Life is full of challenges. These challenges can pull us down or make us strong. Being a staff worker is very challenging in the sense that I need to deal with different issues that I personally do not want to deal with. One of the things that I do not want to do but I need to do is to confront people.
I need to confront both students and graduates for Christ. And it is a life-long empowering and enjoying process of discipleship. The need to confront people tests my character and places me in a vulnerable position since my anger often goes before me. I am now facing such a need and it is an opportunity for me to grow in the image and likeness of Christ and for others to grow and mature as well. I am praying and hoping that the Lord will enable me as I do it for his glory in my assigned area (North Cotabato).
I am also glad to inform you our praying friends and supporters that after more than six months of stay in IVHome Kabacan, my wife and I have already transferred to our house. It is a simple house yet it gives us joy to finally live together on our own. In this way we can exercise our independence as a married couple and our total dependence on God. It is like a farm within a subdivision. It is full of coconut trees and other fruit trees. We are often refreshed by the cool breeze and entertained by different songs of the birds. There are many things yet to be done in our house but we are excited to do it together and to create a home together. For one, I am excited to make a vegetable and flower garden there. It creates a fire and excitement within me because it gives me much needed space from the work in the ministry.
Please continue to pray with us as we serve God together through IVCF ministry.
We praise God for His provision for our two delegates during Kawayan Camp last summer and for the reconstruction and repair of our house, His Sustenance daily specially during the summer camps and conferences and His People for the new assigned GT members and continuing GT members and also for my wife who is also my partner in the ministry.
Please help us pray for guidance as I do my work as a field staff, protection during area visitations, provision for DLTC since I am the staff in charge, wisdom as I work on the ISCF, IVCF, Graduates and GT ministry in North Cotabato and fruitful disciple making in North Cotabato, and a deeper relationship with God and with my wife
Love,
Raffy Dela Cruz together with my wife Ira
