The Mercers in Manila

This is my first post since "re-entry" in Japan.

I will upload our new family website soon. Next step - change these blogs from "Mercers in Manila" to something more appropriate; "Mercers in Yokosuka" perhaps? Not very creative - but true!

Oops! Almost two months since I updated the blog!
Well if you are reading this then maybe you noticed :-) Too many things have happened to list but I'll try now...

• I graduated with honors from Every Nation Leadership Institute and Asian Theological Seminary. Got to attend both schools' graduation ceremonies and recieve a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership degree and a Graduate Diploma of Missions degree. Also received the gold medal award for academic excellence. Wow, look what Jesus can do with a former high school dropout!
• Satomi's parents came to visit us for the first graduation ceremony. They are back in Japan now.
• The church here had a big outdoor "convergence" service last Sunday. I'm not sure how many came exactly, but I would estimate about 20,000 people showed up! Satomi's parents also came and it was a big change from their usual Sunday experience because the church there usually has about 100 or so. I got to pray with someone to recieve Jesus as Lord, which was awesome. His friend is now following him up and getting him involved in a discipleship group.
• I got another email from a student in La Union (wrote about that outreach in the last entry). She is a computer major but couldn't afford a computer! I prayed with her and ask Jesus to bless her with a good computer. She emailed that she now has a new computer!
• Pastor Scott and Naomi Douma also visited Manila during the graduation and we got to spend time with them. I'm looking forward to going back to Japan on the 18th and working under Pastor Scott in Yokohama.

I will post some pictures when I get them. Please pray that I can get a new camera soon since the old one has just about given up the ghost. New batteries last for only a few shots now, so I am depending on friends to send me shots of the graduation and stuff.

Also please pray for the guys in my discipleship group here that they will all get plugged in to other groups and continue to seek God and reach out to others.

I'm starting to get some emails from the students in the provinces that I had the privilege of leading to the Lord last month. What an honor to be used by God to help them receive eternal life and purpose. Here is one I received today:

From a student at Don Mariano Marcos State University in La Union
"It was a great blessing meeting you guys here in our campus i have learned many things from you guys and I thank you for your purpose teaching us the word of GOD...yes! i was there at the Youth On Fire meeting, and it was very fun...and thanks again because if without you i can never know GOD..."

Thank you for your prayers and support. I know that those who send are just as important as those who are sent. And, of course, it is God who makes things grow:
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" (1Cor 3:6).

Baptisms - I had the honor of baptizing two guys from my discipleship group today; Charles and Bruno. The bottom picture includes their families.

Photos taken today after Victory Weekend.

January was a busy but exciting month. I went with a ministry team to one of the provincial churches and had the privilege of praying with dozens of college-aged kids to make Jesus Lord of their lives. We also helped start their youth ministry.

Last Monday I went with three pastors and a fellow student from VLI and met with the Principal and Vice-Principal of the Manila Japan School . I will be doing research on Japanese students there and I hope to help create an open door for ministry as well.

Please pray for me this weekend. I will be counseling two men during a Victory Weekend "retreat". This is an overnight ministry event which is held three or four times a year to help new believers get established in the faith.