High and Low of 2007 |
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| The first verse of Ecclesiastes chapter three states, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (NKJV). This may even well be true as it relates to the financial condition of the United Church of God in the Philippines. Compared with the year 2006, the year 2007 has not been particularly good in the sense that the value of the US dollar—to which the Philippine subsidy is pegged—has steadily declined against the Philippine peso. As a result, the Philippine work’s financial capacity has suffered somewhat. There may be a purpose for this. When the Bible study opened in Cebu City last year (2007), we were excited to see about two dozen people coming to learn the truth of God’s Word from the Bible. We were then so excited that we tried meeting every Sabbath. This went on for a number of months. Gradually, the attendance has diminished to the point that now there are only five to six people attending regularly. Many of those who dropped out have jobs on Saturday. Beginning January 2008, we decided to cut down the frequency of the Cebu Bible studies to only once a month, at least temporarily. We continue to pray that God will work on those who have subscribed to The Good News magazine and will cause them to begin attending the Bible Study. Perhaps, it is still about Ecclesiastes 3:1—that it is still not the time to have a full-time congregation in Cebu. The Church outing of the Bacolod congregation last December 24 and 25 was not a big success as expected. The brethren stayed overnight at Santa Fe Resort, seven kilometers east of Bacolod. Though the fellowshipping and the abundant food prepared by each family and shared by everyone was great, the planned outdoor activities—besides swimming and table tennis—was dampened by continuous rain. Nevertheless, after dinner on the 24th, the brethren listened to a Bible study presentation given by Mr. Florante Siopan on “God’s Plan For Saving Mankind.” After the Bible study, everyone participated in a sing-along hosted by the Cainglet family, enjoying the evening until midnight. The inconvenience the brethren experienced because of the poor weather was overcome by the right attitude and the high spirits of everyone. Well, life goes on beyond 2007 in this world of uncertainty. After all, it is God who moves people and events. He is the One who decides what to do and what the outcome will be according to His purpose and plan. —Reported by Florante Siopan |
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