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In the Philippines, their seasons are different from ours in the USA. Unlike the four seasons we enjoy annually, the Philippines has only three seasons: dry, rainy and monsoon. Their dry season will last for three to four months, from the end of February to the end of May.
At that time, we move into the monsoon season, which will also last for three to four months. That means we experience frequent and intense thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.
And finally, as we approach the last few months of each year, along with the first few months of the new year, we have the rainy season. This means we have cooler temperatures, cloudy skies and a steadier rain - not as destructive as the storms that the monsoon season generates. The dry season would be the same as our summer season here. It's hot and dry, with little or no rain.
That’s when the Philippine school system takes their summer vacation break, just like what we do here from June through August. Because the dry season is exactly that – dry - it’s the time of year when we prioritize our outdoor crusade work.
For years, I would schedule our big 4-day or 7-day crusades between the months of March and June, knowing the chances for a rainout would be slim to none.
We do crusades year round every month, but doing as much as we can in the dry season maximizes our efforts to win souls in predictable and favorable weather conditions.
It’s also important to note that from the beginning, God has always led me to go to the far-away remote places, in small villages and towns where no one else has gone for Jesus. As a result, we don’t see huge crowds, like what you see from bigger ministries using stadiums, parade grounds and the like to preach to hundreds and thousands.
Our “crowds” number anywhere from 12 to 20 to 50 adults, and an equal or smaller number of children alongside their parents.
Sometimes our attendance figures are higher, but not very often. This is what I’ve done, first with just me and my interpreter, and later on, with my wife and the crusade team the Lord brought into my life. Doing it that way faithfully and consistently from 1980 until now, we’ve led over 750,000 people to Jesus in our crusades.
I once asked the Lord if that figure is accurate, because I never want to exaggerate or inflate numbers to impress people or draw attention to myself. Not only did He tell me this figure is accurate in His eyes, but He went on to say that figure is actually low – we’ve helped even more people find Jesus than what that figure indicates.
Only God knows the exact number of souls we’ve led to the Lord, but the point is this: as it says in Luke 2:49, we’ve been busy about the Father’s business, to the best of our ability. That’s all God expects from each of us.
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From 1980 until 1997, our crusades were conducted solely by me and my team. But God then gave me the idea of doing Mission Tours, inviting brethren from the USA to come do the crusades with us. Except for the COVID years, we’ve done this every year since. This was our group that came for the June 2017 tour. | |
Our Mission Tours have been held with just a few Americans, or with dozens of them. Our Filipino team joins with our American counterparts, and together, we win souls for Jesus! | |
Our main mode of transportation to and from our crusades is the trusty old Philippine jeepney. This is one of two that we have used for over 20 years to bring our Crusaders to the meetings. | |
We have always made the effort to separate and minister directly to the children when we do our crusades. They are always so ready to receive Jesus! | |
We record the names and addresses of everyone who attends one of our crusades. We give this list to the pastors who will follow-up with these precious people after we leave. | |
And this is what it's all about! Multitudes of precious people giving their hearts to the Lord Jesus. To me, the thing that is most precious is the fact that so many of those who attend the crusades are old and frail. It's humbling to think we could be the last ones to talk to them about Jesus before they die. | |
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There is still time to join either our July or August Mission Tours this year. Contact our Tucson office for details. You can also download our Missions Tour Info Packet, which is available on our MKMI website: www.mkmi.org.
And even if you can’t go this year, help us out with an offering to support our crusade efforts throughout 2024 – because we’re doing these crusades before and after the Tour Groups arrive. Your partnership enables us to keep reaching out like this, one person at a time, with our goal of reaching at least ONE MILLION souls saved before Jesus returns.
And remember, your support means you get a tax deduction here in this life, and you get the same rewards we get someday soon in heaven.
As our newsletters always say, THOSE WHO GO NEED THOSE WHO SOW. Thank you again for your faithful partnerships.
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Overall Ministry:
Financial Support: Agree with us for a steady level of support that continues to increase. We’re feeding on God’s faithfulness (Psalms 37:3).
As our COLD WATER newsletters indicate, we’re busy about the Father’s business, reaching, teaching and training brothers, sisters, pastors and leaders worldwide, especially in the Philippines.
Your support enables us to go out into all the world, sharing the good news of the gospel wherever the Lord leads.
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In the Philippines:
International travel: Our next scheduled trip to the Philippines will be in the summer of 2024. We are standing in faith for the money to pay for the air tickets for those trips. Please help us if you can with these funds we need for travel.
Expect more details about this in upcoming COLD WATER newsletters.
Compound construction: In addition to the cost of airfare, several of our compound buildings are literally falling apart and need to be repaired. Our house, built in 1988, was constructed mostly with wood, and now needs immediate attention.
During our time there in January, because of the heavy rainstorms common at this time of year, we were constantly waking up to puddles of water on our bed, our pillows – and on us! We have put tarps over the roof in an attempt to stop the water from coming in, but it’s not working.
Plus, inside the house, the wooden floors, walls and ceilings are rotten, and termite infested. Many of our electrical outlets are burned out due to the water leaking into the wires and sockets.
Fixing all of this won’t be cheap, but it has to be done. We're doing this project in phases to manage the costs, and work around our on-going ministry activity.
Phase 1 will consist of laying new support columns to
replace the old, rotten ones, and putting up a new roof over the old, leaky one. Projected cost is around $25,000 for that first phase. Please help us if you can.
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Ethel and I want you to know how important you are to the on-going work of MKMI in the Philippines, and around the world.
We’re moving through 2024 with great faith in our God, believing He will meet all of our needs, in Jesus’ Name.
On top of the major projects mentioned in the PRAYER PRIORITIES segment, we believe God for His consistent supply day-by-day. Staff salaries must be paid monthly. We have insurance to pay for our buildings and vehicles.
There is wear-and-tear on plumbing, lights and electrical fixtures. Paint and caulking is needed for existing buildings. We must have 24-hour security provided for the compound. And of course, we have the inter-island travel expenses to go to our churches and crusade venues.
Since 1980, I have gone wherever God leads me, and now our staff, students, graduates and churches reproduce that same effort in the Philippines and around the world.
Your prayers and financial support enables us to do all of this. Once again, we say: THANK YOU!
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The cost of educating our students falls mainly upon the MKMI ministry. The students are charged tuition, but the actual budget for housing, feeding and educating them is much more than their tuition can cover. That’s why sponsorship has become so vital. If you would like to sponsor one or more of our current or future students, the total cost to underwrite one of them is $95 monthly, or $855 annually (for nine months of study – vacation time excluded). This covers everything we need to provide for them. And remember, your gifts are always tax-deductible.
We’re believing God will provide sponsors for 35 students. If this is something you feel led to help us with, be sure to designate “Sponsor a Student” from the drop down menu when clicking the link below for online contributions. We will provide sponsors with individual names and photos of all the students their support is enabling us to train.
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FACEBOOK LIVE STREAM – UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Please take note of the dates for our upcoming live streams:
Dates: March 21st, April 11th and April 18th
Time: 7:30pm Arizona time, which is 10:30am Philippine time, the next day.
Dates and times are always subject to change, per the leading of the Lord. Streaming schedules are also posted on the MKMI Facebook Page, under “Events”.
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No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 2 Timothy 2:4 | |
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You need to understand that when you were physically born, you were born into a world at war. God loves all men, and Satan hates all men. God wants all men to be saved
(1 Timothy 2:4), and Satan want all men to die and go to hell (Revelation 12:9).
That’s the truth, no matter what anyone says to the contrary. Physical warfare in this life is just a manifestation of the fact that the devil is the god of this world system.
(2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
The main warfare taking place on planet earth today is the spiritual warfare for the eternal souls of men. No matter how or when a Christian dies physically in this life, they still get to enter into their eternal reward in heaven. Why? Because they declared victory in the spiritual battle for their soul on the day
they received their salvation in Christ (Philippians 1:21).
On the other hand, wherever or whenever an unbeliever dies physically on earth, they’ve become eternally lost because of their choice to reject God’s free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus. The result? They’ll be separated from God forever and ever in a lake of fire (Revelation 19:12-14).
Understand this, and prioritize your life accordingly, as the Bible indicates. There’s a big difference between taking
care of the affairs of this life as a good steward of God, and becoming entangled in them.
DON’T BECOME ENTANGLED! That’s exactly what the devil is hoping you’ll do. God knows we have to eat, sleep, get jobs, raise families, manage our household and all the rest. He also
knows we’re living in a time-bound dimension. Everything in life takes time to accomplish, including the spiritual things we need to know and do to stay strong for Jesus.
Christians who get entangled in the affairs of life do so because they’re mis-managing their time. The affairs of
this life are important, but not nearly as important as staying focused and spiritually sharp for Jesus, against the devil.
Buy my book BE STRONG STAY STRONG @ www.mkmi.org. Buy it and read it. If you have it, read it again. Jesus is coming soon! Don’t be entangled with the affairs of this life. Be a lean, mean and clean bondservant for Jesus (Romans 1:1).
Stay sanctified for Jesus. Fulfill your calling (Colossians 4:17).
Be ready and stay ready to receive Jesus when He comes back (Luke 18:8). Make sure that when He finds you, He finds someone walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
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Daily Devotionals. Find them on our Mike Keyes Ministries International Facebook page.
Read them. Learn from them. Apply them.
Also, if you have friends who need to stay in touch with us through these newsletters, please forward this information, and have them add their email address to our ever-growing list of partners and friends of this ministry. Direct them to www.mkmi.info where they can submit their email at the bottom of the page.
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