Cabatang, Philippines—The three Philippine Unions hosted a camp meeting at the Bible Missionary and Training School Compound in Cabatang, from July 26 to August 1, 2023. The theme was “Preparing the Way for Christ’s Second Coming”. Over one thousand people attended the meetings from across the country. Brethren Rolly Dumaguit, GC First Vice President, and Benjamin Thiel, Pacific Regional Secretary, were two of the guest speakers.
The days at the camp meeting began with morning worship at 5:30am. Morning lectures began at 8:30am, and on the first day, Brother Dumaguit delivered the message “How to Establish a Proper Home for Your Family”. Then, Brother Samuel Andres, the President of the North Philippine Union Conference (NPUC), reported on the general work that took place during his term as President, covering North and South Luzon and the Palawan Islands. By God’s grace, the work has continually expanded. Brother Benjamin Thiel followed with the message, “Signs of Jesus Coming”.
The succeeding days of the camp meeting followed the same schedule: morning worship, followed by a day of Christ-centered messages, the sharing of experiences, news from our brethren in the Pacific Region, and evening lectures. Brother Dumaguit shared updates about the work in Laos, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Brother Thiel related experiences from his missionary visits to Papua New Guinea, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Australia.
Friday arrived, and there was a baptism of six souls and the dedication of four children. On Sabbath afternoon, many of the youth participated in a special music program. On Sunday, there was a Q&A session with the workers, and Brother Vincent Villapando, the Bible worker assigned in Thailand, shared about the progress of the pioneering work in that country.
The graduation ceremony for the BMTS (Bible Missionary Training School) students occurred on the final day of the camp meeting. We pray that God bless the graduates in their future and that what they learned during their time at BMTS will prove to be a blessing to them and others as well.
After a special program of praise and testimonies, the national camp meeting came to a close with a final evening program by Brother Frederick Felipe, the minister from Northern Luzon Field. He delivered a message emphasizing the preparation to meet our God.
We are grateful to the Lord for the beautiful experience we had during our National Camp Meeting. Please keep the work in the Philippines in your prayers.