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Minister's Monthly Minute



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From our Minister, Howard Faerber

Howard Faerber

Dear Christian Friends,

Summer is quickly coming. Ground-breaking for our new church building is looming on the horizon. I hope you will continue to remember our building program in your prayers and in your giving.

The Bible reading for the month of May is John 16 - Acts 16. Be faithful in your reading.

Following is a letter from Paul Wilson. Paul is a graduate of Midwest Christian College and a missionary in the Philippines. Our church has given Paul some support and anticipate some regular support sometime in the future. I found his letter to be very interesting:

Dear friends at Westside!

I am glad to report that we are doing fine. Just a little nervous that I may get Dengue Fever again because here you can't avoid mosquitoes. It was interesting being in a hospital here in the Philippines. Mary is doing fine, and school is out for the summer. She is busy helping get the many boxes of Sunday School materials from College Press ready for another distribution to the churches. We are in summer now, which is our very hot/dry season. Temperatures are mostly in the high 90s with humidity.

Last week, we visited one of the churches' VBS sites and were encouraged to see all the kids everywhere. I wish it were possible to show you all the areas your financial support has helped in providing materials for many churches. The churches are growing, and members are encouraged. New Bible study groups are being formed.

I also spoke at a church camp last week in the south area of the island. They had over 100 registered in attendance. A breath-taking location on the beach by the ocean and yet so humbling to see the adults and campers staying under tarps and plastic sheets for a week of camp. Each church prepared their own food over an open fire and had a very basic menu of foods. Also, I spoke this past Sunday morning at church and visited an outreach area that evening. Busy and loving it!

Mary is sending out an e-mail with some pictures and more information soon. God is so good! Pray for God's help in trying to get land for a church on Samar Island. It is the poorest church that I have visited. They worship behind a house under an old tarp stretched out on some small ropes to keep out of the rain and direct sunlight. The lay pastor drives a trycee to earn income, and the wife sews on a treadle sewing machine and sells peanut butter to help make a living. They have four little girls, and when I was there a few months ago, I took them out to eat to get a hamburger, the first time they had eaten out in 1½ years (since I was there before). The pastor has located a piece of land, and we hope to buy it if the Lord wills; then, we hope to build a simple chapel and a small parsonage. The pastor and family will then have a place to raise chickens and vegetables to help meet their daily needs. This project at Cabayog will not only help a church, but also a needy pastor's family! Pray that VFM can help this church next. It is a great distance from where I live. Getting there takes two days of travel each way. It will be hard to help complete this project so far from our home, but the need is urgent for this location. We rejoice that the land we bought on Palawan Island will have a new parsonage and temporary chapel completed this month. They hope to have their first service at the new location soon and then have a medical mission in the new neighborhood near the church. Praise God for the new land on Palawan Island and the building project that is almost completed!

The needs of the churches, especially the financial needs of the pastors, are always heavy on my heart. We have several livelihood projects that we are working with to help the pastors. A major concern is that the price of rice, the staple of their daily lives, has recently increased by 50%! It will be a hard time for many of the pastors and church members until August, the next harvest of rice. Thank you for your love, prayers, support, and concern! We serve such a wonderful God! Pray that God will give His wisdom in helping the churches and pastors.

In His Service,

Paul

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers on May 11th!

Best Wishes,             
Howard                     

Westside Christian Church is located at  12100 North Rockwell, Suite 8,  Oklahoma City, OK 73162
in the Rockwell Crossing strip center on the SE corner of Rockwell and NW 122nd Street.        405/410-3998

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