0909HHNL

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=120 BGCOLOR="#FFCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0443f781egdyul.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" ><B>Proclaim His Praise in the Islands - the Hallowells</B></FONT> <B> </B><B>|    </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Proclaim His Praise in the Islands the "><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> 0909HHNL</div> <bR> <div> <I>Hallowell Highlights Newsletter </I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="39591fa0.jpg" border=0 width="401" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> One reason we are smiling is the record-setting enrollment this year here at the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines (BSOP).  <A HREF="#375__growth_since_2002" TITLE="0909HHNL"><U>Please see below for more details</U></A>.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> September 15, 2009</div> <bR> <div> Dear Friend, </div> <bR> <div> God has done so much.  So much remains to be done.  All believers can say both things.  So can we.</div> <bR> <div> <B>God has done so much! </B> The first quarter has ended well.  BSOP has record-setting enrollment this year.  <A HREF="#375__growth_since_2002" TITLE="0909HHNL"><U>Please see below for more details.</U></A>  </div> <bR> <div> <B>So much remains to be done. </B> We continue to feel overwhelmed by all the needs.  <A HREF="#a_parable_of_three_deaths" TITLE="0909HHNL"><U>Below we try to explain how recent current events have brought both confusion and opportunity for the gospel</U></A>.</div> <div>   </div> <div> More personally, we are overwhelmed by recent ministry opportunities:</div> <bR> <div> - The tragic illnesses of several with whom we minister.  There have been too many hospital visits recently.  The visits to the 2-year old in pediatric intensive care and the 17-year old with cancer were and are particularly emotionally draining.</div> <bR> <div> - The poverty of M., who goes hungry on a regular basis.  <A HREF="#you_know_it_is_really_a_financial" TITLE="0909HHNL"><U>Please see below to read more about her</U></A>.</div> <bR> <div> - The stubborn student who won’t learn.  </div> <bR> <div> - The teachable student who needs more time and care from us.  </div> <bR> <div> - Second quarter, which began yesterday, Sept. 14.</div> <bR> <div> - Jay speaking on “Gospel-Centered Leadership” from the book of Titus in the first chapel of this new quarter.</div> <bR> <div> - Continued needs for research and writing.</div> <bR> <div> God has done so much.  <I>Thank you, Lord!  </I></div> <bR> <div> So much remains to be done.  <I>Please continue to do it, Lord.</I></div> <bR> <div> Living and serving between the already and the not yet,</div> <div> Jay and Amor</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Page 2</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="375__growth_since_2002"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>375% growth since 2002</B></div> <bR> <div> When we arrived at the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines (BSOP) in 2002, there were 40 students.</div> <div>   </div> <div> We remember walking around the dormitory, dining hall, classrooms, and library, praying for students to fill up the vacant rooms, empty chairs, and unused tables. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="732" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 571 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="397bb320.jpg" border=0 width="187" height="562" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="522"><div> This 2009-2010 school year, BSOP:</div> <bR> <div> 1.     Has record-setting enrollment of 150 students.</div> <bR> <div> 2.     Has 450 graduates ministering around the world (225 in the Philippines and 225 in other countries), including missionaries serving among some of the world’s least-reached people groups.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >3.     Continues to be a significant resource for and of the network of Chinese churches in the Philippines </FONT>[reaching the Chinese population in the Philippines that the Joshua Project (<A HREF="http://www.joshuaproject.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.joshuaproject.net"><U>www.joshuaproject.net</U></A>) classifies as yellow (Formative or Nominal Church: Less than 2% Evangelicals and Greater than 5% Christian Adherents).]</div> <bR> <div> 4.     Serves as part of the Asia Graduate School of Theology (AGST), hosting its Biblical studies program, with 19 students (of the 150) from a variety of Asian countries.</div> <bR> <div> 5.     Continues to have Philippians 1:29 as its theme verse: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (NIV)</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> We continue to walk around the campus and to pray for BSOP.  </div> <bR> <div> Now we pray for:</div> <bR> <div> 1.     Additional space, books, internet access, computers, and staff for the library, which is no longer adequate for the current enrollment.  </div> <bR> <div> 2.     The wise scheduling needed for the now barely adequate classroom space. </div> <bR> <div> 3.     Funding in hard economic times.  </div> <bR> <div> 4.     Additional qualified faculty and staff.  </div> <bR> <div> 5.     For God to provide a new crop of students to replace those scheduled, Lord willing, to graduate in March.</div> <bR> <div> So, we praise God for His amazing faithfulness!  And, we pray for God to continue to use BSOP.  </div> <bR> <div> Please continue to join us in praise and prayer for God’s work in the Philippines (and beyond)!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Page 3</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="a_parable_of_three_deaths"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>A Parable of Three Deaths</B></div> <bR> <div> On Monday, September 7, 2009, the following comic strips appeared in one of Manila’s leading newspapers.  We have provided the translation into English.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="398d56d0.jpg" border=0 width="725" height="621" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The Filipino way of handling difficulty, stress, and difficult subjects like death by using humor is one of the many things we like about the Philippines!  </div> <bR> <div> Yet, death (and its aftermath) remains a serious issue for many.  The default assumption of most people here is that good people (like Michael Jackson, <A HREF="id182.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="0908PL"><U>Former President Corazon Aquin</U></A>o, and Erdy Manalo) will go to heaven when they die.  Aunt Cory was devoted to Mary.  Ka Erdy believed that Jesus was not God and that salvation is by good works.  (His cult, the Iglesia ni Kristo, teaches this.)</div> <bR> <div> The gospel, of course, tells a different story.  “No sinful person can earn his or her way to the holy God.”  “All have sinned.”  “Jesus provides the only way to God.”  So profound.  Yet, it so hard for so many to understand.  </div> <bR> <div> <I>Please pray for all who communicate the gospel here!  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Please pray for us as we teach seminary students to communicate this wonderful and urgent good news!</I></div> <bR> <div> [These comic strips are from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 7, 2009.  Downloaded from <A HREF="http://www.inquirer.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.inquirer.net"><U>www.inquirer.net</U></A>]</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Page 4</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="you_know_it_is_really_a_financial"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>You know it is really a financial crisis when…</B></div> <bR> <div> Like, M., you go to bed without having eaten enough food, calories, and vitamins.  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >The world-wide financial crisis has increased  poverty here in the Philippines.  Now, 20% of the families in the Philippines experience hunger due to lack of food.  </FONT>(For details, see: http://<A HREF="http://www.sws.org.ph/pr090727.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sws.org.ph/pr090727.htm"><U>www.sws.org.ph/pr090727.htm</U></A>)</div> <bR> <div> We have known M. and her family for 7 years.  The illness of her father has meant that he can no longer work.  We gave M. food and money.  We are working on arrangements for her to finish all she needs to do in order to be licensed as a caregiver.  Then, we pray, she will be able to get a job.</div> <bR> <div> Our support is down, so we have fewer funds available.  Yet, the needs of people we know and love, like M., have increased.  We keep on giving, even though it makes our budget really, really tight.  And we pray…</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Thank You!</B></div> <bR> <div> Thank you very much for listening to the Lord and letting Him use you as partners in our ministry.  Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, your gifts, your support, and your cards, letters, e-mails, etc.  </div> <bR> <div> If you sense the Lord leading you to support us, <A HREF="id21_philippines_mailing_address.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>please contact us</U></A>, our church, or <A HREF="id21_support.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>the OMF office in your country</U></A>.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> by Jay and Amor Hallowell</div> <div> Last update: September 15, 2009</div> <div> --------------------------------- end of Hallowell content ----------------------------------------------</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>