Building His kingdom

Boris and Valentina Bergen with Benaja, Phil Noah and Zea are back from their recent trip to a tribal village. They had a wonderful time. Thank you to everyone who prayed, your prayers were definitely answered.

Boris was able to complete some very urgent projects and continue to guide the local carpenters in building doors. He laid a new floor as the termites ate the old one.

Valentina was responsible for the physical well-being of everyone and the boys quickly made friends, played a lot outside and had a great time.

Their help meant the missionary was able to finish translating the letter to the Ephesians and have it checked by local helpers. Give the glory to God!

Now they are back in the city and getting used to the ‘fast life’ again. They are preparing for the teams that will visit in the summer, which is their main ministry. Slowly everything is coming together and they are encouraged to see how God provides people who are happy to accommodate, help out and share the vision with the teams. Please continue to pray for the preparation!

Teams consist of ten to fifteen people.

  1. ‘Encounter Teams’ – visit from different countries. They consist of young Christians who are thinking about what they want to do after school/study and what role God plays in all of this. The goal is to bring young adults closer to God. They see that God is alive and is active, that He can change entire groups of people. They hear first-hand how God has freed people. Moving outside of their comfort zone, surrounded by people who love God and serve Him often raises the question: “What am I doing for God, what am I willing to give to build HIS kingdom?”
  2. ‘Vision Trips’: are intended exclusively for Christians who are interested in joining the work of the mission and see the Philippines as a future long-term mission field. Finding out how the mission works in situ. It is also an opportunity to ask questions about learning the language and culture, what it is like to live in the city, how great the spiritual need is in the Philippines and to get to know the mission leaders etc. Many develop a love for the Philippines and the Filipinos, which will help them say goodbye in their home country. However, some also realise that it is not where God wants them to be and choose a different mission country.

Boris and Valentina also help new arrivals to the field. The most recent ‘new’ missionaries have settled in well and can almost cope on their own. Perfect timing for the next family to arrive in mid-April. Pray for this family in their time before departure, as there are still many medical appointments, packing and farewells. Pray that Boris and Valentina will find a suitable house for them.

Valentina’s Mum and sister will be visiting them this month and they are very much looking forward to a great time together. Please pray for safe travel.