December 16, 2014 - T’BOLI, KORONADAL CITY, and GENSAN CITY

We (Menes, Merry & Shem Alim, Charles & Charity Aban) went to T’boli, South Cotabato for our year end outing.  We started our travel at around 8:00 in the morning and we dropped by Gensan to get some of the used clothes donated by the brethrens for T’boli.  Then after, we go on with our travel to Marbel and took first our lunch then we proceeded to T’boli.  We arrived in T’boli at just about 5:10 in the afternoon.  It was a loaded travel since we carried a musical instrument for a sort of a Christian concert in the area.  During our arrival, leaders of our daughter churches in the area welcomed us.  We did not expect that they already have prepared a native chicken soup for our dinner.  We were so happy because before, they waited for us before they will prepare the food because, we are bringing our own food, but now, they already are preparing something for their visitors.  After we took our dinner, we already have started our program and the praise and worship team who led the program was from T’boli.  It was Spirit filled worship and we were blessed by their songs and lifted our hearts unto the Lord with thanksgiving.  After our night worship, we had socialization with the new members of the church which is newly opened Sitio Emlok.  Our office, helped provided the materials of the said church building.  After our socialization with them, we took our good night rest.  Early morning the following day, most of our companions’ from Davao and from Marvel, went to the river to take bath.  They were very enjoyed and excited with their experiences.  At around 8:30 after breakfast, we had a sports festival.  Then after, a formal Christmas party followed.  Charity cooked a chocolate zagu and Merry Alim helped served it to the children. On that night, we again have a service and by this time, our companions from Marbel had their concert.  After the sermon is the calling and there were 10 souls who received Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  The following morning, they were brought to the river and were baptized officiated by their local minister. We spent 4 nights and 3 days in T’boli. It was good to feeling that we were part of the lives of the people in T’boli.  They were just like a family to us.  December 26, 2014, we went down to Marbel to attend their church anniversary.  Bro. Jhonny Sapio doesn’t want us to go home yet, since he wanted us to really attend the celebration, so we helped in the preparation of the said anniversary.  The following morning of December 27, 2014, I and Charity went to Gensan to attend and witness the baptism of our 3 neighbours in who accepted Christ.  Bro. Daniel Santos my child mate called me up and insisted to attend the witnessing of the baptism, so we decided not to go back yet to Marbel.  It was indeed a celebration that our neighbours have already known Christ and wanted to take the Christian baptism.  In the evening, we went back to Marbel and the following day, attended their church anniversary celebration.  It’s very fulfilling for me to feel very happy because, those who prepared the food and the preparation are newly baptized Christian. After the anniversary, we went home to Davao and arrived very late at night since we sensed something trouble from the pick-up.  It was so noisy in the back part the pick-up’s body and we felt that is was a total damage. We asked Marvin to pick us up in the house of Bro. Menes because we really felt that the pick-up would cause accident.  Bro. Marvin arrived in Bro. Menes’s house at around 10:30 PM.  Praise GOD for HE protected us from danger and arrived home safely.