1,100 said yes to Jesus. Then the earthquake hit.
We’re safe. We wanted you to hear that from us first, because some of you have already seen the news. A 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of General Santos, one of the strongest we’ve ever felt. The whole family ran out of the house while the ground was still shaking. The girls were rattled, but they’re okay, and so are we. By God’s grace, we’re all fine.
Others were much closer to it, and this letter holds two very different things at once.
Just twelve hours before the earthquake, we finished a two-day crusade we’d been praying over for a couple months. We got to serve alongside multiple evangelists at the altar. Across those two days, around 1,100 people responded to the Gospel and gave their lives to Jesus for the very first time. We’re still trying to take that number in. Our responsibility is to follow up with 135 of them personally, to disciple them and help them take their next steps with Him. We went to bed exhausted and full of joy.
Twelve hours later, the earth shook. Near the epicenter the damage has been severe, and there’s been loss of life. Please don’t let the good news above cause you to read past that. People have died. Families have lost everything they own.
We’re especially burdened for our friends on Balut Island who were very close to the epicenter. They’re Filipino missionaries, faithful people who’ve given everything to carry the Gospel to communities that have never heard it. From what we’ve heard, nearly every building on the island was destroyed, and they’re now in an evacuation center. These aren’t distant strangers to us. They’re co-laborers and friends, and now they’re ministering from a place of need themselves.
It’s hard to put words to that contrast. One night we were rejoicing over people saying yes to Jesus, and by morning communities were shaken and friends we love were displaced. But we believe Jesus is near to the brokenhearted, and we believe the same Gospel that was preached at the crusade is still the hope of Mindanao today. The Kingdom moves forward, and the ground does not stay quiet. Every time we encounter an earthquake, I’m reminded that Jesus is coming soon. We’re not afraid, and we’re not discouraged. But we can’t do any of this without you standing with us.
Would you pray with us? Pray for the families who’ve lost loved ones and homes, and for the injured still recovering. Pray for our friends on Balut Island, for shelter and provision and the strength to keep serving. Pray for everyone who said yes to Jesus at the crusade, that it would be a real beginning and not a moment that fades, and for our team as we follow them up. And pray for our family, for steady hearts in the days ahead.
We’re safe, and we’re thankful. But our hearts are heavy for those who are suffering and for the friends carrying the Gospel into places that need Jesus so badly. Thank you for standing with us, praying with us, and believing with us for the nations.
With love,
Justin, Anna, and the girls