The cabinets for the tutorials hold an important part of the whole kit because they provide a place to store all the equipment and supplies to keep it dry and secure when it’s not being used. Most of the congregation utilize the same room for the tutorial during the week as they do for their services on Sundays. There is generaly no closets or storage areas for things so the cabinets are a place where the tutorial supplies can be kept and secured during the times that they are not being used. The last couple of years we have tried different types of cabinets, from building them from scratch, to just buying them from a local retailer. Some problems have occurred though with both types in the past.
When we had them made from scratch it turned out to be very expensive and took a long time. Not to mention I spent a considerable amount of time going back and forth checking on each step of the process and delivering additional supplies.
When we just purchased them, we found out that they weren’t made very well (partial board) and therefore didn’t hold up for long. In both cases the cabinets would be delivered to one location and the individual congregations would have to travel there and find a way to deliver their cabinet(5.5’H x 2’W x 2.5’L) back to their church building.
This year I was blessed to meet a brother and sister from the Sta. Lucia church of Christ by the name of Cesar and Rose. They both own their own buisness and are blessed with great entrepreneurial minds. They suggested that I take the design that I had made the first year and have a company that they knew of to precut all the pieces for the cabinet so that it would be easy to transport and then when it would reach its destination it could be easily assembled. Of course it’s a little bit more involved than that but you get the gist of it! It solves the problem of time, expense, delivery, longevity and durability!
It was truly a blessing to visit congregations who had taken advantage of the Missing Link tutorial kits last year and to see how God had blessed the congregations as a whole, as well as the individual lives of the ministers, teachers, parents, siblings and of course the children of who were involved with the tutorials. I was able to travel for three days with June Patricio (who we call the Paul of the Philippines) along with my mother (Prissy), sister & niece (Hope & Amelia) and Kelsy (fiance of my brother) on a mission to visit as many tutorials as we could. Some had just had there tutorial kits for a year and others for two years.
We were able to visit the following:
Salawag Church of Christ
Lloyd is the tutorial teacher. He is currently in training and learns from the teacher in the Tester congregation during the morning classes and then travels to the Salawag Congregation and teaches what he learned to the tutorial there). They currently have 4 students w/ 0 converts so far (14 students last year with 3 baptisms).
Tester Ave. Church of Christ
Rolly is the preacher and the tutorial teacher as well and he also owns his own business (pawn shop and jewelry importer). He also teaches at the preacher school. His wife Nona Fe is a computer engineer and the tutorial teacher. 12 students and 11 parents have become Christians.
Bulihan Church of Christ
They have had there tutorial for one year now. Jonathan is the preacher and his wife Myrna is the teacher. They have 14 students and 2 of the parents so far have become Christians.
Piela Church of Christ (Currently has 15 members)
Jesse and Rejina
16 students down to 11
3 parents have been converted and 5 more are currently involved in bible studies.
Calamba Church of Christ
40 parents in attendants and 30 children
6 students and one convert (7 last year)
(Kalawan Cof C 4 converts and 10 students, 9 baptisms last year)
Ibaan Church of Christ
Wants a tutorial. They have a goat house to support a preacher and some land for a church building. Right now they are meeting in Bro Domingo Camag-Anacam house. He was in the Air Force and his wife past away two years ago. She was a direct descendent of the first members of the church in the Philippines.
Las Pinas Church of Christ
Teachers names are Vicky And Joan. Danny Enriquez Is the youth minister of 15 young people and they have had 2 baptisms in the last two weeks, they were the sisters of the tutorial kids.
4 total conversions this year out of 6 students. They started with 15 students but some didn’t want there parents to leave(to dependent still) and some of the children’s parents weren’t meeting the requirements(bible studies ect.)
Needdles to say that my two weeks were very fullfilling and rewarding! To the Glory of God!! May God continue to use these Missing Link Tutorial to further his Kingdom.
Matthew Sellers