The Baran Family

Nasipit Outreach

Chris & Elizabeth — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:52:37 +0000

Shortly after arriving in Cebu we selected a target area to begin our outreach to the local people. Since we’ve been here we’ve gone every Saturday with a group from North Cebu Baptist Church and focused our soul winning efforts on that one specific area. The little town of Nasipit looks small at first but we quickly discovered several clusters of homes filled with families. There are no street names or real roads, just paths made of dirt or concrete leading you to the next group of houses and little stores. You always pass people on the road but since we’ve returned we’ve hardly met the same person twice. The people as a whole are friendly but it didn’t take us long to realize that Cebu is very Catholic, even more so than Manila. It was here in Cebu that Catholicism was first born around 1521 and the people have clung to its superstition and beliefs to this day. Even a large portion of the children go to mass everyday so you can imagine some people aren’t too thrilled that we’re here. We’ve been faithfully returning to this town for weeks now and have seen some become defiant. Now they post their catholic symbols on their doors when they were not there before. Praise the Lord, a few have responded well. One young mother actually came to church and made a profession of faith! A few children have also come but there are so much more that we need to reach! The benefit of returning to the same area is that over time the people will get to know you on a more personal level and eventually want to talk. One thing we noticed right away was the requests for a backyard Bible School from several young children. Due to these requests we’re going to change our game plan a little bit next week and bring the church to the neighborhood! Lord willing we’ll hold a mini Sunday School class right in their backyards! Please keep us in your prayers as we try to reach the local community of Nasipit!

A Fancy Roast

Chris & Elizabeth — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:54:11 +0000

Since our arrival in March I’ve tried a few Filipino delicacies (some more desirable than others) and this week I was able to enjoy another one. Lechon is probably one of the Philippines’ most recognized dishes other than balut and is one of my personal favorites. A whole pig is roasted over charcoal, rotisserie style, until the skin becomes crispy. It is a little intimidating to see the whole pig sitting on your dining room table as you get ready to eat but the taste is phenomenal! Sometimes you can see pig farmers transfer a live pig in a sack on their motorcycle! Fresh delivery for the buyer! The church just recently had a fellowship meal and someone provided a beautiful lechon for us to enjoy! Others also brought their very best and that was a blessing to see too. The people here do not have much but they have been taught to give and have seen the Lord bless them for it!

Camp in Cebu

Chris & Elizabeth — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:51:03 +0000

We just finished a great week of camp with the teens from our church! The theme was Facing the Giants, Who is Your Goliath? Throughout the week we heard some great preaching on the giants of fear, pride, and public opinion. By the weeks end seven teens trusted the Lord as their Savior and others made decisions about their own personal giants. The devil fought hard to disrupt the week but the Lord still worked in the lives of the young people despite it all. We made a lot of good memories and Elizabeth and I really enjoyed participating in camp! At the end of the week I had to face one of my own giants, balut! I’ve never really liked the boiled fertilized egg but somehow there I was, standing in front of the whole camp holding the crunchy egg. Two other Americans were next to me examining their own balut. I tried to eat it in one big bite but that strategy didn’t work…I won’t go into the details but lets just say it was a failed attempt. I couldn’t get my wife to try one but perhaps she was smart. We had a lot of fun this week and really enjoyed seeing the Lord work in hearts! When it was finally time to take the kids home we had another interesting developement; our jeepney broke down! Having your one and only jeepney give out during camp is a major problem but thankfully some of the other churches let us borrow their vehicles. As a result I ended up driving for the very first time in the Philippines. Our journey began in the mountains so traffic wasn’t terrible…until we got into the city. I think I scared the teens a few times. Right before we started for home several teens asked me, “You sure you know how to drive Pastor Chris?”. Praise the Lord, after getting lost and just barely avoiding a couple of motorcycles we made it home safe and sound! That was an experience all on its own but I think it gave me a little more confidence about driving here in Cebu.

Our Home

Chris & Elizabeth — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:05:05 +0000

We signed the contract for our house this week! After traveling on the road for a couple years we’re really looking forward to putting some roots down. It’s a cute little three bedroom home so we have room for you if you want to visit! Funny thing is there is no bathroom but they’re working on that right now. The lady that we’re renting from has been very kind and let us make some necessary changes, like adding a bathroom. We don’t want to put a lot of money into the house because we are just renting it and we hope to someday buy a home, Lord willing. At this point we’re just thrilled to finally have our own place! I think Elizabeth is counting down the days until we move in. June 1st is moving day, and we praise the Lord for helping us find a place so quickly.

Back In Cebu!

Chris & Elizabeth — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:46:28 +0000

Well, we’re back in Cebu and we’re quickly finding our niche in the ministry here at North Cebu Baptist Church. Seven new visitors came from our brand new target area and of those seven one mother made a profession of salvation! We’re also excited to be involved in the Extension Classes the church has on Saturdays. These backyard bible schools give us the opportunity to go into an area, set up chairs, and teach the local children about the Bible. This is also a great way for the parents to hear the gospel! Summer has been a busy time for us here in Cebu and in just one week we’ll be in the middle of camp! Please continue to keep that in your prayers as we encourage the kids to go. We also ask for your prayers as we try to finalize our housing situation. It looks like we found our first first home! We will be renting and hope to move in on June 1st. These are exciting times for us as we settle in our new home!

Camp in Manila

Chris & Elizabeth — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:21:07 +0000

Momma Mila meets Abbie for the first time!

After finally setting up our temporary home in Cebu, Elizabeth and I found ourselves on a plane headed for Manila. Summer is a very busy time here and we were about to experience our first camp in the Philippines! Two years ago, we met Pastor Nemual Lesada while we were on our survey trip. He and his family were very helpful to us during our stay and soon became our friends. It was also during that time that I visited my mother. It had been two years since I had last seen her so what a blessing to finally be with her again. When we visited her in her home it soon became clear to me that she needed to move and find a better place to work. It just so happened that Pastor Lesada had mentioned to me that they needed a cook for their brand new camp. Praise the Lord, only He could time things so perfectly! Now, two years later I was returning to speak at that camp and see my mother in her new home. Keep in mind that this would also be the first time that my mom would get to see Abigail. What a truly special moment for us! I was also blessed to see my mom in such good hands. The church there in Manila has greatly helped my mom both physically and spiritually. Elizabeth and I enjoyed spending our first week of camp with them. I preached twice in Tagalog and the juniors seemed to respond well. My mind is quickly grasping the language again but I still need a lot of help! Sixteen children got saved throughout the week and many more made some great decisions. What an encouragement to see God work in the Philippines. Elizabeth and I still have two more weeks of camp to go this summer in Cebu so please keep that in your prayers! The people here may have a completely different culture but they still have the same spiritual, emotional, and physical needs as people in the States. Only God can change their hearts and show them a better path!

Our New Life in Cebu

Chris & Elizabeth — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:45:58 +0000

Things have been busy as we settle into this beautiful country. Our time here has almost added up to one month and we’re still adjusting to the new culture and climate. Right now we’re in the middle of the Philippine summer and temperatures can easily rise to almost a hundred degrees with humidity. Back home this would be enough to keep most people in their homes but here it is a daily part of life that the people have learned to live with. Abigail is adjusting well and loves her new surroundings. Her blue eyes and light colored hair have made her a tiny celebrity. She has been a great conversation starter with different people as we travel on public transportation. I think she would make a great soul winning partner! Easter came and with it, Holy week, one of the biggest holidays in the Philippines. It’s a time when people take vacation and celebrate…and almost nothing can be done throughout the week. I was reminded of this when I went to get our P.O. Box address and the only lady who could give me the address had taken a vacation to China and wouldn’t be back for several days. Yes, we’re still acclimating to the new pace of our new home. Praise the Lord we’re finally here! There are some frustrations but what a blessing to finally be in Cebu.

We Made It!

Chris & Elizabeth — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:09:06 +0000

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

Well, after 24 hours plus of fly time and layovers we finally made it to Cebu. It has been a little over a week since we arrived and we’re almost over our jet lag. As we traveled on deputation a wise veteran missionary warned us that the first two months on the field can be the most difficult. Entering the airport to leave Buffalo I never anticipated any difficulties. As we were checking in, we discovered that we were missing some necessary paperwork to leave the States. As a result my wife was immediately flagged, making it impossible for us to leave on the 26th. Thankfully our travel agent knew how to handle the situation and made it possible for us to fly out the very next day. Praise the Lord! We’re not sure why the Lord delayed our trip. Perhaps it was an opportunity to be a good testimony for the travel agent. She was very surprised that we weren’t upset throughout the whole ordeal. Another possibility could be that the Lord was protecting us from something. Whatever the reason, God showed us that He was in control. I know that God wants us here and that He is with us as we begin our new life in Cebu.

January and February 2012 Prayer Letter!

Chris & Elizabeth — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:01:20 +0000

Here is our current prayer letter in PDF form:

January and February 2012 Prayer Letter!

The End to an Amazing Adventure!

Chris & Elizabeth — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:09:29 +0000

We had an exciting conclusion to our deputation trail! For two years now the Lord has protected us on the road and only once have we ever broke down. During those two years we prayed specifically that our car would last as long as we were on deputation and that it wouldn’t cause problems for the next owners. Well, the day after our meeting in Porter Corners we continued our journey to Massachusetts. It’s a long trip through some pretty isolated terrain but I wasn’t too concerned and focused on enjoying time with my brother. We had driven a good hour when the car started to make a terrible rattling noise. I’ve never heard our car make this sound before and immediately knew that something was very wrong. We had just started to climb a hill when I decided it was time to pull over. Now I was concerned, here we were in the middle of nowhere, stuck on the side of a hill. Things looked pretty bad and I was supposed to meet my sister in Massachusettes later that day. In just ten minutes a man stopped by in his truck and asked if we needed some help. He took a look at our engine and confirmed my suspicions, my car wasn’t going to make the trip Massachusetts or anywhere else for that matter. The good news was that just down the hill there was a mechanic who could set us up with a rental car! We had just enough power left in our Toyota to crest the hill and coast into the shop. The people there were great, they bought our car and gave us a discount for our new rental car. Throughout it all God made it very clear to us that He was in control. At the time it looked like a terrible moment to lose our vehicle but now I’m so glad it happened. Yes, glad! Hey, God answered our prayers; the car lasted for the entirety of deputation and it didn’t cause the next owner any problems! On top of it all we somehow managed to break down in the middle of nowhere, not even five minutes away from a mechanic. Coincidence? I know better than that. And because our car broke down I no longer have to deal with the paperwork that goes with giving a car away! God is so good. We were so happy I think the mechanic must have thought we were a little strange. Two hours later we were on the road again as if nothing happened. I met my sister and enjoyed telling her our story! My God has taken great care of us throughout our adventures here in the States. I think this whole ordeal was another way to remind us that He is always in control and that He’ll be with us on that airplane going to Cebu. I’m reminded of the verse in Romans, “…if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”