We have been swamped with our mission… in a great way! Here are some highlights. 

Floors for the Poor

The Floors for the Poor has been gaining momentum again. I have only been able to help with one since we started up again. The people are very proud of their new floor and it is a great blessing to them. 

Home Visits

Our home visit to Ludi Openia and her husband Lupe continues to bear more and more fruit. First let me thank you for the $300 that you donated to her during her psoriasis outbreak. Just as we were heading over to help her with the medicine, she told us that a few had contributed for her medicinal needs. However, her little sari-sari had been shut down because her attendant quit and no one was there to help. With no income now we were able to and have been paying for her electric and water bills. 

There is still a few medicines that we’ve been helping them with but it is a lot cheaper than the prescriptions that she was using. We’ve also been helping with groceries, firewood, and hot meals. We will send you a final tally of the $300 when we use it up and itemize it. They continue to be so thankful for the visits. We, too, are blessed to see their smiling faces when we arrive. We visited them on Easter Sunday and greeted us with shouts of joy…literally! “Oh, the Holy Family came to visit us on Easter!” They are such a sweet couple and very lonely. I think their relatives have quit visiting them and they have hardly any contact with anyone anymore besides us. We are thinking of loading them up in our truck and taking them for a spin just to get out of the house. 

Speaking of that, Ludi has repeatedly said how much she prays for our ministry. She even told us one day that she has in mind 3 places that we should go and minister: Manolo, Kasalugo(?), and Caleb. Caleb!!! That is where we went on Christmas Eve and fell in love with the people. They don’t have a chapel there but we have been wanting to return more regularly. So weird that she would mention this. But also providential I think. Anyway, we are wanting to get together to plan out talks and visits…and she wants to go with us! I have been praying hard to have a translator with me to better get the message across. Please pray that I can learn the language also! Maybe by Pentecost I will be fluent 🙂

A New Translator

Speaking of translators, I had my regular Tuesday visit at the jail today. I took a volunteer from Isla Bonita. Her name is Jenkie. Bebie, Rommel, Ramon, two teenagers, and Samuel went today also. It was Jenkie that was the star of the day, though. It made such a difference to have her explain in Visaya what I was trying to say compared to when I would go alone. People were laughing, answering yes/no, and interacting. It blesses me when at least one comes up to share some words or thoughts on the day. Today there was 5! Alleluia!

By Odilio Alvarez

For More Updates from the mission in Malaybalay visit their blog: What’s The Dealy-O