Philippines 2010 Remembered

Returning recently from my annual trek to the Philippines where I and two others conduct seminars for Filipino pastors brings pleasant memories to mind. Much was accomplished during the two seminars held on the islands of Leyte and Bohol. The pastors in attendance were challenged, blessed, and inspired (according to the Filipino pastors' own words.) Highlights for me during the seminars were:
1) Seeing physical healing occur. During the two seminars I witnessed or prayed for persons who were healed of a goiter on a neck, breast cancer, leg lengthened, knees healed, pain in stomachs, backs, shoulders vanishing. One of our long time pastor/interpreter friends with us during the seminar on Bohol had pain in his shoulder and back go away during the seminar. At supper following the end of the seminar he mentioned that he noticed the long term, constant pain he had grown accustomed of enduring was no longer there. Without specific prayer for him, but just being in the presence of the Lord, brought about the removal of pain!
2) A pastor from New Guinea attending the seminar testified that his family ancestors killed and ate the first missionaries arriving from Fiji. Then they killed and ate the second group of missionaries coming from Fiji. Still the missionaries came and his family ended up followers of Jesus Christ. He mentioned to us that the last cannibalistic act in new Guinea took place in the 1930s.
3) Establishing new and affirming old relationships with pastors in the Philippines. God has some really neat men and women serving him in the Philippines! Among them are two couples serving as coordinators for the seminars. Art and Hazel Suralta in Leyte, and Fernando and Madeline Impang in Bohol, did great jobs in coordinating the seminars and taking the hassles off our shoulders.

One last side note regarding the trip. This was the thirteenth year I have been going to the Philippines. In all my trips I invariably travel through Manila. Manila (all 13 million people) has always been dirty, grungy, polluted and crowded. But this year Manila was cleaner than I have ever seen it. The air was clean (not smoggy) and the sky was actually blue! What a wonderful change for this city.

Thanks for letting me remember some of the neat things about this Philippine trip.
Blessings