Philippines trip to help believers learn about their Savior

Philippines (MNN) — Do you think it’s important for Christians to learn about the Savior they’ve entrusted their life to? For many believers around the world, this is difficult because they don’t have a Bible.

Christian Resources International is addressing this issue. CRI Executive directorJason Woolford explains what they are going to be doing this October: “We’re going to the Philippines to hold a conference, concert, and Bible giveaway.”

On this particular trip, $6 million worth of Bibles and books will be taken to six different locations. “As you know, we ask people around the United States to send us their Bibles and Christian books. Then we go and hold conferences and concerts, and leave behind millions of dollars’ worth of free Bibles and Christian teaching tools–to set up lending libraries, Bible colleges, and for evangelism and the distribution of God’s word for free.”

The Philippine Islands have been hit hard with many natural disasters this past year, but there are also conflicts of the religious nature. “While only 3% of the Philippines is Islamic Muslim,” Woolford says, “that is where the most radical part of Islam is coming out of.”

This explains why CRI deems it an urgent matter to minister to the country. Woolford says, “If the devil is working overtime in those areas, I believe he is trying to stop something that’s good there.”

So what does the team hope to do to thwart the enemy? “Our plan and our hope is to get God’s Word there to encourage those that are lost, but also to encourage those that are believers to have God’s Word so they can read and know about the very God that they called on to be their Lord and Savior.”

Woolford says part of the trip involves a free concert where CRI will share their own faith. “People will be able to come in and be ministered to through music and hear a testimony from us personally why we believe in serving God and why we believe in sending God’s Word. We share how our son was healed of a brain tumor, and we hope that it encourages people to trust and believe in God at all costs.”

For these concerts, the team is working with the Michael Maher Band and another headliner Christian artist.

The concerts aren’t just about hearing artists from a different country. They have a threefold purpose for the listeners. “They’re going to be able to be in the presence of the Lord, hear a testimony to motivate them, and then they’re going to have God’s wWrd to take back with them,” says Woolford.

The trip has a great level of potential, but also it needs some support. Woolford explains, “We are going to reach thousands upon thousands of people. There will literally be over 200,000 copies of God’s Word and Christian books that will be distributed in the Philippines. And it’s going to be about $90,000 that we need to raise for this trip.”

If you feel led to participate in supporting CRI financially, follow this link. You can pray for God’s protection over the trip and the team members, and for a ready harvest of hearts to hear the Gospel.

The trip will take place in mid to late October. Check the CRI Web site for details if you’re interested in joining them for this trip.

Pastor Mario is a friend of CRI that knows personally the deep need for Bibles in the Philippines. Watch his video here.