The Baran Family

January was truly an unforgettable month. My assistant pastor from Eden, NY came to visit us right here in Cebu! He also brought his dear wife, Miss Renae. While they were with us we showed them the diversity of Filipino living. In the mountain ministry, life is quiet and simple. People cram into jeeps, and just when you think they can’t put one more person inside…they stick them on the roof. Then we took them to Malapascua, which is true island living. You can eat fresh fish almost everyday but there is not one car on the tiny island. Then of course they got a glimpse of city living in our Cebu City. Cebu City is the Queen City of the south, a central hub for tourism and businesses. With 4 million people living here, you quickly see the great need for missions. It was fun to show them the country that God has called us to. Unfortunately, as time passed, it wasn’t long before their journey came to an end. It was very difficult for us to say goodbye. Living on the other side of the world from friends and loved ones hasn’t been easy, but it is a small sacrifice when you consider what Christ has done for us. He, the first missionary, left a perfect home in heaven to die for an sinful world. And now even if my wife and I were to return to the US, we would leave a big piece of our heart here! Being missionaries has allowed us to love people of different nationalities and races. We are so happy to know and love so many wonderful people! That is one of the beautiful things about heaven, there will come a day when we won’t have to say goodbye again! Until then, we will have pieces of our heart all around the world.

January promises to be a fun month! My assistant pastor from Eden, NY will be with us for the next couple weeks!  For years Pastor Seth has been my friend, my mentor, and my partner in crime. :) It has been almost two years since we last saw each other but time hasn’t changed anything! The last time Pastor Seth was in the Philippines, it was his very first missions trip ever. He had managed to talk me into going as a young Bible college graduate. It was during that trip that God confirmed my calling to be a missionary in the Philippines. I am very thankful for the impact Pastor Seth has had in my life throughout the years.