Autumn, 2011
“YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD, I WILL JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION” Hab. 3:18
The prophet Habakkuk was struggling with conflicting emotions. He loved his nation of Judah but was heartbroken by what he saw. Everywhere he looked was nothing but idolatry, immorality, injustice, indifference, arrogance, oppression, violence, corruption, and rebellion. Why didn’t God do something about it? Then God showed him the coming judgment of destruction and exile. Again he asked why. Habakkuk had a hard time understanding what God was doing but chose to trust Him. He made the decision to rejoice in God regardless of the circumstances around him.
Like Habakkuk, many Christians today are asking God why. Whether it was record breaking rain and snowfall resulting in floods across the northern states, record breaking drought and wildfires across the southern states, or devastating tornados in between, 2011 has been a year of extremes. The economy is in shambles, millions are unemployed, and the government in Washington seems unable to agree on anything. Like Habakkuk, we love our nation but are heartbroken by the suffering, arrogance, corruption, violence, and lawlessness that we see. Like Habakkuk, we want to ask why. We need to learn from his example.
God is not afraid of our asking why. Sometimes He will reveal what He is doing. Other times, He just asks us to trust Him. At all times, the victory comes when we choose to trust in God’s goodness and to rejoice in Him, knowing that God is good – all the time. He is in control – all the time. He is at work to establish righteousness and justice in the Earth. All His ways are perfect. In the midst of wrath, He will always remember mercy (Hab. 3:2). His grace really is always sufficient. As Christians have learned for 2,000 years, when you lose everything but Jesus, you discover that Jesus is all you need. Rejoice in Him.
In the Philippines
We praise God for what He is doing in the Philippines. The ministry there has been through the fire but is moving forward trusting in God alone. Pastor Albert Asang has been working hard to fulfill the vision of reaching the tribal people of Mindanao with the Gospel. In spite of the troubled economy, God’s people have given faithfully to meet the needs. With your help we were able to buy a motorcycle for Pastor Albert to enable him to use his time more effectively as he teaches in our four Bible schools, located in four different tribal areas on Mindanao, one week each month in each location. Because he no longer has to rely on public transportation, he has more time to also visit our churches in remote areas and oversee the establishment of new churches in areas that are being reached for the first time.
Through your generosity, we were able to purchase a large industrial strength chainsaw to build new churches in Tagbena, Tegasa, and Butuan where God blessed us with the opportunity to buy property along the main highway. We were also able to build a new church in a better location in the village of Florida to replace our previous church that was totally destroyed in a mudslide.
One of the challenges we have faced from the beginning of our ministry in the Philippines is the attitude, especially in the lowlands, of looking to the missionary to do everything for the people. But God has given us a breakthrough among the tribal people in this important area. After ten years of teaching the leaders and the people that God is their Source, not America, the people have caught the vision of their responsibility and ownership of the ministry to their own people.
In their love for God, the villagers have added cement floors and block walls to make their churches the most beautiful permanent structures they can imagine. They are taking ownership of the work of the Lord both by beautifying their churches and by preparing themselves for ministry to take this Life giving Gospel to others. The church building in Uraya had grown too small for all the people who are coming to salvation so the Believers themselves have expanded the walls to double the size of their sanctuary. What a joy to see the transforming power of the Gospel at work in their lives because of your willingness to invest in them.
In America
God has continued to bless us and to open doors of ministry unto us here in America. More and more God has been sending us to small churches in neglected places, whether in rural areas or inner cities. There we have been blessed to find that “the Church Triumphant is alive and well”. If you look at the evening news or the latest gossip on the Internet, you may think that the Church in America is losing its influence and has become irrelevant but that is just not true. As the song proclaims “God has always had a people.” As we have been obedient, God has led us to minister to many of His hidden treasures, ordinary people who are in love with an extraordinary God and who serve Him with joy even in difficult circumstances.
God is not finished with America. He is moving and blessing and transforming lives through His people who love Him enough to obey Him. We have great hope in Christ who is building His Church in America. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of what He is doing in this nation. We would love to come and minister in your church as well.
Back to Africa
We are praising God for the opportunity to make a return trip to Africa in November and December of this year. We have been invited by IAM (International Accelerated Missions) to once again represent them at an IAM Bible school graduation, this time in the nation of Togo in West Africa. This trip we will be going for approximately three weeks. During that time we will be speaking at two graduations, two ordination services, and in church services and IAM Bible schools in Togo, Benin, and Nigeria as well as teaching a Bible seminar in Kenya, East Africa.
We are excited about this opportunity to minister to our Brothers and Sisters in Christ in Africa but we cannot do it without your help. It will cost about $6,000 for airfare, food, lodging, and transportation. The Believers we will be ministering to are extremely poor and unable to help with the costs for our stay. Yet we know that there is no lack in God’s economy. He is more than able to supply the need through His faithful children around the world. Most of all we need your prayers for God’s hand of protection, provision, and guidance that God will bring everything together according to His perfect will and timing. If God speaks to your heart to give financially to help make this trip a reality, please send your gift designated “Africa” and it will be used for that purpose. Please prayerfully consider what God would have you to do to help make this Africa trip possible. We know that we cannot go without your help.
We especially ask for your prayers during the months of November and December, 2011, before, during, and after our trip that everything will come together according to God’s perfect will and that we will have great favor with the governments involved in getting the necessary visas and travel documents and crossing the borders. Pray that we may be a great blessing to our Brothers and Sisters in Christ everywhere we go and that Jesus Christ will be honored and gloried in all things.
Thank you so much for your prayers and thank you that you are such an important part of this ministry. Nothing that has been accomplished would have been possible without you. May God bless you abundantly for your faithfulness to Him.
In His harvest fields,
Howard & Barbara Gard
Church Triumphant