagay and Catarman. The island plays host to seven volcanoes, including the still-active Mount Hibok-Hibok. According to the National Statistics Office, Camiguin has a total population of 74,232 precious souls, making the province the second smallest in the Philippines in terms of population.
Among the Province’s major products are coconut, cassava, banana, camote, palay, corn, fruits, coffee and vegetables. Camiguin’s volcanic soil has proved to be a fertile ground for planting various crops. At present, the Provincial government is looking into an agricultural program that would increase the cultivation of fruit trees and vegetables in Camiguin. The Province is also among the best abaca fiber producers in the country. Camiguin is proud of its natural resources, which include sulfur deposits, geothermal energy, agricultural lands and fishing grounds.
The Camiguin culture is a mixture of both Boholano and Cebuano culture. It is very colorful and creative. The people are deeply religious devout catholics, hospitable and friendly, but without Christ- hell bound. Cebuano is the major dialect in the Province. However, in the towns of Sagay and Guinsiliban, where most of the indigenous tribes reside, the Kinamiguin dialect is still spoken. Kinamiguin is derived from the Manobo dialect with some mixture of Boholano.
ABOUT THE MAN OF GOD El Ross Simon Saberola was the pioneering Pastor of Mambajao Bible Baptist Church. He graduated his Pastoral Theology at Pillar of Truth Bible Institute, a ministry of Bible Baptist Church, Gingoog City in 2002. In the same year He prayerfully decided to leave his hometown and head to the Island of Camiguin to start knocking on doors winning people to Christ. With struggles and challenges many times he was tempted to quit but the Grace of God is sufficient and with the prayers of God’s people the Lord has used him humbly to establish from 2002 to present what is now a lighthouse in the town of Mambajao.
Before he got saved his life has been ruined by our adversary, he has been a drug addict, selling drugs, imprisoned in sin, having a useless and meaningless life. Satan’s desire for every youth today is to pull them away from God. But Wonderful and Amazing is the Love of God, he has been set free by the Blood of the Lamb.
ABOUT THE CHURCH The work was started with no believers, no church property, only with God’s faithfulness and promises and sufficient grace. Since the Island is a Devout Catholic, many events that our Bible studies where threatened. The catholic nuns went to their homes and warned them if they will still welcome us for Bible Studies their houses will be confiscated ( the catholic nuns administers housing developments financed by the government ). There was a time that a man stopped me in the road, drunk and with a gun in his hand and asked me to stop going to his uncle’s house for Bible studies. Many challenges that tempted me to quit the ministry, the first four years we never had attendance on worship services. It seems that we never had fruits that remains, so discouraged and cried to the Lord and realized “the battle is not yours, but of God”.
After five years struggling to stay by God’s grace in His will, through the faithful prayers and support of our partners, Mambajao Bible Baptist Church was organized with 28 Baptized Believers. And now we are enjoying to see people getting saved, follows the Lord in Baptism and serving involving in the ministries. We are imperfect people, saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ, and growing in serving a Perfect God.
MBBC is now by God’s grace involve in Supporting Missionaries, we are just a very small church but we do believe in the Great Commission, mostly of our people are poor farmers but they learned by God’s grace to sacrifice for the Lord’s work. It has been our desire and prayer that MBBC will grow a Mission Minded and a Soul Winning Church for God’s Glory and Honour. MBBC goes out weekly distributing Gospel tracts and teaching Good News classes to children in slam areas. Our Gideon’s are men of the Church, they are active in Fellowship and they are trained to handle responsibilities in the Church for God’s glory. Our Dorcas, ladies of the church holds their cottage fellowship in their respective homes. And our Youth Department does the Children’s Ministry and cleaning our church facilities.
ABOUT OUR PRAYER We do believe in the power of prayer, we are enjoying victory and blessings because prayer moves the hand of God at work. Your prayers are more than enough to let God do His amazing ways, Psalm 118:23 “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes”.
Please include MBBC in your prayers, we are praying for God’s victory in destroying the stronghold of satan here in the Island. That people might get save and serve the Living God, that they may be set free from the bondage of sin and satan’s false hopes and lies.
We are praying for our Church Building, our MBBC family are sacrificing in selling chickens and pigs to help build the church building. Our old Church Building has no walls, during Worship Services we have to find place where we could hide from the sunlight and if it rains we have to find a place not to be wet. The Lord has given us a new property, we started to build a new meeting place from it and we plan to use the old building for Sunday School Rooms. We are praying that God would use you to partner with us in our Church Building Project. Everything was started by faith and surely it will stand and be completed with faith.
Most of our people are from poor family of farmers but joyfully serving the Lord, we could use and distribute some old clothes you could extend for us here in the Island.
The Denisi Family, missionary to the Philippines- has been a blessing to us. You could ask them information about how the Lord has been working with us and with your faithfulness we could be in partner in the Furtherance of the Gospel.
Sincerely Because of God’s Love,
Pastor El Ross S. Saberola
Mambajao Bible Baptist Church
Philippines
Dear Praying Friends & Supporters,
DEPUTATION OVER! - I just wanted to tell you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This year has been a great year. We saw hundreds come to Christ at our ministry in Cebu this past year. I had the privilege to personally lead more people to the Lord this year, than the previous year, and God is just really blessing. By God’s grace, I will be heading back to the Philippines by turn of the New Year! Thank you for each and every one of you who helped me while I was on deputation. I have been blessed by you praying for me, and I feel privileged to partner with you and represent you in the Philippines with the Gospel. Pray for me as I will go and continue to reach the lost in the Philippines.
VEHICHLE STILL NEEDED – Some of you have asked about needs that I have upon my arrival back in the Philippines. I still do need about $4,000 for a 4×4 vehicle. This will be used to reach the mountainous areas to bring the gospel to the people. If you would like to help, you can send your gift to BIMI at the address below. I gratefully thank those of you who already gave to this project.
NEXT TERM GOALS – Somebody once said, “If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” For those of you who know me, I am quite goal driven. My two main goals are to see the church that we started in Cebu to be indigenous, and to be able to move onto our new church property. Please, pray for us to see those two goals accomplished, and of course for souls to be won, baptized and discipled. That of course is the main goal! Also please pray for my preacher boys, Emmanuel, Aldane, Azer, Ray Jean, Joseph and Tyrone, for their spiritual growth, and a great heart for God and soul-winning.
MERRY CHRISTMAS – Thank you for the faithful financial support, prayer and encouragement. Thank you also to all those who sent Christmas gifts, and Christmas cards, and greetings! May you have a great Christmas time together with friends and family, but please don’t forget that while we celebrate the birth of Christ, there are billions who still don’t know the wonderful and life- changing Christmas story. God bless you all and “Merry Christmas”, or as they say in Tagalog, “Ma-li-gay-ang Pas-ko”!
Your Servant in Missions,
Frank Denisi
PS: My US cellphone number will be canceled when I had back to the Philippines. But I will have a Vonage number that will work over there.
When you think of the Philippines you think of freedom of religion right? Wrong! Many churches in the Philippines would be considered underground churches. These are churches that can not display a church sign, and hotly persecuted by the Catholics and/or Muslims in the area of the churches. I was privileged to preach at underground baptist church this summer. Would to God that God would bless these faithful pastors who are laboring in dangerous and unsafe places. Would do to God that we would actually pray for the underground churches in the Philippines, many of which are in Mindanao. Please, help me to pray for these churches that are all over the Philippines and in Mindanao especially. Souls need to be won, and we have the Lord of lords and the King of kings on our side!
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