Enumclaw members with Bob Stephan, their pastor, and Dennis Meidinger, a physician, traveled as missionaries to Card Badien on Cebu Island, Philippines, in April to present multimedia Evangelistic meetings. Youth baptized in a previous mission trip provided music for every meeting.
The Philippines have been referred to as the poor man’s Hawaii, and $500 will build a church like the one in which they worshiped, which consisted of a floor, pews and a roof without walls. The conditions are primitive with no bathrooms.
Attendance incentives, such as a bar of soap or a small package of rice, were considered extravagant gifts of great value. People came whatever way they could, some walking 10 miles each way to attend the meetings.
With 19 churches to nurture, local pastor Rueben Arceo is very dependent upon his lay people. Everyone must have a part in growing the churches in their area.
A hike into the mountains provided a challenging opportunity to win approval to build another church in the area. Stephan and Meidinger were heartily welcomed. During their stay, children would pull the men's hands to their foreheads for a blessing. When the two visited a man in jail, he hungered to be baptized so much that they filled a 55-gallon drum with water and honored his desire.
Working side by side with Arceo, they witnessed 28 people give their hearts to Jesus through baptism in the ocean. People lined the shores singing praises.
