New Beginnings

Daniel Williams Diayon

We are very excited to share the news that 0ur first son arrived on August 18th. His name is Daniel Williams Diayon. It is now time to adjust to a new member in our family. We are also excited as we continue to minister to the children and their family at the Matina. We have adapted our approach with the children. We are now providing free tutoring in every grade and age. As Filipino, regardless of economic status, we give great value to education. By providing free tutoring we have more opportunities to share the gospel with the children and their family. Please continue to pray for us, especially for more volunteers, books, school supplies and a larger space. Thank you for your Prayers.

Love is an Action Word!

When God said that He loved us, He did not just say it but He did it. To prove His love. He gave his one and only Son Jesus Christ. Giving out of love is the most special gift to those who receive it. We receive the precious gift from God of  eternal life through Jesus. It is the birth of Jesus that is the reason we have Christmas.

As a follower of Christ, it was our joy to share the gift of Christ’s love in a unique way. We are so thankful for your untiring support  to iRock Ministries. Through your  support, iRock Ministries was able to gift the kids receiving ministry through The Joshua Center with a memorable meal last December 17.2011. We were able to feed approximately 80 children a meal that they will not soon forget. iRock Ministries shared the blessing of food; spaghetti, bread, hotdogs, fruit salad and popcorn. The kids loved the unlimited orange juice.To help better understand the impact of this gift you need to realize that this type of food is rarely in their diet since it is expensive for most household budgets. Many Filipinos only eat these food items when invited to someone’s home or to a party hosted by a wealthier family. It is nearly impossible that these children would ever be invited for such a banquet.

Although I know how the kids really loved the food, we should never forget the main purpose for bringing everyone together. Along with this gift, we were there  to lead the children and even the parents to Christ. Using the EvangeCube, my wife Nene shared the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness and that salvation can only be found in Jesus.

After hearing and understanding the message, we had the opportunity to lead kids and their parents to accept Jesus into their heart and lives.

This is the best gift they could ever receive in their life. The physical food is just a consolation prize but the eternal Life of accepting Jesus is the grand prize.

We had Praise and worship and funny games for everybody. Despite the daily struggles and problems in their homes and physical lives you could see the sweet smiles and happiness brought to them that day as we served Jesus through our actions and deeds.

Because of the gift Jesus gave at Christmas, we were also able to bless each person with a gift worth 10 pesos ($0.23). What a joy to bring happiness to a child that may not have received a gift otherwise.

Thank you for such a wonderful act of love. Such a joyous Christmas celebration was made possible because of your great prayer and financial support. We are looking forward to seeing the children and their families grow more in Christ as we continue to minister to them in 2012.

From the Island of the Philippines… Merry Christmas and Happy and Prosperous New year.

Oning and Nene

Humble Beginnings!

On September 25, 2011 five of us went back to our community struck by a flood almost three months ago. 33 people lost their lives as a result of that tragic event. Many others lost all of their belongings including Nene and I. Immediately following the flood we moved to another location to avoid any future disaster. We have tried to sell or rent what was left of our home but to no avail.

Although many lost their belongings, the souls of many had been given another chance. We saw this as an opportunity to expand the kindgom of God and a new ministry location was birthed.

September 25, 2011 at 2:00 pm a ministry started on the same property where we lost everything. In partnership with iRock ministres USA and by the power of Jesus the ministry was launched.

The kids were very excited to attend the service. Even though the scheduled time was 2:00 pm, they kept coming early and checking if it was 2:00 pm yet. That was so cute and quite funny since they had their own clocks to tell them what time it was but they were just so anxious to be part of what had been planned especially for them.

Kids starting coming and filling the small area. There were no chairs and the kids sat on the floor, under the shelves and anywhere they could find a place. Even when all available space had been occupied they kept coming until they were overflowing (Glory to Jesus) and had to stand outside.

It was hot and humid in that small space but the kids didn’t complain. I started a small electric fan but it did little to counteract the heat and the sweat.

Not even the heat and humidity could stop the kids from worshipping Jesus as they sang song of praise to Jesus.

We taught a scripture verse, John 8:12. “Jesus said I am the Light of the world, whoever follow me will never walk in darkness but will have the “Light of life”. Through object lessons, memory work and stories, 61 children and one adult came to realize how their heart was darkened by sin and accepted Jesus as their Light of life. We give glory to God for working in hearts that day.

It seems that no service is complete until there is food so true to tradition each child was served popcorn, orange juice and a small bread roll. As they gave thanks it was so meaningful because that might have been the only food they received that day.

As followers of Jesus, let us continue to pray that the Light  planted in their heart will shine to other people and that they will become a torch bringer, the bringer of testimony that Jesus is the Light of their life.

NOTE: As a pastor, Nene and I are a young couple that iRock Ministries has helped throughout the years as we follow God’s direction for our life. We are an extension of iRock Ministries in the United States and refer to our ministry as iRock Philippines. We have a dream to help children that have been forgotten by  building a ministry center to meet spiritual, physical, and educational needs of these children . If you would like to know more about this center, as the dream becomes a reality, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Through our updates you will be given opportunity to partner with us through your prayers and finances. Keep this project in prayer as we seek God for His Holy and divine direction.

Our paths cross again!

Bibles from Speed the LightIt’s been more than 8 years since I’ve seen these two hard workers in the Kingdom of God. They are Adela Lambojon AND Ronnie Polistico. They are working full time in the ministry as a pioneering church planters. They’ve already planted two churches. When I heard where they were serving, I decided to visit them right away. It was a 45 minute drive from my wife Nene’s family.  I wanted to take them a gift since it was Christmas but since I didn’t know that I’d be seeing them I hadn’t prepared to get them anything but in my heart I really wanted to give them something that would impact their Christmas. As I looked around our room I saw five Bibles that had been purchased with Speed the Light funds that I hadn’t distributed over this past year. So I decided to give it to them. They were so happy because  they really really needed Bibles for their pioneering churches.  God met their needs through the generosity of iRock Ministries and Speed the Light.

Our whole conversation with them while we visited was very interesting. Their experiences in ministry and their persecution from other christians was similar to what Nene and I have experienced.  God is so amazing. My experiences of persecution acted as a guide that allowed me to connect to their feelings and emotions. Because of the advice that I received from my friend and mentor, Terry Williams when I was going through similar hardship, I was able to encourage them like a wise man. Now I understand why I had to go through such difficult circumstances and thank God for the experiences I’ve have.

Matina Pangi Church Plant

If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain. (Go to the bottom of this post for a little background on that saying) Similarly, If the kids or people won’t come to church then we will bring the church to them.
Every Saturday at 1:00 pm, Nene and I would prepare and travel to the small group at Matina Pangi which starts at 3:00 PM (if no rain). Riding my cute and nice motorcycle, with my wife riding at my back and holding a lot of props, we thought that we would be the earliest people to arrive, but we were wrong. The kids were already there and waiting for the small group Bible study.  As we walked through a small alley to our meeting place the kids were shouting our names, “Hello ate Nene, hello kuya Oning!” We said, hello. How are you doing? We greeted them and talked about their week.

We’d play with bubbles or anything that would make them feel good to break the ice of silence.We’d laugh together and start singing and praising God with songs like “Oh magnify the Lord for He is worthy to be praised…………..!!!
We’d do objects lessons and share practical examples during our small group time. We’d tell a story and for the new comers, we’d make sure that they had an opportunity to accept Jesus into their heart. We never know if that is the first time they’ve ever heard the gospel of salvation or perhaps the last. Only God knows. We always grab the opportunity to add more members to God’s family.

After the message, depending on whether or not we had been blessed that week with resources, we would give out prizes. We would all pray for the snacks and eat together.

Before everyone went home, my wife Nene would administer first aid medication and we would pray for them, their needs and protection for the whole week.

God is doing an amazing work in this small village and we are excited to be used by God to reach the children that have been forgotten.

Saying: “If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.” This expression is based on a tale that Muhammad once sought proof of his teachings by ordering a mountain to come to him. When it did not move, he maintained that God had been merciful, for if it had indeed moved they all would have been crushed by it. [Late 1500s]

When he preached, he preached on top of the mountain or high grounds so as the people can hear him and see him better. People kept asking for proof that he was a Prophet, as many prophets before him, did many miracles and he never did any. So, one day he decided to order the mountain to come to him, but the mountain did not move, and as usual, the Angel comes to his rescue and explained though Muhammad that the mountain didn’t move for the protection of the people!!
Now, you have to ask yourself why Muhammad asked the mountain to move! Islam draws many comparisons from the life of Christ. Jesus himself said, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Where Jesus teaches that nothing is impossible in our humanity, Muhammad teaches limitations because of our humanity.
From Pastor Terry Williams of iRock Ministries: We believe that the ministry Pastor Oning and Nene have started in Matina Pangi will see many miracles, people will develop the faith to move mountains and that nothing they desire to do is impossible with Christ.

Wow, fish!

One day my friend Nilson approached me and asked for prayer for his situation. His wife left him with three children, all boys. The youngest is two years old and the oldest is 6 years old. He can’tmove properly because of arthritis and gout. His right eye is already blind and his left is starting to blurry. He owns a very small store but few items to sell.
In James 2:16 it says, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (NKJV) This great question struck my heart. Honestly, when Nilson asks me for prayer I never pray for him instead I pray to God and ask how I can help this person inspite of the situation I myself am in. It is very hard to pray when you know what the bible says but if you are open to the guidance of the small voice, The Holy Spirit, He will guide you in what to do as long as your heart is willing to follow and obey Jesus.

This is how I responded to Nilson’s situation. I bought an empty barrel to make charcoal and attached it to my motorcycle for the trip to where we would start the process.When I arrived we started to make the charcoal by burning coconut shell. The process must be right. If not, the product will be damaged.
After one day of preparing it, it was time to deliver the product to Nison’s place and pack the charcoal into small pieces.
While doing this packing of charcoal, my wife Nene prepared a meal, she cooked nutritious rice and fish soup. While my wife prepared the delicious food, the two children very excited and said ‚ “Wow fish‚” You can tell that they miss this kind of food, I don’t know when they last ate this kind of food but maybe you can guess through the kids reaction.
This is the fish soup that my wife prepared. We prayed together before we ate and had a wonderful time. We talked about life and how Jesus provides our needs beyond our imagination. After that we left.They were very happy and thankful to Our Lord Jesus Christ, not for the food but the love and care that we shared with them, showing that there are people who are sent by God to help them and encourage them to continue to live in Christ. We shared

business, we shared food but best of all we shared the gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t require a lot of money to help the needy but it requires a lot compassion and love and God will give you wisdom to know how you can help the needy.

Please continue to pray for Nilson and his family:

1. Surgery might be able to stop the blindness in Nilson’s left eye
2. Nilson’s whole body is tormented by Satan and arthritis and yet he is still raising three children, pray for strength and patience.
3. When it rains the water floods their sleeping area, pray for the building materials needed to repair their home.
4. Raising three boys is not easy; please pray for wisdom and strength for him and good health to the whole family.

JBI Students help

I had the opportunity to take some of the students from Joyful Bible Institute (JBI) to help some good friends of mine, Fedil and Belen, and their ministry. They were the first couple that I trained in children’s ministry and helped them to start and establish their ministry to children. I have been instructing the students in children’s ministry at the institute and teaching them how to tell children about Jesus through songs, drama and other skills. This was their opportunity to put their skills to practice.


The students started out by leading in prayer. It is good to recognize the help of God before starting the service. Here you can see that even without an LCD projector you can still have praise and worship with the help of words written on a plastic bag. Cool!! The students were having much fun while singing to the Lord and served as models for the boys and girls. Some of the students even taught the kids a song with motions.

Some of the students had to eventually move outside as the room filled with children. There were over 100 children packed into the small meeting space. Fedil shared the message with the children and then it was time to thank God and to serve food to the children.

The JBI students donated food. We called this ‘bihon’, a small clear noodle that tastes very good. Belen and some of the students helped to serve the children. Everyone was happy that they were able to help Fedil and Belen and minister to all the children.

Following the service I was able to give each of the students their own Bible written in Cebuano as they begin their own ministries. iRock Ministies in the United States donated these Bibles and hundreds are being distributed to children and adults here in the Philippines. The students were very happy to have received one of these Bibles.

Thank God for what He is doing in the lives of young people at Joyful Bible Institute. I also thank God for Fedil and Belen and their faithfulness in reaching the children in their neighborhood.

The Dying Living Princess

Here in the Philippines, if you go to the Doctor they usually tell the patient, “Man you are sick or something is wrong with you!” This is one of the reasons that I do not like to see a doctor. My wife was admitted for five days in one of our public hospitals. While there I met a 19 year old girl but she looked older than that because of her sickness. Her stomach kept getting bigger and bigger but the doctor said that they cannot find what is wrong but it is very obvious that she is really really sick.

As you can see she is very thin and very weak. She is in our neighboring bed. As she struggled to survive I asked her mother if I could pray for her. Her mother is very devoted to Roman Catholic belief and she said that she prays for her daughter and I said ok. When I talked to her daughter and asked her if I could pray for her she said yes. I told her that everybody that looks at her, including myself, would think there is no cure, but I said that I could give her hope in Jesus. I¬† read some scripture about the woman who bleed for 12 years. Imagine 12 years of suffering and she desired to be healed. I said, Like you I believe that you have a desire to be healed but if there is¬† not help from Jesus you can‚Äôt be healed even if you have the best doctor. Only Jesus can heal you. So I started to read the scripture and while I read it her mother said that her hair stood on end. I believe that it’s the Holy Spirit and the power of God that was felt by the mother. I explained how to be healed. That she should have faith in Jesus like the woman who bled for 12 years. I prayed and ask her if she was willing to receive Jesus and ask forgiveness for her sin. She said yes. So Princess received salvation that night. Then she slept well.

After our time at the hospital I decided to visit Princess but I found out that she was with Jesus. She had died on Tuesday February 2, 2010.  I am sad about her death but happy because I believe Princess is now with Jesus.

Though she didn’t receive physical healing, she has been spiritually healed. Ministry is everywhere! You don‚Äôt need to go far. You just need to open your eyes around you and see the opportunies to minister to the needy everywhere.

Mentoring

MENTORING

When I was young, I asked one of the karate experts to be my mentor. He said yes and I was so happy about it.  I have a question. If somebody asks you to be their mentor, would you agree? What if they are older than you, not just five years gap? Somebody asked me if she can be my student and I her mentor. I said yes because she is willing to reach out to children. Although she is 67 years old I believe that God will use her mightily to reach children.

I need your prayer for this opportunity to have a student that is willing to learn how to do this ministry. It is never too late to reach the lost no matter how old you are.