Greetings friends! I hope you are all healthy and enjoying a mild beginning to this summer. Vanessa and I are pleased to inform you of a recent major update in our ministry here in Cebu. With this change, our work has been enhanced greatly in several key ways and our influence, evangelism reach and church planting capabilities have all significantly increased. We are excited by the work God has put before us and we believe you will be too!
As you are aware, I (Caleb) have been teaching part time at Cebu Bible College (CBC) for some time now. Early in April I was asked by the CBC's Director, Mark VanDyke, if I would consider becoming the school's Assistant Director. This represents a pretty substantial change in how we carry out our ministry here, so we took time to talk with people who could give us wisdom and insight about this role, and we (with others) entered into intensive prayer to seek God's direction. Ultimately, Vanessa and I concluded that this was not only a good opportunity we should pursue, but that my becoming the A.D. does gives us a greater ability to achieve our church planting, disciple making and local church maturation goals. I am incredibly blessed to now be leading a team of dedicated brothers and sisters in Christ, both staff and students, who all share the same hopes and goals as Vanessa and I. We are incredibly excited about the ministry possibilities now open to us through my new role as CBC's Assistant Director.
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Senior banquet
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The 2020 and 2021 CBC graduates
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In speaking about ministry opportunities, we are very happy to share with you that we will be spearheading a Youth Camp on the nearby island of Bantayan, from June 7th - June 13th. In April, Minnie Lagria, a member of the church and the admin/director of a resettlement camp called MARCH Village, invited CBC to come and conduct a Youth Camp aimed at reaching out to the community through service and evangelism, and revitalize a struggling church.
MARCH Village was started by a brother in the church, Chito Cusi, and the M.A.R.C.H. for Christ (Medical Action for Relief, Counseling, and Healing) team as a settlement for families that were displaced by Typhoon Haiyan back in 2013. Now, there are almost 400 households and thousands of people living in this small community. CBC's main "campaign" group will be a mixed group of 12 staff and students. 3 of the students will remain behind for the rest of the summer and continue to serve the MARCH Village community with sister Minnie, hold regular mini VBS events and Bible studies, and partner with the church in evangelism. This is a very bright start to our summer, and Vanessa and I can't wait to share with you what happens at MARCH Village!
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(L to R) Hazel, Jera, Jessi, Mary Ann (freshmen) and Spring Kyle (sophomore)
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Online book study group wtih fellow missionary moms in Cebu
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Vanessa has also been quite busy in the area of teaching and mentoring. She has been working with the young ladies enrolled at CBC this semester, focusing on personal spiritual growth as well as preparation for their upcoming summer ministry internships. These students were also able to participate in a Virtual Ladies Fellowship hosted by the Downtown CoC, as well as a Counseling 101 class led by our friend and clinical psychologist, Katrielle Marx.
Once every two weeks, Vanessa has also been leading a group of fellow missionary women through a book study called Raising Up a Healthy Generation of Third Culture Kids. This study has given these ladies an opportunity to talk about the unique challenges of raising children overseas and the impact that their experiences can have on their development. It has been a great source of insight and encouragement for these ladies as they navigate motherhood and missionary life.
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Henry and Jared are the two newest people whom I (Caleb) have begun ministering to. Henry is the younger brother of Charles, who we've mentioned often in past newsletters, and a couple months ago their mother asked me to begin talking and studying with Henry the same way I have with Charles. Jared is a long-time friend of Henry's, and when he walked by the coffeeshop where Henry and I were meeting for our first study, Jared asked if he could join. The three of us have been meeting ever since! Both of these young men are inquisitive about God and how He interacts with us, and I look forward to our continuing studies.
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With Jared (L) and Henry (R) at local coffee house
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Despite the very slow improvement of the COVID situation in the Philippines, our family had a lot to celebrate this month. On Mother's Day, Ronen turned two and a half! We have no idea how that happened. He is speaking in full sentences, likes to play hide-and-seek, and loves going on play dates. The government still prohibits anyone under the age of 15 to go out in public, but there are some local tourist spots and parks that allow children to enter.
Also in May, we celebrated the graduation of Vanessa's sister, Veronica, from Abilene Christian University. The ceremony was livestreamed and we all got to watch her walk across the stage from the comfort of our living room. Veronica currently works as the International Student Services Specialist for ACU.
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Ronen and friends having a picnic at a nearby park.
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Veronica Summers completed her masters in Liberal Arts at ACU!
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Please pray for our Youth Camp campaign on the island of Bantayan, and for the community at March Village. Pray for open hearts to receive our service and the Gospel, and for the team who is going and those remaining.
Please also pray for the other missionary families here, especially the moms.
Pray for the young people we are actively mentoring; that they would grow in their faith and devotion to Christ, and also be sharing their faith with others.
Thank you so much for continuing to pray for us!
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