​Please read it all because this whole story is all relevant to our delay in returning. It reveals the resistance of the enemy but also the faithfulness, steadfastness, and patience of God in what He’ll take you through to answer His call.

After being away from the Philippines for 7 years now, we believe it’s time to prepare to return to continue the work that God had begun back in 2011-2013 & 2016.

My wife Phoebe was born in the Philippines and lived there until July of 2014 when she came to the US on a visa and green card to live here.

Our last major time of ministry in the Philippines and most fruitful to the poor children in the area and with the children in our apartment complex was 2013. In October of that year, I left the Philippines to help to continue the process of receiving her visa and green card.

In 2016 the trip was only for 3 months for me, and Phoebe stayed to visit with her family for an extended 3 months before returning to the US. My short stay was because we didn’t have not enough monthly support because the cost of living was a lot higher than we thought but there was enough for Phoebe to stay since we got rid of the apartment and other expenses. It was good that time was that short for both of us because we had been lied to by an attorney we paid and even on a government website about the rules for leaving the US with her green card.

Long story short, it’s an act of God she got back into the US. What we didn’t know was that she had stayed past the allotted time of 180 days out of the country with a green card of over 2 weeks. We didn’t find this out until after paying 2 more attorneys for advice on what to do. This is towards the end of 2017, and they said to wait another 3 years to apply for her US citizenship. So now she couldn’t leave the US for 3 more years for us to be able to return.

Now we’re to 2020 and she applied in April for her citizenship and COVID had been here for a month or more already. We had to pray like never before and in new ways God had to show us for His next greatest miracle to happen.

She got her interview for citizenship the beginning of September 2020 and failed because of the 2 ½ weeks beyond the 180 days that our 2 new attorneys said waiting the extra 3 years would remedy but they were wrong. Through many smaller miracles and our  high paid attorney God worked the greatest miracle with her becoming a US citizen September 28th, 2020. Her US citizenship was important so we could travel anywhere in the world to minister. This is also important for us to get back to the Philippines and have a special visa for both of us that lasts a year before it needs to be renewed.

With COVID running crazy all over the world, 2021 and 2022 passed. We didn’t and still don’t have peace with the vaccines which is our decision for us and no one else. That in turn kept us from the Philippines because of their very hard restrictions.

Now in 2023 it is possible to get in without a vaccine and just with a negative test.

Preparing to Return in 2023

This time we are preparing to return to go back and finish what God had begun and placed in our hearts for the poor children of the Philippines which our Mission Statement states, “Spend and be Spent to Reach Poor and Hungry Children in the Philippines and other Deeply Impoverished Areas and Minister to their Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Material, and Educational Needs.”

In the past we have lived and ministered in Gingoog City & Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental. We have also lived and ministered in the Central Visayas islands of Panglao, Bohol, Mactan & Cebu. We are returning to Central Visayas and the islands of Cebu and Mactan where we have seen the most fruit.

If anyone has ever had a burden from God to minister to hurting people especially children, you know it is within your very DNA and your spirit. This calling is constantly calling and compelling you inwardly to keep going to reach those God has placed on your heart at any cost no matter what tries to stop you. You can try other types of ministries, but this calling never leaves you. Plus, it’s the only place you have favor with those your called to with the gifting, grace, and joy to go with it no matter how hard the work is and your flesh screams. It’s the only place you’ll fit in the Body and function right. If you don’t give up, God will come through even though it could take years and like me at an age when people aren’t thinking of doing missions work. God’s grace is sufficient. His strength is made perfect in weakness.

This isn’t a 1-year missions work. It’s for a lifetime! We only leave for a day once a year to go out of the country and return for another 1-year balikbayan visa because Phoebe is a former citizen of the Philippines. We also can get a permanent residence visa and never have to leave.

Apostolic Covering & Intercessors

Now we have  a strong apostolic spiritual covering with experience and sound counsel with Apostle Jeannette Connell. Praying for us will be well trained intercessors from the Freedom Outpost Ministries Church & Freedom Outpost Apostolic Network (FOAN) of Troy, MO.

Return Timing

Our desired time and we believe God’s also for our possible departure to the Philippines is the month of September 2023 when summer travel and prices have gone down and the typhoon season hasn’t begun in the Philippines. I say possible because the health, military and political conditions of a country and the world as a whole now can change in a day as we have seen over the last 3 years.