Day of Prayer and visit to Coron

Coron is a city of 50,000 people located on Busuanga Island in the Province of Palawan. The city is about 275 miles south-west of Manila. Coron is most noted as a vacation destination for snorkeling and scuba diving. They boast of some of the best reefs for snorkeling and there are sunken WWII Japanese warships for scuba adventures. In addition to the water adventures, the area has many islands for exploring. The resorts provide a destination for many in Asia.

Dan and I flew out of Manila arriving in Coron Sunday afternoon. Jonathan Dabuit, a seminary alumnus, met us at the airport and hosted us for the time we were in Coron. Jonathan is an assistant to the mayor of Coron and works in a church in Coron. As one can imagine, being a government official provides some benefits for his guests. We visited the government center and met some town officials. We were met at the airport by the chief of security who escorted us through the security. I finally experienced more winding roads than are found in southeastern Kentucky while here in Coron (see picture below).

Our primary reason for visiting Coron was to investigate the feasibility of an institute and seminary extension and participate in a day of prayer with pastors in the Association of Christian Churches of the Philippines (ACCPHIL). On Monday, I preached on Ephesians 6:18-20, which tells us we should pray for each other in every occasion especially in our trials because we are to be bold proclaimers of the gospel even in our trials. It was encouraging to see both young and older pastors praying together and sharing each other’s burdens. Monday night we went to another fellowshipping church for supper and worship. They served us traditional Filipino cuisine and presented their ministry. The final event of the evening was a foot washing of the attending pastors by the young people and lay leaders of the church.

Tuesday we visited the island of Coron and other sites around the city of Coron. When returning from the island of Coron, we stopped at the Balinsgasayaw Resort for lunch. After returning to the city of Coron, we met with alumni about the opportunities and challenges of an extension in Coron. These conversations are valuable in assessing what’s next for the institute and seminary.

I am writing this entry from a hotel near the airport in Manila. We return to the U.S. on Thursday traveling from Manila to Hong Kong to Newark to Tampa. Please pray for our travels on Thursday. This trip has provided a much-needed perspective for me of the work in the Philippines and the many possible ministry opportunities.