The KTGPA’s former National Chaplain, Jim Lanley and his wife devoted some of 2025 to international missionary work.
Working as part of Love in Action in the Philippines, he has this to say, “There are many Water Buffalo or Carabao or oxen here in the Philippines. The many rice fields on the plains and in the mountains are tilled and maintained by these huge animals. They are used for farming and also for hauling things into town.
Lanley, in an email, says “What does the ox and a missionary have in common you might ask? Well, Keitha and I pull the heavy load of proclaiming the gospel to the lost men, women, and children in our city of Ozamiz, and in other areas of Mindanao. The ox is faithful to pull the load and has the strength to endure over long periods of time. Missionaries, as well, need to be faithful in ministering to the many people they encounter with differing languages (Cebuano and Chapicano, etc.), cultures, and different religious beliefs with the perseverance to remain in the field until the work is complete.”
“Mission work is often replete with the ‘dirtiness,’” Lanley says. “Of bad weather, earthquakes, disease, muddy roads, and difficult conditions, etc. Moreover, there is the "dirtiness" of lives in need of Jesus requiring patience and the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit to conform them into the image of Christ. We missionaries are in the spiritual cleanup business and it is a privilege to serve God in this capacity.”
