By Danny & Rita Ballard
A Brief Testimony from Sister Mary Ann Diotay, wife of Pastor Rex Diotay from Honda Bay Baptist Church.
She says, “I praise God for the VSM team introducing our youth to SOAP journaling and for giving me the wisdom to handle the youth in SOAP journaling and small group. We started it last June, 2015, with only eight members, but after one month our attendance has increased to fifteen or more members. The SOAP journaling and small groups has helped us to love and serve God in very simple ways. We have had overnight retreats and fun days in order for our group to have a closer relationship to each other. As their teacher, I have also learned a lot from them. I learned to be more patient and to accept and love them in spite of their differences. We can correct them, discipline them, and they listen and obey because we invested our love to them.
I observed that the young people who are faithful to attend our SOAP and small group meetings are the young people who are faithful in attending church and willing to offer their help. We love them and they also love us.
We are thankful to the VSM mission team who introduced the SOAP journaling to our youth during their mission trip in 2015. Praise God! We give Him all the glory and honor for what He has done through the SOAP journaling and small groups.”
Update on Maria
We introduced Maria in our last newsletter and shared her story with many while we were home on furlough. The Lord has allowed us to go more in depth spiritually with Maria and her family by beginning a Bible Study with them once a week. Rita has challenged all three of their daughters to learn the books of the New Testament. They enthusiastically accepted the challenge. It was amazing to hear Maria share how excited her daughters were to get to attend Bible study. The enthusiasm of the family to learn more about God is so fulfilling. Maria’s cancer has continued to spread but her enthusiasm for living for Christ abounds more with each passing day. We are praying for a miracle in her health and ask that you will join us in prayer for Maria and her family.
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