On this trip, we worked on a number of projects. There was over 2500 books to catalog and put into the library. We also set up 13 computer in the first ever computer lab on the island of Bohol.
Providing safe drinking water to the families of Calunasan Sur was the first step in our work in the Philippines. It has opened many new and exciting possibilities. But one of the benefits that we are most excited about is that this project and others like it provide us with an ability to tell about Jesus in believable ways. Often as followers of Christ, we like to tell people that “God is good”. How are they to believe that God is good when they are in so much pain?
Similar to the water system in the Philippines, we have begun a local effort to create a “stepping stone” on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Last month, we met with Vern Turner, the director of the thrift stores for the Montana Rescue Mission in Billings. He and MRM executive director, Gary Drake, are excited to explore the possibility of partnering with MOM to form a thrift store on the reservation. We contacted the Ministerial Association on the reservation and they also are enthused with the idea. Vern Turner, Pastor Bryan, Deb and I met with them on September 16 in Muddy Cluster. Out of that meeting a committee was organized to begin the formative processes involved with this effort.
Since 2004, Montana on a Mission has come along side of the people of Calunasan Sur and helped them with some of life’s basic needs: like drilling a well for fresh water or fixing a leaky roof or pouring a concrete floor instead of a dirt floor. In 2008, we had a chance to bring some business opportunities. For the trip we brought a wide range of business ideas that included: gardening to provide food for the market, sewing to make items for tourists, woodworking to make furniture and aquaculture to provide fish to sell and also to eat. http://www.montanaonamission.org/2010/02/05/aquaculture-project-update/
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