October is one of the busiest months for churches and mission organizations as it celebrate MISSIONS during this time of year. And so, I look forward to it because many of God’s people were being educat-ed, encouraged, and challenged to involve in God’s global agenda in reaching out and making disciples of all nations, tribe, peo-ple, and language for His great pleasure and glory.

As a Mobilization and Partnership Develop-ment Coordinator of MAP, I, too was being hurled and caught in the middle between different churches and mission organiza-tion. First, we presented a ministry update in Caloocan Bible Church. This was also in preparation for our upcoming medical

mission to their place. Second, I became part of “THIS IS IT 3 – The 3rd CBAP Great Commission Conference”, that was held in GCF-Northwest. I also presented MAP ministry in Bread from Heaven Communi-ty Church in Shaw Blvd. Third, we set up a missions-booth in the Philippine Mission Conference of Phil. Missions Association that was held in CCF-St. Francis Square. The entire mission activities conducted that month was enormous and surmounting, yet my personal prayer still keeps on that mis-sions should not remain just an event but a movement that will move mountains, tear down barriers, and shake the whole earth with God’s glory being revealed among the all nations (ethnicity, language, people groups).

After that exhaustive month, Joab, and I prepared for a one week trip to the province of Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro to do a ministry evaluation together with 3 volunteers namely, Loren ( Computer Engi-neering student), Kheita (medical student), and Krista (medical student). It’s been over a year since I last visited Sitio Sipit Saburan and Sitio Ambang. These Mangyan villages were my first ministry area where my heart for God was developed and nourished by the lives of the tribespeople. I ministered in the two villages for almost 4 years. I’ve seen

God moved in their lives from the very time I set my foot on that mountain village. I’ve seen people come to know Christ; people in despair that was given hope by God’s Holy Word; life and death; sorrow and joy among the people; but above all, I see God moved. I can’t imagine that the time has now come for us to eventually turnover the ministry to the hands of our Mangyan friends. They have become a crystal catalyst of change in my heart. We both learned deep life les-sons as we journeyed together in serving God and serving His people.

Missions Month: An Event or a Movement?

A Village in the Heart of the Mountain

After much preparation, Joab, Ate Tess, and I were tasked to go to Cambodia. Upon arrival, we started hearing a different language that gave us a feeling of being lost in translation again. We are thankful to Ate Remz and Kuya _ _who welcomed us and allowed us to stay in their place. They are both Filipino missionaries based in Siem Reap, who are helping the Khmer children in literacy and constructing deep wells for the communities. The next morning, we

went on to Kampong Thom to meet up with Dr. Felipe Castro, a missionary doctor based in Kampong Thom. He heads Bileg Solid Rock Missions which includes chil-dren’s home, a school, and church as their ministry. He also teaches 12 local pastors to be more equipped and trained in the Bible. They also have 4 community outreaches, and one newly constructed mission hospi-tal- the first in Kampong Thom Province. Their ministry is undeniably enormous but

having only 8 volunteer workers and some translators, it’s really impossible for them to finish the task of spreading the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Khmer people. Establishing partnership between MAP and Bileg Solid Rock Missions was one of our objectives for that trip. After we saw the whole picture of their ministry, we were overwhelmed by the task that is yet to be done. We felt the burden that Dr. Castro and all of his staff were carrying. I am also

The Khmer Road

SaltshakerA Prayer Letter October- December 2014

Finally, Christmas season has arrived! We can now relax and enjoy our time without thinking about so many things especially about ministry. It’s our time to just pon-der and reflect upon God’s goodness and faithfulness to our family. Indeed, it was a very busy yet fulfilling year for every one of us. We received so many blessings from God and it’s our time to give it all back to Him. We spent our Christmas break in our humble abode and relative’s and enjoyed gift giving, but most importantly, we rel-ished the gift of family. Then, we spent our New Year’s Eve at Ira’s hometown in Cavite. A very simple celebration with the rest of their clan reminded me to live simply and be contented with all the blessings we have received from God.

We also spent the first week of 2015 in Puerto Galera. We stayed in the Daytec 5’s home for 3 days. We consider Puerto Gal-era our second home, especially for me, be-cause this is the first place that I’ve been to disciple a tribal people group. This is where I grew spiritually and where I encountered joy and disappointments in mission work.

Spending time with the Daytecs completed our holiday season. Sharing our hearts de-sires, challenges and hopes for the family and ministry gave us more strength and en-couragement to press on and persevere. If there will be a family that is evidently living by faith, it’s the Daytec 5 and we are bless-ed by their family, ministry, and by their very lives that is totally abandoned to the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A new year has come for the 3 of us. What is it that God has in stored for us? That we don’t know. But one thing is for sure- God will always be the center of it all. He will always be with us, watching and keeping us in His everlasting love, grace and mercy. Our prayer for this year is that in everything we do, we will do it all for the sake of God’s glory and great pleasure. Amen.

humbled by the fact that God is using or-dinary people for His extraordinary works, plans, and purpose. With the burden that we all shared, by faith, we decided to push Operation Samaria 2015 in Cambodia. We will mobilize medical students, nursing stu-dents and other mission minded workers to be exposed in the work of Bileg Solid Rock Missions with the very intention of helping the missionaries and reaching out to the Khmer People.

While we were there, we also took the opportunity to pray for the patients in the hospital. We also assisted in the post-oper-ative wound care of the locals who under-gone surgical operations through Medical Ministries International.

We also travelled from Kampong Thom to Phnom Penh, were we met Dr. Yim Yaren,

a Human Resource Development of World Vision-Cambodia and Dr. Lai, a member of Healthcare Christian Fellowship-Cambodia. Our fellowship was God-centered as we talk about the conditions of the Christian churches in Cambodia. We realized that the churches in Cambodia need to be chal-lenged for them to reach out to their own people. We also talked about missions mo-bilization and how can we engage different churches to be more actively involved in the advancement of God’s Kingdom among the Khmer.We also had fellowship with Ptr. Jojo and Sis Letty Zipagan, who gave us a treat and ac-companied us to buy our souvenirs.

We thank God for His sustaining grace and mercy for that 10 day vision trip and series of mobilization and partnership meeting. All the glory to Him!

Christmas and New Year Break!

A New Season AheadContact us

Paul and Ira Bañas09235968515

paul.ira.banas@gmail.com“For in Him we live, and

move, and have our being...” Acts 17:28a