Activities in the month of September

September 1, I started the month with our study with the preachers through the help of brother Rody in our preachers’ bible study. He discussed to us the book of “1 Chronicles”. In our study, we had the outline of the whole book and some questions we needed to answer. Brother Rody gave us a Xerox copy of the book he is using in teaching to us.  After our study, we talked about the upcoming Gospel Preachings here in Cagayan with the arrival of brother Chip Foster and brother Harry Osborne on November. I will join in the preaching travels and also help in the work.

In the evening, we visited brother Randy Viernes and his family. When we arrived at their house, only his son and daughter were there. We were told that their parents run to the hospital to bring the brother of Randy because of his illness. After about 15 minutes, brother Randy and his wife arrive. So we started with the bible study (Proverbs 1) and held a prayer for their whole family including his brother who is in the hospital.

September 2, we continued to study the book of acts in our midweek service. I am happy and proud that with our effort to visit the brethren, our attendance this Wednesday increases. This is our problem, every Sunday, our attendance here in Tuguegarao averages 120 but on Wednesday’s, we only have 20 to 30, but in this Wednesday, we are almost 50. I preached to them “Acts 8” about the Conversion of the Samarians including Simon who sinned because of his intention to buy what power the apostles have and the conversion of the Eunuch.

September 3, we again have our home visitation and this time, we were at brother Flor Constantino’s house. The house in under renovation and so we stayed in the largest area of the room. The workers are with us during our bible study. They are from Apparri. Brother Rody preached “If you are IN Christ and OUTSIDE Christ”. Brother Jun and brother Jay led the singing while I led the opening prayer. Brother Jerome started with words of wisdom using the bible before going to our bible study.

September 4, we went to Minagbag, Quezon for the home bible study. In the activity, brother Jay and July led the opening songs while I led the opening prayer. Brother Rody preached to us about “You Cannot Hide Sin”. We take this chance to let him preach because he is not always with us because of the work in Manila. After the study, brother Jun led the closing song and brother Jerome with the closing prayer. After the study, we talked to the brethren and encourages them to continue with the faith even though there are have many struggles with their daily lives.

September 6, in our first Sunday of the month and the joy of every Christian to worship the Lord we are again gathered to study his words. In our bible study here in Tuguegarao, brother Jerome preach to us “Church in Philadelphia and Laodecia” and in the sermon, brother Rody preached “What is the remaining rest?” My family had a problem in this day because when I arrived home after our bible study at Minagbag, my wife and two kids are having a fever and that same night, I also experience this sickness. We are all not feeling well, but we make sure that we will attend our worship. But in the afternoon, because I am not well and feeling dizzy, brother Rody is the one who went to preach at Palca. I heard that some of the brethren there also are experiencing sickness like Flu, fever and Sore Eyes.

September 7, in our preachers’ bible study, brother Rody discussed to us the book of “2 Chronicles”. We again have the outline of the book and some discussions to extend more our knowledge regarding the book.

September 9, in our midweek service here at Tuguegarao, brother Rody preached to us “Acts 9” the encounter of Saul with Jesus and his obedience to him.

September 10, in our next home visitation, we went to Enrile at the house of the Mabatan’s. It was a little bit dark in their place and made my eyes sore when reading the bible. I preached to them “Romans 5”. Just beside their house was the chapel of the Mormons and we are told that they are coming to their house to invite them in their church, but instead of saying yes, they are questioning the wrong doctrines they are preaching. After that, they already stop coming. It is good to hear about the brethren fighting for their faith, even though they needed to travel for 20 minutes to worship in Tuguegarao, they do not mind because they know they are in the truth and not the church that is beside them.

September 11, we went to Dagupan, Tuao to have a home bible study at brother Enzo Simangan’s house. They are members are Palca where I am preaching. I led the opening song together with brother Jay and Jerome led the prayer. Brother Jun preached to us about “You cannot hide sin”. After our study, brother Enzo opened to us his problem with his children. He is really trying to convert them to be faithful. All of his children were already baptized and already have families but they already neglect their obligation to God. He wanted us to pray for them and maybe in the other time when we visit them again, they will be joining us.

September 13, in our worship service here at Tuguegarao, brother Jun preached in our bible study about “The right and wrong way to cover sin” and in the sermon, brother Jerome preached “The church I am a member of”.

In the afternoon, I needed again to travel 50 minutes to be with the brethren at Palca. I preached to them about “The persecution of the church”. I gave to them the examples that we can read in the book of Acts and also the kind of persecution we are now experiencing from our surroundings.

Serptember 15, we visit brother Marlon Guiyab and his family. Before we even started, they asked us to include their mother in our prayers because she was hospitalized. After our study, they will go the hospital and take care of her. I started the work by leading a prayer that we included her mother and brother Jun preached to us “You cannot hide sin”. Brother Jerome also included the lesson we can learn from King Hezekiah to trust the Lord the He will do the best thing in our lives.

September 16, in our midweek service here at Metro Tuguegarao brother Jay preached to us “Acts 10” the conversion of the good man, Cornelius.

September 18, we went to Alibago, Enrile for a bible study. We were at sister Aning’s house together with the brethren who came to join us. Brother Jerome preached to us “2 John” while brother Jun led the singing, jay led the opening prayer and me in the closing prayer. After the study, brother Jerome and the brethren talked about the possibility of moving of the worship place because the owner of the lot where the building stands wanted to get the land already. I heard that, the Sunday after this conversation, they already had the worship underneath a tree near sister Henya’s house.

September 20, in our worship here at Tuguegarao, brother Jun preached in our bible study about “No one cares for my soul” and in the sermon, brother Jerome preached “Our response to materialism”.

In the afternoon at Palca, I preached to them about “Immanuel”. I saw this outline material from brother Joe Price’s website and it is also the word I am hearing all week in the TV and radio because of the celebration of the Catholics on Christmas so I decided to study his outline and presented to the brethren at Palca.

September 22, we do not have any scheduled home visitation so I decided to go to sister Dina and visit her because last Sunday, her mother, sister Angelina, told me that she is sick that’s why she didn’t attend our service. We prayed all together with her mother and siblings.

September 23, in our midweek service here at Tuguegarao, I preached “Acts 11” about the explanation of Peter on what had happened in Acts 10 and the growth of the church.

September 25, we went to Maguirig, Solana for a home bible study. Brother Jerome preached to us about “Being Steadfast”. One sister who is with us have illness and after the study, she just started crying and so we asked her parents why. They told us that she needed again to buy her medicines to make her thinking normal. Brother Jun is the one giving the medicines to her and promises he will again give her for a month long medication.

September 27, in our worship service here at Tuguegarao, brother Jun preached in our bible study about “Noah” and in the sermon, brother Jerome preached to us about “HUMBLE”. After the service, brother Randy came to us and telling us the request of his son John Mark to be baptized. So John Mark came and confess his faith and was baptized into Christ. Another happy day for us as we welcome John Mark as our brother in Christ.

In the afternoon at Palca, I preached to them the “Value of being righteous”. It is such a good feeling when you a kind, humble, generous and etc. and that being said, the God in heaven is more happier than us when we do this righteous things. But sometimes, even when we are good to the people around us, they think of us as their enemy maybe because of jealousy or threat but still, we must not think of what people will say or do to us but to always think what God wants of us.

September 30, in our midweek service here at Tuguegarao, brother Jay preached to us “Acts 12” about Peter’s escape from Prison, the death of Herod and the journey of Paul and Barnabas.