J O N      &      S H E R R I      L U N O W

UPDATE - JUNE 2007

“A dream come true…like a fairy tale…perfect…full of meaning…creative…shining with God’s love…unique…solemn yet relaxed…teaching us the true purpose of marriage…” These are just a few of the comments made regarding the Marriage Blessing Ceremony or Christian Wedding of Peterson (Peewee) and Irene, one of our couples in HCFD (House Church Fellowship of Davao). Jon led the ceremony with other HCFD members participating in both the ceremony as well as the reception activities following. What a joy for us to see the teamwork in which God was honored.

Eight years ago Irene & Peewee were legally married in the courtroom, which is common here in the Philippines. About a year later God blessed them with a beautiful, healthy baby girl. After a few years, however, they began to encounter marriage problems that began driving them apart. It was during this time God brought them into our lives. Through friendship, prayer, and Bible study, their marriage began to heal. As God continued to convict their hearts through His Word, they both surrendered their lives to Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord, allowing Him to transform their marriage. While obeying Jesus command to be discipled and make disciples, their hearts became burdened to find creative ways to reach their unbelieving family members and friends with the Gospel (they are the first Christians on both sides of their families). Since Jesus had now restored their marriage, they decided to honor Him by planning and celebrating a Christian Wedding in which their family and friends could hear and see God’s purposes for marriage with Jesus at the center. The celebration took place in the beauty of God’s creation at a tropical ocean resort on Samal Island near Davao. It was within this context that Josephine (Jo), Irene’s best friend from Manila, received God’s conviction and opened her heart to place her faith in Jesus as Lord of her life and marriage. With tears in her eyes Irene thanked God for the fruit of this new soul—an answer to prayer—with continued prayer for the seeds of God’s truth that were sown, to grow in the hearts of more friends & family members, to reap a harvest of salvation among them!

Thank you, our dear family and friends, for sending us back here with your blessing, prayers, and generous support, allowing us to keep joining God where He is at work. Our return flights went smoothly, Ellie is doing well in the US, Ethan and Adam are happy to be home, and Jon and I are encouraged by the spiritual progress we see in the house churches. God also provided an affordable vehicle for us to purchase soon after arriving—what an encouragement! Please continue to pray with us for God’s clear direction regarding His timing and His placement for us in future ministry.

Partners with you in the Harvest,
Jon, Sherri, Ellie, Ethan & Adam Lunow