PHILIPPINES – Report from ORO BIBLE COLLEGE – December 2014

Dear Brethren in the Lord,

Thank you very much for your prayers and support to the ministry of Oro Bible College. As we started the classes for the second semester, the students and faculty, individually and as a group had a wonderful opportunity to share God’s Word and to minister to the people who needed God’s love.

On December 5, the Director was invited to speak before the parole and probation section of the Department of Justice for Region 10. Students as well were able to interpret through a dance the message of the song, “We Were the Reason.” Many stood up to accept the gift of eternal life when the challenge was made.

December 7 was OBC Sunday at Maranatha Bible Church, Cagayan de Oro. Since Pastor Jess Gawangon  became the pastor of the church, OBC is given one Sunday every year to promote the ministry of the college. Students, faculty and staff preached God’s Word, taught Sunday School to the children and adults, led praise and worship and conducted the sacrament of the Lord’s supper.

(above) Student Presentations

In February 2015, OBC Sunday will be in Claveria Advent Christian Church.

For the NSTP this semester, the students under the tutorship of Miss Minda Lipanta, participated in the tree planting activity of the government through the Department of Agriculture.

(Above) Tutorials for the children in the identified community outreach continue with the students taking NSTP and Ministry Skills.
Maam Minda Lipanta also celebrated her 60^th birthday with the OBC Faculty, staff and students thanking God for the gift of life.  The college also celebrated her 28 years of service and ministry to God and His people. Maam Minda is due to retire; but her service and ministry is so needed that she has to wait for two or three more years and she is still willing to do that while waiting for God’s provision for retirement benefits. We praise God for her devotion and commitment to help raise pastors and church leaders as she ministered to God at OBC. The faculty, staff and students were blessed by her life and also enjoyed the sumptuous meal that followed the service.

    December 19, we celebrated Christmas with a service commemorating the birth of our Savior and Lord. We meditated on God’s Word through the message given by Maam Nely. The Faculty, staff and students sang songs of worship and praise to our God. The students gave their presentations on the Christmas story.  The program ended with dinner donated by the faculty, staff and students. Most important of all, in celebrating Christmas, we emphasized more the reson for the celebration as revealed in the Word of God rather than be influenced on the commercialism and materialism that is slowly replacing the sacredness of the birth of the only Son of God who emptied Himself and put on humanity to save us from our sins and to give us eternal life with Him in eternity.

 The students also had the opportunity to assists in the feeding and tutorial activity at the identified community outreach. A good Christian friend of the students donated for the activity.

We also praise God for healing our faculty, Pastor Reniel. His recent lab tests showed improvement in his medical condition.

Please pray with us for the following prayer items:

1. Funds for repairs at the faculty apartments
2. Repairs for the admin building: the finance office destroyed by termites
3. Repairs on the boys’ dorm floors and painting needs
4. Repairs needed for the preschool building: roof, ceiling, division, painting for grills and rooftop
5. Painting for gates of faculty apartments and the main gate of the college
6. Putting up trenches to prevent the water from coming into the buildings during heavy rains
7. Funds for the retirement of three faculty
8. More students for the next school year
9. Application for Senior High School
10. Quality assurance monitoring system be put up and approved by CHED
11. Project proposal and feasibility study for the Physical Development Plan
12. Health of our faculty and staff who are on medication

Again, thank you so very much for all your prayers and financial support. Merry Christmas everyone and a blessed new year to all. God be praised in our lives and ministry.

Sincerely in Christ,

Nely A. Gamayon

Director