The Carders

Wow!  First a Category 4 Typhoon hitting the central and northern parts of the Philippines, shortly before we were planned to sail back to Romblon Island, and then, yesterday, a 5.8 earthquake in Batangas, where our departure port is located!

We asked the LORD to confirm that we should NOT go this afternoon, and, overwhelmingly, He confirmed for us NOT to go to Batangas today!  Thank you LORD!

Please pray that it will be possible for us to get on the boat from MANILA Bay (NOT Batangas!) on this coming Monday (27th)!  There had been some problem with that boat recently, but they replaced it with a different one…

And, please pray for safe travel back to Romblon Island, LORD willing, next Monday!

Dear Friends and Family!

How exciting!

The LORD allowed us to add two more members to the BBC translation team!

Praise HIM!

One is Carmina (Mec) Villanueva and she is  from the Amadeo assembly and is a professional teacher.  She is an education (magna cum laude!) major graduate from PCU (Philippine Christian University) and has a master’s degree in the Filipino language.  She is disabled and only can work from home, and we are so thankful to the LORD that she is now full time with our team!  Please pray for Mec!

The second person is Gian-Carlo Soliman.  Carlo is a commended Gospel worker from the GMA assembly and is helping the team on a part time basis.  As of now, he still has to do “tent making” until the LORD allows him to join the team full time.  Please pray for Carlo!

This translation of Bill MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary (BBC) is so needed and necessary, especially since there is NONE (No, not one!) available in the filipino language (Tagalog)!  We are translating this particular commentary, because it is easy to understand and the theology is sound.  It will be most valuable for new believers and mature ones alike.

Thanks for praying with us and for us!

In Him!

Patrick & Karen

Dear Friends & Family,

Finally, 11 month old Baby James, who was held for ransom by his former nanny for over 6 month, was released in to his uncle’s custody last week.  Praise the LORD!

This came about after Karen “negotiated” for over 7 hours, with much love, but also with very much persistence, appealing to over 12 people residing with the nanny in the swatter area in Cainta Floodway.

Baby James is the surviving twin of Lola Edith’s daughter, who past away about 6 month ago, in a very mysterious way.  Lola Edith is one of the ladies who attends our weekly Bible study…

Please continue to pray for Baby James!

Click here to read Karen’s detailed report…

In Him!

Patrick & Karen

Dear Friends & Family,

We just got back from a 10 day visit to San Juan, Manila.

We attended a week long training session with the translation people of BSA (ECS).  It was a wonderful time of fellowship with Dinna & Rikki Tienzo, Darben DelaCruz, Maila Agunda (instructor), and yes, we learned a great deal about the art and science of translation (thank you, Maila!).

Our team is greatly encouraged by the training and eager to continue with the “big job” of translating Bill MacDonald’s “Believer’s Bible Commentary” into Tagalog (Filipino).  The team is committed to translate the English into easy, every-day Tagalog, and to keep true to what Bill said & wrote.

☛ Indeed, a big job!  Please pray for the team!

We started the translation of the commentary on the Gospel of John and we are trying to find more people to help us to  translate Bill’s Commentary on the OT, starting with Genesis.

☛ Please pray that the LORD will provide!

Thanks for praying!

In Him!

Patrick & Karen

http://www.TheCarders.org

http://www.cmml.us/missionaries/m1569

Dear Friends and Family!

The Lord allowed a team of 5 to come together to translate “The Believer’s Bible Commentary”, authored by William MacDonald, into Tagalog, the Philippine’s official national language.  Praise Him!

No doubt, this is a big job!  However, to echo Bill’s own words: “…a big job is made up of many little jobs…”.  So, after an extensive time of fact finding and preparation, the team is planned to start on August 3rd, with the Gospel of John.  At this time, there is no Tagalog Bible Commentary available anywhere!

The goal is to translate the commentary into an easy, every-day spoken Tagalog, and then to make it available to everyone in printed format, but also in digital media, including on a multi-device mobile platform.

Please pray for the following:

♦ the Lord’s guidance & will in all

♦ more translators for the OT  (part- & full -time)

♦ some office equipment that is needed

♦ our travel to Manila to meet with the team, August 3rd thru the 10th

Also, please lift up the individual team members in your prayers: Darben DelaCruz, Rikkie & Dinna Tienzo, Patrick & Karen Carder.

Thanks for praying with us and for us!

In Him!

Dear Friends and Family!We would like to update you on our current health situation, so that you can hold us up in prayer…we need that more than anything!

As some of you know, we have no good hospital facilities here on Romblon Island. It’s more of a clinic with limited options.  So we get our regular checkups in Manila, about every 3 month.

Recently Karen has had a lot of knee pain and over the last 6-8 month, Patrick has been fatigue and feeling weak.  For a long time we chalked it up to age and the heat here.  And it slows up down a bit.  We finally decided that it was time to see a doctor about these specific symptoms…

After days of sitting at labs and waiting rooms in Manila, we had some diagnosis:

– Karen has the beginnings of osteoarthritis and high blood pressure. She was put on meds for it and is managing it very good.

– Patrick was diagnosed with 3 “diseased” arteries in his heart, whereby the extent of narrowing/ blockage is unknown. So, the options given were: angiogram (to check where and how much disease there is), and after that possibly angioplasty, 1-2 stints, or triple bypass surgery…not very encouraging…
We researched quite a bit and found that doctors are starting to lean away from invasive surgeries and toward change in diet and lifestyle (less stress) for healing. Studies are showing a 50/50 chance of heart attack or death with either choice.  Also, one of the brothers at the San Juan assembly managed to REVERSE his blockage of 75%(!) by going on a specific diet. So through prayer, and looking at all our options, we have decided on the less invasive, new diet and lifestyle change approach.  So, for about 5-6 weeks have been on a no sugar, low carb, high protein, natural food diet…with loads of veggies and lower sugar fruits.  The result is that both of us have normal blood pressure (without meds!), and Patrick has dropped one of his diabetes meds(!) and his blood sugars are normal most days…praise the LORD!

So, please pray for wisdom, perseverance,  and strength as we try to get healthier, and, that God would heal us (…for He is Jehovah Rapha! [2Chron. 3:20]) and give us energy to do the work He has called us to do.

Thanks for praying with us and for us!

In Him!

Patrick and Karen

“For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us…looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us…” – Titus 2:11-14