Maupay,

As we wrote to you in our last newsletters, we are taking the Passion Generation Praise Team to Korea in a week.  A few days ago, the team was finally approved by the Korean Embassy for their entry visas.  It is not easy for a Filipino to obtain such since we guess many do not return home but stay in Korea illegally for better paid jobs.  The kids had to process their passports from scratch like getting their birth certificates worked out by going back and forth to Tacloban City (the biggest city in our region).  It has been a long and apprehensive visa process which finally got through.  Since they are all poor singles who have no spouses/ children, nor properties, nor big bank accounts to return to, we had to ask the Lord to make the embassy to trust us, also the poor missionaries who have been in the field long enough to know these individuals and guarantee them.

We have named the trip as “the Journey of Hope”.  Why Hope?  Over the years, we have learned the worst enemy of poverty both in physical and spiritual is hopelessness, the mind set of “nothing (Waray waray) will change”.  We are asking the Lord to show and plant His Hope in their hearts through the trip.  Why Journey?  Even though the trip is only 3 weeks time, we don’t want it to be end there, rather to continue with their journey into the hope filled future.  For the most of them this is the first ever plane ride and the first ever travel outside of Philippines for all of them.

During the trip, they will perform and lead worship as the opportunities arise.  But more than that they will visit prayer mountains, dawn watch services, memorials of the Western missionaries who gave their lives for the poor Korea back then, and etc.  They will see how the poor nation became the nation of God’s blessing with 11,000 missionaries all over the world.

Through the time consuming often the aggravating process, we have thanked the Lord for the way He has transformed us in many ways over the years.  Definitely this way of doing things is not my cup.  Things like food, lodging and all the provision are still uncertain. Also getting around in a foreign nation with 10 people is not that easy.   However we still rejoice in the opportunity that the Lord has given us and for our youngsters knowing that He will provide and work out things for us.

Please pray for these items…

• Safe and fun travel in spite of many uncertainties
• May the Lord implant secure hope for the future in our young people
• For all the provision for the trip
• May we bless visiting churches in Korea.
• For the sale of Passion Generation Worship CDs

Thank you again always for being out there for us and the SICAP Ministry. 

Daniel and Ruth