Monday, August 10, 2009

When it rains, it pours

Where most of our church family bathes- They have no running water.

Beautiful Pilipino babies- I want to bring one home!

A couple of the ladies we are discipling


Darrel, one of the street boys, and part of our ministry sitting outside the place where he and other boys sleep. A tarp is fixed under a building deck.
Greetings from your wet friends and missionaries in Baguio, Philippines. We are in the middle of the rainy season and have experienced a few storms this month. Since we are on an island in the Pacific, the Philippines suffers from typhoons, monsoon rains, and landslides. With houses made of scrapmetal and other assorted items, it can be a dangerous place for the poor. His Heart ministry is helping to assist one family in our church right now. Last week, their house slid down the mountain during a storm. The mother Vilma was outside at the time of the landslide. She is bruised but miraculously okay. Thank you for your prayer and support that enables us to help families like these rebuild their lives.

In other news, we are in exciting times for the ministry. As some of you know, we have searching and praying for a building to house a center for months now. Well, this month an amazing door has opened. We have found a building right in the community where we minister. It is literally only a 10 minute walk for our families! Please pray for Angela, the His Heart Director, as she negotiates and attempts to secure the place. The building will provide showers for the street people, house discipleship classes and retreats, store emergency food and relief, and better establish our work in the community. We are ready to step into a new phase and opportunites to bring the Kingdom to Baguio.
In the last few weeks, we have seen steady growth in attendance at our house churches. People are being touched and are spreading the Word. New families are coming in. God is doing what He does best- knocking on peoples' hearts. :)

On a personal note, Paige has been taking more intense language lessons and is gaining more confidence in Tagalog (Pilipino national language). Kent is working non-stop on seminary requirements and ministry. The trimester will end September 5th with the last of the the finals.
We have been trying new foods lately as we fellowship with friends from all over Asia at the seminary. Recent cuisine includes authentic Thai and Myanmar/Burmese food. Don't ask what. You may not want to know. :)
God bless you and your families as you settle into a new school year and close out the summer. Thank you for investing in us and the call He has on our lives.
Blessings from Baguio,
Kent and Paige Parrish

3 comments:

Leslie said...

you could bring one of those babies home and teach them to be bi-lingual!!

melissa said...

Paige you are a natural with children. Love seeing pictures of you and Kent. I know you are busy all the time with ministry. Love you always mom

Unknown said...

It's a blessing to me to see how you both are helping God's Kingdom grow. Everytime you bring a new heart to The Lord you give the devil a black eye. Here's to many more black eyes. I pray God continues to bless you both in every way.