What God Did/What We Did This Summer

A Letter from Cathy Chang and Juan Lopez, mission co-workers serving in the Philippines

Fall 2024

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Dear friends in Christ,

Changing the subject from us to God with a familiar back-to-school essay, but for this newsletter, reminds us of Who plans our days and fills them with surprises. This past July and August, God made the way for our family for Interpretation Ministry, with supporting churches in Texas and Pennsylvania. Covering six weeks’ worth of visits over two states and five presbyteries, Juan managed the logistics of road trips with rental and borrowed cars, air travel, along with homestays and hotel rooms.

Enjoying fellowship at Carmel Presbyterian Church

In addition to covering logistics, I (Cathy) accepted the opportunity and challenge of providing ministry context and sharing more partners’ stories, to fit within a Sunday sermon. This was a first since I became the acting regional liaison for Southeast Asia in late 2022. Even more, the topic of “pig butchering,” known through online and love scams in the Philippines, was unfolding in daily headlines, which prompted us to stay aware and share the most relevant information. This latest form of human trafficking lures people into false promises of jobs, love, and fast money, but can also lure these same victims into duping more victims. This transnational trafficking, as well as the responses from faith communities, was included in our presentations.

Summertime often translates into lower church attendance and lessened engagement – still, God prepared surprises along the way. How we wish that our church visits could happen during the program year between September and May! However, as our 7^th grade daughter Aurelie gets older, it is increasingly difficult to be away from school. The upside to these summer visits is meeting – and reconnecting with – people and getting to know more about them. Friends from my seminary days are now serving actively in congregational ministry and mid-council leadership. God strengthened common bonds with our hosts through appreciation for visual art, outdoor gardens, as well as music through Rick Beato’s YouTube channel. While staying with a homestay close to my home during high school years, each conversation with our hosts revealed the unraveling web of Presbyterian friends, favorite high school French teacher, and parents of high school classmates.

Juan facilitates ice breakers at St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church

God enlivened our visits through engagement with members and community members of our host churches. At the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth Texas, we joined Worship on Wednesdays, which included a meal, music, and devotion, with church members and unhoused friends. We also brought the Filipino hymn called, “The Hands of God” to share with friends that evening. During a Saturday afternoon event at St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church in Richardson, Texas, Juan led an icebreaker for church members and Turkish friends from the interfaith community.  Later when we worshipped at Carmel Presbyterian Church in Glenside, Pennsylvania, we also met the Salvadoran pastor and members of the Pentecostal fellowship that worships on Sunday afternoons. Over a sumptuous multicultural meal of pupusas and fried chicken, fresh summer salads, and desserts, we enjoyed the gift of fellowship. Thanks be to God, these discussions about ministries related to forced migration, human trafficking, and children’s rights, took on new meaning, because of how church members and community friends engaged with us and these topics through our partners’ stories – and it didn’t end there. At least two members shared an interest in visiting us in the Philippines.   

Soon after family vacation and starting the new school year for Aurelie, God allowed Cathy to travel again with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines high-level delegation that featured Bishop Joseph Agpaoa, Acting General Secretary; the Rev. George Lungay, Executive Secretary for Human Resource Development; Norman Ramiro, Chairperson of the Commission on Stewardship and Resource Development; Dr. Pio Baconga, President and CEO of the Pilgrim Christian College; Larry Millan, Director of Planted Vineyard Realty Corporation. Cathy and Cobbie Palm, PC(USA) mission co-worker and son of missionaries who served in the 1960s and 1970s, accompanied this delegation through their dialogue with the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Administrative Services Group – A Corporation, Office of the Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Foundation, Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, and Presbyterian Women.

UCCP high-level delegation visits with Presbyterian Foundation and Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program

God’s Spirit flowed through the exchange of information and insightful questions about organizational and human resource structures, in addition to property development. These topics require a bit of background: During the 1970s, the UCCP experienced the growing pains of self-reliance when they adopted a moratorium on accepting funds from international partners and new mission personnel. Currently, ministry concerns include the ongoing recruitment of new pastors through salary standardization and providing retirement and death benefits for church workers. One potential funding source comes through mission-driven development projects. The UCCP leadership envisions harnessing their God-given talents to steward property and human resources. Please join your prayers through this ongoing process during these years leading up to the next quadrennial assembly in 2026 and beyond.

  What did God do this summer in your lives? Thanks be to God’s Spirit who traveled with our family, our church and global partners, through these recent experiences. We are also grateful for how individuals, churches, presbyteries, and Presbyterian Women, as you continue to support us through your prayers and financial support, through this journey of mission service.

Grace and peace, Cathy and Juan