Our God Has Great Things Instore for 2022!

Praise the LORD precious AIM brethren of the Philippines!

Another year has passed and we have much to thank our LORD for and to offer up our praise and labor for His Kingdom throughout this new year of 2022.

Despite the hardships and damage wrought by super typhoons and the global pandemic this past year, we have many victories to be thankful for–including this year marking 40 years of Apostolic Independent Missions continuously proclaiming the victorious gospel of Jesus Christ in the beautiful Philippine islands.

As you know since accepting the role of General Director of Apostolic Independent Missions (AIM) in 2011, I have consistently made two missionary trips a year to minister to the people of the Philippines. And even though we are now entering the third year since I have not been permitted to travel to the Philippines due to the Covid pandemic travel restrictions, I am grateful for what God has permitted and how He has kept His protective hand on AIM.

Last month a category 5 super typhoon, Rai, also known in the Philippines as Typhoon Odette, struck with sustained winds of 120 mph and gusts of up to 160 mph causing much damage and claiming 410 lives. But to our current knowledge thankfully we have not heard of any deaths of the Apostolic people of AIM due to the storm. Current reports are of nearly $800 million in damage, reportedly the third-costliest in Philippine history and our headquarters complex was not exempt from those damaging winds that swept through the central Visayan region of the Philippines where Cebu, Lapu Lapu City and our headquarters complex are located.

But damage to the AIM headquarters buildings was mostly minor. The estimated cost of repairs to the administration building, the tabernacle, the missionary residence and the caretaker’s residence is less than $10,000, involving mostly roofing, gutters, downspouts, broken windows and ceiling repairs from water damage.

The restoration of electricity due to damage from the typhoon has been slow, but maybe this week or next power will be restored to the region and the AIM headquarters.

Travel throughout 2021 was greatly hindered and the issuance of international tourism visas was suspended, while government officials imposed localized lockdowns in hundreds of localities with high Covid activity. And even now as we enter the third year of Covid, officials are ruling that facemasks are mandatory in public and local travel is very difficult because of the no vaccine-no ride policy of the government. But happily, despite these hindrances, the work of the LORD endures!

Despite everything that has taken place, revival continues! By rough count, more than 200 souls were baptized in the soul cleansing name of Jesus this past year! And we are greatly excited and encouraged to financially support the construction of a new church building going up for a pioneering work in Negros province, as well as helping with other works, new and old, as the LORD provides. We look forward to talking more of these in future letters.

We continue to pray daily for the work of God worldwide and I rejoice to be a part of the plan of God for this end time, as He fulfills His Word as stated in Romans 9:28, “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.”

And I am again reminded of Jesus saying in John 9:4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

It is no time to be distracted, no time to be divided and certainly no time to be at ease in Zion! We must make use of every day and do our very best continually to be a vessel of honor unto our God.

Philippians 1:27-28 admonishes us to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries.”

Great things are in store in 2022 through the faithful ministries and precious saints of AIM. While our new national headquarters is a beautiful property, it is also a beautiful symbol of the spirit of unity and cooperation that can glorify God when our churches and our AIM brothers and sisters unite to produce even more fruit for the Kingdom of God.

I miss all of you whom my heart has grown so fond of in the last 10+ years. I know I also speak for Elder Slage when I state that truly our hearts’ desire is to be with all of you and to worship together and encourage one another in the spirit of brotherly love and of the unity of the Holy Ghost. Be encouraged and let us be “laborers together” as God has called us and please pray for us here in the USA as we watch for the LORD to do mighty and exceeding great things in the unfolding year of 2022!

I salute all of you in the lovely name of Jesus and want you to be confident of my love and prayers for the beautiful people of the Philippines!