Oakwood Christian Church

Received July 17, 2010

Greetings from Bacolod City!

Mary and I moved back to Bacolod in June. We were so glad that Josh and Lydia Smith were here to help us move. Lydia was keeping busy with morning sickness (or all day sickness) but Josh was able to help get us moved. We really enjoyed having them here and for the news that we are to be grandparents in December! One of the things about Bacolod is that we have daily brown outs (several hours without electricity). This can be a challenge when it is so hot and there is no place to go for even a fan! We are trying to get an old generator working at the house for the few hours each day when there is no electricity. The city of Bacolod says that it may be 2011 before we have enough electricity. The house that we live in is an older home that is bigger but has had to have lots of paint and repairs. We are so glad that our first guests were Lydia and Josh!

In June we were excited to have Bob Sheffler here to lead a seminar on Theological Education by Extensions, or TEE. We have been looking forward and planning for a year for his coming and leading a seminar for the pastors and church leaders. VFM is busy translating and printing the TEE materials in English, Cebuano and Ilonggo at this time. This is a five year plan for the training of church leaders. Our office is very busy with the translation, editing and publishing of the first four books. We hope that we can have them done in the three languages in the next couple months. (Our home is our print shop again)

Mary is glad to again be teaching/tutoring students. She will be working four days a week at the Green Plains Church of Christ Educational Center. This is where she taught before and she is excited to begin working again with the children at this Christian school. This school has about 60 enrolled and has an excellent ministry here in Bacolod City. Mary has been busy getting the classsroom ready for this new semester that just started in June.

Thank you for your prayers while I was again in the Bacolod Riverside Hospital with Dengue Fever. It was the second time that I have had this illness and it was much harder this time. The Dengue Fever is caught from mosquitoes and it affects the platelets of one's blood. My blood count was very low this time and we almost had to have a blood transfusion. Praise the Lord that was not necessary! I was in the hospital for five days this time and so glad to get home.

Please keep in your prayers Jacob Escoto, the15 year old son of our pastor, Dick. While cutting leaves from a tree to feed their goat, he fell and broke his back. He was to start Bible College in two weeks to study to become a preacher. I plan to go and visit him and his parents again soon. You have helped with some of the medical expenses. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

This past week, one of our long time faithful supporters of VFM passed away. Pauline Mitchell and her late husband, Orville Mitchell, have always been interested in God's work here in the Philippines and have faithfully supported VFM for many years. They were charter members of Oakwood Christian Church and their prayers and support over the years has been such an encouragement to us. Pauline, you will be missed!

It seems that we are so behind in places to visit about the TEE and encouragement to the churches. With June being busy with the TEE seminar, moving, company and then hospitalization, we have so much to do! Please keep us in your prayers. We rejoice that there is slow progress in the goal of getting land for church camp/leadership training. Continue to pray that we can get this land!

In His service,

Paul and Mary Wilson