PMI Missionaries
Rene & Lani Quimbo
Ministry Area: Philippines
Responsibilities: Study center, evangelism, Muslim outreach
E-mail Address: renequimbo@yahoo.com
Project: The House of Hope
Rene and Lani graduated from Covenant Seminary in May 2000, he with his M.Div. degree, and she with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. Their family now lives in Cagayan de Oro, on the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines.
"The Portal Study Center" is a ministry to high school and college students and professionals and is also the base for a growing number of ongoing Bible Studies and short seminars on Christian living.
In August 2001, Rene and Lani established the "House of Hope Ministry Center", a ministry to the Bajau tribe, a very poor Muslim group that is shunned by almost everyone.
The Quimbos oversee programs for the Bajau people such as literacy classes, a daycare center, regular education, a clinic, and cell group meetings. There are also a number of livelihood projects, helping Bajau men and women to earn a living rather than begging in the streets. Similar programs are offered to a mountain people called the Higaonon tribe at the "Hillside Learning Center", established in 2004.
Latest Report: (updated 10/23/2008)
Dear Friends,
God is good. He has gifted us with many effective helpers and partners in the growing ministries that He has entrusted to us. He continues to encourage us with a number of fruits in the different ministry areas.
At the Portal Study Center, Jonex, one of the new students in our Bible studies, has started worshipping at Living Hope Christian Fellowship. He also comes to church on Saturdays to join the afternoon youth fellowship. Eula, who started to attend our Bible study when she was still in high school, stopped going to college after her first year due to financial reasons. With some help from Living Hope, where she serves as secretary for two years now, she is back to college, and she is the one who invited Jonex to join a Bible study. Eula has a number of Muslim classmates. Most of them come to her for help with school work. It is a real sacrifice for her to help them out time wise since she still serves as fulltime church secretary while being a fulltime student. But she is willing to do so with the hope that she may be able to share her faith with them. We are prayerfully committing our plan to God --- we are considering starting a weekly get together activity for her Muslim friends. Please pray with us.
We ask for your prayers for the Thursday Bible study group. This consists of first year college students who are spoiled, well-off, and prone to get in trouble. One night, Marlyn, one of our ministry helpers, brought two young ladies from this group to the Portal, both too drunk to go home on their own (she took them from a bar, following a text message from a friend). When we called their parents up, only one parent came to pick up her daughter, while the other parent requested us to keep her daughter for the night and let her go home in the morning. May the Lord be gracious unto them and save them from such a destructive lifestyle.
Of the fifty-eight participants to the short seminar "An Open Invitation" last August 21, 23 of them attended for the first time. Three of the first time participants are now attending a weekly Bible study. Our son Iking is team teaching this Bible study with Yayet, also one of our ministry helpers. Yayet, already a teacher in the university, reluctantly joined a Bible study at the Portal 5 years ago, upon the invitation of three of her students who were attending a Bible study then. Yayet has a master's degree in Psychology. She soon became a willing and valuable helper in the ministry--- teaching Bible studies, teaching in youth camps, and counseling. God does shower our path with unexpected blessing.
In Zamboanga City, September brought exciting moments in ministry. A Tausug Muslim lady, a wife of a local government official, came to the center questioning the existence of the day care school. Itah, a member of the family that allowed us to build the ministry center adjacent to their house and the helper of our day care teacher, ably responded to her queries. God used her to defend the program though she is not a Christian herself. This led us to prayerfully consider starting to teach her God's word through Bible story telling. When we visited last September, we were able to share God's word to her entire family as we responded to a question that was raised by her family concerning blessings and curses. When we challenged Itah to a Bible study, she said she will be happy to learn stories from the Bible and from the Qur'an. We covet your prayers---this could be the beginning of God's word and His will taking root in the heart of Itah, then, God willing, in her family, too.
At the House of Hope Ministry Center, God has done a most wonderful thing in the life of Normina. She was the wife who left her husband for the husband's younger brother. We convinced the younger brother to leave her so as to give his brother a chance to get back with her. Unfortunately, despite the younger brother's departure, and despite great efforts of the husband to reunite with his wife, Normina refused to get reunited with her husband, citing his irresponsibility as the main reason. A few months later, the husband got married to another woman. Normina even attended the wedding. Normina was so angry at us for separating her from the younger brother that she refused cell group meeting at her house, and she stopped coming to church worship services, prayer meeting, and women's fellowship. Two weeks ago, she gave birth to a baby boy. We visited her, prayed with her, and showed support during this difficult time. Today, during the Sunday school for women, she asked us if we could name his son in a ceremony at the church. We scheduled it during the first Sunday of November. God heals all wounds.
At the Hillside Learning Center, the cell group meetings in homes have reached Mikati community. This area is about 3 hours walk from the center, an uphill climb all the way. You know you have reached Mikati when you have reached the place where you cannot see any place higher than what you are standing on. We praise the Lord for the team of 6 people who faithfully go there every Saturday morning to conduct cell group meetings in 3 homes. One of the families from these cell groups attempted to worship with us at the center on Sundays. But they stopped coming after two Sundays. Since we begin worship services at two in the afternoon, they will reach home at around 8 in the evening. So we are prayerfully considering holding worship services up in Mikati in one of the houses once or twice a month for a start. Please pray with us that God will bless this endeavor.
As you know we hold noontime Bible studies at the center for elementary students every school day. One noon time, while different Bible studies were going on, a girl standing outside looking in through a window, screamed at her younger sister who attended the grade 1 Bible study group, saying "You fool! Why are you in there? Get out of there. I'll tell Papa and Mama. You are in big trouble!" May the Lord be merciful upon these young children who needed to hear His word for their own sake.
At Living Hope Christian Fellowship, we cannot thank God enough for leading us to hold weekly follow-up Bible studies for both Kiraba and Camp Evangelista DVBS participants last summer. There are more than 50 kids in Kiraba (meeting every Tuesday after school), and more than 25 kids in Camp Evangelista (meeting every Wednesday after school). These are kids whose parents do not go to an evangelical church, and others do not go to any church at all. Indeed, God has a gentle heart for children who needed Him to find their way in this world. We are thankful to God for Eugene and Nids, our dependable helpers in this ministry.
One Friday afternoon fellowship at Opol National Secondary Technical School campus, we noticed students getting uneasy. When asked, they said, that there was another Christian fellowship coordinated by a church in downtown Cagayan being held at the same time in the campus, and they have been invited to attend. So we requested the youth pastor from this church that we meet to discuss what is best for the students. Twice, he didn't show up for the meeting. Last year, we encouraged him to meet students on another day, the campus has about 800 students and we are only able to minister to about 150 students (50 students on Tuesday noontime Bible study), and around 100 students on Friday afternoon fellowship. The youth pastor has since stopped coming to the campus. It created confusion for a while for some of our student leaders were the ones that he also encouraged to lead in the fellowship he was starting. We are thankful for God's intervention before it hurt any of the students we are ministering to in His name.
The security of the big island where we are has been threatened in recent months due to the attacks that have been launched by Muslim rebels not only against the government military but also against civilians. Houses have been burned, around 110,000 people have been evacuated, and casualties on all sides---civilians, rebels and government military have escalated. On the news last night, Umbra Kato, the Muslim rebel military leader declared that they cannot surrender to the government because in their religion it would mean being thrown into hell when they die. He said that now this means "magkakaubusan na ng lahi" (the fight goes on till none is left in our race). May the Lord honor our call for His help and deliver our people from the work of the enemy.
With all the joys and challenges that we experienced and overcame in ministry, we have always been mindful that they are made possible only because you are willing channels of God's grace towards us. Thank you for all the sacrifices that you have made in order to continue to be our faithful ministry partners both in prayer and finances. We remain grateful to God for meeting all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Yours in Christ,
Rene and Lani Quimbo
Presbyterian Mission International
12330 Conway Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63141
Telephone: (314) 434-4044
Fax: (314) 434-4819
