Grateful hearts

For Boris and Valentina Bergen and family the last month was very intense and full, very encouraging and beneficial, but also exhausting.

For the first two weeks of July, they had a Bible School team from America with them. They had a very good time and Boris and Valentina enjoyed having their visit but of course, it was also associated with a lot of work and organisation. However, everything went well and the team left the Philippines encouraged. Here is a quote from one of the participants: “I went on this trip to see how God works through Ethnos360 in the Philippines. I was encouraged and challenged by what God is doing in the Philippines.” Another said, “On this trip, I saw just how great the need for mission still is. It’s so big that if you go to another country for mission, you’ll mostly take on two to three full-time jobs because there just are not enough people to fill the different roles.”

Boris and Valentina are thankful to all who prayed! It was a very good time and they are glad that it was so encouraging. They plan to host more teams in the future. While Boris was travelling with the team, Valentina had her hands full looking after the kids at home.

Also with the team came the first new missionary family. They will live in Malaybalay and learn Visayas like Boris and Valentina when they first arrived. One of their ministries is to look after these new families and help them to settle in, find a home etc. Since Boris was gone, it was Valentina’s job to guide them around the city, show them the market, show them how to use public transport, etc. This was not always easy with the three kids, and yet they saw and experienced how God uses this ministry so that others can feel comfortable in the Philippines. They are very thankful to God that they could find a house. Please keep praying for them and especially for the children (4yrs and 2yrs). These are currently finding it difficult to settle. Please pray for the parents for wisdom and empathy, but also for wisdom for all the big and small decisions they have to make as they start from scratch in a new culture and language.

In addition, a young family who are in mission training and wanted to see the Philippines as a future country of service visited. They also had a very good and blessed time. They arrived after the team flew back and were grateful for the insight they had into working in the Philippines.

The time was exhausting, but totally blessed. As they look back to the last month, it is with a grateful heart. Nevertheless, they are also enjoying some time together again just as a family.

But before it got too quiet, they flew together as a family to the capital to finally get their ‘missionary visa’ for the next few years.

Also, with joy and excitement, but also with some uncertainty and fear Valentina has started home schooling Benaja. Pray for them both, that they can get along well in their new ‘roles’, for fun for Benaja in learning and much wisdom for Valentina while teaching.

Pray for them as a family, that they can form a new routine quickly and especially as Phil Noah and Zea join in as well.

The next month will be filled with small building projects for Boris in the city where they live. But most of all, they will focus on helping the new family settle in, renovate their house, find furniture, electrical appliances, etc. for them and organise everything they can, such as: a good internet connection for their house which is needed for when they start their language studies at the beginning of September.

Thank you for your prayers and your partnership in their work of supporting the church planters.