Philippines Medical Missions | Danny Consford | Update 4

Weak Bodies, Strong Faith, and Giving That Convicts

We woke up preparing to travel to a church about an hour away to help celebrate their church anniversary. As the morning went on, it became clear that several people in our group—including myself—were not feeling well.

One of the ladies traveling with us had brought her son along. He became sick enough that they stayed back at the hotel, and later he was taken to the hospital and admitted for observation. One of the young men in our group also stayed behind at the apartment connected to the church and slept most of the day.

I wasn’t feeling well either, but I was able to make the trip to the church.

A Faithful Church and a Powerful Service

The drive took about an hour, and despite everything going on, we had a great service. There were around 100 people in attendance, and three people were saved.

Most of the members of this church are farmers. Many of them earn only two or three dollars a day, yet they still give faithfully to the work of the church. After the service, they had prepared a meal for us.

The main dish was a pig they had purchased and cooked for the occasion. The cost of that pig alone was close to $140, and the church members paid for all of it themselves. Along with that, they had prepared several other dishes as well.

Their generosity was overwhelming.

A Living Example of Scripture

Watching this church give so freely brought 2 Corinthians 8:2 (KJV) to life in a way I won’t forget:

“How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”

These believers don’t have much by the world’s standards, but through grace-giving, they have something far greater. They have joy. They have contentment. And they are storing up riches in heaven.

Their hearts, their gratitude, and their willingness to give sacrificially were a tremendous blessing to me personally.

Ending the Day

After church, we went to the ocean for a little while. From there, we returned to Ley Sam Baptist Church for the men’s prayer meeting. It was a good time of prayer and encouragement.

When we finally arrived back at the hotel, I went straight to bed. I was still feeling ill, and the rest was needed in preparation for church the next day.