From my heart-Feb. 24, 2012…
Praise the Lord! As I write this, we are sailing between the islands in the Philippines… the last several days have been pure JOY!! Though the sights, sounds and smells are all too familiar to me since I have been in so many places in this world, to Doreen, it is a first to a poorer country. To me it is a reminder that we are back on the front lines, so in that I actually have to say, I enjoy them, for I have so long been hungering with all my heart to get back to the mission field where I’ve been called! These multitudes of sights, sounds and smells help me to embrace the variety of God’s world and his love for all mankind! Whether it is the stench of the dumps in Nicaragua or the variety of smells of flowers in Fiji, Holland or New Zeland. I welcome them all because when I smell them, I know I am in the trenches for Jesus and this great big world NEEDS HIM!!
As we sit here looking out the big window in our cabin watching the islands and mountains go by, we do not know what awaits us ahead. All we know is that it is the island of Cebu! I look forward to carrying the Cross there. It was received well in Manila. Now we are taking it to another island. It is warmer there they say, and more rural. No matter, we go in His love! My prayer is that the Lord will allow me to feel a little of His heart for this people. He has always done that before and that is exactly why carrying the Cross and serving Him has the richness for me that it does. For life is not worth living till we look beyond ourselves and live for what’s important to HIM!!
Tonight we just enjoyed a quiet evening on board the ship. Dinner together was beautiful! Later, I walked out on deck for quiet time and to pray.
Sat. Feb.25…
Well, we will soon be docking in Cebu. Only the Lord knows what we will find there. We are ready, Jesus is with us! As we sail in, a beautiful rainbow welcomes us. We can see the storm clouds moving out. The sun is now up. We will dock at pier 5. We just received a text and we will have friends (we have not met), meet us at the dock. P.T.L!!!
Transportation in Manila?
The three wheeled motorcycle, is a common means of getting around. It is an adventure though. You sit scrunched down in this little sidecar built for thee Filipino and hang on as your driver zips in and out of this vast sea of traffic. If you can picture New York City meets Mexico with a little of Rome thrown in you get the picture. But that’s the way many make their living. Well I want to tell you of just one of these drivers I met one day while caring the cross. I tell you, I loved this guy right from the start. He is about 30 years old, a little of what we might call simple or slow. He had this old beat up tryc. When he saw the Cross, he pulled right over to talk. In his beautiful way he told me how he loved Jesus. I’m telling you it brought tears to my eyes as he talked. He knew he was slow, but with such joy he told me what Jesus meant to him. How he knew the Lord had forgiven him. He also told me how people picked on him because of his faith and even the scars he has on his back from a beating he received in Mindanao. We shared together for quite a while, then had prayer. i prayed God would bless his little business and keep his bike running. I asked the Lord to prosper him and watch over him. Then I gave him a bunch of Jesus stickers which he put in the little cab of the sidecar, so his fares could see them. He was dirty, but I hugged him anyway, then shouldered the Cross and headed on knowing I won’t see him again till Heaven. Please pray for Jimmy! He is a dear brother and one of Gods special soldiers.
The message of the Cross to the philippine people
Manilla, one of the larger cities in the world! Unbelievable traffic, hordes of people, horns honking, all of the hustle and bustle of a major city and a 12 foot Cross with a message of hope! Doreen and I stepped out and carried the cross into the middle of all of this. We saw people surprised and stunned as they saw this large Cross being carried by a white man, but Oh how they received the tracks and stickers that share the message of God’s love. We saw people come out of their houses and businesses and road side stands eager to learn what we were doing. After about 1 mile of the indescribable noise of traffic and horns honking, we turned into a “neighborhood” where some of Manilas’ poor live in conditions that much of the world has never seen! The gracious Filipino people received us with smiles, kindness and offerings of cold drink. Adult and children would gather around the Cross to hear the message of Christ’s love for them. You could see the joy in their faces when we told them that God knows where they live, knows each of them personally and He loves them with all of His heart. In no time, we found that we had given out thousands of stickers and tracks. We rejoiced in thinking about how statisticians tell us that 3% of all people saved, are saved through a Gospel track. They say, a picture is worth a thousand words…
1st Sunday in Philippines
“Unity of Spirit”- one of the things that I have loved in all the years of carrying the cross around the world, is the immediate unity in the spirit with a brother or sister in Christ though they are a total stranger! Doreen and I truly experienced that Sunday, Feb. 19, once again when we discovered the fellowship of believers’ meeting in the hotel we are staying in! That immediate sense of family commonness of call and purpose that we all share the world over. Whether we speak a word in common or not, all stems from the fact that we share the same heavenly father. That to me is a miracle that is undeniable!
I know I will never forget the beauty of all of us kneeling beside the cross as we committed this new pilgrimage in a new country to the lord. Excitement, anticipation, love and the power of the holy spirit, all converged in that one moment of time as we knelt down beside the cross, prayed together and dedicated it to the Lord and it’s testimony of hope to the nation of the Philippines!
Pastor Jonathan, from the “the Lords disciples,” a church group that has just recently started meeting here at the “Kabayan Hotel,” laid hands on us and commissioned us to go out and preach the gospel in his dear country!
In the Philippines!
Hello from Manila Philippines!! Doreen and I have been here now for 48 hours and we have found the people here very warm, friendly and receptive and very eager to accept the tracks and stickers that we give out! We are looking forward to a beautiful time of ministry here among the wonderful people of the Philippines. Along with carrying the cross along it’s roadsides and villages, we are looking forward to visiting orphanages and other missionaries that are settled here doing God’s work!
We have already met delightful christians from other countries, like Australia. The Kabayan hotel that we are staying at in Manila is Christian owned and operated. They even have Christian music that we hear back home, playing in the lobby and dining area!
As you pray for us, we’ll share how He answers with you! Check back soon. God bless you, from the front lines! Rick and Doreen
It’s a New Year
Praise the Lord!! It’s a New Year. A time of new beginnings, 2011 has been relegated into the anneals of history. What an amazing year it was. Doreen and I were able to share Christ in many different ways and places. In jails, roadsides, parks, churches. Always seeing lives touched and changed to the Glory of God.
This New Year we expect the Lord to do wonderful things. We are now preparing to leave for the Philippines, for seven weeks of caring the Cross, then on to Brizil, next will be the country of Chile for three months. If you are from those countries watch for us and the Cross, we would love to meet you…
Setting the Captives Free!!
What we’ve been up to…
Well, though we’re still in Kentucky, we know it’s because the Lord has us here. It’s been an amazing 8 months since we’ve first arrived with the cross early in the year! We are rejoicing in what God has been doing and how he has directed us. Watching Him work is always amazing and it is such a joy when in His will. As we have shared, we started visiting the Boyd County Jail here in February. In July, we started visiting the jail weekly. We have been working mostly with the women lately. All the cells can come together because usually the women are behaved. The men, on the other hand, have to come in one cell at a time. Sometimes they try mixing two cells. Anyway, since we have been visiting the women regularly, we have developed a beautiful relationship with them! Often, they come in to the room after Rick and I have set it up (putting chairs out for them), and greet us with hugs or just great big smiles and express their gratitude. These last two weeks, God has led us to teach on Isaiah 61, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me….to give unto them beauty for ashes…” The Lord even gave me a melody to go with it! He wouldn’t actually let me go until I sang it into a recorder, I guess so I wouldn’t forget it. Of course, it is engrained in my memory now! Anyway, the girls received the message well, with many tears of sadness (remorse) and joy!! Many wanting to receive Christ for the first time. As usual, we had them bow their heads and asked if anyone who had not yet asked Jesus into their heart, would raise their hand if they would like to ask Him in, 11 girls raised their hands!!!! Praise you Jesus!!!! It has been like that almost every time we go in. Of course, there are always new girls every week so we get to witness to different girls each time, besides the ones that will be there for a while. In our last post, we shared how we started a Christian library in there. The girls were sooooo excited! This past week, we learned that they actually can get baptized in the jail. They bring in a big portable horse troth and fill it with water as needed. We were so excited about that opportunity being available. Two girls raised their hands wed. and asked to be baptized!! So needless to say, we are extremely excited to be able to do that (of course, after we have a chance to counsel with them), a week from this Thursday!! Please keep us all in prayer!
Wonderful things continue to happen at the First Baptist Church of Flatwoods, where Rick has been supplying quite regularly. We have recently begun putting together our very first coffee house at Flatwoods. Everyone is very excited about this since they have never done anything like this before and since they really have hearts for outreach. October 8th is the date of the coffeehouse so as you can imagine, we are scrambling! There is sooo much I could share about the amazing things God is doing to bring this together but there is just too much, right down from Danny (who has such a wonderful heart for the Lord, and is a gifted musician as well), who is helping us, to Devin Williams, who has volunteered to come play from Nashville!
Then later this month, Dianne (my singing partner from Mass., see www.HISongs.com), will be flying in to do a few concerts. We also will be doing a concert in the jail for the women. Of course, I will be so happy to see her! We have such an amazing unity of heart. We are always thrilled to get together and discuss the things that the Lord is showing us, we hardly talk about anything else; well, of course, going shopping at our favorite place,” Salvation Fashions” (Salvation Army)! Ha, ha!!!! No, really, we share regularly what He is doing in our lives over the phone and ALWAYS pray together, seeking His will first and foremost for our lives.
Beginning the second week of Nov. (after Dianne goes back home), we will be departing what has been our home for 8 wonderful months (and our wonderful friends ) at the” KOA campground” in Ashland, Ky! We cannot express our gratitude enough!!! We will be heading toward the Dallas, Texas area, where we will be staying and carrying the cross until right before Christmas.
Keep us in your prayers, and please pray about supporting this ministry,( you can through Paypal), as it is strictly a faith-based ministry working on the “Front Lines” reaching the unreached. (see our Donate page)
Thank you so much and God bless you,
Rick and Doreen (from the side of the road)
Praise the Lord!! What a Week…
Praise the Lord!! What a week we have had here in Eastern Kentucky. Ministering to many, the message of the Joy and Abundance of Life that is found in a vital relationship with Jesus Christ… We have seen a number of people trust Him as Savior and discover that He is such a real comforter! While many here are so wounded by the bondage of just religion. “Churchy-anity”… Too Many of the young people we see, have just given up on church, the Lord and Life itself. But some have dug in and found the truth of the gospel or come back to it from their roots. Again this week we went and did services at the Boyd County Jail. What a marvelous move of the Spirit we had. Doreen sang several songs and I preached. They aloud us to stay almost 3 hours and talk to the women. We had about 35 come to the service and eight of them prayed to receive Christ… We go again in a few days. The door has been wide open to us. For that we do rejoice. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to minister there in the next weeks that we are here. Doreen and I have also been given permission to put a library of Christian books in there. We would love to have your help financially to help make this happen. Anyone wanting to help can donate through our paypal account or sending a check to Rick Newton Evangelistic Ministries PO Box 2 Lanesboro, Ma. 01237 . Then just this morning we were involved in a “Church without Walls” ministry in central park downtown where we prayed with a young lady to receive Christ. Jesus is truly moving here, redeeming lives from the enemy. Keep us in your prayers and help us as you can. Thanks!!!Praise the Lord!!
Friend on the side of the road
