Chris and Lynne Strange Your missionary connection in the Philippines 
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Romans 1:8-12 KJV
Oh how we relate to this passage, especially now. The reasons are many and the desire is to be on separate sides of the globe – at the same time.
The news just came to us that my dear aunt, Edna Baker, of Dallas, North Carolina has gone home to be with the Lord. We rejoice for her as she is in her eternal home with her Savior. Our hearts long to be comforted together by mutual faith with beloved family and friends. The distance in miles never feel quite so enormous until our family endures a trial of life.
Our competing desire is to be at our other heart home, in the village, among our brothers and sisters there. We had to be rushed out of the jungle on the emergency flight back when Chris was accidentally burned. We never got to really say ‘good-bye’ properly to our friends there or to leave the work and house all settled for the long months duration in America and Manila. Indeed, their faith is spoken in all the world, with the reports of our partners, Albert and Lynne Castelijn from Australia, and our reports to Europe and America! We are ever asking the Lord that we might at last return to the village where they serve Him faithfully and again be encouraged in the mutual faith and work we share.
The time here in Manila has been amazing, but it is coming to an end very soon. Just the thought of returning to the village excites us no end, but we have the new stress of missing those we have grown so close to here! Our hearts have been wrapped around the staff here and we have mutually grown spiritually through serving together and studying God’s Word each morning. God has enriched this time here by allowing us to meet so many passing through that desire to serve and are serving in the vast field of Manila. Work teams from all over the world have touched down and rested before and after their labor of love in the villages and far reaches of this mega city. Just in the short months we’ve served here we fed and housed people from China, Korea, Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand, India, the UK, Africa, the Faeroe Islands, Canada, a few South American countries, the Philippines and, well, you get the idea!
The endless variety and demands of this ministry are both exhilarating and exhausting. It is literally 24 hour/7 days a week as emails, phone calls, meals, arrivals and departures span the 24 hour clock when dealing with international guests. Power outages wreck havoc with everything from freezers full of food to alarm clocks not going off for travelers leaving in the wee hours of the morning. Emergency calls are never convenient or during daylight hours, it seems, and air conditioners have evil plans all their own to make miserable anyone depending upon them for a degree of relief from the Manila heat. And the weather! You have to smile.
Just short months ago we fell in love, again, with our co-workers back in America that faithfully serve God together with us too. Perhaps we will see some our next short furlough, but we all realize life is uncertain and a few are already gone since we came back. Leaving family was very difficult this time.
Yet, doesn’t it excite your heart to hear the diversity of serving the Lord in even our tiny experience? We wouldn’t have it any other way - though our hearts are torn asunder from loving and missing family and co-workers from all over the world. The joy of heaven! Present with Christ and no more good-byes.
