September 10, 2006
Wilson News
Good evening everybody!
Paul and I are here in Bacolod at an Internet cafe. Had church this morning and church this evening. So sleepy this morning I had a hard time staying awake during the Sunday school hour. We took several couples out to eat at a beach-resort-type place for fishy stuff. It was good. Had some Ube ice cream last night and for breakfast too!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been playing with the white dog in the house picture that some of you saw. She was really upset with us at first and barked so much. But now she loves me. She visited us everyday for awhile while the workers came but now she has moved back home. WE have 3 air con units but only have the 1 in the bedroom hooked up to go. The other 2 hopefully soon will be used!!!!!!!! I get SO HOT that I drag my portable fan with me where ever I go. I have 2 floral type couches that have mauve and yellow cream. My front and back room windows have burgandy/cream curtains. We have appliances from the store but have not used the microwave, oven or washing machine yet. We have 2 girls from Green Plains School staying in the helpers quarters now. Bernadette and Mary are watering the flowers, cooking, and cleaning. Mary goes to the school to teach everyday so she is not doing as much but is company for Bernadette. We have helped them get things for their little room. They seem to really like it. Bernadette made bihun last night. Very good but of course other things were added that I leave out. Still waiting to hang my pictures. Cement walls here that have to be drilled. Paul is driving the vehicle some, but I enjoy his driving better in the USA than here. We had a flat this morning at church. The rest of the time, we have a friend hired to be our driver when he is available.
Lots of lizards, NO MICE, NO cat, noisy neighbor dog that keeps the girls and Paul awake (not me cause I wear my plugs every night).............I have been giving away Fe Heins toys to many happy people who love them. Tell her thank you for them if you see her. Liberty Precure sent bookmarks and I have only given 2 of those away so far.
Better stop for now, so Paul can finish up before it gets to late here. I am doing fine, just don't like the heat, but everything else is great. The front yard is so beautiful. The workers are trying hard to get the wiring finished soon so we can use our electrical appliances. We keep asking them to do more things and work is so much slower here since it is so man-made. They have spent several days making a screened in back porch with looks really nice. Will try to send pictures later when everything is done. I really enjoyed getting my boxes out of the storage container and having some things from home!!!!!!!!!!
Love, Mary and Paul Wilson
From Paul
Today I preached at a church in a house that had 69 people. It was old and rocked with the great, loud music. 8 decisions were made. We were gone most of the day. Driving here has different rules.....
September 21, 2006 - PAUL AND MARY in Bacolod, Philippines...........
Greetings from the island of Negros.
We are getting settled into a house that God has so wonderfully provided. Mary is content in her new nest, and has found a pug puppy as a companion. We are having difficulty in getting an internet connection so our communications to everyone will be slow for a few weeks. The house has all tile floors and we have put an air conditioner in the bedroom and in an office area. The heat is more of a challenge for Mary than it is for Paul. We really like our new place that God had waiting just for our use. Instead of several weeks or months we only had to stay in a hotel three nights! The owner has graciously made a few changes to accommodate some of our Americano desires.
We have had several meetings with pastors and church leaders since we arrived. They are so excited that we are here to stay and not just another short trip. Last weekend, we visited the island of Cebu. We were able to meet several of the workers involved in some of the more distant islands of the Visayas area of the Philippines. This next weekend, we will be speaking for the Ajong churchÕs anniversary and then traveling to visit the island of Bohol for several days. Between now and Christmas we will be traveling to five other island areas and visiting with the churches and their leadership.
Thank you for your financial support! We have found that our expenses are higher here for fuel and everything than we had expected.
Specifically, pray for us in securing a permanent visa. We have encountered one difficulty that was a surprise for us. Continue to pray that we will have the wisdom of God as we begin our ministry here.
In His service,
Paul and Mary Wilson.
COLLEGE PRESS
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....We rejoice in the partnership Vision for Missions has with College Press Printing. Every quarter, the dated materials that are unsold to the churches are stored and donated to VFM for the Philippines. Recently, we were able to pick up 14 pallets of new curriculum. This included many Vacation Bible School kits that we will use in 2007 for the churches of the central Philippines. Thank you, College Press, and thank you for the shipping of these materials, George Panter, of the Assembled Products Inc, in Rogers, AR. What a great blessing to the churches of the Philippines!
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.....Pray for the work of the Lord in the Philippines!
.....Paul and Mary Wilson
September 22, 2006
Paul and Mary Wilson are now living in Bacolod City, the capital City of Negros Occidental Island. Negros Island has about 3.7 million people with a land area that is the size of the Panhandle of Oklahoma. The land area is 15 times more populated than the state of Oklahoma. The Negros Island is divided into two parts (like states) and each speak a different language. Instead of four seasons of weather, the central Philippines has the hot and dry season and the hot and rainy season, with it being some cooler during the rainy season.
The city of Bacolod now has several large shopping centers, horrible traffic and about 500,000 people, with easy access to a major airport. Our house is in guarded subdivision that is located across the street from the airport and has about 1,400 square feet. It has been very busy getting the needed furniture and items for the house so that we will feel at home here n Bacolod. We are so thankful for this house and its location in the city. Mary has already found a pug puppy to live with us, and we are content and happy in our new home.
Much of our time will be spent away from home traveling to many of the other islands in the central Philippines. While on the Negros Island we have a 2003 Toyota Revo vehicle that can seat 9 people. We are already using it for transporting people between meetings. Again God has provided for us a very adequate vehicle for our traveling. In the 1980Õs when I lived on the island before, a great amount of time and money was spent on vehicle repairs. We are hoping that will not be the case this time, just many flat tires! Each month we will be traveling by plane, ship, bus and jeepney to many of the other island areas in the central Philippines. The population area where our churches and outreaches are located has about 17 million people. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel to many new places and that we can encourage the churches and workers in their present ministry and to start new churches. We will often be bringing needed materials with us when we travel.
One of our immediate priorities is to provide Christian literature for the churches. We have rented a place to begin sorting and later to print materials. We have possession of this space the first of October and it will then take several weeks to unpack and organize the many pallets of materials from College Press and from the churches. We have set the huge task of developing VBS materials for all the churches in the central Philippines by the first of March. Several people must write, provide graphics layout and print the materials in four age levels, in two or three languages, for more than 5,000 children so we can have VBS in 2007. Then we must distribute the materials and have teacher training on many of the islands before April of 2007. We are hiring a couple people to begin this monumental task of providing VBS materials. Pray for this needed ministry for the churches of the Visayas area (central) Philippines.
Another great need is for the expansion of our Bible College located here in Bacolod to train more preachers. Presently the college, Negros College of Evangelism, only has nine students and has limited involvement and support by the area churches. We hope to expand the involvement of the local churches for the NCE, re-evaluate the curriculum and programs, and enlarge the student body to 30 students by the beginning of the 2007 school year in June. We have many churches on the Island of Negros that does not have a pastor. Since the goal of Negros is to have 137 churches by 2010, we urgently need many more trained preachers! Let us obey Jesus, and Pray for more workers! Our focus will be to train Ilonggo students and leaders for the western part of the central Philippines.
We have already looked at land for several churches and are presently helping with the construction of a rural church on the Island of Masbate. Pray for us to have wisdom in knowing which churches to help with land or building each year. Many of the churches are meeting in houses and other locations and will hopefully grow and need a permanent place to worship in the future.
