MINDORO, PHILIPPINES (December 16, 2008) \u2013 Jesus Covenant Church, a small congregation on the isolated Philippine island of Mindoro, plans to have its own building in the next several months and looks forward to using it for evangelism.
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\n\u201cIt was exciting to hear their plans to use the building, not just for worship and other church meetings, but to bless the community,\u201d says David Husby, Asia regional coordinator for the Department of World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The congregation plans for the building to be used as a community center.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said that they are building it for all of the people, not just their congregation,\u201d Husby adds. \u201cWhat an encouragement to see how that small Covenant church is committed to serving their community and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom in word and deed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Church members currently worship in the home of an elder in the congregation.<\/p>\n
Husby had never visited the church due to its remote location and communist rebel activity in the area. Recently, however, he traveled with Filipino pastor Jhun Peji. The trip took six hours by taxi, bus, boat, and three-wheel motorcycle.<\/p>\n
The people grow crops, but their main source of income now has become the gathering and selling of the white rocks in the nearby river,\u201d Husby says. \u201cPastor Jhun helped them set up this business and now they are running it on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n