Convention Day 2

 
This morning during Session One of the Passover Convention, we were able to do a children's service with all the children who attended the conference. This time was full of songs, drama, puppets, and laughter! We taught out of Acts 3 about how the lame man at the gate called Beautiful was healed. We shared with them about how God can heal us, physically and in our hearts. We ended our time with some skits and a sack race.


 
Some of our team was able to be a part of afternoon worship service, followed by a message brought by Pastor Kristy. She shared on faith and trust, stressing the importance of having enough faith in what God says to do something about it.


 
Tonight God did some life-changing things. We started out with amazing worship; God was there and there was just so much unity in that place. When worship had finished, we were able to introduce ourselves to the congregation and share a little bit with everyone. We also had the opportunity to come together in agreement, declaring healing for Allena. This was just a powerful time of prayer.


 
Pastor Aaron soon took over and started to preach his illustrated message. He soon came to the story shared about Abraham and Isaac and how God wants us to be willing to sacrifice whatever it is that is most dear to us. It came time for the altar call and the altar was filled with people hungry for a deeper relationship with God. Before we knew it, service had been going on for 4 hours and God was still moving in lives. We packed up and went back to the hotel to sleep and prepare for our last services tomorrow.

The beginning of the Lift Jesus Higher Passover Convention
Today was the kick-off for the 23rd Annual Passover Convention for Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship Churches. This convention brings together pastors and leaders from the 36 Lift Jesus Higher Churches on the island of Negros in the Philippines. It is a time for worship, teaching, encouragement and fellowship for these faithful churches. The theme of this year's convention is "Living a Kingdom of God Lifestyle." From the very start, the convention was focused on the freedom we have in Christ to turn our past sins into a testimony! We prayed with many for freedom from bondage and to live a lifestyle worth reflecting. Then Pastor Aaron shared a message of the grace and mercy of God.

Drama Practice

 
We started off our morning by practicing some dramas for the next few days. We were able to incorporate many members of our team and also some members of our Lift Jesus Higher Church in Bacolod.

Children's Ministry
After the visit to the prison and lunch, we went to another children's ministry. It was smaller than the other ones we have visited, but this one was so close to our hearts. We had service in Lift Jesus Higher Bible School, just a few houses from the church in Bacolod. Many of the kids and parents that came are families that live around the church, so we knew a lot of the kids already from just playing with them at the beginning of the trip. It just made us smile as we walked into the chapel and heard the kids calling our names.

The service went well. Lauren shared a devotion about giving God everything and depending on Him at all times. The kids loved to sing and dance around with us so much. After the service, we were able to give them each some toys and food. God provided for all of them. We closed up with some sack races, something we have discovered is a big hit with the kids. After everything, it was time to say our good-byes, a sad moment because this is probably the last time we will get to see these kids on this trip and we have made good relationships with many of them because we've been able to spend so much time with them.

Bacolod City Prison
This morning we went to the Bacolod City Prison and ministered to the prisoners there. We've been there before, and since our last visit, they've built a new concrete chapel to replace their old bamboo one we're used to ministering in.

Prison here is a very different place to minister in than anywhere we might go in the States. The prisons here don't have regular feeding times or other forms of care for the inmates, so without someone from the outside taking care of you, you're pretty much out of luck. So today we came to a group of prisoners, people confined and held captive because of their failures and brought a message of freedom and hope in Jesus Christ. Josh, Allena, and Pastor Aaron all shared words of freedom and repentance with the inmates, and, as it always should be, it was accompanied by a demonstration of Christ's love as we provided food and soda for everyone who came to hear our message.

A Special Dinner and Birthday Party for Pastor Aaron
This evening was a great time of fellowship as we celebrated Pastor Aaron's birthday. We enjoyed roasted pig and all other kinds of food, including a cake with Pastor Aaron's face on it. We were able to relax and just enjoy each others' company. Pastor Jim of the first Lift Jesus Higher church in the United States joined us for the meal and fellowship afterwards.

Squatter Village
Today we went to a squatter village in Bacolod. Salome Binas, Pastor Ronnie's wife, walked us through the village to ask children and their families to join us for a service in a gym. We had more space than normal to form organized lines to give out toys, food, and drinks. The children loved to dance and sing with us and the puppets. The greatest part was seeing some of the children from the first squatter village we went to come with more of their friends. As soon as we walked in, the kids were running up to us yelling our names and giving us hugs.

Our visit to the New Government Building in Bacolod City

Today the team, along with Pastor Fred and Pastor Ronnie and Salome, went to the New Government Building of the city of Bacolod in hopes of meeting the Mayor. We had pre-arranged the meeting, but the mayor was extremely busy because elections are coming up. Mayor Bing Leonardia is running for re-election after six years in the position. Inside, we were greeted by Mz. Emogene, Head of the tourism office, who told us about the New Building and about Bacolod, also known as the city of smiles, which we have witnessed first hand. She led us into ceremonial hall where we met the secretary to the Mayor, who said that his job was to "man the fort" while the mayor is busy with the election. The room was big and beautiful. There we were introduced to Mr. Parcon, who is the City Agriculturist. We all sat down and enjoyed piayas, a Filipino delicacy, and juice while Pastor Aaron discussed our work in the Philippines, our hopes and goals for the future, as well as the possibility of transporting goods from our home in Springfield to the island of Negros. During the discussion, Pastor Aaron was given an honorary necklace which signifies the festival of Bacolod called Maskara.
The Secretary and Mr. Parcon talked with Pastor Jonathon Fargher and Pastor Christopher Cheek about how the Philippines often tries to learn from the ways of the United States. They also talked about their love of basketball. Though we did not get to see the mayor, it was a beneficial trip and we were grateful for the honor.


Squatter Village
Today we ministered at a squatter village in Binalbagan. We sang songs and did puppets with the children and we gave everyone bread, soda, suckers, and a toy. While all of this was going on, Alena felt led to witness to a couple of gay men who were there. She talked to Pastor Fred, who had one of the ladies from the church translate for her. And both of the men prayed for salvation. So much of what we do here is on a large scale; Alena's story from today is a good picture of God using us on an individual level to influence lives for Jesus Christ.

Lunch with Pastor Fred and Nori
After service we went to Pastor Fred and Nori's house where Nori had prepared an amazing lunch for us. We were so thankful for the hospitality shown to us. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and great food.

Service at Lift Jesus Higher of Binalbagan
This morning we had a service in Binalbagan at Lift Jesus Higher with Pastor Fred and Nori. It felt so good for us to be back there, and even for those who have never been before it was great to be there. Pastor Aaron preached an amazing message about the River of God and it touched the heart of many people there. The alter call was full, the power of God fell heavy. The people there had such a heart for God, young and old, they were hungry for God to move in their lives. They were crying out to God desperate for Him, and that is something we admire and we desire to be more like them. Today is Pastor Aaron's birthday so the whole church prayed over him, and sang to him. After the service we danced around and met so many people.

Dinner with Pastor Fred and Nori
After spending quite a bit of time dancing with the teenagers, taking pictures with the people, and playing with the kids, the team piled into those vans again and headed for Pastor Fred and Nori's house. There we had a fabulous dinner. Nori made the team a dinner that made us feel quite at home. We had delicious homemade pizza, spaghetti, fries, fruits and vegetables, and soda to go around. Pastor Fred and Nori have been to the United States before and Pastor Aaron joked with Nori about knowing exactly what to make for the group of younger people that makes up our team: pizza and soda. Afterward while Pastor Aaron caught up with Pastor Fred and Nori, many of the team members sat and told stories from their last trip to the Philippines and talked about what God has for the days to come while we are here. Today was rewarding and refreshing. We look forward to what more God has for us on this trip!

Kids Ministry
 After the dedication we had some free time with the kids. We sang songs and even the parents joined in. We were able to give out small personal puppets to the children and some to the adults and we had a small puppet workshop. Both young and old had fun learning to work their puppet and singing along. After that a few of our team members continued to make digital kids international teaching some of their youth their slick new moves. It's always fun to have that time to spend with the church family just in fun and fellowship.

Dedication of a new church in Payao, Binalbagan
We had the honor to be a part of the dedication of a daughter church sent out from Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship of Binalbagan, where Pastor Fred Cal pastors. The church was built from the bottom up in three weeks. It was unbelievable, and the church looked amazing. Pastor Aaron gave a message of encouragement to Pastor Jerson and those who were helping him plant this new church in Payao. Then Pastor Aaron, Kristy and Pastor Jerson had the privilege of cutting the ribbon and saying a prayer over this baby church that was planted.

Traveling to Binalbagan
The morning we had breakfast then got our luggage ready for a busy weekend of ministry. We drove from Bacolod to Payao, Binalbagan, where we were greeted by the young ladies of Heart of David who gave us each a shell necklace.

Graduation time in the Philippines
This morning we had a call time of 8 AM after a late night last night and a powerful service. Breakfast was served in the lobby and coffee as well. While eating, we got word that there had been an earthquake in West Manila. Most of us took the time to call our loved ones back home to assure them we were all okay. We then loaded into our vans, preparing for a 3-hour drive from Escalante back to Bacolod.

One main reason we came back into Bacolod City was that back at the church in Bacolod, there was a graduation going on for the Lift Jesus Higher Learning Center. Pre-school and Preparatory children were graduating to the next level of education. It was so exciting to be able to be a part of the graduation and being able to see some of the kids we have met this trip graduating and moving forward in God's will. God truly provided for us to bless the kids with toys, puppets, and school supplies. We got the opportunity to pray over them and enjoyed their performances.

Escalante Church

Tonight we ministered at Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship, Escalante. Tonight's service was truly special because this was the first time this church has had their own building for us to minister in. On the surface it is a rough-looking structure, mostly concrete with exposed conduit, but it's more that that. The church building is the fulfillment of God's promise. Ever since we first came in 2006, we've been praying with Pastor Alvin for a place of their own to worship in. Having the opportunity to minister there tonight was very special to us.

National Sport

As we left the City Hall we saw some men playing the Philippine's National Sport that is called Sipa Takraw, Sipa for short. We like to call it Volley-Sac or Hacky-Ball. It's a combination of volleyball and hacky sac. Six men per team on a volleyball court, the ball is a whiffle about the size of a softball. No hands! Try to kick it over the net. Keep it in bounds and pray the other team doesn't volley. And that is their national sport, Sipa, or Kick.
Mayor's office

Today we went to see the mayor of Escalante, Melecio J. Yar, Jr., but sadly he had an emergency to attend to so he was out of the office. Instead we were greeted by his administrator. We all got to hear about the changes that have been happening in Escalante. They are currently finishing up a gymnasium that is being built.

We had the opportunity to share with him what our dreams and goals are to help and our heart we have for the Philippines! We told him what we have been doing with Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship and the plans we have for the future. He was amazed to hear all we have been involved in with while in the Philippines. One thing that meant a lot to us was he kept telling us to make ourselves comfortable. He treated us like family, sharing drinks and snacks with us. As we were leaving he told us next time we plan to come we have to plan to do stuff with him involved, which was a great privilege.
Basketball with Pastors from all over Negros Island



Calling YC

This morning most of the team stood around Danny's laptop and the magic jack phone connected to it. It was a beautiful morning on the mountain. The sun was beating down, but a swift breeze was blowing. The clock said 9:54 AM, but back home kids were crowding into the sanctuary for Wednesday night youth church.

We sat around talking about who would be at church and who was out of town back home. We thought of what to say when we got the chance. Danny dialed and, miles away, Pastor G put his cell phone up to the mic in youth church. Danny said hi and those of us standing around could hear the youth yelling back at the phone. Jet said hi and told everyone that we were having a great time. Lauren gave a shout out to Digital Kids and told them that they were international. Digital Kids is Crossfire Youth Church's jerk crew. Jerking is a specific dance style that we have been able to share with our Filipino friends. Then the group yelled ''Bye!'' and the youth church shouted back the same. We were all so glad to let the youth of church know that we are not just gone, we're ministering and carrying them with us wherever we go.
Jerkin

Later in the afternoon, right before we left, Lauren and Jet introduced ÒJerkin'Ó (a style of dancing) to the congregation and we had a big dance party to the glory of God. Unfortunately the time to leave did come, and sooner than we'd hoped. So we said our good-byes and headed back to our hotel.
Toy giveaway
Once the service was over, we had all the kids line up and we gave each one a toy. One thing really striking about this particular visit was that there were so many children, literally hundreds, packed into the little church building. Children from all over the mountain had come because they heard we were going to be there. In fact, when we drove back down the mountain we saw children playing with the toys we gave them at every little place along the way.

Ministry to the adults

After ministering to the children, Pastor Aaron gave a word for the congregation and we had an amazing altar time where God moved mightily in many lives. We were able to pray with people about taking back the ground that the enemy has taken from them.

Children's ministry
After that we did a human video and went into a full-blown puppet service for the children. There were more children in the church than adults! After all the singing and dancing with the puppets was over, Pastor Aaron led the children in prayer to ask God to be their help and strength in life.
Worship & Team Intros
We arrived at the church around eleven o'clock, and after a quick snack with Pastor Papa, got right into ministering. Our service started with their worship and Heart of David teams leading out in worship. After that, Pastor Aaron and Pastor Ronnie introduced the team and we each had a moment to share our hearts with the congregation.
Traveling to Pastor Papas
Today we went to Lift Jesus Higher, Nalundan Binoy, in Negros Oriental, with Pastor Patricio Papa. The church is on top of a mountain and our regular vehicles couldn't made it up the slope, so Pastor Papa met us at the bottom with an old army jeep and a pickup. The drive to the top was really bumpy and occasionally dusty, but the view from the mountainside was absolutely incredible.

Team 2 visits Pastor Henry's Church
The other half of our team went to Lift Jesus Higher, led by Pastor Henry. Pastor Jon, Pastor Danny, Audrey, Allena, and Josh made up this team. The worship was incredible. The worship team was good, but the congregation sang loud and from the heart, from the youngest to the oldest, you could hear the love they had for God. Jon was given the opportunity to speak about having joy during trials and overcoming giants in our lives. People who needed God's help to overcome the giants in their lives flooded the alter and we were able to lay hands on them and pray for peoples' needs. Afterwards we were given dinner and it was amazing we had some of the local food. It was a great time of fellowship proving once again we were family.

Team 1 visits Pastor Sanper's Church
Tonight, half of our team went to minister at Lift Jesus Higher with Pastor Sanper and Kathy, who live in a house above the church. The other side of the stage wall was the kitchen, and another room was upstairs. It was crazy to think that their church is right below their home, but that did not limit God tonight. It was an amazing service. Kathy led us into worship as we sang powerful songs. We could just feel the presence of God there.

We were able to do a human video and puppet skit which they all loved and just had fun with. Pastor Chris kicked off the night of the tag team preaching. He talked about what our ministry as Christians is and whether or not we are doing what God has appointed us to do as His disciples, which is make more disciples. Then Pastor Aaron took over and continued to preach. God was there; nearly the whole church answered the altar call, and the power of God was so heavy! Then we had a great opportunity to pray over the pastor with their staff and God had a special word for them.

After service, the lovely Kathy and several others prepared a delicious dinner for us. We sat around the table, enjoyed some laughs with the staff, and called it quits after a long time of fellowship! God did some powerful things tonight that will not be forgotten.
The drive to La Lebertad
The drive was a blast; we stopped several times along the way for little adventures. The first stop was a place where a gravitational anomaly actually makes cars roll uphill backwards on their own, without any power. Not too long after that we had an unexpected adventure: one of our vans overheated. Thankfully we pulled over in a shady spot by a stream and some of us were able to explore around a bit while we fixed the van. For lunch we stopped at a Gaisano mall for one of our most memorable Filipino eating experiences, Jollibee. At this point our drive was almost over, just one more stop before we got to where we are staying for the next couple of days. Our last stop was Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship of Guihulngan City, where Pastor Sanper ministers weekly and where one group from our team had the opportunity to minister tonight. We didn't stop for long on this first visit, just enough time to have some coffee and stretch our legs and greet old friends.

Morning preparations
We had a late start today. We checked out of the Grand Regal Hotel in Bacolod and we used our morning to prepare for the next few days. We left most of our stuff with Pastor Ronnie, so we each pulled aside the clothes and things we'd need on the upcoming leg of our trip and packed them into smaller bags. We also separated the things we'd give away and use while we were gone from what we'd need when we come back.

Squatter Village by the Sea


We had the great opportunity to be able to go to a squatter village that is right on the beach, feet away from the water. A squatter village is a small town that even the government doesnt care about. These people live in tiny rooms with their whole family, Many of them work together by selling food, candy or other items to provide for each other. You have to walk down long, maze like path ways to get to the house. Tim (YC Pastor for Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship, Bacolod) was telling us that when the high tides come in all those houses and the area floods. You have to take a boat down the path we walked. He told us that once the high tide stay for a month!


 

As soon as we arrived in the squatter village, we started off singing songs with the kids. They loved it, we had a contest singing Father Abraham to see which kid could do the movements the best, and we had so much fun. Singing the songs, we may have looked a little silly in our own eyes, but all that matters is that the kids had a great time and they participated. The best part was that the songs we sang were teaching them about how great God is and how much He loves us. Most of the ministry we do while in the squatter villages is geared towards children. One of the tools that is so fun and effective in keeping the kids attention are puppets. Our puppet friends sang a few songs with us and sang about Jesus, who is our superhero. From young to old, we all had so much fun dancing and shouting along with the puppets.



Something we all had a blast doing was sack races. We separated the kids in ages and they raced, the fastest one got a large toy. The crazy part was that for them, it wasn't really about the toy; you could just see the smiles from ear to ear on their faces as they raced. Everyone was having a great time, win or lose. Not only did the kids race, but we had one special race for the mothers. They all just laughed and smiled so much, enjoying the time they had to play games and have a great time.


A family from Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship that lives in that squatter village is able to feed the kids in the village a meal weekly, because of the finances we as Crossfire send them monthly. It was great for all of us to be able to be a part of serving them food. We served chicken and rice soup for lunch. It became so crowded when it was time to serve food, everyone anxious to make sure they got their meal. For some of the kids this was going to be their only meal this week. We have such a heart for lost souls and the people of this community. This is just one of the many ways we show them the love of Jesus, by meeting their needs.



We passed out soda after the food. You would never think something so simple as handing out soda would be so heart-breaking. Hundreds of children from as young as one year old to teenagers pushed us up against the wall, tapping and pulling at us. Me, me. We couldnt keep the soda on the table. They started to hand them to us through the window of a house. When was the last time they had a soda? When will they get to enjoy such a simple pleasure again? In the U.S., we buy a 12-pack and drink it in a few days and think nothing of it. We gave away over 240 bottles of soda to those kids. It was a sweet treat that they all enjoyed



Then we passed out toys. They all lined up nicely and it just seemed like those toys kept coming. The best part about the toys wasnt us handing them out; it was watching them play and have fun with everyone around them. You saw the joy in their eyes. Now they have something for just them; they dont have to give it to anyone; it is of no value to anyone but them. Its something they can call their own.
Poppy at Prayer Mountain
While at Prayer Mountain, when the moment was right, Pastor Aaron spread the ashes of his mother, Pastor Joyce (Poppy). All was quiet except for Pastor Aarons words of prayer. Then Pastor Ronnie of Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship gave his genuine thanks for the honor of having Pastor Joyces ashes scattered in that place. It was a second consecration of Prayer Mountain and a proud moment for those who knew how greatly Pastor Joyce wished to have been able to travel here to the Philippines.

In Pastor Danny's community
From there the team drove further from the city to Prayer Mountain, established by Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship. We walked up the 100 steps to the bamboo doors of the prayer house. There people can come and pray or worship the Lord at any time and enjoy the breathtaking scenery from the side of the mountain looking out on the valley. Each member of the team had some quiet time there. Some prayed silently and others took pictures of the beautiful surroundings. Then we all came together in a time of worship.
The School

Today was a fantastic day. God touched each of us so genuinely. We piled into the vans and drove out of the city of Bacolod. While traveling through the city of Mansilingan, the puppet team, all in one van, learned and practiced a skit which we used to minister at Minoyan Elementary School. There were at least 250 children laughed and learned from the dramas, skits, songs, and puppets shows that the team put on. The kids crowded around the stage to sing along to Jesus, Youre My Superhero with the puppets. Pastor Chris reminded the children of how much Jesus loves them, and close to 150 of the children chose to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. At the end of our time at the school, we were able to pray for all the teachers and leaders at the school.
Bridge Church

Our last service of the day was at the Bridge church off the beach with Pastor Roland and his congregation. We felt at peace and so very welcomed by everyone. We were able to see many familiar faces and meet plenty more. We went expecting and God did move! We were able to share with them two dramas and they shared their Heart of David ministry with us. Pastor Aaron spoke from his heart, and we began to pray. We saw miracles, changed lives, and families mended, all parts of God's plan. It was hard to say good-bye; we can just sit and talk for hours with everyone. But we are looking forward to seeing them again at the convention coming up!

Youth Service

After the morning service there was a little lunch break, then we headed back to the church where there was a youth service going on. The service started with worship, then Pastor Danny taught a devotion out of Daniel about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and how no matter what, they refused to bow down. It was a great word.



 
After that, we were able to have a puppet workshop with the youth. Pastor Jon and many others were able to teach the youth how to properly use puppets. Going over rules and some exercises, we got some good laughs and we are very excited for them to start their new puppet ministry.

Praying for Every Person

We had the great opportunity to lay hands and pray for people. If it was their first time accepting God or just a need being met, we trusted God to do the rest. Many of them got such a mighty touch from God, and many people got slain by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit manifested itself in the hearts the church this day and it was life-changing for them.


Praying for Every Leader

After the altar call of the second service Pastor Aaron began calling up the local church leaders to receive prayer. Sometimes when you're involved in a ministry in the church, itÕs easy to focus so much on getting things done right and making sure that the congregation is served that you can forget to seek God for yourself. So we prayed for the pastors, the ushers, the worship team, and all the other leaders of the church who had been working hard all morning so they had the opportunity to receive something from God for themselves. It was truly a special time of ministry.


Toy Giveaway


Today we had our first official toy giveaway of the trip. Most of the time communicating with the children required a translator, but when we asked them, Who likes toys? no translation was needed. Before we were even done stating the question, and entire sea of excited little hands shot up into the air. A little while later, children were running all over with all sorts of toys from bendy-men to beanie baby bears to Sonic the hedgehog or rugrat toys. One of the greatest parts of all that we do here is getting to see the look on a little boy or girls face as they run off with their new toy, which may be the only one they have and will every have.


 
Children's Service

We had the opportunity to minister to the children. We had a great time with them. We did a couple of skits, which were great at crossing the language barriers, and we taught them a couple of songs that our KidzTown Kids at home know and love. We also ministered with a puppet skit and an illustrated message about how Jesus died to take away the weight of our sin. At the altar call, the children who responded so outnumbered all of our team and the Childrens Staff of Lift Jesus Higher that we all had to split into groups with three to five children to pray.


Value Every Person

Value Every Person is a something God spoke to Pastor Aaron a couple years ago. God doesn't value everybody, rather He values everyone. We came to the Philippines and gave the Lift Jesus Higher church in Bacolod City a banner that said that very same thing, Value Every Person. Every person in the body of Christ matters. We really wanted them to know that Jesus went out of the way to help people because every person matters. Its the same today. We stressed so much that each person has influence with the people they work with, live with, or go to school with, and that each person needs to go out of their way to make every person matter.


The Building Story
This morning during the services, Pastor Ronnie and Pastor Aaron told the incredible story of the building of that church. About ten years ago, Pastor Ronnie came to Crossfire along with a pastor from Africa. At the time, we were in the process of funding a building project for a new church building and had $10,000 saved up. Pastor Aaron and the church leadership felt that they were supposed to give this money to Pastor Ronnie and the pastor from Africa to build their churches and that God would provide a building for us. God certainly is faithful. Because of the decision He led our pastors to ten years ago, both Pastor Ronnie and the pastor from Africa were able to build their churches. Not only that, but He provided us with our current building, which was just like the one we were attempting to build! It was an incredible honor today, to get to minister and to nurture the fruit of that seed planted ten years ago.

Service at Lift Jesus Higher, Bacolod

Today we had our first services in Barcolod. There were two services, one at 7:30 AM, and the other at 9:30 AM. We started both services off with powerful worship, with Heart of David (planted by Pastor Cindy many years ago) serving with tambourines and banners. We had a great time in Gods presence and we truly felt at home. Pastor Aaron preached on the topic No More, No Less, than Gods Best! and God moved, not only in them but in us as well. And this is just the beginning.


 
Transportation in the Philippines



Dinner & Ministry Strategy Pastor Ronnie's House


Dinner at Pastor Ronnie's
After a long day we settled down for dinner at Pastor Ronnie's house. they service so much food from spaghetti to Calamary and Calamary to cheesecake, everything was delicious. I love how passionate Pastor Ronnie is about praying over our food. Prayer is powerful and he knows it. Part of the team got the chance to sit down with him and hear some of his plans for our time here. I won't go into too much detail, but he is really excited for a puppet ministry to get started in his fellowship of churches and he wants us to be a part of starting it. Another thing he talked a little about was the conference that we will be helping with at the end of our trip. The theme is "Living the Lifestyle of the Kingdom" and he was very excited about exploring some of the ways he could use us during the conference.
Neighborhood Kids

Today we got to play with some of the kids in the neighborhood near Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship in Bacolod. We gave them Areo Props and played with them around the front of the church. It was so much fun just getting to know some of them! These kids had a blast.
Lunch with Friends


As soon as we were greeted and picked up from the airport, we piled into the vans and went straight to lunch. We ate at the chicken deli called Kan-On, located on one of the main streets in Bacolod, Lacson. The food was delicious: chicken and pork on a stick, balls of rice, and a nice mango shake to go with it. We thought they were never going to stop bringing the food out. We learned the baby dinosaur from Justin, then drummer at Pastor Ronnie's church and Lauren taught him some moves as well. After we were all stuffed, and had a great time getting to know everyone, we headed to our hotel to unpack and prepare for practices.
Old and New Friends

One of the greatest things about travel is all of the people you get to meet and all the friends you make. One of the greatest things about coming back to a place you have not been in a while is seeing some of those old friends again. It was so incredible to arrive in Bacolod, after over 16 hours of flight, to be met at the airport by so many familiar faces. We could have easily spent all day catching up, introducing our new friends and meeting theirs, and we almost did spend half the day anyway.
Travel From the US


We left the States Thursday, March 18th, at 11 PM, and after a pit stop in Guam and a transfer in Manila,we landed safely in Bacolod, Negros, on Saturday, the 20th at 9:55 AM. Waiting for us outside of Baggage Claim were old friends and new faces but still smiles all around. They welcomed us with a banner made special for our arrival. There were tears and welcoming hugs. We were so happy to reunite with our family here. Thank you Pastor Ronnie and Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship for such a warm welcome!
Bags of Supplies


Crossfire was able to bring 800lbs of giveaway items everything from Toys to Bibles Clothes to Pens Puppets and Guitar Thank you to all who donated for this mission trip

Click here to see all of the pictures from our
2010 Philippines Trip

https://crossfireworldoutreachministries.snappages.site/philippines