Evangelist Mark Hurley

I had the privilege of going to the Philippines recently to preach two

revivals and a Bible conference. It is always a great joy since we

spent 5 years there as missionaries and it’s an opportunity to renew

friendships and see how all the works have grown and matured.

Our fellowship first planted the first worker in the Philippines in 1983.

For the next several years we planted 11 missionaries into a very

fruitful harvest field. As the Filipinos began to respond and were raised

up and discipled, we were very excited at the potential for their nation.

Today there are 200-plus national churches in the Philippines, raising

up workers and planting churches not only in their country but also

internationally. We maintain a close relationship with these pastors

and churches and regularly travel there to encourage the Saints and

challenge the congregations to all that the Lord has called them to.

This was my intent in traveling to the Philippine Islands, to preach

revivals and minister at the Central Visayan Bible Conference.

It was almost 30 hours in transit, over 20 hours in the air, and you lose

a day going from Boston to Manila. I left Wednesday A.M. and arrive

late Thursday night. Then leave Manila Friday morning and fly to Iloilo

City on Panay Island. (The Philippines has over 7000 islands with

about 3000 inhabited.) We started revival Friday night in Passi, Iloilo

which was the very first baby church out of our ministry many years

ago.

The pastor Roel Javier had just gotten saved about 2 weeks before

we left the mission field. His wife Razel, was a very young convert

when she first came into the church. By her own words “she was a

naughty little girl” coming from a very rough background never

knowing her father, and a mother who was a drunkard and drug

addict. What a joy to see them with their four children, serving God

and being used to help lost souls.

Philippines Ministry- 2009

Last summer they had a very powerful typhoon sweep through their

area which caused much destruction. The church building had over 6

feet of water in the sanctuary. They are a resilient people and went

right back into their church when the waters receded. We had a good

revival there, with a number of people saved, some filled with the Holy

Ghost, and many healed of sicknesses and pain. Being a small city in

the provence, we started service at 6:00 P.M. and were heading home

at 7:45 P.M. I ate every night at their home some “pilipino”dish which I

greatly enjoyed.

After 3 days of revival we joined with 24 persons going to the bible

conference in Bacolod City on the island of Negros. The church

members that go to this conference are thrilled to be able to get

together with their family in Christ which are laboring in many different

cities in the western visayas. Getting there is half the fun! We loaded

up a “jeepney” (overloaded) with clothes and bedding ect. and headed

off to the ferry. There we met others who were also going to the

conference. Another jeepney ride and we were in the leadership

church in Bacolod, Negros, ready for the start of the 3rd annual bible

conference.

The conference ran Monday through Friday evening, with morning

seminars Tuesday through Friday. We were blessed by having the

Philippino national leaders in attendance. Pastor Frank Buenaventura

from Davao in the southern Philippines, who oversees over 90

churches, did a great job encouraging and challenging the saints.

Pastor Charlie Carias from Cebu City ministered one morning seminar

and prayed for the Holy Ghost with over 25 being filled. Pastor Boyet

Desepida, the national leader of the Philippines, pastoring in Manila,

ministered to the pastors about their calling. Pastor Carlos Morales

from Norfolk Virginia did a great job preaching each day of the

conference. His sermon & testimony to the youth touched many

hearts. I had the privilege of ministering four times during the week.

Last summer they had a very powerful typhoon sweep through their

area which caused much destruction. The church building had over 6

feet of water in the sanctuary. They are a resilient people and went

right back into their church when the waters receded. We had a good

revival there, with a number of people saved, some filled with the Holy

Ghost, and many healed of sicknesses and pain. Being a small city in

the provence, we started service at 6:00 P.M. and were heading home

at 7:45 P.M. I ate every night at their home some “pilipino”dish which I

greatly enjoyed.

After 3 days of revival we joined with 24 persons going to the bible

conference in Bacolod City on the island of Negros. The church

members that go to this conference are thrilled to be able to get

together with their family in Christ which are laboring in many different

cities in the western visayas. Getting there is half the fun! We loaded

up a “jeepney” (overloaded) with clothes and bedding ect. and headed

off to the ferry. There we met others who were also going to the

conference. Another jeepney ride and we were in the leadership

church in Bacolod, Negros, ready for the start of the 3rd annual bible

conference.

The conference ran Monday through Friday evening, with morning

seminars Tuesday through Friday. We were blessed by having the

Philippino national leaders in attendance. Pastor Frank Buenaventura

from Davao in the southern Philippines, who oversees over 90

churches, did a great job encouraging and challenging the saints.

Pastor Charlie Carias from Cebu City ministered one morning seminar

and prayed for the Holy Ghost with over 25 being filled. Pastor Boyet

Desepida, the national leader of the Philippines, pastoring in Manila,

ministered to the pastors about their calling. Pastor Carlos Morales

from Norfolk Virginia did a great job preaching each day of the

conference. His sermon & testimony to the youth touched many

hearts. I had the privilege of ministering four times during the week.

We had over 300 attending the morning seminars, and Friday night

over 500 in attendance. The Bacolod congregation planted one new

church in Cadiz City, Negros. This brings their total to 19 baby

churches. One of the highlights of the conference was the Jesus

parade Thursday afternoon. We had great favor and the police

blocked off the streets to accomodate our marching through the

downtown for an hour and a half. We ended the parade with street

preaching in the plaza. One of the joys of this conference was that it

was paid for by the Philippino churches.

I stayed after the conference and preached revival in the Bacolod

church. This church is pastored by Jesse and Maryann Teodoro. This

is a precious couple to us, as both were young teenagers when they

got saved under our ministry in the Iloilo church. Maryann was our

very first convert. The church is very healthy and thereʼs still fruit that

was saved from the revival I preached there two years ago. We saw

many visitors and people saved during the meeting. Sunday,

November 1st is all souls day in the Philippines. Multitudes go and

visit the dead in the cemeteries. We were able to set up and have a

street meeting with the cooperation and protection of the local police.

Approximately 5000 people heard us preaching and testifying of Godʼs

love.

Wednesday morning I flew to Manila and spent some time with Pastor

Boyet. I had the privilege of preaching in his church that night, before

flying home Thursday morning. I left Thursday morning at 9:30 and

arrived in Boston at 9:00 at night, tired but rejoicing in the opportunity

to be involved with these people in this nation. I preached 13 times in

13 days and wouldnʼt have it any other way. Thank God for what Heʼs

doing in the nation of the Philippines.