Jordan & Joci Salisbury Stories
Greetings all,
Our updates are coming faster as a result of the busy happenings. Here are some new details about our ministry!
Ministry
We had a very successful Action 3.0 youth retreat in Magalang, Pampanga at the end of November. We had youth from three churches there to hear God's word preached, worship the Lord in song, fellowship with other believers, compete in a Bible quizzing competition, and much more. Joci and the boys were also there!
Jordan had the opportunity to preach on Colossians 2:6-8 and being "Rooted in Christ". The youth who attended were challenged to make Christ the King their foundation.
The pastor of one of the churches that has become very involved in the program said this after the event:
"I would like to Thank you (TFE leadership) for the Activate Ministry launched in the Philippines. Our church has been immensely blessed, challenged to grow more in Christ, and enjoyed the recent Camp Action 3.0. It is our prayer that the Activate Ministry will continue to be used by God in calling more committed young people to live for Him for His glory.
We are looking forward for another year of Activate this 2024. God bless you all!"
May God be glorified! This is why we do it, so others may grow in Christ!
Just a reminder, we have another Action 3.0 at the end of December for our Activate youth groups in the Manila area. Pray for this event as we desire to encourage youth to seek the Lord, serve their communities, and share the Gospel even more. Additionally, our January and February will be very busy with training events every weekend.
Camp property
We continue to thank the Lord for the beautiful land he gave us for a camp in Paniqui, Tarlac. Preliminary work is now being done which includes planting trees, putting in a fence, bulldozing a road for future construction access, and more.
As a reminder, Titus Far East (our organization's name here in the Philippines.) desires to build the first Christian camp in the Central plains of Luzon. Thegoalwould be to provide the region's churches with an affordable, nearby Christian camp to use. Also, Titus Far East would run our own camps/ programs and have a missionary training school there.
Ultimately, we want theGospel and good news of Jesus to be proclaimed to even more people. May it be so!
This past Friday, Jordan got back from a 3 day work trip at the property where heplanted 36 treeswith the ministry team. It was a lot of work in the hot sun, but we are excited to see these trees grow and produce much needed shade, fruit, and flowers for campers in the future.
If you are interested in the details of the tree planting, Jordan will be writing a blog post soon about the process of planting and the types of trees planted. https://philippinessalisbury.blogspot.com/
This past Monday, we hired a bulldozer operator to make a basic road to the center of the property as well as flatten the area for the future dining hall. We now have vehicle access to our first building sites: the bathroom facilities and dining hall. Praise the Lord!
Our phase 1 building plan is as follows:
- Bathroom facilities: 100 square meters. Engineer estimates roughly $46,000. This will be our first building. We will start construction when we have the money for it raised. Currently, we are around 45% funded for this important building.
- Dining hall (also has kitchen, office, and space for chapel & housing): 640 square meters. Engineer estimates roughly $250,000.
- Basketball court (Outdoor cement court): Standard size. Estimated to be $15,000 to $20,000. This is an important improvement to have. Aside from playing basketball and other games, this is where much of our early programming will be held.
This will be the first of four phases. Jordan's blog will have details about the other three phases. We will also soon need to build a fence and drill a well.
If you have any knowledge or skills to share with us as we develop this property, please let us know!
Follow Jordan's blog here where he will give updates on building progress.
We have a generous donor who has pledged a matching gift. Every $2 given will be matched $1, up to $15,000! About half of this has been fulfilled! Keep giving, and we thank those who have given already!
Consider giving to join God's work here in the Philippines. To God be the glory!
Family
We are excited to spend Christmas in the mountains with Jordan's parents this year. They will be moving back to the US in January, so this will be a special time of celebration.
The boys have been delighted by this Christmas season. Tobiah is now old enough to understand a bit more, so he would tell you that Christmas is about: "Good news, great joy, for all people, Jesus is born!". Ezra claps and dances with abandon at the music.
As a reminder, we are planning on moving to San Fernando, Pampanga in February. The ministry of Titus Far East will be shifting to the north, so we and the Dennisons will be moving north as well. Pray that we are able to find a suitable home for our family.
Financial Update:
We are so thankful that we get the opportunity to serve the Lord here in the Philippines, so we want to thank you all so much for your prayers and financial support during our first official year on the field.
Our monthly support is at 61%. We do receive sufficient support currently because of our reserve fund. However, this is not sustainable, thus we pray for 100% of our monthly support. Please consider giving to God's work in the Philippines through TFE and Activate youth groups. Thank you so much!
Click here to financially support us!
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
- The development of the camp so far (trees and bulldozer).
- The boys are growing tall and increasing in wisdom.
- Continue to pray we are able to receive the transferred title by Christmas.
- Keep praying for the other initial developments at the camp property (i.e. fence, well, bathroom buidling).
- Continue to pray for Joci's Tagalog learning.
- Pray as we find and move into a new house in February.
From our family to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We leave you with a great text on the incarnation in Philippians 2. To God be all the glory!
"Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."