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Protestant Reformed
Missionary: Rev. Audred Spriensma |
Contact Information: mail: 1898 Celso Tuazon
Avenue |
NEWSLETTER
August 24, 2002
Dear Doon and Congregations of the PRCA,
Greetings in the Name of our Saviour and King, Jesus Christ.
We are privileged to labor on your behalf to God's people in the Philippines. We have been here for six weeks; and, in two days, my wife Alva takes leave with Andrew and Alicia back to the States to get them settled in their college life and to spend time with our other children and our parents. Four days before we left for the Philippines, we buried Alva's father. So this will be a good opportunity for Alva to be with her mother. Alicia had some complications from her recent surgery so that she will go home to doctor's visits and physical therapy. Alicia will begin studies at Calvin College for elementary education. Andrew will be in his third year at Calvin and begin his Greek studies at our Seminary the day after his arrival in the States.
Jessica has been in her schooling at Faith Academy (a Christian School which is for children of missionaries, located near our house) for almost a month already. She is kept busy with her homework, music, and sports. She has adjusted well so far. We have been very busy in the past six weeks with trying to get our house livable, (cleaning, appliances, and furniture). We have been trying to get a phone line for the house for calls and the computer, but so far we have not received any encouraging response. We did manage to buy some cell phones and are learning how to use them. I have also been making the long trips to downtown Manila to get our missionary visas. The distance is not far, but the traffic makes it a slow and nerve racking trip of two to three hours each way.
The saints in the church have been very helpful to us. We are slowly adjusting to the climate and the new diet. It has been very hot here lately, and with the daily rain, the humidity is very high. When our children in the States write about some of the meals that they are making or have enjoyed, a groan goes up, and we try to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have learned to be content...." No, we are slowly learning. I have been preaching every week for the Berean Church of God Reformed. The attendance varies from 41 - 50 souls each week. A lot depends upon the weather and illness. We are in the rainy season so that for several weeks, everything was flooded, and some of the members were not able to get out of their neighborhoods. We have in the means of grace been going through the Catechism and preaching from various passages in the Old and New Testaments. We leave time for questions after the instruction in the Heidelberg Catechism. The members are very receptive and also make a point to invite family and friends to join them. This is exciting to see. We hope to get Catechism classes and a leadership class going in about another month. I was about to make contact with men both in Bacolod which is on the island of Negros, and men in Daet/Lobo which is on the same island as Manila, but about an eight hour bus ride from us. I am hoping to preach in the Daet/Lobo area in September, and in Bacolod in October. Rather than flying to Bacolod as we did in April, I hope to take Alva and Jess with me on the ferry. If not rainy, it should be a beautiful trip.
We are thankful to dear friends who write to us and the bulletins that are e-mailed to us. We appreciate your prayers as you can be sure that we continue to pray for you. Especially remember us during this time when Alva will be gone from us in the Philippines, that the Lord will give travelling mercies. In the midst of troubles, sorrows, farewells, and a new homeland, we have tasted that the Lord is good! We thank Him that He has given us life in Jesus Christ and that we are counted worthy to be used as instruments as He builds His church, gathering her out of all nations.
Sincerely,
Rev. A. Spriensma