Final Day

Today is my final day in the Philippines. I am heading home in just a little while and it has been a full two weeks. I am sitting in the office of my Filipino secretary as I say goodbye. We have preached nearly 40 times and had some great success. God certainly has been good.

We spoke to some city workers last night and seven of them came to know Christ. We had dinner at a very nice Chinese restaurant and headed back to the camp grounds.

We have some great plans for the Bible College here and the plans for a radio station. We may be able to be on the air 24 hours a day preaching the gospel to millions. We have started the inquiry into all of the legal aspects of the station. I have suggested that the call letters be DSCG. The stations here begin their call letters in D. I explained to all that was gathered that it would stand for Dr. Stephen Carl Goens- DSCG. The vote was one hundred percent. One thing I found out about the Filipino people is that they vote by laughing. It’s different here but as long as we get the job done that is all that matters.

We are going to start producing books and tapes to send to the mountain preachers for their Bible college training. By the time we return in March of 2009 we will be teaching many more than we are now.

I am looking forward to heading home in just a few hours. I am in hopes of a meeting in Manila here in a few hours that will open more doors to do some things that have been life long dreams of mine. Pray for the success of that meeting.

Pray for the Baptist Beacon Missionary Ministries as we help train pastors around the world. We have been invited to India. We will not be able to make the first date (June 08) but hopefully later on. Pray for our ministries. I am behind in this great race, and I have rounded the fourth corner. I am headed for the finish line and I must finish fast to win the race that God has given me to run.

Goens My Way - Philippines 2008

5-08-08 Update

Last night we finished the Family camp. After the last two weeks and the next two days, I will have spoken about 40 times. We had a great time and it was sad to leave some very dear friends. We trained 95 in the 1st Bible institute and had about 70 people saved. As I write this I am waiting to speak to the city leaders of Davao. Hopefully many of them will be saved and the total salvation decisions will increase. I am speaking on the Responsibility of Leadership. The government here is very corrupt so pray that I am able to help them.

There have many that I have counseled with while I have been here and although I have a great connection with the Filipino people many of them are afraid to approach me. When I was here last year I received a letter from a lady telling me that she had been praying for me for many years and was so disappointed that she was not able to come to the meeting. Last night a lady approached me after the service and introduced herself as Yvonne Placios, the lady that had been praying for me everyday since 2000. It seems that Bro Claro had told her about me and she took me on as a special prayer partner for these many years. This lady is as beautiful inside as she is on the outside and it was such a joy to have met her and her husband and gotten to know them.

There are many stories that I wish to relate to you, but one is a prayer request. Next year when I return there is a possibility that I will get to go and be with the Labonsa to their church. They are in the Muslim area and it is very dangerous. So, I told them that I would lose weight, blacken my hair, darken my skin, and learn the language so I will be able to go with them without losing my head. That would be one way to lose 30 pounds of ugly fat.

Goens My Way - Philippines 2008

Update 5-7-08

I have some good news. The power has not gone out for a couple of days now. The water is not working but at least we can see how dirty the American is.
The children here are incredible. It really funny watching them as they try to relate to Lolo White. (Grandfather White) Now some of them are calling me Lolo Pop. Pop, here in the Philippines is the same as in America. I tell them I am called pop because I am sweet and refreshing.

Yesterday I found myself surrounded by children, and the more I played with them the more they laughed. One little girl was laughing so hard that I thought she was going to pass out. Their eyes sparkle and their smiles are so beautiful. The children love to feel my muscles. They will touch my arms or my back and say Muscles!!!! One little boy, one I don't really like, touched my belly and said "No Muscle" and all the children really thought it was funny. Now you understand why I don't like him.

I cannot speak the language of the little children from the mountains, and of course they cannot speak mine, but there is a bond that is incredible. They love me because I am big, strong and gentle. They love to touch my skin. One little girl sat for more than an hour next to me and held my arm. Then she moved to my other side and looked at me for the longest time. When I looked at her and smile and said "Hi sweetheart, she ran off and would not come near me again for a long time. I seem to have that trouble everywhere I go. A pretty girl looks and me and I say "Hi sweetheart” and they all run away. I guess that is the curse of being me.

I told people last night that I was missing my family but thanked them for being so kind and sharing their family with me... I told them that the little children helped me while I was missing my grandchildren. I told all of the young ladies that they helped me while I was missing my daughters. I told the men that they really didn't help me as I was missing my son. I told them he was 6'4' and they just can't believe that anyone human could be that tall. So I told them that it would take two Filipino's to take the place of my son. And then I told them that I was missing my wife but there were three ladies that had made me almost forget my wife. Three ladies, who together are missing a full set of teeth, began to laugh and giggle as every one looked at them and went aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!

I had breakfast at another hut this morning. There are some questions that I have, but I am really afraid to ask. . . .If you know what I mean.

More later on Goens My Way - Philippines 2008

The Filipino Way part 2

The Filipino people amaze me over and over again. I just had breakfast at a hut that is built here on the campgrounds for one of the preachers that come and visit. We had eggs, sweet potatoes and of course rice. We also had chicken, one that had been roaming around the camp ground, and some dried fish. All of this was cooked on open flame inside the hut. The beds are just bamboo beds and the roof is made of grass. But it stays cool and dry and that is all that is really important.

The Filipino has very little as far as this world is concerned, yet they are very happy people. The children will laugh and play with whatever their imagination will allow them to. I have seen them have a great time with dirt, bugs. The other day, a group was having a great time with a dead frog! I think they are going to be doctors.

I was sitting in the church the other night when the lights went out. It was pitch black. All of a sudden the church lit up, not because the lights came back on but because everyone opened their cell phones and the lights from all the cell phones chased the darkness away. No, stoves, refrigerators or a shower but ALL THE ADULTS, have their cell phones and the main way of keeping in contact with one another? Text Messaging. Who knew?

Filipino Way

I had planned on writing a log every day but there are some things that interfere, a very busy schedule for one. I will have spoken about forty times from the time I arrive until the time I leave. Then, there have been several times that I could not get on the computer because of my two secretaries, Hanelyn and Alma, who have been busy typing all of my notes to give to the pastors. I have preached so much and written so much that I have told them all that I know and a lot of things I don't know. But those that know me know that I do not need to have insight, knowledge or wisdom to talk about anything and everything.

The Filipino way of thinking constantly amazes me. As we were approaching the graduation ceremonies disaster struck. The generator that supplies the camp with fresh water went out and we did not have any water. And then the electricity went out during one of the services and was out for several hours. Severe rains came and the road became nothing but mud. But I was the only one in camp that realized we were having problems. No Water? How was I to get clean, brush my teeth, use the comfort room? No electricity how was I to charge my phone, get on my computer, use my electric razor? I thought life was over as I knew it.

The next morning I awoke and remembered to conserve what little water we had for the couple hundred people on the camp grounds. Breakfast, oh my, what was I going to eat? As I was wondering if I had enough body fat to survive until the electricity came back on. One of the girls came to my door and said “Pastor, your breakfast is ready”. Eggs over easy (3), 4 pieces of toast, sausage, bacon, coffee, juice and water. A banana, mango and something I had never seen before. The Filipina woman is not confined to electricity; they cook over an open flame.

I took my towel and did my best to wipe the sweat from my body. I used enough deodorant to cover the most offending smell, put on my clothes and with dirty hair walked out to preach. As I left my room I came face to face with Bro Poqueta, a mountain preacher to the communist, a great man of God. We shook hands and hugged each other and I found that Filipino men smell good when they sweat. Then, much to my surprise, all of the ladies had wet hair. I was really upset that they had not followed the save the water order. Then, on the basketball court was the men, all covered from top to bottom with soap, as they all took a bath. You see, in order for me to get clean I need electric energy and running water. All a Filipino needs is a rain barrel and a river near by. In the whole crowed that morning all they needed to do is sniff, and it was easy to find the dirty American.