Hosea Ministry International
Greetings once again from the sunny Philippines!
Nothing excites me more than hearing about healing miracles that the Lord has done! There were many healings in my recent Philippines trip, but I will just share one of them…
A man in one of our Hosea congregations had been told that he was in urgent need of a kidney operation. His condition was assessed to be so serious that if the operation was not performed, he would die. But such an operation is very expensive. When the man heard that I was coming to the Philippines, he decided to come to be prayed for first, even though his surgery date was already set. I didn't know what was wrong with him, but I prayed for the Lord's healing touch upon him.
The man then went along to the hospital at the appointed time and was examined once more before the scheduled operation began. The examining doctor was confused and explained to the man that something miraculous had happened: the examination showed that the man had a new kidney! And of course the doctor couldn’t understand how this was possible.
The man’s name is Lakay and he is a poor tricycle rickshaw driver. Lakay returned home healthy and he then came to the meeting to tell of how God had healed him. Now he testifies to everyone about his faith and the healing power of Christ! As we read in Job 42:2 "Is anything impossible for the Lord to do?"
Medical mission
We organized a medical mission once again. There was a medical team of four from Finland and four from Norway and we worked together with the local medical team. On the Finnish team were Dr Markus Lastikka and dental specialist Heidi Arponen. Markus and Heidi did a really wonderful job! Thanks also to the Norwegian team!
Heidi however was saddened to see the poor standard of local dental care: often they don't know how to repair or preserve a tooth so it is simply extracted, which is often the cheapest option. Local medics included a specialist in psychiatry and four dentists.
While the medical mission was being held, there were two surprise terrorist attacks on the island -- one in the centre and the other at the far southeast end. They specifically targeted Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro, where Hosea has two congregations. We had previously conducted a medical mission in Mansalay, but this time we couldn't go there. NPA terrorists controlled the tribal villages in the mountain region. Many areas were too dangerous, so we only stayed in safe areas.
Our school festivals
We organized the annual festivals of our Hosea schools earlier than usual this year, in order that our team members from Norway and Finland could watch the performances of our school children. The children performed national dances from different Philippine islands. Many islands have their own songs and dances, so our guests got to know the country's cultural traditions through the children’s performances. Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Blessings
Anne
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