Dear Friends,
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plan to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 29:11-12
We have been thinking a lot about these verses as we went through this last week…
Last Monday our area director came up to Baguio City for a meeting with us. We knew that this must be important news, as it’s a 7 hour bus trip to come here from Manila. The short of it is; we were told that we must leave a year early for our home service. This means that we would be coming home this summer sometime.
Of course this was not in our plans! We still have another year and more before we were suppose to be finished, but due to our low support level the council here has asked that we go back early and try to raise the support needed.
(Many missionaries in the past use to stay overseas for 4 years at a time and then 1 year in their home country. SEND still works that way mostly and that’s why we still had another year.)
We are saddened at the fact that we must leave our ministries that we have been working with a year early. It comes as a shock to our friends we are working with here. We have some great Filipino Christians that we know will do a great job continuing what has been started. God has a plan, even if we don’t understand it (Jer. 29:11)!
We would like to ask that you would keep us, and those we will be leaving behind, in your prayers. We have so much to do before we can be ready to go, packing, selling things, handing over ministries, making plans for when we return- housing, car, etc. It seems a bit overwhelming at times. Of course on the other side we are very excited to see everyone in the States, don’t feel like we don’t want to come home, it’s just hard under the circumstances.
SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?
On to lighter news now!
We are excited to tell you that as we speak Gilmer is on his way down south to Mindanao, with a group of our youth from our church, on their first missions trip. They will be there for 3 weeks working among the Muslims in that area. As I’m sure you know, Mindanao has a very big population of Muslims and the area that they are going to is a very needy one. It has been so neat seeing these youth excited about serving God and trusting Him to provide what they need. Many were very worried about being able to go due to finances, but the Lord provided- and even some of you helped make that possible! Thanks! It will be a very new experience for them since most have not traveled far from here, their first airplane trip should be exciting!
Here's Gilmer with the team during their commissioning service last Sunday.
Yes, that means that I am home with the kids. Nhaya is still in school, since hers is on the American schedule, so we couldn’t go with them. I’m sure we’ll be fine as the church ladies will take good care of us, making sure to help me when I need it.
MINISTRIES
Youth- Other than the missions trip, it has been going well. Even those youth that were not able to attend the missions trip have learned so much by watching how God has made it all possible.
Women’s – Our WOW (Women of the Word) group has been great. We changed the time and a lot more ladies are able to make it. Last month it was triple it was before! We also have started working with the women from the local battered women’s shelter, they come to the WOW meetings, and said they loved being with us and sharing- even just a little of what they have been through. Please pray for the ladies of the church to really have a heart for these girls (most are very young, under 16) they said that they don’t know how to help them or what to do. It’s a little uncomfortable for them both! It’s my prayer that they can just be open arms that will huge them and show them the love of Christ.
At our last trip to the Orphanage we feed them lunch!
Orphanage- We have been able to go to the orphanage twice since our last update, and we go again Saturday. There was a short term group here from Michigan that came for a couple week in March and they were able to raise some money for things that were needed. With the team, we fixed and painted their play ground and bought them some much needed sleeping pads. We also do a little program for the kids, some crafts, and snacks or lunch each time.
It kind of breaks our hearts going, just seeing little children with no one to love them. This orphanage is only for small children, the oldest being 8 years old but most are under 5 years old. Since we started going, 4 months ago, there have been 3 new newborns that have been abandoned add to the numbers. There are 27 children in all, I think.
Again this is a brand new ministry, please pray that it will be continued even after we leave and that those from our church will have a heart for these kids. Adoption is very rare here in the Philippines, as are foster families. The overall mentality here is, “look after your own.” With the poverty you find in a 3rd world country, almost everyone is helping their own family in some way, making it hard for most to see the needs of others not part of their family, like these kids in the orphanage.
FAMILY
Here's the kids with their friends at our Easter picnic in the park.
Our family is doing great. We just finished a week of vacation during holy week, and we were able to have some fun family times before Gilmer had to leave. Nhaya will be turning 7 on Sunday and is ecstatic! Caleb is getting excited about starting school and having fun playing with his friends from the church that are his age. Josiah is walking everywhere and trying to climb on everything. He still doesn’t say much other than “shoes” and “hello.” But I’m sure that will change pretty soon.
Other prayer requests
-Please keep our future plans in your prayers. With the closing of the field here in Manila we are trying to ask God what’s next for us. There are some opportunities to continue serving in the Philippines. So please pray that we will know what God wants us to do. We kind of need to make plans soon in order to figure out if we will need to sell everything or if we can store most of if for when we return.
-Please be praying that God will provide the support we need. We understand that these are hard times for those in the States too. We can only trust that God will provide if He wants us to return.
-As soon as we get back we need to be working on Gilmer getting his US citizenship. This is one of the things that we will need to complete before we can go back overseas.
In March my friend (Kate Appleby) from Bible School came for 3 weeks to visit. It was so nice having her here, she was a huge help during a very busy time. Thanks Kate!
We can’t thank you enough for your prayers, support, and encouragement during our time in the Philippines! Thanks for partnering with us to serve the Filipinos. We couldn’t have done it alone. May God bless each of you for your service to Him.
In His Service,
Gilmer and Julie Paden
(Nhaya, Caleb, and Josiah too)
SEND Philippines
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plan to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 29:11-12
We have been thinking a lot about these verses as we went through this last week…
Last Monday our area director came up to Baguio City for a meeting with us. We knew that this must be important news, as it’s a 7 hour bus trip to come here from Manila. The short of it is; we were told that we must leave a year early for our home service. This means that we would be coming home this summer sometime.
Of course this was not in our plans! We still have another year and more before we were suppose to be finished, but due to our low support level the council here has asked that we go back early and try to raise the support needed.
(Many missionaries in the past use to stay overseas for 4 years at a time and then 1 year in their home country. SEND still works that way mostly and that’s why we still had another year.)
We are saddened at the fact that we must leave our ministries that we have been working with a year early. It comes as a shock to our friends we are working with here. We have some great Filipino Christians that we know will do a great job continuing what has been started. God has a plan, even if we don’t understand it (Jer. 29:11)!
We would like to ask that you would keep us, and those we will be leaving behind, in your prayers. We have so much to do before we can be ready to go, packing, selling things, handing over ministries, making plans for when we return- housing, car, etc. It seems a bit overwhelming at times. Of course on the other side we are very excited to see everyone in the States, don’t feel like we don’t want to come home, it’s just hard under the circumstances.
SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?
On to lighter news now!
We are excited to tell you that as we speak Gilmer is on his way down south to Mindanao, with a group of our youth from our church, on their first missions trip. They will be there for 3 weeks working among the Muslims in that area. As I’m sure you know, Mindanao has a very big population of Muslims and the area that they are going to is a very needy one. It has been so neat seeing these youth excited about serving God and trusting Him to provide what they need. Many were very worried about being able to go due to finances, but the Lord provided- and even some of you helped make that possible! Thanks! It will be a very new experience for them since most have not traveled far from here, their first airplane trip should be exciting!
Here's Gilmer with the team during their commissioning service last Sunday.
Yes, that means that I am home with the kids. Nhaya is still in school, since hers is on the American schedule, so we couldn’t go with them. I’m sure we’ll be fine as the church ladies will take good care of us, making sure to help me when I need it.
MINISTRIES
Youth- Other than the missions trip, it has been going well. Even those youth that were not able to attend the missions trip have learned so much by watching how God has made it all possible.
Women’s – Our WOW (Women of the Word) group has been great. We changed the time and a lot more ladies are able to make it. Last month it was triple it was before! We also have started working with the women from the local battered women’s shelter, they come to the WOW meetings, and said they loved being with us and sharing- even just a little of what they have been through. Please pray for the ladies of the church to really have a heart for these girls (most are very young, under 16) they said that they don’t know how to help them or what to do. It’s a little uncomfortable for them both! It’s my prayer that they can just be open arms that will huge them and show them the love of Christ.
At our last trip to the Orphanage we feed them lunch!
Orphanage- We have been able to go to the orphanage twice since our last update, and we go again Saturday. There was a short term group here from Michigan that came for a couple week in March and they were able to raise some money for things that were needed. With the team, we fixed and painted their play ground and bought them some much needed sleeping pads. We also do a little program for the kids, some crafts, and snacks or lunch each time.
It kind of breaks our hearts going, just seeing little children with no one to love them. This orphanage is only for small children, the oldest being 8 years old but most are under 5 years old. Since we started going, 4 months ago, there have been 3 new newborns that have been abandoned add to the numbers. There are 27 children in all, I think.
Again this is a brand new ministry, please pray that it will be continued even after we leave and that those from our church will have a heart for these kids. Adoption is very rare here in the Philippines, as are foster families. The overall mentality here is, “look after your own.” With the poverty you find in a 3rd world country, almost everyone is helping their own family in some way, making it hard for most to see the needs of others not part of their family, like these kids in the orphanage.
FAMILY
Here's the kids with their friends at our Easter picnic in the park.
Our family is doing great. We just finished a week of vacation during holy week, and we were able to have some fun family times before Gilmer had to leave. Nhaya will be turning 7 on Sunday and is ecstatic! Caleb is getting excited about starting school and having fun playing with his friends from the church that are his age. Josiah is walking everywhere and trying to climb on everything. He still doesn’t say much other than “shoes” and “hello.” But I’m sure that will change pretty soon.
Other prayer requests
-Please keep our future plans in your prayers. With the closing of the field here in Manila we are trying to ask God what’s next for us. There are some opportunities to continue serving in the Philippines. So please pray that we will know what God wants us to do. We kind of need to make plans soon in order to figure out if we will need to sell everything or if we can store most of if for when we return.
-Please be praying that God will provide the support we need. We understand that these are hard times for those in the States too. We can only trust that God will provide if He wants us to return.
-As soon as we get back we need to be working on Gilmer getting his US citizenship. This is one of the things that we will need to complete before we can go back overseas.
In March my friend (Kate Appleby) from Bible School came for 3 weeks to visit. It was so nice having her here, she was a huge help during a very busy time. Thanks Kate!
We can’t thank you enough for your prayers, support, and encouragement during our time in the Philippines! Thanks for partnering with us to serve the Filipinos. We couldn’t have done it alone. May God bless each of you for your service to Him.
In His Service,
Gilmer and Julie Paden
(Nhaya, Caleb, and Josiah too)
SEND Philippines
Comments