My wife Erin and I have been living in the Philippines for almost a year and a half, and have been attending language school in Manila, in preparation for our move to the Bicol region, to serve the Lord as full time missionaries.

Our Goal: This coming November we will begin the transition process from Manila to Bicol.  Bicol is the name of the province we will be moving to.  It is ten hours south of Manila by bus.  At which point we take a boat another hour, to the islands of Cagraray and San Miguel.  It is there that three churches have been started.  It is our will to come along side Dave Matthews our friend and missionary, to provide support ministry on the campsite and to the local churches.  The campsite mentioned above is located on Cagraray Island, serves as a retreat center for youth camps, and other functions.  The campsite is also where much of the discipleship training is done.  Erin and I will both be actively involved in the  discipleship training.  As part of the discipleship training we will be teaching English.   Few commentaries or books on the Bible are available in Tagalog, and this would be a great tool for ministry.  We will also be working to develop Sunday School curriculum  for the kids, and training for the adults.  On top of that we will be deeply involved in  many of the livelihood projects.  One we are pursuing aggressively right now is hand made cards, which are being made from the natural materials found on the island.  It is our goal to be able to market and sell these cards on the internet, thus bringing income and a Lord willing a small industry to the island, that will be able to provide the islanders with much needed work.

Our Desire: It is our desire to build a house of our own on the mission base.¬† We have been given the go ahead to build a 16×16 foot house.¬† Our estimated total budget is $7000 US.¬† It would be constructed completely of concrete, due to the fact that both termites and typhoons frequent the area.¬† There are many skilled laborers, many of whom are christians and have worked on projects for the ministry before.¬† What we really need are unskilled laborers.

The project will include but may not be limited to:

• digging and building a septic tank
• leveling the ground in preparation for the foundation, which may include the building of a retaining wall.
• pouring of foundation and making the hollow blocks (cinder blocks)
• constructing the walls and running electricity
• constructing the roof
• installing windows
• plastering the roof, ceiling, interior and exterior walls in preparation for paint
• installing electrical outlets, and switches
• installing bathroom and kitchen fixtures
• building a shaded cover on the roof

Safety in the Philippines: Though many of you will be fearful when the Philippines is mentioned, please let me assure you that we have had no problems whatsoever since moving here last May.  Furthermore Dave Matthews, the missionary we will be working with, has lived on the islands for over ten years and has never had any problems whatsoever.  The radical Muslims you hear about on the news are far to the south, and have not been a problem in the Bicol region.  Currently there are no travel advisories against the Philippines.  As I mentioned above we have been here for nearly a year and a half and have never experienced any problems.  Purse snatching and pick pocketing is one of the most common problems in Manila, but I’m sure that type of things is a problem in any big city.  We would be happy to address any of your concerns personally if possible.  If you would like we can set up a phone call or video chat to discuss any further questions you may have about the Philippines.

We would like to thank you for the opportunity to present our desires not only before you, but also before the Lord.  It is first and foremost our desire to seek the Lords will.  We would greatly appreciate it if you would join us in seeking the Lord’s will as to this matter and will rejoice in whatever the Lord provides.

Sincerely,
Justin and Erin McDonald

For more information about our ministry please visit our website:  www.hereamiphilippines.com