* Various Things

SNO (Southern Negros Occidental) Pastor Classes

In the most recent class they watched Prof. Engelsma's lectures on the 5 Solas of the Reformation

How would you like to be these guys?  Standing on ladders against the electrical wires in the middle of a busy road!

7 hanging on to the back of this jeepney.  I think that's a record!

And 7 hanging on to this car!

Piled high with mattresses.

Coconut shells cracked up and laid out to dry.

I think they make this into "uling", a local charcoal.

Church visitation in the Protestant Reformed Church in Bulacan

Sugar cane harvest

* Smit's Departure: March 2015

As most of you know, the Smits departed the Philippines on March 18, 2015 to take up their work and calling in the First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I thought I would show a few pictures of some of our "lasts" together.

Helping the girls finish off a blanket they made.

Our last supper together at the Kleyn's house.

A last treat for the older four.

A final walk in the subdivision.

A gift from Smits to us - memories of some trips together!

(One problem with the picture, says Rev. Kleyn: "Smit's blue Revo is ahead!")

On Tuesday the 17th, we helped them load up the van with their boxes and luggage...

...and added the last things early Wednesday morning. 

From the van to the luggage carts at the airport.

Checking in.

Paying the terminal fee.

Immigration and our last sight of them!

All of us here will miss them!  But we take comfort in the fact that God's works and ways are good.  As He has watched over and blessed us in the past, so we are confident He will continue to be with us in the future.  We pray also for God's richest blessings on Rev. and Tricia and their family in their new work and place in life and in His church.  

God be with us till we meet again!

* February 2015 Classis Meeting of the PRCP

The Classis of the Federation of Protestant Reformed Churches in the Philippines met this past Wednesday, February 25 in the building of the Berean PRC.  By God’s grace and blessing, the work of the Classis went well. 

Rev. Kleyn (who served as president of the previous classis) opened the meeting by leading the classis in devotions and a meditation on Psalm 87:2.  Rev. Flores, by rotation, then chaired the meeting. 

In addition to receiving reports from the clerk and treasurer and approving their work, the Classis received and treated reports from its two standing committees.  The main content of these reports was that the committees presented constitutions for their respective duties - i.e., constitutions for Contact Committee, Finance Committee, Seminary Student Training, etc.  The Classis adopted these constitutions. 

The Classis also treated and approved the procedure that is to be used when churches request membership in the PRCP.  The classis then gave its approval to one of the standing committees to implement this procedure in relation to the request of Maranatha PRC in Valenzuela to join the federation. 

Observers

This was the last classis meeting that Rev. Smit will attend, and he bade farewell to the classis and led in the closing prayer. As many of the men of Classis mentioned, he will certainly be missed.

The classis began at 9:00 am and finished at approximately 1:00 pm.  The next classis meeting is scheduled for June 12, the Lord willing, and will be hosted by the PRC in Bulacan.