PHILIPPINES | ORO BIBLE COLLEGE September

Sister Nely Gamayon, Director of OBC, recently reported as follows….

“Greetings from the Philippines.

We praise the Lord! OBC was able to celebrate its 43rd Foundation Day on September 17, 2013. This year’s celebration was a simple one compared to our celebrations in the past. We just held a thanksgiving service with the preschool parents and pupils, the AB theology students with some of their parents, a few alumni and some friends. Our speaker was Pastor Jess P. Gawangon, the new pastor of Maranatha and a part-time faculty at OBC. No food or snacks was prepared for the speaker, the alumni, parents and students. We are thankful to God for His faithfulness to us through these years. We are confident that nothing shall hinder us from fulfilling the mission and vision of OBC. We are committed to obey Him and fulfill His purposes for the college and for us. Even if we are experiencing financial crisis, we are determined to finish what we have committed to do. This is our covenant with God. And so, we celebrated with gladness in our hearts. We continue to look forward to more miracles that God is going to do.

Eugene, (left in picture at right) our alumni who is doing ministry in Zamboanga attended the celebration and he brought two of his converts with him. Yesterday, at Chapel, Eugene preached and gave his testimony of how God miraculously helped him and his members escape from the rebels in Zamboanga. He is ministering in one of the barangays that was really the center of the conflict between the government forces and the rebels. Some of the people coming to his church on Sundays and decided to stay behind are still held hostage until today. The houses, including the fellowship center where he also lived was burned and ransacked. He has nothing to come back to, but he is still determined to go back and continue his ministry when this war is over. Please continue to pray for him and his members.

The AB Theology students presented their interpretation of “Awesome God – From Creation to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (left)

The thanksgiving service was also a time of witness for the parents and families of the preschool pupils. The Speaker preached on the faithfulness of God and His fulfillment of His promise because He has made a covenant with His people. There were parents seen crying during the praise and worship and the challenge.

The final presentation was a combination of the college and preschool students. They interpreted the song: “Chosen Generation”. Mizpah Joy Zambas, an alumni now working as the Registrar of the College taught the student presentations. (Picture below)

As to your request on the amount for the tents needed at the outreach community for the children’s ministry and adult Bible study. I asked Reniel to look around for the prices of what they need.

• Tent/tarpaulin (custom made)     – 12,000 pesos (NZ$335)
• Children’s chairs (60 @ 230)         13,800 pesos (NZ$382)
• Feeding for Children (month)        2,500 pesos per month (NZ$70)

Please pray for the baptism of some members of the Bible study that the faculty and students are doing in the area. It is the objective of OBC that a church will really be formed in that area.

*For the faculty apartments – the work for the first apartment is almost over. The work went on for three weeks. A couple from Beachville Advent Christian Church, Florida donated for the repair. I asked the engineer for computations; after inspecting the apartments he came up with the following costs:

• Apartment 2 – P 79,434.39 (NZ$2,200)
• Apartment 3 – P 64,405.65 (NZ$1,785)
• Apartment 4 – P 96,464.38 (NZ$2,693)

 Thank you very much for your continued support to OBC.

Sincerely in Christ,

Sister Nely”

*(I had asked Sister Nely for these estimates to repair the internal termite damage in the four faculty apartments in the Silver Fern Apartment block, which New Zealand donors largely funded some years ago. Severe termite infestation occurred as a result of the flooding that was experienced in Cagayan de Oro last year. Picture at right.  Ernie Schache)