April 15, 2012

Dear Praying Friends,

Three weeks ago TJ fell and hit his head on the pavement while playing with some friends. Thirty minutes later he began vomiting all over our living room, so we thought it prudent to take him to the hospital where we spent the night, an unforgettable experience. A neurologist ordered x-rays and a CT scan. There wasn’t any serious damage, although we were told that should he have seizures later on, the fall could be behind it. TJ took it easy for a week, and we are now back to roughhousing. Below is a picture of him giving his grandpa a checkup with his doctor toys that he said he needed when he was discharged.

Iloilo Baptist College had its 31^st graduation last month. We’ll miss those who finished college but are glad to see them start new churches or serve in other ministries. The church and college staff have been busy recruiting since graduation, through Youth Conference, and will continue to do so until classes start again in June. I went to places where I wondered if I was the first foreigner to ever be there. Pictured below are some of the young people who’ve enrolled in recent weeks. They are products of your faithful support, and we ask for your prayers for them, as they will likely face hardships over the next four years.

Our ministry family lost two servants just a few days apart last month:

Nilo Bayan graduated from our college in 1995 and started a church in Mindanao, where he reached many people. He died of liver failure, leaving behind a wife and two sons. He was forty years old.

Joebert Macna sang in the choir on Graduation Night, witnessed to a visitor, and then went to a friend’s reception where he posed for this picture. He collapsed a few minutes later and was taken to a hospital and declared dead on arrival. He had drowned in his own blood. We learned he had a history of tuberculosis before he came to Bible college. A doctor had told Joebert’s father that he wouldn’t live long, but Joebert replied that he would survive because he wanted to go to Bible college. Joebert joined us at IBC for three years before he was taken at twenty-two. He wanted to pastor. Joebert came from a broken family; his mother left when he was fifteen, leaving his father to raise eight children alone. We presented Joebert’s father with an honorary diploma from the college because Joebert Macna wanted to be a pastor.

We heard some amazing testimonies about Joebert at the memorial service (pictures below), and many students gathered around his casket to pray and make decisions.

Thank you for your prayers for the Bayan and Macna families and for your support of the ministry here.

In Christ,

Ricky Martin with Brandie, T.J., & Ava

Dear Friends:

In this prayer letter I want to tell you about some of the opportunities here in the Philippines, and include a challenge, especially to young people.

Jesus said, “Lift up your eyes for the fields are ripe for harvest.” Those words make me think of the Philippines. As I look out on my field each day I am constantly amazed. Doors are open everywhere for preaching the Gospel. When you come to the Philippines you will find out that a lot of people will listen to you.

Perhaps the greatest opportunity is reaching students in the public schools. The Philippines is unique in that the constitution guarantees the right of religious groups to teach their religion in the public schools. In some schools the principal will allow you to speak to the entire student body. Others allow you to go back each week and go room to room, giving out the Gospel and teaching how to grow in Christ, once they accept Him as Saviour. The principals decide the schedule that is given and the way you relate to the principal makes a difference.

Recently I spoke at a large high school in Passi City. The principal invited our church orchestra to play for the students and in between the songs I spoke about the message of the songs and also introduced them to the different instruments. Pastor Hermando Abelitado, one of our graduates who recently started a church in that city, was allowed to preach the Gospel and many students received Christ as Saviour. Some of the students got saved before the program started as our workers talked to them in groups. It was exciting to see the responsive young people.

Many of the pastors go to the public schools often. The IBC graduates on the islands of Panay and Negros are divided up into five groups. Last month those pastors went into about 300 different schools. You can see how open the door is and that door is open across this country for those who would come here and take the opportunity.

A new opportunity is going into the precincts of the Philippine National Police. The response has been very encouraging. In our last prayer letter I mentioned that over 120 graduates are involved in this program. In our region of the country the Philippine National Police have made a way for any religious group to minister to the men and women from the PNP. At our local precinct about a quarter of a mile from our church, I recently spoke to the 25 policemen before they went out on patrol. They are a great group of men. The PCR (Public Community Relations) officer later invited some of the staff of IBC to speak in the different neighborhoods when he goes there for meetings to educate the people about law enforcement. They also have feeding programs for the poor. A lot of people go to those meetings. Most weeks two of our men go with the police and speak about the Lord Jesus Christ.

We invited a couple of officers to our Christmas Program for street kids and the officers were touched by what they saw. The next Sunday one of the officers helped our workers bring over 200 first time visitors to our Christmas Musical! Soul winners dealt with many of them.

Last month the regional director of the Bureau of Fire Protection asked us to send a pastor to speak to all the firemen. Two pastors on our staff went and (see photos below) spoke about our Savior and got a very good response. Two weeks ago the church had its 8^th annual Fireman’s Appreciation Night and we had the privilege of honoring a fireman who died last year, while fighting a fire. The family and 60 firemen came and the Lord opened the hearts of some of them to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. On that night our new police precinct commander of Jaro came. He told me he had wanted to come to one of the services for a while. One of our men led him to Christ and he made a public profession to the church at that service. It was really a blessing. I got to talk to him for a long time after the service and found out he has a great desire to learn more about the Bible. He asked me to speak at a meeting with about 1,000 mothers at the Jaro Plaza the following Saturday. He asked me to speak to them about the Bible!

In mid January on a Sunday night, over 500 homes were destroyed by a fire; leaving 2,500 people homeless. Since that day we have had over 400 victims of that fire come to our church and many received Christ as Saviour.

The Social Services Department here in the Philippines is really different. Quite a few of their workers are not only concerned with the physical needs of those they try to help, but also their spiritual needs. Every couple of months someone from that department will bring a group of maybe 25 to 50 people to visit our church so they can hear the Word of God preached and visit a place where people love them.

During the great destruction of Typhoon Frank in 2008, I saw many police officers, firemen, social workers, and other government officials who lost their homes, out helping others. In many cases, the government workers lost more than the people they were helping. I think God has used many of these public servants; they have been put in a position where they can help others hear the Gospel.

I could go on and on. There are opportunities to preach the Gospel in homes. If you look around, it’s not too hard to find a family that will allow you to come into their home and teach the Bible and tell them how they can make sure they are going to Heaven. All around this island and others, pastors and Christian workers are holding Bible studies in houses, offices, and other places.

You can get involved in soul winning on the streets or evangelistic meetings with Gospel films and preaching. Every year graduates of Iloilo Baptist College hold over 200 meetings like this. There are unlimited opportunities to start churches and even Bible colleges. I still can’t believe God gave me the great privilege and honor to start one! I’m not saying it is easy to work here. It is easy to get frustrated with certain things, but the truth is, there are many opportunities. I’ve seen missionaries who have reached so many people in these islands because they walked through these open doors.

Having said that, let me ask: If the Philippines (and other countries) are open and missionaries have almost unlimited opportunities, then why aren’t more men and women going to the foreign mission field?

Maybe there is a misconception that there are so many missionaries in these open countries that there isn’t a need for any more. What is the truth? When Becky and I came to the Philippines in 1977, there were about 200 independent Baptist missionaries here. A few years after that a survey said there were 196. Today there are about 100. The most recent survey I know of says there are less than 100. In 1977 the population of the Philippines was a little over 45 million. In 2011 the population was about 93 million. In other words we are trying to reach twice as many people with half the number of missionaries.

It may be that young people in America are not being challenged as they once were or it’s because America’s economy is so bad. The past 3-4 years have been very difficult for churches in the USA. That is true in this country too—yet they are aggressively sending out more Filipino foreign missionaries who are starting churches and Bible colleges. Or the reason may simply be that there aren’t enough people who are willing to go.

I want to thank those who are praying for the Lord’s work here and for those of you who are sacrificially giving to help spread the Gospel. The Bible says that fruit that comes from what we give to reach others will be put on our account (Philippians 4:16-17).

Let me close by challenging young people. The day I spoke at our local Police Precinct in Jaro, I noticed a group of high school students, about 30 of them, who were taking a tour of the station. Their teacher told me she wanted them to see what the police do and also the consequences of crime. The precinct commander asked me if I would mind if the students joined the police to hear me speak. As I began to speak I told the students that I had come to speak to the police but decided to direct most of my remarks to the students.

I mentioned that the real heroes in this country were not the rock singers, the movie stars, or the sports stars, but the men like the police who each day, go out and risk their lives to protect their freedom that they enjoy. Two days later an officer from that precinct went out to serve a warrant of arrest. When he did, several men grabbed him, took his gun, and shot him five times, killing him. A few weeks later I attend the burial. This officer was 31 years old. He was still single as he was supporting his mother, who was a widow. His father had been murdered in his own home when he was very young and he decided when he grew up he wanted to be a police officer. He was a very good officer according to the precinct commander.

There were many policemen at the funeral and a large crowd of people at the cemetery. The Iloilo City Police chief asked me to pray and they gave him a gun salute followed by the playing of Taps. The policemen folded the Philippine flag and presented it to the mother. Lastly, they removed three medals from the uniform of the dead officer and presented them to the mother. She wept many tears at that cemetery. She was sad but she knew that her son loved her and loved his country.

Young people, when you die and stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Lord begins to pass out the crowns, will you be one of those to receive a crown to lay at His feet? Are you willing to give your life wholly to reach people

so they can be free from the bondage of sin? The doors are still open here in the Philippines. Would you be willing to go and help reap this harvest while there is still time?

                                                                                             Rick Martin

PS: Our new website: martinsibc.jimdo.com. Please let us know if you’d like to receive our letter by email. Our email address: martinsibc@yahoo.com

February 20, 2012

Dear Praying Friends,

Last night we had our Firemen-Appreciation Service. We honored the memory of a firefighter who died in the line of duty. His widow and two children were able to attend. They are pictured here with Brandie and Ava. There were 60 firemen who were present for this special night. T.J. loved meeting them and seeing the fire trucks.

A few weeks ago, a poor neighborhood near the place where my mom has a jeepney route caught on fire. Thankfully, none of our church people were affected, but over 200 homes were destroyed. Our church has been reaching out to those families and bringing them to church and trying to help with their needs.

We will be having our annual “Family Day” on Sunday, February 26. This has always been a big day for reaching families in our city and getting them to come faithfully to church. Many of our current members were saved on Family Day. Our guest speaker will be Pastor Gerald McKelroy from Bellmead Calvary Baptist Church in Texas.

Our family is doing well. Brandie stays busy with the kids and taking care of our home. She also conducts a Ladies’ Fellowship for our church ladies every other Sunday afternoon. T.J. is getting so big and loves to act out the story of David and Goliath with my dad. He asks a million questions every day and has fun doing some schoolwork with his mom. He can read and write a few short words and enjoys doing some simple math. Ava is almost 7 months old now and is such a joy. She has a sweet personality, and everyone loves her. We will be getting a new family portrait taken soon and will send it with our next letter.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our family and ministry here. We love and appreciate you all.

In Christ, 

Ricky Martin with Brandie, T.J., & Ava

                                                                                                                                                                                    January-February, 2012

Dear Friends:

Here is the story of Pastor Moimar Lacsao, in his own words:

I was born Dec 30, 1975. My father lived on the island of Mindanao. He was sent to prison because he murdered someone. After six years he was released for good behavior. He went to Negros Island, where he met my mother. He worked on a sugarcane farm. After they got married my father decided to return to Mindanao.

When I was 2 ½ my father was killed by a Muslim rebel. They suspected him of being an informer to the military. They warned him not to go into the city but he was a fish vendor and that was our only livelihood, so he went anyway. My mother was pregnant at that time.

My mother brought us back to Negros Island. She grew a few vegetables to keep us alive. After three years she remarried. My stepfather treated us like we were his own sons. He loved us and treated us well. My mother and stepfather were Christians.

We lived in a mountainous area, six kilometers (4 miles) from the nearest school. We raised animals and planted corn and rice. Every day we walked very far to our school. I was often naughty in school. I had no sisters so my mom and dad adopted two girls.

My parents were faithful to church—rain or shine—and they worked hard on their little farm. They treated the pastor well and were faithful in giving tithes and offerings. They were such a good example to us because they were faithful in spite of the great distance of our church. In spite of this, it wasn’t until I was 17 years old that I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior through the preaching of Pastor Danilo Condes, a graduate of Iloilo Baptist College. He later encouraged me to enroll at IBC.

Day after day I can feel the calling of God and the burden of lost souls. I was so shy though, and afraid to get up in front of people and preach. My favorite teacher at IBC, who mentored me, was Mario Genada, who is now our missionary in Zambia, Africa. He was a great example and I really admired him. We worked together on a route near the pier and I learned so much from him. He always has a good spirit and is very positive regarding the ministry.

One day when I was on my route with another student, a group of drunk men called to us. I went to them and showed them the plan of salvation. One man joked that he’ll get saved right before he dies. Later I saw him as he lay dying from being stabbed. Again I showed him the plan of salvation and this time he was very humble as he accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. He died a short time later.

While I was in school I drove a trisikad (bike with attached side cart for passengers). Even when I am sick I worked in order to eat. Once I was so sick I didn’t eat rice for three days but I was so determined to finish my studies no matter what.

I was very involved in the ministry—soul winning, Bible studies, extension classes, and jeepney route. My life verse is Ecc 12:1 “Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth.” There were many hardships and trials but none of it convinced me to change my mind in pursuing my desire to finish school and serve the Lord in full time ministry. When Brother Lacsao graduated he began to serve the Lord in an area near his home. He continues:

After a year of soul winning, training young people, teaching adults, having Bible studies, extension classes, and school ministry, step by step the church grew. Soon we were running 70. The Lord led me to start a Bible college to train young people for the ministry. Now we are conducting extension churches in nearby villages. The church is being blessed by God with people who have a heart for serving Him. Our church has grown beyond all my expectations. For 14 years my wife and I are serving the Lord. I can truly say God really blessed His ministry, His people, and His servants. My desire is to build a big church, with great people of God! 

In 2003, Brother Lacsao started a Bible school to train young people. Since that time he has sent out several graduates to start churches. He also started a night time Bible institute for married men. Please pray the Lord will continue to bless his ministry.

OPPORTUNITIES IN DECEMBER

December is a month that, because of Christmas, provides so many opportunities to reach people for our Saviour. I want to share the story of a young man named LT, who found the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour in December, a few years back:

LT was born in 1987 on the large southern island of Mindanao. He had two sisters and a brother. His mom was a teacher and his father had a small store. His parents were Aglipay, which is similar to the Catholic Church except their priests can marry. LT respects his parents very much. He said his mother taught him good moral character and his father taught him to work hard. Since he was very young he had a dream to find a good job and make a lot of money. After high school LT enrolled in a vocational course. After college he went with his dad to Antique, here on our island, to visit relatives. The relatives encouraged LT to find a job in Iloilo City.   LT thought at last his dream to find a good job and make a lot of money would come true.

He found a job working with sound systems. One day in December, his company sent him to fix a generator at Iloilo Baptist Church. IBC was having its annual Christmas musical. It was very important to have a working generator to be prepared for power shortages. Lots of visitors come to the special Christmas service and many are saved every year. This was in 2007 during the “Night of Miracles” program.

The generator was located at the main gate and Pastor Mario Mallora was stationed there to greet visitors as they came in. He started talking to LT. He presented the plan of salvation to LT and he got saved. LT says it was the happiest moment of his life. Afterwards, Pastor Mario encouraged LT to enroll in Bible college! LT smiled. After all, it had always been his dream to get a good job and make a lot of money! LT says that he couldn’t sleep at night, always remembering Brother Mario’s words, “The most important work on this earth is God’s work. Why don’t you become a pastor?”

A few weeks later, LT packed his bag and showed up at the front gate at IBC. He asked someone at the gate, “Where is Pastor Mario? I’m going to enroll here.” Needless to say, Brother Mario was surprised, and very pleased.

LT is now in his 4^th year at IBC and will graduate in a few months. He is very thankful to God that Brother Mario led him to the Lord. LT believes that God’s plan for our life is better than any plan we can make for ourselves. His life verse is Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” 

News & Prayer Requests

CHURCH PLANTING – This past year, especially the past six months, the Lord has greatly blessed the efforts of the pastors here in starting churches; as over 100 churches have been planted. Two pastors, Jirel Catalan, and Marlon Ticar, have started Bible schools for young people. More than 30 pastors have started night time Bible institutes for married men. Most of these were started the past six months.

Please pray for the family of Pastor Charlie Augustino, who was murdered by a mentally ill man. Brother Augustino graduated from IBC in 1995 and spent the past 16 years starting churches in the province of Capiz, here on our island of Panay. This tragedy has been extremely hard for his wife, who also graduated from IBC, as well as his two sons, ages 6 and 9.

The Philippine National Police are now allowing pastors to go into all precincts of our region of the country to minister to the police. More than 120 graduates of Iloilo Baptist College are involved in this program. Please pray the Lord will use the pastors to see many police men and women saved.

Our daughter, Rachel, and her one-year-old son, Landon, were able to visit us recently. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what a blessing it was to have them here in November.

We have been praying and working (for the past six months) on the possibility of opening a radio station where we can have programs for 18 hours a day. Please pray we will find the Lord’s will in this. Radio is a very effective way to reach people in this country, with the Gospel.

Please pray for the 17-year-old son of Pastor Billy & Cheryl Caalem, who went into a coma in October.

We are considering sending some of our prayer letters out by email. If you are interested, could you please let us know; and can you please send us your email address? Our new email address is: martinsibc@yahoo.com.

We are no longer using our old website. OUR NEW WEBSITE IS: http://martinsibc.jimdo.com