Saturday/Sunday, May 24-25, Gospel of Christ Baptist Church (Cebu)
Throughout our trip, several team members will be writing our ministry updates. Brandon Callahan and Ashlyn Campbell have been a blessing to our team and we know that you will enjoy their summaries…
First up is Brandon Callahan! “After the longest night of our lives we woke up to an awesome breakfast on the plane. The flight to Taiwan was 12 hours and all of it was in the dark. We all were either sleeping or attempting to sleep. Once we hit Taiwan we explored the airport for an hour trying their coffee and boba tea.
The Cirone’s and some of the team members spoke to some Filipinos that were boarding the plane. They were saved and encouraged by our missions trip. The trip was short to the island of Cebu. Finally after close to 24 hrs of travel we reached our destination. We were greeted by the church of Gospel of Christ Baptist Church. The pastors helped us to get settled at our hotel. After settling we toured the local mall. That night was such a blessing getting to meet the sweet people. We were all exhausted because of the trip and the extreme time change. Yet the ministry of GCBC reinvigorated. Many conversations were about our testimonies and how the Lord has worked in each of our lives. We were able to practice our music for the services the next day. After a long day we got to sleep back at the hotel.
It was such a blessing on Saturday to travel with such an amazing with passionate hearts for the gospel and people. The unity of Christ was evident in meeting GCBC . Their love for the Lord was such a ministry to them and it fueled us that much more to serve them the next day.”
Ashlyn Campbell has Sunday’s update… “It has been a wonderful day here in Cebu with our Filipino brothers and sisters in Christ. This morning we had a delicious Filipino breakfast at the hotel and then headed to Gospel of Christ Baptist Church. We split up to minister in different Sunday School groups during the first hour. Brandon and I got to get to know the teen group. We played a game, sang songs, and Brandon taught a lesson on the prodigal son. Other ministries included children’s, deaf, young professionals, and adult ministries. Before the worship service we introduced ourselves to the church in Tagalog and sang a few songs for them. It was exciting to finally be able to share with them what we have been preparing for months. Brandon then gave his testimony and Dr. Cirone preached on ‘He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease.’
For lunch, we went to a restaurant with the pastor emeritus Pastor Peter and some of the members. We had a delicious meal and then went back to the church for afternoon sessions. Brandon, Jillian, Callie, Joseph, and I led the youth group session. I loved their energy and spirit as we played games and sang hymns together. One thing we’ve learned is that Filipinos love to sing, and sing loudly! Their love for the Lord is evident in their passionate praise. After the songs, Joseph and Brandon preached. We then each gave our testimonies. After the afternoon sessions, we spent some time in fellowship before beginning the evening service. A group of eight team members sang “Not One Falls”; Sophie, Sierra, and Molly played a violin trio; and Alyssa sang a solo in Tagalog. Callie gave her testimony, and Brandon preached on Psalm 139, “Who is God?”
At the end of the service the team presented the pastoral staff and a few other people with gifts of appreciation. These people are serving so faithfully and seeing God give the increase here in the Philippines. We ended the night by driving up to the top of a mountain overlooking Cebu to eat at an outdoor restaurant with many from the church. The view of the city was amazing! It was dark out and the city was glowing with lights. We ate our BBQ chicken and rice Filipino-style, by hand with plastic gloves. At the end of the night, we took pictures and said goodnight to our GCBC friends.”
