Burgess Road Baptist Church

September 2021

Dear Friends & Supporters,

Here in the Philippines not much has changed since the implementations of on and off lock downs, limited travel and the constant wearing of face mask and face shields. We are on our second year where children below the age of 15 and adults above 65 yrs. old are restricted from entering any establishment other than a doctor’s office. Throughout all of this the Lord has given us the vision for many more ministries. It has been a burden to see many people suffering from not only covid but minor ailments that their immune system is too weak to fight. Through our Project Dorcas we have been able to visit the neglected elderly of whom most are bedridden; and we give them food, milk, diapers, vitamins and purchase medicine for them. The Lord has also allowed us to give out wheelchairs to those most in need of them. Every visitation of ours I am able to share the word of God with them and I know that God’s word will not return void.

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

There have been several whom we have visited who have already passed away far earlier than we feel they should have, but we are comforted knowing that we were able to share with them the Word of God.

We have been able to take into Subic Bay Children’s Home more children that have been rescued from a life of being sex trafficked. It is such a joy to see these children growing in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Several of our older ones, whom we took in as young children, that were once trapped in dire situations, are now actively involved in the ministry, some even having ministries of their own and they are continually looking for new opportunities to be of service to our Lord Jesus Christ. Two of our older girls Abigail and Maribel are praying about the possibility of visiting a children’s home in Cambodia that is starting up and, Lord willing, voluntarily help them for one month.

We have been able to put up a small structure for our mission church in the mountains of Cawag, Subic. This mission is located about 30 minutes’ drive from the main road. It is an extremely indigenous area and there are no Baptist churches. We have had a mission work there for over a year and we have several who have come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and are now faithful members. They are so happy and feel so blessed to have their own place of worship. We would like to be able to put up a place of worship in all of our mission works. We currently have 5 mission works being pastored by graduates of our Bible Institute.

During these times we are living in, it is difficult to go to the hospital when needed. Even if the case is an emergency, before you will be admitted, you will be required to have a swab test done and the results will take a day or two or longer to get. There have been people whom we personally know that have died because they were not immediately treated because of all the red tape surrounding the Covid crisis. People around us are dying from simple issues because they just were not given immediate attention or treatment. The Lord has burdened us to open our small medical clinic that we have inside the SBCHome compound which is normally just for our SBCHome children. Our clinic was already in bad shape and in need of repairs so we have decided to remodel it altogether and add a bathroom and a place where patients will be able to comfortably rest and heal.

We have expanded our feeding centers from once a week to five days a week. In doing this our goal is to not only ease their hunger for a day but actually help the children enrolled in our feeding center to build a healthy immune system and gain nutrients that will help them combat minor ailments and fight bacteria. Our society is pushing meds, vaccines and making people stay indoors but we would like to help their bodies fight diseases through a proper diet and simple exercise like taking a walk in the sun. We have not actually begun the program as we are awaiting nutritious food packs from the ministry Convoy of Hope that will provide the packs of food.

In line with the month of September being Suicide Prevention Awareness, we are holding a one day conference for key youth leaders in the communities. We are looking at having over 300 participants. The Lord has given us a large enough venue to provide enough space to accommodate that many people where social distancing is able to be practiced and so we were given the go signal from city officials. Please do pray for this event and that the Lord will touch lives and save. We would like to feed the participants lunch and snack and be able to give our speakers a love gift as well. Please pray for the Lords provision for this very timely and needful event.

As always, we thank you so very much for partnering with us and as you continue to hold the rope for us. May God so richly bless you!

In Christ’s Name,
Bro. Rodrigo “Odek” Valbuena & Family.

P.S. please send us your email address to save us from postage.

You may send your donation through PayPal: CLICK PayPal

You may also send your support to:

Rodrigo & Annalisa Valbuena
c/o Central Missionary Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228

Phone: 1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office Phone Number: 281-599-7411
Fax Phone Number: 281-599-7511

September 2021

Praises

• Spanish is improving
• Recovered from COVID
• Support steady
• Able to get away for few days

Prayer Request

• Gospel/witness opportunities
• Church projects
• COVID restrictions eased

Ephesians 4:11-12

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

The verse lists special people whose purposes were for the edifying of the church, for the building up of something magnificent, to improve the mind in religious knowledge, to teach or persuade. When I look at this passage there are so many pastors, evangelists, and missionaries that come to mind. Countless men of God have poured into our family over the years. We are thankful for each and every one that has invested in us and our prayer is that they get a return on that investment: Fruit that remains.

I met a man several years ago on a business trip. We had kindred spirits and hit it off right away. We became good friends and kept in touch. After we surrendered to full time missions in Costa Rica, Al Irvin became one of our biggest cheerleaders and sources of encouragement. He really got to know us and our heart for the Lord’s ministry. From him we often received phone calls, text messages, and funds. Al became a vital part of our work here. He built us up every chance he got. It was always an encouragement to hear a verse or a quote or a principle from the scriptures. On August 18th Al went to heaven. He will be greatly missed. I share that with you as an encouragement for you to get to get to know your missionaries, and pray for them, and call them, and text them, and give toward them, and go to their field and help them, and please read their updates and newsletters. Whatever your vocation is you can edify someone in the body of Christ. Be like Al.

We have finished unpacking and settling in. Most everything is in its place. Our lease agreement is for 3 years so hopefully we can stay in one place for a while. We continue to find our way around town to know where to buy what and meet the vendors and salespeople. Even with social distancing and restrictions meeting people and building relationships is getting easier. We have had coffee and snacks with neighbors a couple of times. We had a really good visit with Ramon and his family that operate Campamento Beraca, a rehab facility similar to Salvation Army. We plan to visit the camp soon and plan to work with them training their people.

We have some projects at the church/seminary we want to get done soon. We have a bathroom and 2 classrooms we will share with the seminary that need to be finished from a remodel. Like everything else the virus has slowed down attendance, funds and laborers.

We did manage to get the virus. We caught it early and started the at home treatments right away. Our cases were mild in comparison to most and lasted around 10 days. We have felt almost back to normal and have had no fevers, etc. for a few days. Our church family and neighbors were a big help bringing meals, medications, and checking on us often. Since we have been here we have wanted to see the volcanoes. We went for a couple of days to see Arenal. It was nice to go and see the sights and catch our breath a little. It was kind of an early birthday present for Sonya.

From Sonya:

We continue to settle into the house God blessed us with in San Ramon. We have been able to get more into a routine after a long time of in between and in limbo. We are finding our way around this area, which is much larger than where we were. A friend from the church took Beth and I around the city to see different shops and where to buy things. There are many “Ropa Americanas.” They sell American clothes with flaws and blemishes that they can’t sell in the States. I am really enjoying the cooler temperatures, mid 60s at night and mid 70s during the day. The kids like the fact that the neighbor’s dog visits often – best type of pet. They also like to watch the creatures in the coffee plants that surround our yard, especially the young guatusas.

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and partnership. We are truly grateful.

In Christ,
Kevin, Sonya, Bethany & Jon

McCoy Email: Mccoysincostarica@yahoo.com
Kevin 850 777-0097
Sonya 850 698-1694

September 2021

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, life sure moves at an alarming speed, doesn’t it? Thank you all for faithfully praying for our family. We are doing well, and thankful for God’s strength and presence. While much of August was spent doing “normal ministry life,” which was a welcome reprieve from the busy summer, it was still a busy month. Our ministry partners, the Goins family, have been on a short furlough and so we have been covering many responsibilities that are presented in their absence. We praise the Lord for His strength and help in all of this. One of the exciting parts of this past month was that Cori organized and led a ladies fellowship at church. She did a great job leading the whole thing and sharing a devotional about overcoming fear. This was a wonderful topic, especially for these uncertain times, and we all need to be reminded that God has not given us the spirit of fear. Several ladies encouraged Cori after the fellowship by saying that her Spanish was very understandable, and the devotional was helpful to them. This may seem like a broken record of sorts, but please continue praying for our development in speaking Spanish. We are doing very well, but that does not mean by any stretch that we have arrived. We have been told by others that for them the first 3-5 years were so foundational and that after that period the continued learning process started to come more easily. We praise the Lord for the fluidity that we already have, and the privilege to serve Him as we continue learning.

Our Saturday morning Bible clubs have continued, and we praise the Lord for the good group of kids as well as the good weather we have had. It is one of the weekly activities that our entire family looks forward to doing. As we continue planting seeds in the hearts of these kids we trust that God, in his timing, will bring forth fruit. The need for them to understand the good news is paramount for their lives.

September represents another month of regular activities. We desire to never see routine as bad, but as the opportunity for consistency. Home schooling is in full swing and the kids are getting into a good rhythm as we start another school year. Within the ministry we desire to see continued growth in new souls saved, but also in deepening walks with the Lord. Continue praying for Cori and I as we do discipleship with a couple from church. Christian maturity is much more than a greater amount of head knowledge about the Bible, and so we need the Lord’s help as we walk together with this couple. Thank you again for your faithful prayers for us.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For the Lord to help us continue to grow in our Spanish speaking abilities and to be better able to minister for Him.
• For continued spiritual growth in our church family.
• For wisdom for discipleship.

In Christ,
Nate and Cori with Mykenzie, Grant, Blake a Savanna