Dear Ones,
We arrived back in the Philippines on July 19 after a long but uneventful flight from Chicago via Taiwan. The travel was smooth, and all our luggage came through with us. We rent a condo near a shopping mall in Paranaque city in Metro Manila for us to come home after ministry trips and family visits.
A few days after our arrival, we went to our local Police Station to get our fingerprints and, on the same day, sent them to the South African Police Service to get our clearance. In the Philippines, we can get a Police Clearance in less than an hour, but in South Africa, it takes 3-6 weeks. So, we are in the waiting game. Unfortunately, we can’t submit our visa application without this clearance. Please pray that it will come out soon.
We are just a few minutes away from Sheba’s side of our family. We see them more often. But the Padayhag’s side is on Mindanao Island in the southern part of the country. It’s quite a distance away. On August 1, we flew to Cagayan de Oro City and joined my brother, Eric, and his family, who drove 8 hours from Davao City and, together, continued 8 hours more to be with our parents and relatives in Zamboanga del Norte province. It was a joy to see them still in good health and continue serving the Lord. I hope to see them again before we leave for South Africa.
We also visited several churches, met some co-workers we know, and encouraged them to keep serving the Lord. It was a productive two-week trip.
While waiting to return to South Africa, we continue ministering wherever and in whatever capacity we have. Many times through teaching and preaching the Word, and sometimes through financial giving and manual labor. Whichever way, we thank the Lord for every opportunity to be a blessing and be blessed in our homeland.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for our Police Clearance to come out soon and that the visa application for South Africa gets approved.
- Pray that we can return to the field by the end of September. Many national events (Leadership Summit, National Conference, Bible School closing, and graduation) will happen at the end of this year.
- Pray for the funds needed for our plane tickets (for 4) back to South Africa.
- Pray for God to provide a 3-4 bedroom house in South Africa with space for Grace TV studio.
Thank you for your continued encouragement, prayers, and financial partnership in our ministry.
There will be more news in our Ministry Echo Newsletter.
For the sake of the call,
Dean, Sheba, Shedea, and Shedesh Padayhag
Missionaries to South Africa
South Africa