Philippines Mission 2025 – Mastilock Family
We have heard the call to minister in the Philippines and we are willing! Our family of 4 will be going on an outreach ministry lead by our friends Brian & Charity Callis and partnering with CMC Intl. (Church Multiplication Coalition), to the Philippines where the need and the opportunity is as great as ever. The US team will be working with a well-established Filipino team, and a number of local pastors, on the Visayas region. Last year’s team experienced a great harvest of people responding to the Lord on that island. That team preached and ministered to over 1,500 people and witnessed over 1,000 visible responses to follow Jesus in just 2 weeks. Seven new churches started because of these outreaches and are now established. No one but God could measure internal responses accurately but external responses were visibly strong.
We invite you to partner with us in this opportunity. The reports of the hunger of the Gospel there are much like what Jesus said “a field ripe for harvest.” Last year’s team went into the public schools where they were invited to freely share the gospel in every classroom and have entire school assemblies just to hear the message of Jesus! Teachers begged for more Bibles for friends after each student and teacher were given a Bible. Last Spring 27 new Bible studies were started. This year we’ll be part of the same type of outreaches and more!
The central Visayas region is very strategic and is a stronghold of the enemy. Other teams from the states who work with this ministry have experienced problems this year raising support. The economy has made it more difficult to answer the call and some teams have diminished in size because of these fund raising difficulties. That makes our task even greater. We have been asked to do additional outreaches because of the shortage of laborers in the harvest and we have said yes. We believe God will provide where he calls.
Because most people in rural Visayas have never heard an adequate presentation of the Gospel of Jesus we go with a great opportunity to reach the lost. Our work is in small villages where the harvest is truly plentiful and the fruit is ripe for the harvest. Our team will be busy with extensive outreaches including drama, concerts, door-to-door evangelism, jail and public school assemblies. We’ll also help launch essential follow-up work the next day so new believers can plug into existing churches or together start new ones. We meet with city officials to pray for those in positions of authority. There is no separation of Church and state there so our team will almost always be welcomed to hold Bible studies with those in the government buildings. On weekends most of our team members will preach at a local church. As with any other mission trip we are learning to expect the unexpected and will be flexible accordingly.
We are asking you to consider supporting this effort in serious prayer and giving. The experience has consistently been for every $100 given 25 people respond openly to the invitation to follow Christ! Your investment into spreading the gospel through this ministry opportunity is a sound one with proven and measured results. This work in God’s harvest field is established with a well-designed follow-up and church planting strategy that makes this partnership even more vital and effective. Even in these tough economic times your help of any kind will make a huge difference in many lives. Many will hear and respond to the Gospel because of your giving.
Here is how you could help. First and foremost we desire your prayers. We are looking for people who would partner with us to fast and/or pray for the outreach before and during the time we are there. The people are both very poor and very receptive to the Gospel. Last year, during the outreaches, some remarkable visible answers to prayer occurred. Because of answers to prayer new churches immediately started with a local minister ready to step in to pastor them. They are in extreme poverty materially but their spiritual receptiveness more than compensates for it.
Second, we ask those who can to consider supporting us financially. The costs have increased this year because of rising fuel and airfare prices. We leave in February. We need to raise enough to pay for airfare, ministry, and living expenses while there. The total trip planned will be 12 full days in the Philippines. The total cost of airfare is roughly $1500/person and ministry expenses while there for staff, food, and lodging is about $1500 each bringing the combined cost to $3000 for each person. These are our general costs. We have committed to go and will be stepping by faith to purchase the tickets soon. If you can help with a contribution to this ministry please know we are so grateful. Every gift of any size is deeply appreciated. Jesus builds His kingdom on the widow’s sacrificial two mites. We leave in February so the earlier the gift the better. Then we know where our needs fall.
Third we are looking for others who may be interested in going with us. For more details and contact info go to:www.TheHomeGrownFam.weebly.com and let them know your desires to pass on information to someone else who may want to go. You do not need to reside locally. There will be team members from across the US and the globe meeting us there.
The Callis family shares updates on their website and I will share updates and photos as well, here and on my instagram. Thank you for taking the time to read this, for your prayers, encouragement and support!
Sincerely,
The Mastilock Family
