SPOTLIGHT ON MISSIONS: Stan & Donna Scroggins • Philippines

Filipinos love New Year’s Eve. They love it so much they do it twice — once on Jan. 1 and then again on Feb. 1. The second is Chinese New Year and this year it is the year of the Rabbit.

• Sunday February 26, 2023 — There are several reasons this date is so important for missionaries.

First, it is a day to emphasize and pray for missionaries all over the world. These six years on the field have taught us how important your prayers are to us. Visit bmamissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2023BMAMissionsPrayerCards.pdf and you will find a prayer card for each of our national US missionaries and all our international missionaries.

Second, it is a day of giving for missions. The question often asked is, “Why should our church give to our national Missions Department when we directly support missionaries now?” Here are a few reasons: We are an association of churches, working together to help spread the gospel in the U.S. and around the world. No one church can do this all-encompassing work by herself. But together, working together, we can do incredible, marvelous things. No BMA missionary, anywhere in the world, can do their work without the support and advocacy the BMA Missions Department provides. Changemaker missionaries, church planting, field assessment and preparation, financial accountability, missionary care, health insurance administration, retirement planning, even security training and many other services are not free. These services make it possible for missionaries to be in and stay in the field. All missionaries are grateful for their direct church supporters, but we all know how important the services provided by the Mission Department are, too.

Missionaries have three places to solicit support — friends, family and churches. The BMAA Mission Department has just one — the churches. Please, let’s all come together and make this year’s World Mission Day a legacy to be proud of and to remember. Put a smile on a missionaries face by supporting World Mission Day.

• The Darlene Carey Christian Academy continues to grow. Almost daily, someone asks about how to send their children to the school. We started the January semester with 84 students. Be looking for a World Mission article highlighting Academy Director Radarlyn Vallejera. She is wife of ChangeMaker missionary John Rey Vallerjera (Jojo).

We are glad to be part of World Mission Day here in the Philippines. Our Bible College students are saving their pesos for our own World Mission Day offering.

• Welcome back, Diane Lee — Diane had to return to the United States for a back procedure. Donna and I are so glad all went well, and she is back in the Philippines. We know Doug is glad, too. The team is back together.

• Church visits — We love the freedom of being able to visit our BMAP churches on our island of Negros. Each week finds us traveling to another church just to visit and be supportive. The people are always welcoming and friendly and usually ask us to speak.

• It is official — Next month we will travel to the island of Maasin to organize the New Testament Baptist Mission into a New Testament church. We will also ordain Alfred, J.R. Suico as their pastor. It will be filled with celebrations, baptisms and fellowship. It is so exciting for us to be able to get this done before we depart in April.

As you might imagine, the most important event in January was the CHED accreditation team visiting our campus for the final review before awarding our accreditation. The review team recommended us to their national office in Manila. Now we just wait for their announcement.

• From Stan — Kenneth Avencena (2017 BMABC Graduate) will be returning in June to pastor the mission on Guimaras. He will also be taking his new bride with him. Congratulations, Kenneth.

Donna and I depart on Feb. 2 to visit the Okadas, our missionaries in Japan. Pray for safety and wisdom. It is always difficult to travel during these post-COVID days.

We are excited to travel to the mountains of Leyte for the March 19 church organization and ordination of Missionary Alfred J.R. Suico. This is a hard place to travel to and we do ask for your prayers for our traveling safety. We are also expecting guests from all over the Philippines and the United States.

• From Donna — With about 10 weeks until our departure for the United States, we are busy putting into place all of our exit strategies so that our seven years of ministry here will continue. Although we know we will return often, we desire for everything to continue even though we will no longer permanently live in the Philippines.

One important area is our Campus Clinic, as the only nurse serving our students, we knew we would need to make plans for this important need. We are so glad the college is sending Airish Joyce Claudio to complete her nursing degree. She will be ready to take over in just about one year.

Thanks for all your prayers!

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.