POCCH SPORTSFEST

Please pray for our planned celebration of sports, arts and talents with the children in our children’s homes.  It is scheduled to start on July 7th.  As you have no doubt been reading in our newsletters that the children in the Philippines have really suffered during the Pandemic as they have been forced to be housebound for more than a year.
When we initially requested approval for the sports Fest the Mayor rejected, as he would not approve the gathering of children 
(even though we assured them that the event would not be open to the public but was exclusively for the children in our children’s homes).  Praise God eventually the mayor not only approved but gave a P3K (£45, $61) contribution

towards the expenses of the event. 

The kids are so excited and eagerly practicing for their events, so we are praying for good

weather (as it is the rainy season) and for all events to go unhindered.

We are very thankful too to a local Humanitarian group Spartan Knights Eagle’s Club who,

together with our  Barangay captain brought food donations for the children.  Just another

example how God has graciously watched over the children throughout the Pandemic.
But please pray for the Philippines that the restrictions for the children will soon be lifted.
 

RENOVATE TO EDUCATE

We would like to thank all those who prayed and contributed to support the ‘Renovate To Educate’ fund raising project.  We were able to exceed our target!  Work on the classrooms is almost finished.  With the excess we were able to replace the tent cover over the playground, that had been destroyed when the school roof was replaced last year.  The Lord truly does do more than we ask or think!!

click here for a downloadable version and for the previous issues

PRISON MINISTRY

If we are ever going to have a chance to minister in the jails again we will need to be vaccinated.  Though the jails are still closed to all visitors, it is likely when they do open it will be exclusively to those who have been vaccinated, for the safety of the inmates.  So we need to get vaccinated.
In the meantime, we haven’t forgotten the inmates.  They are always in our thoughts and every week we intercede for them.  We have also done more recordings of our worship and our messages ready to be sent to each of the jails in Iba (Provincial Jail), 164 (Olongapo District Jail), 174 (Angeles District Jail) and Pampanga (Provincial Jail).  Kind sponsors have enabled us to buy relief goods to send to the inmates along with our recorded services.  We have no other way to contact the inmates, so we are praying that the Lord will use these means to reach them with the gospel.

prayer requests

Please pray for the children to have a wonderful time during their sportsfest and that every one will be safe. Also, please continue to pray for the finances of the school and children’s home

PRINCESS

Thank you to those who gave to help Princess’s dad Jonas  get the buckets he needs to start his business of making and selling taho.  More than enough has been given to not only buy the buckets, but to cover the capital to get his little business started so he can feed and support his wife and children.  This is a massive blessing and answer to prayer for his wife Lizel and his daughter Princess who have been praying for this for so many months.  God is good.  Please pray that the Lord will use this to reach Jonas.

LET THE CHILDREN COME

A couple of weeks ago we were called to the office of the Barangay leader in Asinan Proper (the office responsible for the village of Wea).  Dondie and Louie were told by the leaders that it is prohibited to gather the children for a ‘Shine’ children’s outreach, when we have our worship services with the adults, even though it is outside (which we only resumed because as many as sixty small children came to the services and we didn’t want them to be a distraction to the adults. Not to mention that the kids loved it!!!).  So in order to comply we no longer have our Shine activity for the kids.  But they agreed adult services can continue as they are open air and even expressed their appreciation of our efforts.  
At that meeting, the Lupang Pangarap purok leader (a village is divided into a number of ‘puroks’ for

ease of management) brought along her son Brian.  It so happened that Brian is a faithful little

helper at the Shine outreach, and he loves it.  Brian told his mum, “Mum you should attend the POCF

services there.  All the other Mum’s attend.”  Brian’s mum has greatly mellowed since our first

encounter with her and is now very appreciative of all we do to help the people in their village. 

However, It was so sad that the children had to be told that there were no more Shine meetings for

them and to see their disappointment.  That first week they all went home while our service

continued.  However the following week, the kids came to church anyway.  They were not with

their parents, so we could not send them away.  We couldn’t be blamed for gathering them because

we didn’t, and we had no Shine ministry team with us. They simply sit as good as gold throughout

the services.  It’s easy to see that the children are just hungry for some love and attention and they

just love hearing about Jesus.
One of the children has special needs and she just loves to come and sit on my knee.  Who could

send such a sweetheart away? Well, I can’t!!  It breaks my heart to think that for many of these

small children all they can remember is being rejected.  I echo the words of Jesus.. Let them come. 

More updates

We would appreciate your prayers for Martin, one of our POCF church family in Subic.  Martin is a diabetic and as a result of a small wound on his foot, he has had to have his leg amputated from just below the knee.
Please pray for his full recovery.  
We would also value your prayers for a family in Wea.  Four of our church members suddenly lost their son/brother due to a heart attack while at work.  He left behind a wife and 6 children.  He was the only breadwinner in the family, so aside from the emotional loss, there is the stress of how they are going to survive.  Please pray that through this tragedy, some good will come, that his wife and children will come to know the Lord.  Please pray for the family as they this was a sudden and great loss for all them.  We will be holding a service at their home tomorrow.  


Nathanael and our youth group had their first youth meeting in more than a year.  The regulations now allow youth to gather in the church as long as social distancing and the wearing of masks is implemented.  So at long last the kids can meet.
They had a day long conference, focusing on the Love of God and love for God, Love for each other and Love for the Lost.
By God's Grace it was a great success. 


For a long time, we have had major problems with the plumbing in our children’s homes.  The problems in the girls’ house started when it was first constructed and the labourers poured cement down the pipes in protest of the Engineers failure to pay their salaries on time.  So we have suffered the consequences of that.  However, due to generous donations given through our German partners FCM, we will soon be able to start the necessary repairs in both the girls and boys homes.  We have since learned that it will be near impossible and certainly impractical to try to salvage the old tiles, so please pray that the Lord will provide all that we need to complete that project.
Thank you all so so much for love, prayers, support and partnership that enables us to continue to make a difference for Christ in this part of the harvest field.  You are precious to us. 

God Bless you richly in Love,
Chrissy, Dondie and your POCM Family