Dawn for the Poor

Saturday, October 13, 2007

October Prayer Update

“Crossing Over!”

“Whoever hears my word & believes him who sent me has eternal life…… he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

High-Rise Graves for the Poor in Manila

Pastor Danny Edrad writes, “Last September 2 in our Worship Service in the Waray Village, one mother requested prayer for her dying son…. Doctors diagnosed that he had acute hepatitis and his liver and other internal organs were already damaged.

During the Service we prayed that the Lord would enable us to reach Bonifacio before he died. We went back down to the Waray Village (later) & visited Bonifacio & gave him the opportunity to receive the Lord in his heart. He opened his heart to the Lord that day. Praise God!

Two days after Bonifacio was called to his heavenly home. The following Sunday, we held our Worship Service in the Waray Village, during the wake of Bonifacio. The Lord (gave us) the opportunity to share God's Word to the Warays... even to the men - drinking friends of Bonifacio. The Lord is so good! 24 people opened their hearts to the Lord that day. Praise God!”

Bill & Jacquie Stevens (OMF Canada) write, “We completed the Marriage Seminars in Calapan this past Friday. Now all areas of the ministry have had a complete seminar. After the overflow attendance at the time of the last report we created a make-shift tent using large plastic tarpaulins. This worked great & we were able to hold the crowd & give them room for couples to share more privately.”

Pastor Danny & Josie write, “We (used to be) the ones leading (training) meetings, but now we are encouraged to sit on the sidelines and support local leaders. We are excited to see them taking the lead (fully), understanding the vision, & casting this vision of the poor helping the poor in their own development.

As we see God raising up so many strong local leaders, we feel it is time to put more & more of it in their hands. Our BL mission statement is “To facilitate a wholistic church multiplication movement among the urban poor of Metro Manila AND BEYOND.” By God’s grace we believe it is time for Filipino urban poor to reach “BEYOND!”

Praise for:

· 24 new believers in Waray Village
· Completion of Marriage Seminars
· Ministry opportunity soon to open up in a new relocation area of Marilao

Pray for:

Comfort for Bonifacio’s family
Discipling the new Waray believers
Additional funding of $30,000 to purchase land for the Relocation
Lol leaders taking on responsibility
Pastor Danny & Josie as they seek the Lord’s guidance for the future
Agnes Lau (OMF UK) as she serves with BL in Calapan for 3 months.

We continue to be most grateful for your prayers and for the way the Lord is answering them.

God bless you. Patrick Hobbs.

PS If you feel led to help our relocation project in any way, contact dawnforthepoor@yahoo.ca for more info. Thank you to those already helping!

‘Dawn for the Poor’ Contacts:

Canada (English) – Patrick Hobbs: hobbspatrick@omf.net

Canada (French) - Brian Ludgate: ludgate@vdn.ca

UK Contact – Doug & Dot Smith: DandDSmith@omf.net

US Contact – Josie Francisco: isko83@yahoo.com

Website: www.dawnforthepoor.com

Short-Term Mission Trip

Angela Plater from Nova Scotia
talks about her experiences on a short-term trip
with Dawn for the Poor in the Philippines

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2584749785217592109

God is with the Poor

Wendy Gates from Halifax Nova Scotia
speaks about how she witnessed
the movement of God among the Poor
when she was on a short-term mission trip
with Dawn for the Poor
in the Phlippines
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=1021510688535323293

A Short-Term Ministry with the Poor

Wendy Gates, a nurse from Halifax,
speaks about her
Short-Term Ministry experience with
Dawn for the Poor in the Philippines

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-7407777206864470044

Preparing for a Mission Trip

View this interview with Angela Plater about the
Preparation for a Mission Trip
with Dawn for the Poor

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=7904637061733364266

Child Sponsorship Program

View this interview with Angela Plater about the
Child Sponsorship Program
of Dawn for the Poor:

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8079730913407093977

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

September Prayer Update

“The Scattered Ones!”

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”(Acts 8:4)

Already many Dawn for the Poor families are being scattered as their homes are being demolished by the government….

This is a photo of one of the new streets in Trese Martires where many of the families from Pandacan have already relocated, and some from Balic-Balic will follow them in a few weeks.

This is part of a vast government relocation program where there will be over 7,000 families living in close proximity in this area of the province of Cavite.

The homes are far superior to those along the railway tracks, but unfortunately this relocation area has been built far from work, health and social facilities.

The major employment at this time is the construction of these new homes – but what happens when the last one is built in a few weeks time. Many men have remained in the city of Manila close to their work, while their wives and children have already relocated to this area.

Please pray that this would not cause massive dysfunction in these families. The schooling is also very inadequate and there is a lack of teachers, & with up to 100 children in a class.

“Preaching Wherever….”

This has been an unexpected turn for Dawn for the Poor as many of the people with whom we have been ministering along the railway tracks have already moved here, including several of our sponsored children. Nanay Yoli, one of the Dawn for the Poor workers from Balic-Balic has already been working here for several months and has started up three Bible studies, a youth ministry & a student sponsorship program started in Trese.

Wherever They Go!

Our commitment continues to be with the poorest of the poor- even as they are being scattered. So now we are looking to the Lord to provide for us to buy one of these buildings in this relocation area in Trese, like this one in the photo above.

We are hoping to use this for a new preschool, a community centre and a church meeting place.

Please pray with us for this and pray that this will all be part of the expanding of God’s Kingdom.

Please don’t stop praying as we continue to look to the Lord for suitable land to build a new Dawn for the Poor community on the outskirts of Manila where there will be work, schooling and health facilities for people who want to relocate there.

If you feel led by God to help with this relocation in any way, contact dawnforthepoor@yahoo.ca for more info. Thank you so much for those who have already written and offered help.

Please pray for our Strategy Council Fred Dungganon, Nilda del Panos and Pastor Dani Edrad as they have taken over most of the responsibility from Pastor Danny & Josie Fransisco who are on a mission vision trip in another country right now.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your support. God bless you. Patrick Hobbs.