Blessings From Baguio

Overflow

2011-08-08T23:43:00.000-07:00

Kent sharing the Word with street vendors and children in the park
Showing the Father's heart through love and food at street church
School children eating at a feeding program
Kent baptizing one of our beautiful people

Chloe Abigail Parrish- a gift to us.

Wow! It has been a BUSY summer. We are just now settling down to reflect on all God has done. Growth, miracles, joy, and challenge would describe our lives and ministry over the last three months.

As you know, our baby daughter Chloe came into the world on May 27th. She is our miracle and a bright light in our lives. Thank you to each and every one of you who have prayed and sent support for our family. The Lord has a beautiful plan for her life and we are so privileged to have her.

Youth

We are seeing revival among the teenage young people . Since hosting a youth camp in April, the numbers of teens attending our 2 weekly youth programs have literally DOUBLED. They are coming with hungry hearts and worship with such passion. We are humbled and inspired by who they are and what they are overcoming.

Feeding Programs
His Heart has begun another daily feeding program in a neighboring area. Malnourished children are served a hot meal everyday. Once a week, they are fed spiritually through an after school kids church that is ministering to over 100 elementary students. His Heart is now serving about 900 hot meals a week through its various programs. The doors are open for ministry here and we are taking every opportunity to plant seeds in their lives.

Baptism

We love to see people dedicate their lives to the Lord and be water baptized. This weekend was no exception. 30 people testified of his goodness and were baptized outside on a cold rainy Sunday. We know this is the beginning of a new life for them and their families! Thank you for praying and sending us to share His love.

Our Future Plans
It is hard to believe that we have been in Baguio three years now. It seems like just yesterday that we were saying our goodbyes and praying for the Lord's guiding hand. It has been a life changing experience to serve here. Thank you for making it possible. We are eternally grateful.

We are in the process of getting a US passport for Chloe and tying up lose ends with the ministry. Kent will graduate with his Masters of Divinity in September and we anticipate being back in the states this fall for a while. This is definitely not the end of missions for us but we are looking forward to coming back to see family and share all that God has done. We are trying to save money for plane tickets now. If the Lord leads you to help with this, you can direct all funds to Bob Parrish. Email us for the address and more details.

It is a joy serving as your missionaries to the Filipino people. Because of you, countless lives are changed. Know that we pray for you and are excited to see you back stateside.

Love and blessings from Baguio,
Paige, Kent, and Chloe Parrish

Touching Heaven

2011-05-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update you on some of what God has been doing here in Baguio. Highlights include:

****Touching Heaven Kids VBS with over 120 children in attendance! Many new contacts made with brand new families. Hearts turned to Jesus, worship rising, families impacted by God's presence. :)

****New local house church leaders have been trained to lead Sunday morning gatherings in their homes. So excited to see fruit and expand the Kingdom in the village neighborhood we are reaching!

Meet a life your support has changed (see pic below)

Youngest of 14 children
Several family members involved in offering sacrifices to pagan gods
Lives in a small mountain house made of scrap metal
Family exists on about 4 dollars a day

But............

God has changed her heart forever. She is now serving as a full-time
volunteer with the ministry. An amazing leader,
Jovi has incredible potential. Thank you Jesus for the gift that she is
to so many! And thank YOU........for seeing the need and investing in
a life for eternity.

May your life abound with His richest blessings. :)

Paige and Kent Parrish

What's new?

2011-02-28T00:37:00.000-08:00

Hi friends. The last few months have been so busy with Christmas celebrations and starting out a new year. We pray you are all well. Thank you for being so faithful to us.

2011 has brought some new and exciting things for His Heart. Here are some quick highlights:

The ministry has begun a second weekly outreach in another public elementary school. This is the 2nd school that we are targeting with daily feeding of about 35 malnourished children. Open to all, the children play games, sing songs, and learn about Jesus on Wednesday afternoons. The response has been incredible and there is NOT enough room to hold them all.
We are excited to begin a college age discipleship/service program in April. Three of our graduating youth will serve, learn, and grow through teaching, prayer, and encounter as they offer themselves to God for an entire year with the ministry. With their financial situations, and families making 3-4 dollars a day, this is a HUGE sacrifice. We are so proud of who they will become and believe this will be a LIFE CHANGING year for them.
We are seeing God touch lives and bodies more and more. One precious man was again healed of painful arthritis last week in the city park as his friend (a brand new believer) prayed for him. We just can't out do God. His goodness is overwhelming.

Above are some pictures of the street ministry and members of the house churches. We hope it gives you a glimpse of our hearts and the people we love here.

Your partners in the Philippines,
Paige and Kent Parrish

It's the most wonderful time of the year

2010-12-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

Enjoying Christmas dinner Filipino style- Fried chicken, rice, noodles, and lumpia

I'm here for the party.

Thrilled with her Barbie

Look at all those presents!

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23
We just love Christmas time. Though we miss family and friends in the US this year, this Christmas has been a beautiful reminder of what a miraculous gift we have in Jesus. The fact that God became a helpless baby for an unfaithful world is truly miraculous. What a promise we have that God is with us! What a love we have! What a gift!

The Father's love was tangible this year as we celebrated Jesus' birth with over 600 people at the His Heart Christmas parties. Street children, park vendors, and families from the squatter area where we minister gathered together for caroling, food, and gifts. The children were ecstatic with excitement as this is the only gift most of them received this Christmas.

We have been so blessed. What a joy it was to pass on that blessing to people Jesus came to die for. There is nothing better than giving...........

Thank you for equipping us to live out His call. You make it all possible. May the Lord heap rich blessing on you in 2011.

Your partners in the Philippines,
Paige and Kent Parrish

God is so good

2010-10-18T04:32:00.000-07:00

God is amazing............we are expecting our own miracle around June 3rd 2011. Thanks for praying us through this pregnancy. :)

Full of joy after being baptized

His Heart baptized 75 new Christians this weekend...........what an incredible day!

Willie, a street vendor, who has recently come to know Jesus. He had severe arthritis pain for 10 years in his hips and knees. God healed him instantly when we prayed. He is running up stairs now and was just baptized. :)

We dedicated a beautiful baby named Angel Paige at a service this month. Believing great things for her life! Love this family.

We are doing well. I am resting more as I have been really tired but am still serving with His Heart. Kent continues to plug away with seminary classes and serve in the ministry. :) He will hopefully be finished with his Masters of Divinity by September 2011.

At this point, our plan is to deliver the baby in Manila, which is about a 6 hour hour bus ride south. We will likely relocate to Manila for the month of May and return to Baguio a few days after the baby is born. We will be going to see the doctor about once a month in Manila. Please pray that God will open heaven for us and bless us with additional finances for the appointments and delivery. If God leads you to help us with our finances , you can make a check out to Faith Worship Center and mail your contribution to Bob Parrish - 2814 Oakwood Drive - Bardstown, Ky 40004. All contributions are tax deductible. We very much appreciate your support.

Thank you for walking and believing with us.

Paige and Kent

Looking Back and Forward

2010-08-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Last month, Kent and I celebrated two years as a part of His Heart ministry here in Baguio. It has been an amazing journey! We can see the finger of God on our lives and the countless lives of the people being reached.

God has brought the ministry so far. Through your prayer and giving, you have been the hands and feet of Jesus.

We began helping Angela with a simple feeding program for street children in July 2008. Now His Heart is seeing people fed and watching salvations, miracles, and healings change the lives of hundreds of Filipinos. We are so grateful to be a part of God's great plan.

To give you a big picture of what we are doing here in Baguio, we wanted to briefly describe some of our current ministries. We pray this will encourage and bless you, knowing that you are investing in eternity.

Children

His Heart offers a weekly kids church program in the public school. More than 60 children attend, hearing the Word of God and growing in Him.

The Reading club, a new initiative, offers poor children an opportunity once a week to read for fun, learn, and grow in their English skills. This outreach is helping us make contact with new families and children.

By God's grace and because of many of you, we are sponsoring 56 children to school this year. They receive all expenses paid for schooling, medical stipends, supplies, and spiritual enrichment.

Feeding and Compassion

We are now feeding over 75 children in two schools on a DAILY basis. These little ones are eating a nutritious lunch and being loved. This program is an open door for us to build relationships with families.

We are also able to help many people receive medical care, prescriptions, and dental abstractions. Jesus is using these gifts to change people's lives.

Street Ministry

We continue to minister to street children and vendors in the City park twice a week. The people are now bringing their Bibles to our meetings and are hungry for God's Word. We feed them not only spiritual food, but a hot meal as well. With lives of turmoil and change, the ministry is giving them stability and hope.

Youth

Youth group meets every Friday night. Teens gather to worship, pray, learn, and fellowship with each other. Church leaders and godly men and women are rising up from this group. We believe they will change communities as adults.

Homework club, a weekly program for teens, is designed to give youth a quiet place to study, do online research for free, hear God's Word, and eat a meal together. Youth invite their friends from school.

House Churches

Using local leaders we disciple and train on a weekly basis, His Heart is now meeting in house churches every Sunday morning. These are beautiful gatherings of new Christians who always have testimonies to share of God's goodness. People are becoming rooted and gaining freedom in many areas of their life.

APTS

In addition to our work with the ministry, Kent is studying full time. He is taking Hebrew, Perspectives in World Missions, Systematic Theology, and the Life of Christ. We are so grateful for the APTS community and the experience we have learning from so many cultures. When God said go, we went................and we will never regret it.

"Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any tie, but the ties that bind me to your service and to your heart." David Livingstone

May God use you this week to be a light in your own community.

God Bless you,
Paige and Kent

Jesus, hope of the nations

2010-07-11T04:05:00.001-07:00

Some of the leaders we love.......

Some of the youth we love.......

Some of the children we love......

Dear friends,

It seems like forever since I have posted. As you know, we were in another country for almost 10 weeks and had an awesome experience. :) Thank you to those who so graciously hosted us.......

The months of June and July have been a whirlwind so far. I say that because I feel like we've been running and have only stopped to catch our breath. It is gloriously exhilerating.......serving God and watching Him shower people with His grace. There is nothing better than being obedient to his leading, His quiet whisper. We are living an extravagantly blessed life.........not in the standards of the world.....but in Him.

Paige just took a two week block course over the Book of Mark taught by Dr. Gary Martindale from Evangel University. She learned and grew so much from the experience. Kent is now studying Hebrew as well as other subjects.
God is moving in the ministry and we were greeted with many new faces as we returned.

What has God been doing lately through His Heart?

Reading Club

Paige, with the help of the rest of the team, has begun a new initiative on Friday afternoons. Children from the poor neighborhood where we are ministering come to the center for a reading time. They have no access to books otherwise and enjoy reading with friends. We play learning games, work on our English skills, and eat a snack together. Though we have only met 4 times, we have almost 50 kids regularly coming. God is so good.........He just keeps sending more.

Testimony

I can't end this post without sharing what the Lord is doing in one life here. I wish you could have seen the tears and sincerity as one of our new members shared last week. I know you would have been impacted just as deeply as I was. The poor teach us much......

Last Sunday, Kent shared a powerful message on the hope of the Lord. When things are hard, we can not give up. We cling to the hope of Jesus.

That very day, one of the ladies at the service was in a hopeless situation. She was worrying how to buy enough food to feed her family that evening. Her 8 year old son had collected plastic from trash bins in the city during the week. As a last resort, she sent him into town to sell the used plastic at the market. She expected him to return with just enough rice and vegetable to cover dinner.....the equivalent of 1 US dollar.

The God of hope had other plans. The little boy traded his plastic and bought a small amount of food as he headed home. On his way, he miraculously found 1425 pesos on the street. This is about 30 US dollars and two weeks wages for that family! The boy had never seen 1000 pesos and told his mother he thought the bills were play money. The pregnant mom wept.

As she looked at the money, she says she remembered Kent's sermon. He is our hope.

Thank you for sending us to the hopeless.

Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ...."

Have a wonderful week, full of his unmerited favor.

Kent and Paige

I will boast in the Lord

2010-03-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

We have so much to give God praise for. He continues to show his overwhelming faithfulness to us and to the people here. We will boast in him.

Roxas Kids Church
As a part of our work with His Heart, we have the privilege of holding Kids Church at a public school in our community. Every Wednesday, the children gather for praise and worship, teaching, games, Bible memory verses, and a snack. God is on the move changing their lives and hearts.

The number attending has more than doubled in the last two months. The children come from 8 different barangays (village neighborhoods) so it is exciting to plant seeds in new areas and be a part of the transformation of families.

See some of the children praying for a friend in the picture above. :)

We just finished the end of the school year party and His Heart is gearing up for a week of VBS in May. Summer here begins next week and continues until June.

Let it Rain

Last Friday, we had a night of prayer encounter with the teenagers . They moved through different stations, praying for their families, communities, missions around the world, and spending time with Jesus. It was a powerful time. As we worshipped to close, God spoke to Angela to pray for rain. The Philippines has been in a serious drought and we had literally not seen rain in months. Many people are losing their crops and are being forced to move.

We cried out to God for rain in the natural and for spiritual rain to revive the hearts and encourage the people of the Philippines. The teens prayed with such passion and heart. :)

About 10 minutes later as we had finished praising and were having a snack, one of the boys came running into the building. It was raining! I can't explain the excitement and joy on their faces as they saw God work a miracle right before their eyes. They were singing and shouting his praises all the way home that night. :)

We serve a God that is faithful and amazing. He hears the cries of His people.

We pray you will see miracles of God's faithfulness as you invest in "the least of these". Thank you for the countless ways you partner with us. Your labor is not in vain.

Prayer requests:

Safety and wisdom as we travel to VN on April 5th
Anointing on the ministry we will do there
Blessing and provision for His Heart Ministry and the team as we are away

Serving the Best Master,
Paige and Kent

It's a new thing

2010-02-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Its a new year and God is up to new things here in Baguio. We are so excited to see what the Lord has planned for us and the people who will meet Him this year. Here are some brief highlights so far:

Angels among us

We are so in awe of what the Lord is doing in the teenagers. They are turning their lives over to God and have passionate worshipping hearts. It is beautiful to watch. Just a couple days before we returned, the youth gathered at the center for prayer and worship. Many of them saw angels filling the room where they worshipped. They heard angelic choruses and physically felt as if the room was crowded with God's messengers. After 3 hours of worship, they realized how late it had gotten and were shocked that time had flown by so fast. :) We are believing for even more of God's glory in 2010.

Homework Club

His Heart Ministries has begun a new outreach to teenagers. High School students are invited weekly to the center for study time and homework help. We feed them dinner, love them, and then give them an opportunity to worship and hear the Word. It is a great place for youth to invite friends and classmates who haven't encountered the love of Jesus. We are believing for a huge harvest from this time. Pray for Angela, the director, and the entire team as we invest in the lives of Baguio's teenagers. :)

Expansion of House Churches

God has spoken that 2010 is a year of expansion for His Heart. In order to prepare for His big plans, we will be training 7 new house church leaders next week. These ladies will carry God's power to their community and facilitate Bible studies in their native tongue. They are willing servants and we are so proud of them for stepping up to lead.

Street Church

Kent continues to minister to street boys and vendors in the city park every Wednesday. Last week, over 30 street children and teenagers joyfully worshipped in a grandstand where several of them sleep. They are a crazy bunch but truly a family, an example of loyalty for us.
Little by little, they are laying down their old habits and embracing a new life. Please continue to pray that they will be filled with hope and turn to Him.

Personal Note

Kent is doing well and currently taking 3 courses at the seminary. It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to sharpen his sword. We are enjoying high 70's and delicious strawberries in season. We are able to make friendships from around the world, share meals with other believers in our apartment, and invest in those going back to India, China, Mongolia, Myanmar, and many other nations. We know that our little seed is impacting the Kingdom in countless ways.

Thank you for all the ways you give, pray, and make it possible for us to be here. We pray the Father will heap rich blessing on you. :)

The Parrishs

New Life

2009-11-23T01:45:00.000-08:00

We want to be begin by thanking you for your friendship. This year has been full of both promise and trials. Thank you for standing behind us in prayer. We will celebrate Thanksgiving this week with another missionary couple here on APTS campus. You will definitely be in our thoughts. :)

Paige's broken foot is slowly healing. She is still wearing a brace but is getting around better.
Kent has finished the last of his writing and will take final exams next week.
We look forward to landing in Louisville on December 7th for a month long visit. It will a great joy to be with our family and church family for Christmas.

In other news, we had a beautiful day of Baptism at a local pool last Sunday. Several teenagers and adults committed everything to the Lord in water Baptism. They are rejoicing in a new start and we are so proud of them. Watching God move in power here is such a privilege. Two people on the street were healed of pain in their ankle and knees this week. Jesus truly is the great Physician. :)

Christmas is just around the corner and His Heart will be blessing the street children and families in our area with gifts and a party. Many of them would have nothing at Christmas if it were not for the ministry. Thank you for enabling us to be used by God and impact the Philippines with His love.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving. See you in two short weeks!

For everything, there is a season

2009-10-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

Flooding in Manila, the capital city and where we go to the airport.
Kent with some of the people we minister to.
Landslide site that cut our city off from travel in or out for about 4 days. People carrying a pig by foot to use for food.

Flooding in our city

As I write this, I am reflecting on the strength of the Filipino people. The families in our city have faced destruction and adversity with such courage and faith. October brought two fatal typhoons and left hundreds of thousands with no home in Manila. Despite hardship, death, and higher food prices, the people remain faithful and hopeful. It has been such an incredible blessing to see their resilience and flexibility. We are humbled by who they are.

As with any natural disaster, the poor suffer the greatest. We are privileged to work with some of them in our city. We know street people by name and share in their lives. We are given the opportunity everyday to serve the Lord by being His hands and feet.

While we mourn the death of a member of our street church family, we celebrate the hope of Jesus. Nothing can separate us from his great love. We are thankful that the Lord has a plan in every situation. He is our rock and strong fortress.

New life is springing up before our eyes......literally. One of the street ladies who attends our bible study in the city park delivered a healthy baby boy last week. He has been named Angelo Kent.
What an honor!

The people in Purok 5 ( the neighborhood where we minister) are growing. The youth are witnessing at school and bringing friends regularly. We will be baptizing several church members soon.

Thank you for your faithful support, even in the midst of difficult financial times. We depend on you and are blessed to "go" on your behalf. May you reap a harvest 100 fold for the seeds planted here.

Video: I just couldn't resist sharing this. Lola, as we call her, lives on the street and attends weekly street church in the city park. She moves around town, carrying her bags with her. Like a true Filipino, she is already singing Christmas songs in October. We hope her rendition of Silver Bells brightens your day and makes you laugh. :)

Prayers and pom poms

2009-10-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

Well, its been an eventful last three weeks. As some of you may know, it has been a devestating time for the Philippines this month. Two typhoons hit in a span of about 8 days. Massive flooding affected 3 million people in the capital city of Manila and hundreds of thousands still have nowhere to go. Hundreds of thousands of families are sleeping in schools and churches. Our city, Baguio, is situated in the mountians so flooding is less common. However, landslides make typhoons especially dangerous for the poor. A family of five was buried alive just around the corner from the seminary where we live. We just received word that 8 of the street boys we minister to were caught in a flooded stream and swept away. 7 were rescued. The eighth is still missing. Thank you for your prayers for the Filipino people. This is such a wonderful opportunity to share the love of the Lord and give people hope.

We'd like to especially thank Faith Worship Center for their generous gift for the flood victims. Your gift is enabling families who have lost everything to begin again. Food and relief is a tool for sharing and living the gospel. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Please pray with us for Angela, the director of His Heart. Her mother went to heaven on Sunday in New Zealand. By Gods grace, Angela and Yasmin arrived just in time. She is in New Zealand now and is unsure when she will return. In the meantime, the team here is carrying on. Thank you for your prayers for them during this difficult time.

In other news, the seminary hosted its annual missions night last week. Special mission services take place all week. Students from various countries showcase talent and do cultural presentations. We have an incredible banquet meal with lots of Asian home cooking. This year the Americans chose Monday Night Football. The guys ran slow motion plays to the Hank Williams' song while the ladies did cheers. It was a blast and well received by all.

We are really looking forward to sharing what God is doing here on our visit home in December.
:) We can't tell you how much we have grown and changed.

God bless ya'll.

Paige and Kent

The First Mangos

2009-09-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

We want to begin by sharing a dream one of our church members had last week. It was a great encouragement and revelation for us all. She saw a lush mango tree. The fruit was ripe and juicy. Gathered around the tree were large crowds of hungry people. As each mango was picked from the tree and given away, it became bread that rapidly multiplied. A great miracle happened. There was more than enough bread to feed the families.

Its with great joy that we commissioned 6 ladies this week to serve as house church leaders and spiritual parents in Purok 5. These beautiful women will nurture and care for their people as numbers multiply and others from the community are reached with the good news. They will facilitate Bible studies and house church gatherings in their native tongue. They will be vessels for the glory of the Father. They will be and carry the Bread of Life to their village.

The journey has not been easy for any of them. Two of the ladies have lost husbands to murder.
They have struggled with poverty, addiction, and demonic strongholds. They face persecution from family members and others. But Jesus has captured their hearts and by his amazing grace..... they will never be the same.
The Lord has taken each one of their broken lives and made them a powerhouse for His presence. They are laying hands on the sick, praying with power, and loving neighbors they never knew before. This is our heart................and this is the heart of the Father, to see nations transformed and bow their knee.

Its times like these that we thank God for sending us here. It has been a life changing experience. We have received far more than we could ever give and look forward to all God has ahead for us. His plans are always good, always fruitful, and always full of hope.

Thank you for being a part of our journey and the Lord's purpose. We pray blessing and strength for you and your family. May fruit abound in your life as you invest in your own community.

See you on that side of the world in December. :)

Paige and Kent

Surprised by favor

2009-09-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Kent praying for one of the street boys at the opening celebration of the new center.
The building God gave His Heart this month. :)
Two children worshiping with us from outside last Sunday. I was inside leading in front of the window and didn't know they were even there. :)
The daughter of the building's caretaker..................a Muslim family. God is doing exciting things.

Well, it is a time of great promise and excitement here. After months of searching, His Heart has signed a contract for the rental of building right in our ministry area. It will serve as a training center for Filipino leaders who will plant new house churches, a place for tutoring, youth events, retreats, discipleship, accommodation for short term teams, showers for the street kids, feeding, and much more. We are stepping into a new phase of the ministry. The people are maturing and will be taking on more leadership. They are on fire to reach their community. We are believing for great things!

I can't help but marvel at what the Lord has done in such a short time. We worshipped together on the floor in a tiny tin house this morning. The ladies shared temptations openly and prayed for each other. It was a precious time.

Helen, the young woman that many of you have prayed for since our visit in December, is blossoming in a calling. She is now part of the leadership team here. She interprets, teaches, and loves the people with us. Jesus has changed her life! He is in the business of taking wild lives and turning them upside down for Him. I am in tears when I think about the potential in her.

Kent is studying for his last exam as I write this. We are planning to make a short trip to the beach for a couple days next week. I'm ready to relax and soak up some Filipino sun. Classes begin again September 15th.

Thank you for your support and prayers. Your heart for the world is changing lives.

God's richest blessing on you and your family.
Kent and Paige

When it rains, it pours

2009-08-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

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

Grape Juice

2009-07-15T03:25:00.000-07:00

One of the ladies hand-washing her clothes in front of her house
Some of the church family and Kent
Paige praying for one of the ladies
A cutie..........MJ....short for Mark Jeremiah

All is well here with us. We are counting down the days for the rainy season to end so we can enjoy island sunshine. It is a difficult time for our people as sickness is more frequent during bad weather. Thank you for praying for their health and safety as we battle typhoons this year. We are believing that no land slides will affect homes in our church community.

We wanted to share an exerpt from "My Utmost for His Highest" that was a challenge to us. Day to day life can be monotonous for everyone. Whether you live in America or the Philippines, the greatest joy among the monotony is the investment in the lives of others.

"God's purpose is not simply to make us beautiful plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. When Mary of Bethany 'broke the flask of costly oil.....and poured it on Jesus' head' it was an act for which noone else saw any special occasion, in fact, "there were some who said..........why was this fragrant oil wasted?"( Mark 14:3-4). But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion. Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever he sees any of us doing what Mary did- not being bound by a particular set of rules but being totally surrendered to him. God poured out the life of His Son "that the world through Him might be saved." Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him?

Lord make us carriers of your extravagant love. Let us always be reminded that at the end of the day, what will matter most is not what we bought, what we did, or what we enjoyed...Its what we gave.

God bless you as you pour yourself out so that others can taste His goodness. Thank you for your sacrifice.

Paige and Kent

The wind is blowing!

2009-06-23T00:14:00.000-07:00

One of the homes in Purok 5

Paige posing with one of ladies after climbing a rock in the barangay (village) where we minister.

Being church together

Hi to all. Things are picking up here as Kent has returned to school. He is taking the Book of Romans, Perspectives in Pentecostalism, and Spiritual Formation. It is a full schedule but he is of course excelling in it. Mean while, he continues to minister on the weekends and heads up the Tuesday morning street church program. It is there that we feed and minister to street children, vendors, and the homeless in the city park. We are planting seeds of love and seeing fruit from this time.

God is doing so much here. We wanted to give you a glimpse of the testimonies pouring in from our people. Keep in mind that these people are squatters (they collect scrap metal to build their houses and move onto land) and always face serious financial need. Most of them have no work or do odd jobs on a part time basis, bringing in 3 dollars a day. Its amazing to see how rich they are becoming spiritually and how the Potter can take brokeness and use it to display His glory.

Here are some testimonies shared in house church a couple weeks ago:

Chato said that this week a lady came to her house.
She was sick and the husband was not home.   She
wanted someone to take her to the hospital.
Chato was busy doing things around the house
and was really tired at the end of the day.
God spoke to her  in her mind "Whatever you
do for the least of mine, you do for me".
She obeyed God and payed for the jeepney
fair to accompany the lady to BGH. As she was
in the jeepney, she was thinking " I don't
even know this lady." The lady then said
she had not eaten for two days and asked for
50 pesos. Chato said she had compassion in
her heart and gave her the money. She stayed
with her until she was checked into the
hospital and prayed with the lady. Chato
is learning to listen to God and obey
him and that He calls us to help others
in their time of need.

Jazel was beaming as she shared how she
had been touched powerfully by the Holy
Spirit on Sunday. She explained that
she had pain in her legs and back before
she was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Since that day, she has had no pain.
She was able to squat to wash clothes
this week without pain.  She also
testified that her husband is having
an affair but she is now praying for him.
She believes Jesus is hearing her prayer
as her husband came home on time every
day this week.

Irene- I am hearing God speak to me about
going to pray for sick people.  Sometimes
i am afraid people will laugh at me and
have doubts but I believe God is speaking
to me and has given me this gift to pray
and see people healed. Jesus loves us.

Irene has prayed for several people and God has
miraculously healed them. :)

Helen- Helen said that when she
realized she could not afford to go
back to college this term, she didnt
know what to do. She was confused about
her future and disappointed. However,
over the past couple of months, the idea
of a call to ministry kept popping into her
mind. At first she laughed it off. But over
the last couple of weeks, God has begun to
give her visions.  She is seeing herself
sharing the word of God with young people
and their lives being transformed.  When
she ministers to the street boys, she feels
a deep love in her heart for them. She
believes that the Holy Spirit is guiding
her future and she wants to serve him with
her whole heart. "Sometime when I pray and
even in my dreams I saw myself doing
missions and with groups of people.
Sometimes I would just cry when I thought
about it."

Salome- Since I have begun coming to these
meetings, God has provided for my family.
Since I began in this church,there is
always work waiting for me. My husband's
job was supposed to last from Jan-March.
I prayed and asked the Lord to extend it
so that we could have more money for the
family. I asked God to keep the work
going until school started on June 1st.
Every week since March, my husband
has had work.  Even now in the middle
of June, he continues to work.  God
is blessing me so much.

Dalia- My daughter and son were sick
last week with a fever at times of 40 C.
I prayed for them and trusted God. I did
not go to the hospital because of money.
They are better now.  I am learning that
God is our helper and our healer.


Thank you for investing in these lives and
countless others. You are an important part
of what they are becoming.

God Bless you all.
Paige and Kent

Dog anyone?

2009-06-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Amy, a short term missionary here, caught a fish with a handmade wooden spear.

Wow! I got one!

Look at how tiny it is! Who knew Amy had that kind of skill? We pan fried them and had them for lunch.Amy sharing at a church service.

A hanging bridge we crossed to get to the mountain village. Notice the wooden planks. A little nerve racking. The drop below is farther than it looks.

One of the bridges we crossed

Dog meat. Yes, we did both eat it. It tastes a lot like beef. It was such a treat for the mountain family. We were their honored guests.

Hiking in the rain......absolutely beautiful.

There were some very steep drop offs but thankfully no one fell.Their oven...Kent loving some boys at street church.

Took the teenagers bowling for the very first time. Had a blast!
The Girls Purity Conference

Hello to all. Well, it has been a crazy summer. It seems like we haven't stopped since the beginning of April. Time flies when you are having fun loving people.

In the last month, we have seen so much fruit from our ministry here. The youth have been on summer vacation and are changing from the inside out. With the wonderful help of Amy, a short term missionary from Bardstown, we hosted a teenage girls retreat. The girls learned so much and it was an absolute treat for them to have comfortable mattresses and hot showers. By God's grace, we are able to sponsor 28 children to school this year......that's exactly double last year and the very number we prayed for. :) God is so good. From this money, they will receive supplies, shoes, uniform, tuition, medical expenses, project fees, food incentives, rewards for grades, and spiritual enrichment. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all who gave so generously.

Other Special Highlights in April and May include:

We took the teenagers bowling one night. They were so excited. It was the first time for most of them. They didn't want to go home.

We just finished our 8 week School of Champions discipleship program for the adults. They continue to pray for the sick and see miracles happen. Several have been healed in the last month or so. We are so in awe of Jesus and how much He loves them.

The Lord continues to move in our weekly activities in the homes and with the street children. The people are growing. Its hard to believe how far they have come in less than a year.

We trekked into the mountains this weekend for a visit to the Igorot tribes. Kent preached twice and we had a wonderful time immersed in the mountain culture. Highlights included hiking three hours each way in the rain to get to the village, crossing 3 hanging bridges, and being served dog meat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was an experience we will never forget.

Thank you for sending us. You are making a difference. We love you.

In Service to the King,
Paige and Kent

Oh Happy Day

2009-04-13T02:23:00.000-07:00

Everyone decorated eggs- adults and children alike.
Eating eggs- what a treat!

Winners of Easter Sunday Basketball Tournament. They got gift certificates to Jollibee- a fast food place here.
Some basketball action

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Easter! We hope you had a beautiful day celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The ministry has had an action packed two weeks. The children here are now on summer vacation so we are in full swing with summer programs and outreach to this precious community.

Summer Splash

We have begun a weekly program for school age children. Because of God's favor, the elementary principal is allowing us to use the community school free all summer. Children come to have tons of fun playing water games, making crafts, and soaking in the presence of God- His river. The Holy Spirit is touching these children and birthing a hunger in them for more. One little girl last week had a vision of Jesus! We are so excited for all that these little ones are becoming!

School of Champions

We have begun a second 8 week series of discipleship for the ladies. We met Good Friday to worship, learn, and thank Jesus for the incredible price he paid. The ladies were powerfully touched and experienced the Fathers love in new ways.

Purok 5 Movie

Good Friday evening was spent showing a movie on a sheet at the community basketball court. This gave us an opportunity to reach out to other families and proclaim the goodness of God. New people are being touched each month. We are always surprised what God has in store for the people of Purok 5.

Easter Sunday

We celebrated Resurrection Day with an open air service at the community basketball court. It was a special time and a blessing to sing praises to Jesus and share the Word as families listened from their mountainside homes. We are believing this will be the beginning of change for many homes here. Visitors gathered at the back of the court but eventually moved forward as they were welcomed. Several of the new men were humbled by the worship. After the service, Kent organized a Father/son basketball tournament. It was a great success and drew several new men and boys that we had never met! The ladies and girls participated in an egg decorating contest. We boiled 250 eggs to give away and decorate. The people literally treated them like gold. We actually had some decorated eggs stolen before they could even be judged! We played games and enjoyed a wonderful time as family. What a day!

Thank you for your prayer and support. Without your faithfulness, none of this would be possible.

With much Love,
Paige and Kent

Victory over Darkness

2009-04-03T02:12:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Thank you for your prayers. We have finished the trimester and are enjoying time together as we minister.

God has been so good to us. We are amazed at what he is doing in the people here. Many of them come from witchcraft and ancestral worship traditions. He is doing a powerful work in these families, filling them with light that dispels the darkness.

One of the ladies that attends our house church shared an incredible story with us this week about God's miraculous power. Bee (name changed) and her sister Iri live in Baguio while their parents live in a village in the mountain provinces. Both ladies have just become Christians in the last few months through the ministry. Last weekend, when Iri went home to visit her parents, she found her mother terribly sick and in bed. She was getting worse and the family could do nothing in the way of medical care. Iri was afraid and sensed an evil presence in the room. She wanted to pray for her mother but was unsure how to do so. The father of the family had never been open to Christianity.

Iri texted her sister Bee and asked what she should do. Bee replied "I don't know but the Holy Spirit will teach you how to pray". So Bee prayed from Baguio as Iri layed hands on her mother and voiced a simple prayer.

At that moment the father saw a bright light and had a vision of Jesus standing in the family home! The mother was miraculously healed and got up out of bed!

Iri and Bee are now convinced of the power of Jesus and are praying for their entire extended family to know Him. We are praying with them for even greater things in their family and village. God can never be out done. He has already won the victory.

May the Lord increase our faith to believe for the impossible.

Thank you for the ways you invest in us and the Kingdom of God in the Philippines. You are a vital part of all that's happening here. Thank you for sending us.

Love and prayers,
Paige and Kent Parrish

Potential

2009-03-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Children part of the daily feeding program at a local school
Showing the love
Receiving Baptism certificates

Hello to our family and friends back in the USA! We are nearing the end of another trimester at APTS. Kent will have three final exams in the next two weeks. Paige will also have one. So it is crunch time..........but it will all be over very shortly. The Philippine summer is April and May so we will have a vacation from seminary and time to focus on expanding new ministry opportunities.

How can I describe what has been happening here over the last month? It's like a new beginning....a springtime of blessing for so many of the precious people we minister to. God is doing a new thing in families. Many of the ladies we have been pouring into for months are receiving healing from deep hurts in their past. One lady testified that her depression has left after she was powerfully touched by Jesus. Another cried one Thursday as she told of having nowhere to live but rejoiced that God has blessed her family with a tin house. Its stories like these that make what we do worth it.

The team is excited for the summer break and plans to jump into additonal outreaches, retreats, and vacation bible school for the children. We are expecting incredible help in May as we will have a short term missionary (Amy from Kentucky) join us for a few weeks. God is readying the harvest.

A group from the University of Tennessee just fundraised to help us with our daily feeding program. Their money will feed 35 children everyday for over a month at school. The program, coordinated through a local elementary school, seeks to prevent children from turning to the street. They receive love and a hot meal daily. Many of them are also sponsored to attend school through the ministry.

As we continue to seek out the broken, God is changing our hearts as well. It occurred to me that I have not noticed or thought about our church family being poor for some time now. We are surrounded by poverty but they are not poor to us. With the eyes of the Father, we are seeing nothing but potential. The heavens are open and He is pouring out everything we need.

Thank you for feeding, touching, and loving with us. You are appreciated and missed.

Paige and Kent

Love that Changes Things

2009-02-25T04:12:00.000-08:00

One of the street kids receiving dental care
Time with God

Hello all! Hope you have had a wonderful wintery February. Baguio is beautiful this time of year as it hosts the annual flower festival. Parades and little garden exhibits make the trip into the city extra nice.

We have been so busy this month with both school and ministry. His Heart hosted a team from New Zealand for the last week and a half. It is AMAZING to see the doors God is opening for us through visiting people in their homes and loving them. Three people were healed in our Sunday morning village service this week! Praise God for that! Kent has begun a weekly house church for men and teenage boys. We are believing for great transformation of families through this. We had an awesome retreat last week in which people were set free from bondages of their past. They have traded tears for the joy of Jesus and we are so blessed to watch them grow.

His Heart continues to meet the needs of many street people every week. This week, we made a trip to the dentist and ob-gyn with members of our street family. After 2 teeth were pulled, David's smile was even brighter than before. He had experienced real love....the kind of love that changes things.

Thank you for helping us reach the orphans, widows, and the poor of the Philippines. We appreciate you so much.

The Parrishs

FAQ

2009-02-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

After a great visit home, we discovered that many of you have similar questions regarding life here in Baguio and what we are doing. So, we thought we'd answer some of the most common questions......and give you a TASTE of Filipino life.

WHAT DO WE EAT?

Well, let's see. We cook for ourselves some.....so you might find us eating tacos, beef stroganov, or tuna casserole. You just have to be a little creative with ingredients and do more from scratch....no oven. However, we also eat traditional Filipino dishes and snacks. In the Philippines, rice is eaten with every single meal.

Chicken adobo- soy, vinegar, and pepper

Pancit canton- noodles with vegetables

Arroz caldo- sticky rice (rice melted down to a porridge and chicken)

Some interesting food sold on the street- we are a little more careful about trying these, depends who cooks them.

Barbeque pig intestine- still getting up the nerve to try this one. hahaha

chicharon (pork rinds)

Little candies and chips sold on the street and in the park

WHAT DO PEOPLE DO HERE FOR JOBS?

Factories, selling agricultural products, work for companies, taxi driving, construction- They are just paid far less than ever imaginable in America. Retail workers make 4 dollars a day. Factory workers make about 5 a day. Taxi drivers make anywhere from 4-6 dollars a day. About 10 percent of the population work in other countries. That's about 8-10 million people. They are considered "Overseas Filipino Workers". This is a major source of income for the Philippines. The OFW's send money back home to their families. It is not uncommon for a father or mother to leave the family and move to another country to find work. They just accept this as part of life. Almost everyone we know in the Philippines has a relative living in another country. 1 kilogram of rice is about 10 servings. It costs about one US dollar. So you can imagine......a family of 6 or more (which is very common) spends about 1/4 of their daily income just for rice. The people we work with in the ministry eat mostly rice/soy sauce and add vegetables at one meal IF they have the money.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT FROM AMERICA FOR US?

In one sense, lots of things. We wait about 30 minutes for a jeepney or taxi to come by where we live because we live at the top of a hill. Our apartment is 240 square feet so we're getting to know each other like never before. We live on the outskirts of a large city with 300, 000 people, so we have bigger crowds than quaint Bardstown. Filipinos watch us a lot in town, are ALWAYS TRYING TO SELL US SOMETHING, and the children are amazed at the hair on Kent's arms- Filipinos don't have it.

However, in another sense, we feel right at home. We can get most of the essentials that we need here. American culture has invaded many parts of Asia. We love serving the poor and pastoring the people. The greatest joy for us is to see Filipinos raised up as leaders of their own people.

WHAT IS GOD DOING?

So much.........i could tell you story after story. This Tuesday, we went to our weekly breakfast and church in the city park. About 20 street kids and vendors gather there. One of the boys that lives in the grandstand was laying on the ground. He complained about a headache and had a huge sore in his mouth. I was blown away by the love shown by all of his street "family". The kids take care of each other and are so loyal. After worship, we all gathered around this boy and prayed for him. The other boys prayed with faith and sincerity for about 5 minutes. As i looked at all those dirty hands on this boy's dirty shirt, i was holding back tears. This is church.

After prayer, Gerald began to look better and better. Within an hour, he was up walking around. We checked on him later that night. The sore in his mouth had shrunk. One of the other ministry ladies got him a toothbrush, ibuprofen, and some colgate. I think he'll be just fine.

God is amazing beyond words. Have a great week.

Medical Mission

2009-01-21T02:20:00.000-08:00

People waiting in line to see the doctor.
Paige assisting the dentists.
Open wide!

Warm Filipino greetings from the Parrish's. Just thought we'd fill you on some recent happenings.
Last Saturday, we had the INCREDIBLE opportunity to go on a one day medical mission to a town south of Baguio. The team of about 20 provided medical, dental care, medicine, and counseling to about 150 people. The day was organized as a church planting effort in conjunction with a local church there . We left about 5:30 am and rode the jeepney 2 1/2 hours to Santa Barbara, Pangasinan. The people were already waiting for us.

We were quickly put to work. Kent spent most of the day at the registration table, taking the blood pressure of patients. He was truly a natural. I had the very exciting job of cleaning the dental instruments. The dentists would use dental pliers and literally pulled close to 50 teeth that day. I scrubbed the bloody tools and got them sterilized for the next patient. It was such a funny job for me as I DO NOT like the dentist....... I just kept telling myself....... "At least they get novacaine shots". Never hurts to be stretched.........and I was that day. Believe me.

His Heart Ministry, our outreach in Baguio, is going strong. The Holy Spirit is moving and we are so blessed to be here.

Thank you for your prayers. We have not been sick one day since we returned. We know its because of faithful intercessors.

One last story: We just want to thank you for your support. Because of you, we were able to fund an outreach project to the Bagobo tribe in southern Mindanao. This area is very strong Muslim territory and located in the far south region of the Philippines. A Filipino friend from APTS has a great artistic gift and was able to make an evangelistic video and visit homes in the region, distributing food and the dvd.

Your giving funded the production costs and copies of the dvd for 200 families.

As we visited with you in the States in mid Dec, the team rode motorbikes into the Mindanao mountains, carrying the message of hope and freedom in Jesus. Please pray with us that the seeds planted through this effort will take root in the lives of the people.....that they will encounter the living Jesus.

Pagpalain ka (God Bless you)

Kent and Paige

Divine Appointments

2009-01-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

Hello to all. Life in Baguio is as usual, though a little cooler than when we left. It has been great to see our street friends and church family. We are amazed at the growth we see in people's lives everyday. On Saturday, we visited our friends that live in the park. We felt impressed to buy them blankets as most of them were wearing shorts and use cardboard to cover themselves at night.

Sandy, one of the ladies that sleeps in the park, had gone to the market that very day to buy a blanket. She found one that cost 5 dollars. There was no way she could buy it.......she would have to spend more than a week's earnings. So, she prayed and asked God to send her a blanket. Though we did not know it, God answered her prayer through us. I wish you could have seen her smile.

Our first Sunday morning back was full of joy and excitement. We worshiped, shared the Word, had communion, and ate arroz caldo (sticky rice with chicken). In Filipino culture, family members that go on a trip bring a small souvenir or token back. They call this tradition "pasalubong".
The people in Sto. Rosario were delighted to receive a very small token from America. We enjoyed giving it even more.

Classes have begun. Kent is gearing up for Expository Preaching, Marriage and Family Counseling, and Asian Theological Issues (study of the theologies and belief systems impacting Asia). Paige will be taking the counseling class and investing in the ministry full time.

Thank you for making it possible to be here. You are a valuable part of everything happening in Baguio. Have a wonderful start to 2009.

That they all may hear,
Kent and Paige Parrish

Happy 2009

2008-12-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day with family and friends.

We are enjoying visiting family on both sides and sharing fellowship with friends and supporters.
Kent has been able to preach in two churches and we are so overwhelmed by the blessing of God. We'd especially like to thank our Faith Worship Center family and the Children's Church for their giving hearts. We were blown away by their love and support. God will RICHLY reward you for everything.

It's hard to believe that we have been back in the states 3 weeks. We will fly out next Tuesday the 6th and return to serve the poor in Baguio.

The last few weeks have been incredible for the ministry. As some of you know, we have seen the village/baranguay church grow dramatically and God has healed about 12 people of physical ailments. We are so excited to return and begin discipling and loving the new people.

Thank you for your prayer and support. Lives are being changed. 300 children and almost as many adults were given a Christmas party and showered with gifts they would never have received otherwise. They are seeing the love of Jesus first hand and are choosing to follow Him.

Prayer Requests:

Safety of Travel and protection
Easy adjustment back into Filipino life
Power and Anointing in the Men's Ministry that Kent will begin soon

May you be blessed in 2009 beyond measure and comprehension.

After His Heart,
Kent and Paige

And the Work Continues

2008-10-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

Children from Sunday morning's outreach
Kids walking a horse on the road outside where we live.
Rain Rain go away!
A man stirring squid in the downtown market. Don't ask me why they need to be stirred? Maybe he's cleaning them.

Hello to all. Hope you are doing well. It seems like God is opening incredible new doors for us and His Heart ministry every week. Beginning November 3rd, His Heart will be providing lunch everyday at school for 35 of the most malnourished children in a village we are currently reaching out to. Angela felt a burden to do more in a particular barangay (village) where we have Sunday worship. The principal is open to spiritual feeding as well. His Heart ministry will be at the elementary school several times a week at lunch to love and build relationships with the children and families. The lunch will be provided Monday through Friday. We are also believing for additional resources to cover multivitamins weekly. We are excited to expand our influence for the Lord. There are so many individual lives being touched.

We just wanted to share a story of God's faithfulness to his people here. Sally, one of the ladies who attends the ministry's outreach and house church, was living in a dilapidated house that had serious structural problems. About 3 weeks ago, she moved out of the house, and in with extended family in that same village. One week later, her house slid down the mountain during a typhoon. God's provision and protection is so timely! We are so grateful for her safety.

Prayer requests:

Favor and protection for the street children from pedophilia, organ harvesting, weather elements, etc
Retreat we will be doing for teens next week
Protection from illness for the people we minister to- They live in very close communities.
More opportunities to share the hope and love of the Father

Kent and Paige

Missions Emphasis Week and other Notes

2008-10-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

One of the men in the village where we have church. Please pray for the men here. Many of them are depressed and struggling with alcoholism.
This is deep fried one day old chicken. As you can see, the second one is missing his head.
Actually, they weren't too bad. The head is the best part....nice and crunchy. We sampled foods from many different cultures at the Missions Banquet.

So, here we are posing for a picture after the cultural presentations for Missions Emphasis Week at APTS. I was involved in a human video, that's why I look like an angel....... :)

I go talk to someone. 5 minutes later, I see Kent up front giving a royal Korean proclamation while the Asians take pictures. It was so funny.

This costume is the traditional Korean outfit for a groom. The Korean students presented elements of a traditional wedding for their cultural presentation.

This is a precious little Muslim girl that comes to the ministry's Love and Food in the park. We are showing her God's love and acceptance.

It's another Saturday. We are so glad to have our ministry partner Angela back in the Philippines. We have missed her. She had a great Kids Conference in New Zealand where they witnessed 15-20 healings from the children's prayer! God is really moving in the women's house church here on Thursdays......I am humbled to be there and be used. We are enjoying just loving people.

I will begin teaching a Character/Bible lesson in the public school next week. Thank God for such an awesome opportunity! We'll go every Monday as the government allows 30 minutes per week. The school is right in our neighborhood.

This morning, I had the privilege of attending a missionary's funeral that taught at the seminary and planted churches here. He died on campus Monday. He had such a heart and love for the Filipino people.........One of the churches he planted offered to bury him in their backyard. How beautiful it was to see the many Filipinos he had impacted! That's why missions is worth it......

Here's a quote I like:

"The 3.5 billion unreached people on earth would form a single file line that would stretch around the equator 25 times! Can you picture 25 lines of Christless people, trampling endlessly toward hell? Let that vision stay with you day and night."

- Larry Stockstill

May we all be reminded that our time here on Earth is short. May we spend every day building the Kingdom, one step at a time.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We would not be here without you.

Paige and Kent

The Bers

2008-10-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Picture taken with friends from APTS.
Kids from His Heart ministry taking their bags to collect scrap. (plastic and cans)
A whole bunch of bananas !

A very cute baby we know from Tuesday morning street church. Her mom is a street vendor.

Laundry time- Don't we all love it?

Filipinos call this time of year the "bers" (September, October, November, etc.). Some of the stores are playing Christmas music already.....its so funny. It's hard to believe that we will be back in Louisville in 8 weeks. The flight comes in Dec. 6th. We will be in for about a month. Kent and I are looking forward to seeing everyone and having some Cracker Barrell home cookin'.

We will finish up a three week block course this Monday. The final should be so much fun.....18 essays and fill in the blank. We are in the middle of missions emphasis week at APTS......services at night and an international banquet on Friday. The Americans are making apple pies as we speak. I'm a little under the weather with a sinus infection, so I bailed out of that one. :)

Ministry has been eventful the last couple of weeks.....took someone to the emergency room, treated the kids living in the park to Mcdo (That's what they call Mcdonalds here), a couple typhoons, the usual services, feeding program, and house church. Organ harvesting is an issue here. People take advantage of the poor and pose as doctors for the sake of selling organs such as kidneys. We encountered a situation with some of the children we minister to this week. All are ok but please pray for their safety and wisdom to know danger when they see it .

Angela, our friend and founder of the ministry, lost a 7 week old niece last week. She was in New Zealand at the time and was able to be there with her brother and sister in law. Thank you for your prayers for the family.

Just a tid bit about daily life: Some have asked how much things cost here. Some items are very expensive, especially American or other foreign products. A very small box of American cereal is 4 dollars. On the other hand, I got a week's worth of amoxicilin antibiotic for 45 pesos (1 dollar) total. Ladies' hair cuts cost 4 dollars including tax. Milk here is super processed from New Zealand. You buy it on the shelf and do not refrigerate it until it's opened. It's about $1.50 for 1 liter. You can buy fresh milk here but it would only last 2-3 days and is more expensive.

Have a great October week.

Blessings to you and we miss you.

Paige and Kent

2008-09-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. It's September but feels like May here. Of course, we don't have fall weather in Baguio. Just spring all year long. We'll miss the leaves falling next month.....but love the sunshine.

We've started back to school and are busy preparing for a missions convention in two weeks. The 5 American students will be sharing apple pie and square dancing for our presentation. Haha. It will be great fun! Meanwhile, Angela, the director of His Heart is gone for three weeks, so we are covering the ministry for her during the week and weekends. We are VERY busy but enjoying every minute of it. Angela is so gracious and loaned us her van while she is gone! We feel like we're in heaven after riding in taxis and jeepneys for over 3 months! We can go out when we want and cart the kids from the ministry around. Pray we don't get too spoiled while she's gone. :)

Here are some pictures of Thursday house church in the village. Also, you'll see a lizard we found in our apartment.

Blessings,
Paige and Kent Parrish

Taste of Town

2008-09-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

I just love this kid!

Kent looking at fabric to have jeans made. Filipino and American sizes are not exactly the same. In other words, Kent is a little over sized compared to the average Filipino. HA HA HA
He asked Kent which label he wanted sewn on the jeans. Levis or Lee's.... So much for copyright! He got a pair of Levi's.

Beef it's whats for dinner! Notice the knife and block. Nothing goes to waste in the Philippines! Yummy....

Beek, pork, squid, dog....you name it. Cut fresh in Baguio.
When you eat a hot dog in Baguio be careful... you may be eating a hot DOG! Bow Wow...

Fresh Fish! As you can imagine the smell in the market is not too desirable.

People, People, and more People...

Need a Taxi? There are thousands of taxi's in Baguio. Most have tires with the tread of a volleyball.

Hello all! We thought we'd fill you in on life in Baguio for this post. It is like a different world here....but full of warm gracious people. The Baguio market is a booming place in the mornings. You'll see some pictures above. Yes, we do eat meat from the market.....cooked of course. It's served at the seminary. :)

Fiipinos have a wonderful spirit of service and hospitality. They work so hard and often make only enough to provide food for their families. A department store worker, for instance, makes about 3 to 6 dollars per day(135-250 pesos), depending on seniority. Many in the department stores are college graduates who have no other job.

Baguio is a city of about 300,000. Jeepneys and taxis fill the streets at all hours of the day. They put tons of exhaust into the streets. You can generally always smell smoke in town. The language of Tagalog is typically spoken while many know Illocano because we are closer to mountain provinces. English is taught in schools, though we have to speak slowly and simply to be understood.

The greatest need here is the hope of Christ. Thousands of people are silently suffering with a smile on their face. We are so blessed to be here to bring that hope. From children's ministry and street church to involvement in house churches and preaching, God is rooting us here. He is moving. People's lives are being changed. It is such an honor to be a small part of it all.

In His Mighty Name,
Paige and Kent

Surprise at lunch

2008-09-08T02:26:00.000-07:00

Imelda Marcos in her glory days- See the story below.
One of the worship teams at APTS.
Toko from Japan, Hansel from the Philippines, and Pim from Thailand.
A Samoan couple. Samoa is a tiny island in the Pacific.

We are enjoying a week long break from seminary. It's so nice to be able to check out Baguio , do ministry, and relax. We have been so busy lately. We needed to catch our breath. :)

Anyway, Kent preached yesterday morning on at a local church. He shared a great message on the Holy Spirit. That afternoon, we went to the feeding program to work with the kids. Today, we were having lunch in Baguio. Half way through the meal, we realized that the wife of the former President of the Philippines was two tables over. People kept looking over there...... we knew it had to be someone important. So we asked the waiter. He told us that her name was Imelda Marcos. She and her husband were in power from 1965-1986 when they fled the country because of an uprising. Her husband died in exile in Hawaii in 1989. She is best known here for owning 7000 pairs of shoes when she was the first lady.....isn't that a claim to fame? As you would prob guess, some Filipinos did not like her. Unfortunately I did not have my camera but.....I found a picture of her on the internet. :)

I've included a picture of some of the students at APTS. I am eating dinner at the worship leader's room in one of the pics. The worship team represents Korea, America, Japan, and Vietnam.

God Bless,
Paige and Kent

We made it!

2008-09-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Not sure what Kent is serving. Some kind of pink soup!

Hello everyone. Hope you had a beautiful Labor Day weeekend. We've survived finals....just took the last one today! I haven't been this tired in a long time....but I could tell you anything you ever wanted to know about the book of 1st Corinthians. :) Kent has learned tons about creative and effective preaching as well.

Life in Baguio is as usual....high 70's and rain in the afternoon..though it is slacking off a little. We start back with class on Sept. 15th. We continue to help with Angela and His Heart ministry. You'll see a picture of her with one of the little ones above. I can't tell you how blessed we are to work with such special people! I feel like I am doing what I was created to do- loving the broken. The families here teach us so much.

I helped with a kids retreat last Monday sponsored by His Heart. The day was filled with food, games, worship, and teaching. Several of the children received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. What an awesome event! Next trimester, I'll be going to school part time at APTS, so I'll have more time for the ministry. Kent on the other hand is thinking about taking 12 hours next trimester. This is a very heavy load, considering a trimester is only 12 weeks. The workload is the same as that of a semester. What an honor it is to pour into people's lives....

In other news, we are becoming better acquainted with lizards and big cockroaches. They seem to be wandering around our apartment more these days. Kent chased one down this morning. They're fast! :)

Thank you for your prayers and financial support. Can't wait to be back to visit in Dec. and tell you all the things God is doing!

For those who have not been to the ministry site yet, go to hisheart.org.nz (Angela and her daughter Yasmin are incredible women of God. We thank God for sending us here.)

Blessings,
Paige and Kent

2008-08-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and fam. Just wanted to update you on a couple things. On one of our first posts, we asked for prayer for a young boy Neil who was electicuted in Sunday school and needed to get to the US for treatment. After jumping through many hoops and being denied, his Visa has been granted! Thanks to all who prayed for him.......he will be leaving for Galveston, TX on Sept. 18th.

In other news, we have been busy with school and the children. Finals happen in about a week and a half........we are ready to have them done.

We hosted an all day retreat for street vendors and other adults from the village we are working with last Monday. It was a beautiful day, no rain(which was a miracle in itself) and God touched many of the people in a powerful way. We were able to bless each family with a sack of goodies(bread, tuna, etc) to take home. I wish you could have seen the smiles.

Finally, Kent has become an official Filipino. He ate balut this week.....that's right....as featured on Fear Factor and TV network's Bizarre foods....... a duck fetus boiled whole. All he had to say was "It was a unique experience". Hahaha......the picture says it all.

Miss you all,
Paige and Kent

2008-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Meet one of the special kids we are ministering to here. She comes from a large family but does not feel safe at home due to several issues. She sleeps most nights in the park....with a pack of other kids. She loves to dance and has such a sweet spirit. The ministry has just started breakfast and street church for her and other street vendors and scrappers on Tuesday mornings. Scrappers collect trash and recyclables to sell in the streets for next to nothing. I was there this morning at street church to pray and help feed. We are excited about what God is doing in her life.....and in the life of her family.

We presented the gospel to about 100 children and 100 parents last week.....distributing shoe boxes of gifts from Samaritans Purse in a local village area. We have teamed up with gov. social workers to be more effective and meet the needs. We have several more presentations that will reach about 1000 kids and almost as many parents when all the boxes are given away.
:)

In other news, we are enjoying the interesting Asian cuisine here. There are a couple of Koreans at the school who have invited us to eat with them. We have had kim chi, the famous Korean dish made of Chinese cabbage and something really really spicy. Don't ask me. :) We just took a deep breath and smiled.

Here's something that has been speaking to me lately: Gal. 2:20 " I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Miracles happen through Christ in us.

Have a great week.

Paige and Kent

Our New Friends

2008-08-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we had church with children and families in a village in Baguio. People gather outside in a half built structure that looks similar to a primitive construction site. Angela, the ministry director, brings her CD player. There's always a feast after church, just like the agape feast in the New Testament. The children are beautiful and really worship. There's plenty of time for games and goofing off too. The boys love Kent.....he is like a big kid himself.

Kent and I will be giving the message to the children this Sunday. I think we're sharing on Zaccheus....should be a great opportunity.

School is going well...we're getting some pictures together so you can meet some of the students at APTS. It is incredible to learn from pastors, students, and ministers from all over Asia.

Have a wonderful week.

Peace to you....
Paige and Kent

2008-07-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

It's over half way through the trimester! We are plugging away on assignments and papers. God is really opening up great doors for ministry though. We have a strong burden for the street children we have met the last few weeks. We have met with the director of the ministry, His Heart, and will be visiting the village children's church this weekend. She has several villages begging for a program...we are praying.

Next Wednesday the 30th, I will be giving an evangelistic presentation for about 200 children and 100 parents in a mountain area. I will be distributing Samaritan's Purse shoe boxes and teaching on Jesus being the greatest gift. It is going to be an awesome day! Please pray for favor with the message.

Please pray for the children here. With a population in the Philippines of over 81 million, over 34 million of those are under the age of 18. 38% of children are under the age of 14. Two million of these children are orphans.

Paige and Kent

Prayer Request

2008-07-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hello to all! Hope you are enjoying the summer. We have been into all sorts of things: exploring, ministering.

We went back to the street kids program this week.....and found out some disturbing news. Three of our new friends (Frema, Menchi, and Christina) were lured by a pimp this week. They have been taken to Manilla (5 hours away) to "work". Their mothers have no idea where they are......and Manilla is so huge, it's like a black hole. Please pray that they will run and get back to Baguio somehow. God can protect them and make it happen. We are believing for a miracle. Two of the girls are in the picture with me at the bottom of the last post. (It's the last picture with the 3 girls and me).

Thank you for partnering with us. You are making a difference.
We'll get some pictures up soon. :)

Paige and Kent

His Heart

2008-07-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hello to all! Well, we are really getting settled now. Life seems to be becoming more normal. Our days are filled with eating, sleeping, studying, school, and ministry. We are learning more about the city and the interesting things to do here. Kent preached up a storm ( well it was raining outside) last weekend at a church pastored by a new friend from Korea. We enjoyed the visit and the warm friendly people.

We also had the incredible opportunity to work with a local ministry who feeds and teaches street children. (Check out pictures above) What a difference a little love and food can make! The founder of the ministry is a former student at the seminary. God is annointing her work. She has 300 children coming to her children's church service in a village on Wednesdays! She has begun a church on Sundays in a baranguay (village) as well. We were so blessed being there..........it was as if the time had been a divine appointment. We are praying about how we can be used there more.

At any rate, we are healthy, happy, and adjusting well. Please pray for protection from illness and strength to finish assignments....

Some have asked what classes we are taking. Here's the scoop:

Kent: Research Methods ( Writing Theological Term papers)
Homilietics and Preaching
Pastoral Counseling

Paige: Research Methods
Pastoral Counseling
Exegesis of 1 Cor. ( Very difficult)

Doesn't sound like much but each class has 1200 pages of reading, midterm, finals and about 20-30 pages of writing all together...and on top of going to class.......and all this has to be done within 12 weeks. They operate on a trimester calendar. We are being stretched but love it. :)

For those who have helped to support us here: Thank you. We wouldn't be here without you.
To our families: We love and miss you.......

After His Heart,
Kent and Paige

Ministry : Rain or Shine

2008-07-03T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone. It's hard to believe that we have been here for almost a month. We are adjusting well and being really challenged by all that we are learning.....both in class and in the lives of the people. Kent has been asked to preach at churches and I am working with different families and groups of kids. We are still visiting churches but had an awesome weekend of ministry last weekend. Saturday was filled with visiting people in the mountains from a church plant there. It rained for 4 hours but I was a very happy, wet camper climbing up rocks, crossing little streams, and surprising people in their homes with gifts. I met a boy Neil who was electrocuted in Sunday school two years ago. He was severely burned and is blessed to be alive. God has provided the finances, host family, and support for Neil to receive treatment for 5 years in Texas! The only thing that he needs now is the visa. He has already been denied once this month. Please pray that he will get the visa soon as he is in pain and needs to begin the process. You will see a picture of me with him.
Kent and I shared at a village church Sunday for children. 50 kids came, many walking over an hour. A piece of land has been offered by an elderly lady in the tribe to build a church......they are now waiting for the finances.

Last but not least, a little culture. The picture above shows a jeepney......our areas most popular form of public transportation......people ride inside, on the back, and even sometimes on top in the mountains.

Rice is a staple food here. People also eat a lot of chicken and fish with vegetables. I had soup with tree fungus in it last week at a restaurant in the city.....yummy.

Anyway, thank you for your support and prayers. It is such a priviledge to be here.

Paige and Kent

This is part of the road we traveled to get to church Sunday. The view is pretty amazing! It's a lot farther down than the picture shows. The lack of guard rails makes the ride all that more interesting!!!

2008-06-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hello to all. Mabuhay (welcome) to our blog! It has been a priviledge to have the opportunity to come and minister in such a unique and beautiful nation. We hope to give you a glimpse of daily life and ministry here. Many blessings from Baguio!

The market in Baguio is what you would call 'open air". It stretches for several blocks along the street. This is where many people here (including us) buy fresh produce. People bring their wares every morning to sell on the streets at about 5 am. The crowd is huge, especially on weekends. It is hard to find room to take good pictures as people are passing by and vehicles are honking you out of the way of traffic. Meat and fish are sold hanging in the market............I wish that I could describe the smell. It's like trash you forgot to take out.......for a week or so. But, most things are very fresh........

The Americans here have taught us to soak our food(fruits and veggies) in bleach water(just a little bleach) for about 20 min and then rinse. It kills any critters!

We had the opportunity to visit a church in the mountains on Father's Day. A lady from the school has a burden for the Ibulao tribe and is planting churches. The pictures below show the building after just 4 years. What a testimony to God's faithfulness....they began under a tree. The tribe has a history of mostly animism (pagan sacrifices and believing plants and animals have souls). The lady at the podium below was a former Pagan priestess near there. A second church is planted farther into the mountains but currently has no building. Pray for this awesome work!

Blessings from Baguio,
Paige and Kent