MISSIONS SPOTLIGHT: Stan & Donna Scroggins • The Philippines

From Stan — This is supposed to be summer break, but noooo… after two weeks of teaching with Dr. South, I headed to an ordination on the island of Palawan, then back to Manila and then Donna got back. Now we will focus on getting ready for school to start back on Aug. 17. Be praying for the Lees. Both Doug and Diane are delayed for some medical procedures and are set to return around the first of September. Also, thanks for inquiring about the recent earthquake. All our churches and personnel are good. We have earthquakes here almost hourly. Some we feel, most we do not.

In June, I began teaching 15 pastors and missionaries our BMA DiscipleWay disciple-making course for the master’s program. Dr. Philip Attebery was our guest finishing up this teaching. As a result, many of the pastors that were trained are now training their individual congregations about the importance of disciple-making. I am so pleased to be helping with additional training of pastors coming up in August.

I remember when I was trained by DiscipleWay leadership just a few years ago. Dr. Philip Attebery, Dr. Steve Crawley and Dr. Ronnie Johnson, who prayed, researched and wrote what many across Christian America reviewed as “one of the best discipleship training programs to date.”

I encourage pastors, missionaries and church members to consider using this exceptional discipleship training. Contact Dr. Philip Attebery for more information at philip.attebery@bmats.edu.

God’s Providential Hand — Almost three years ago, Donna and I met a precious baby girl with a cleft pallet and her parents at our BMA mission on the Island of Guimaras. We knew we had to do something to help. A couple from First Baptist Church in Potosi, Mo. provided the funds, so we began the search for surgery options. Wall after wall and closed door after closed door, then a God thing. I was having a procedure at the hospital in Manila. While being prepped, the anesthesiologist told me she often traveled to Iloilo, next door to Guimaras. I asked if she had family there. “No,” she said, “I go there to provide my services for cleft palette repair.”

  The doctor gave me all the information I needed, and we informed the parents. After several complications and then a two-year COVID interruption, baby Ezra had the first of three surgeries this month. After her lip repair, she will have palette repair and then cosmetic surgery for a deviated septum. Doctors say that by age 13, there will be little sign of her surgeries. Donna and I are two very happy missionaries. Thank you, Nathan and Jaclyn Rowe, who made all this possible.

Ordination Trip to Puerta Princessa — I arrived at the newly rebuilt Honda Bay Baptist Church on Saturday at 1 p.m. and immediately went to work leading an introduction to their choir of the Christmas musical, “Cool Yule.” On Sunday, after the morning worship and lunch, the ordination of 2019 BMA Bible College Graduate Patrick Maban began. I was honored to preach the ordination message.

Manila Mission Church Survey Trip — The Baptist Missionary Church outside of Manila is the mother church of six missions. Only two of these churches have pastors. “The fields are white, but the laborers few.” This church really has a heart for missions and a desire to reach the 22 million people of urban Manila.

The church has a mission to the poorest of the poor — known as the “Land Fill Church” — this is the location where all the refuse of Manila is brought. The people here make a living by recycling refuse. The church is the only concrete building here and serves as an emergency shelter location.

Another BMA Baptist Church is located in a higher economic village but still considered very poor. They are glad to have Bro. Rico as their pastor.

After visiting several of the church’s mission sites, we inspected possible locations for a decidedly middle-class location. A storefront is one of many available for rent near the largest university in the Philippines, with several other colleges and high schools located nearby. Logically, church planting in poor areas makes for a low cost but reaching people in a middle-class location will be quite expensive.

The last two months have been the longest Donna and I have been separated in our married life. While we went to the same high school, we did not meet until we arrived at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, and married five years later. After 43 years of marriage, we continue ministry together here in the Philippines. After a trip to Palawan and Manila, I met her at the airport in Manila to travel the rest of the way back to Bacolod together.

Finally, Donna is Home — After some final family fun at the Escape Room; goodbyes to our daughters (Kelsey and Leslie), granddaughters (Ava Grace, Edy Rose, Joy Tatum) and sons-in-law (Graham and Josh), the long trek to the Philippines began — Tyler to Dallas, Dallas to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Manila and Manila to Bacolod. I finally made it and met up with Stan at his hotel before we headed out for Bacolod.

From Donna — There is never enough time. I wish I had more time with our family here in the United States. Now that my main mission for coming home is accomplished, it is time for me to head back to the Philippines. It will be such a joy to be back and get down to work with school starting up in August. It looks like we will have a big enrollment this term with over 90 students already making applications and there is still a month to go before school starts. Thank you for praying for my safe travel. The recent earthquake didn’t affect us in Negros. Usually, the big ones happen in the northern Luzon area. Stan was there just a few days ago.

Stay up to date with the Scroggins and their work in the Philippines by visiting their website and checking out their blog — thescroggins.com. You can also partner with Stan and Donna by giving through your local church or the BMA Missions website.

— Donna: +63 908-894-6724/Stan: +63 908-894-6723. You can also contact us through email and Facebook Messenger: Donna, gojvcrusaders@msn.com/Stan, stanmusical@icloud.com. Visit thescroggins.com to subscribe to their ministry updates.