February Update
SPECIAL EDITION!!!!
Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,
I’m writing to you on the plane home from the Philippines. Thank you to all our partners who helped to support the incredible ministry that took place through your donations and your prayers. God opened incredible doors for First Love and this trip was powerful and productive in growing the Kingdom of God. We left on Monday January 14th at 6am and landed in Manila Philippines at 10:30pm on Tuesday January 15th. Just like travel to India… it was a long journey, but God gave strength and powerful things happened.
This trip had three elements: Preaching & Church ministry at Word of Hope Church, teaching pastors/leaders at the General Council of the Assemblies of God and evangelizing the Gospel of
Jesus Christ on remote islands on the Gospel Boat.
I was joined by my good friend Pastor Ted Miller as we partnered with Pastor David Sobrepena of Word of Hope Church in Manila, Philippines. We preached to thousands, invested in hundreds of pastors and led close to 500 souls to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior! We even baptized many in the ocean after accepting Jesus! The Lord be Praised!
It was such a pleasure to have Pastor Dann Erlina join us on our remote island ministry. Pastor Dann built a relationship with Paul Conger about 7 years ago and leads the ministry that First Love supports in the Philippines. He has planted many churches and First Love has helped him build several churches. I invited him to join us and he was able to make a 9-hour bus ride to meet us in Surigao City to travel to the island of Magsaysay to do our crusades. We had several other Filipino pastors with us that Pastor Dann was able to fellowship with. He told me at the end of the trip that he was very inspired and encouraged by his time with us all.
I learned that the island/village we ministered to was held by a strong cult that had great power in that area. The leader of this cult even has an army of his own, has a mansion on the top of one of the mountains and has a price on his head by the government. The government has tried to capture him and has even fought with his army. We had to be careful not to speak badly of other religions while ministering in order to stay safe and be effective in our delivering of the Gospel. God kept us safe and I couldn’t have asked for a more productive trip for First Love and the Kingdom of God!
We have been preparing for our next missions’ trip to Tarapoto Peru, which is Feb. 2nd – 12th. We have a group of 9 people that are going on this trip and I’m so excited for how God will move as we do church ministry, teach pastors/leaders, kids crusades and pour into lives. The team will be made up of veterans and “newbies.” I’m excited to see how God uses each of them and stretches them in new ways. I’m especially excited that my entire family will be joining me on this trip. Please keep the entire team in your prayers.
February is the month of LOVE! It’s hard to believe that it will be one year ago on February 5th that First Love founder, Paul Conger, passed away. Although we feel it was too soon, how fitting it was that the Lord would take Paul home during a month that represents who He was…a man who truly Loved God and Loved God’s People around the world in his own very unique and special way!
We want to dedicate this February edition of our newsletter to the life and legacy of Paul Conger!
Because of his love for prayer, training leaders and for the Bible Institute campus in Tarapoto Peru we will be constructing a tabernacle at the campus which will allow it to be used as a prayer and retreat center for pastors and churches. It will be called Conger Tabernacle. We will also be constructing an orphanage in Peru, which was a vision of Paul’s. We will call it the Conger Home in honor of Paul!
The total cost of this project will be $100,000. We are believing God for a miracle of provision and the Kingdom of God will grow mightily from this project.
You can make donations on-line by visiting our website, select GIVE and choose Conger Legacy as the project, or you can mail your check to the address below and put Conger Legacy in the memo.
2019 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
March 16-17 Assembly of God – Osborne, Kansas
May 4-5 Ignite 360 – Owensboro, Kentucky
October 12-13 Freedom Chapel – McPherson, Kansas
2019 MISSION TRIP SCHEDULE
February 2-12 Tarapoto, Peru – Leadership, Church & Crusade ministry
March 25-April 2 Kolkata, India – Girls Homes & Church ministry
August 1-10 Cusco, Peru – Leadership, Church & Crusade ministry
Our mailing address is PO Box 100, Rogers, AR 72757 and email address is DAustin@FirstLoveMinistries.com. If you are on Facebook, please like our First Love Ministries page so you can receive our updates. Thank you for being a partner of First Love Ministries.
On-line donations are now an easy and proficient way that you can help support First Love take the Gospel to the world and also aid in the areas of ministry God has called us to do. CLICK HERE to make a secure on-line donation. You can also send donations to our mailing address at PO Box 100, Rogers, AR 72757.
A Son of God,
David Austin