It is always fun to look back over our spiritual walk with the Lord. My Christian life began in the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, California (FACI) in 1987 and through all those years I have worshiped, prayed, studied, and had great fellowship (spiritual and lots of good Filipino food) with many wonderful Christian brothers and sisters - young, in-between, and older.
Dory and I have seen friends saved, families saved - and we have seen a number of our Christian Friends promoted to heaven. Overall it has been a great three decades and counting in my walk with the Lord.
Dory's Christian life began long before we met and she was the one who kept pointing me toward Him, even when I was being stubborn and obstinate. She is proof that prayer works - for she prayed for me to be saved for ten years - before God orchestrated my meeting with Pastor Sam Lacanienta.
Pastor Sam and Ida Lacanienta took Dory and me by the hand - and through six months of Bible study and worship - led me to the cross where the Holy Spirit claimed me as a child of God.
Lolita Mueller introduced us to Pastor Sam and invited us to FACI where the love of God enveloped me. The next Friday Dory asked if I wanted to go to Bible study. And I asked, "What is that?" - for in all my then fifty years, I had never heard of nor been invited to a Bible study.
That Friday we went to my first Bible study at the home of Ed & Ligaya Nibut - and once again, in that FACI Bible study at the Nibut home, through all the people that evening, I felt covered by the love of God. After attending FACI worship services and learning in FACI Bible studies for six months, I became a child of God.
Years ago, Lolita Mueller, who invited me to FACI - and Ed Nibut, at whose home I attended my first Bible study and began my lifelong learning of the Word of God through Bible studies - were both promoted into the presence of God. Those two people who were instrumental in pointing me toward the Cross - have received their graduation crowns and are with Him. One day we will all have a glorious reunion in heaven where I can embrace and thank both of them again.
Why am I telling you this story of the conversion of Bill Gray? Glad you asked.
Today, at the home of Hal & Ligaya (Nibut) Lefler many of my long time Christian Friends are having a FACI REUNION. As much as I would love to have seen and had fellowship with them, Dory and I were not able to attend.
But I wanted to do something special for all my FACI Friends, especially those from the early years. So I have scanned a FACI booklet created for our official FACI Fourth Anniversary Celebration in 1992. The booklet is entitled VISIONS and reflects the work of Pastor Sam, who in 1992, had for two years been the Baptist General Conference Western Coordinator For Church Planting in Filipino communities in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada.
This was the official Fourth Anniversary Celebration for the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (FACI). FACI started with two Filipino families - the Almeda family and the Lacanienta family.
Within a few years we had California Filipino-American church fellowships in Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, Long Beach, Corona, Canoga Park, Eagle Rock, Claremont, San Diego, Oceanside, and National City. And we had Bible study fellowships (the beginning on of new church fellowships) in Arizona and in Escondido, California.
The photos and stories shared in this booklet bring back many beautiful memories for me - and I pray for you also. To accommodate as many folks as possible, in my Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries eNewsletter I have attached a copy of the booklet in both Adobe PDF format and also in Word DOC format. Those will not show in this blog, but I can e-mail those attachments to anyone who will Facebook Message me your e-mail address.
And below are links to a YouTube video version and a URL linkable PDF version:
In other words, I want to make this treasured memory booklet available to all my Friends is a format which will allow you to enjoy the moment - that moment in 1992 when we celebrated an exciting Christian fellowship in the Filipino-American Church of Irvine, California.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Dory and I have seen friends saved, families saved - and we have seen a number of our Christian Friends promoted to heaven. Overall it has been a great three decades and counting in my walk with the Lord.
Dory's Christian life began long before we met and she was the one who kept pointing me toward Him, even when I was being stubborn and obstinate. She is proof that prayer works - for she prayed for me to be saved for ten years - before God orchestrated my meeting with Pastor Sam Lacanienta.
Pastor Sam and Ida Lacanienta took Dory and me by the hand - and through six months of Bible study and worship - led me to the cross where the Holy Spirit claimed me as a child of God.
Lolita Mueller introduced us to Pastor Sam and invited us to FACI where the love of God enveloped me. The next Friday Dory asked if I wanted to go to Bible study. And I asked, "What is that?" - for in all my then fifty years, I had never heard of nor been invited to a Bible study.
That Friday we went to my first Bible study at the home of Ed & Ligaya Nibut - and once again, in that FACI Bible study at the Nibut home, through all the people that evening, I felt covered by the love of God. After attending FACI worship services and learning in FACI Bible studies for six months, I became a child of God.
Years ago, Lolita Mueller, who invited me to FACI - and Ed Nibut, at whose home I attended my first Bible study and began my lifelong learning of the Word of God through Bible studies - were both promoted into the presence of God. Those two people who were instrumental in pointing me toward the Cross - have received their graduation crowns and are with Him. One day we will all have a glorious reunion in heaven where I can embrace and thank both of them again.
Why am I telling you this story of the conversion of Bill Gray? Glad you asked.
Today, at the home of Hal & Ligaya (Nibut) Lefler many of my long time Christian Friends are having a FACI REUNION. As much as I would love to have seen and had fellowship with them, Dory and I were not able to attend.
But I wanted to do something special for all my FACI Friends, especially those from the early years. So I have scanned a FACI booklet created for our official FACI Fourth Anniversary Celebration in 1992. The booklet is entitled VISIONS and reflects the work of Pastor Sam, who in 1992, had for two years been the Baptist General Conference Western Coordinator For Church Planting in Filipino communities in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada.
This was the official Fourth Anniversary Celebration for the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (FACI). FACI started with two Filipino families - the Almeda family and the Lacanienta family.
Within a few years we had California Filipino-American church fellowships in Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, Long Beach, Corona, Canoga Park, Eagle Rock, Claremont, San Diego, Oceanside, and National City. And we had Bible study fellowships (the beginning on of new church fellowships) in Arizona and in Escondido, California.
The photos and stories shared in this booklet bring back many beautiful memories for me - and I pray for you also. To accommodate as many folks as possible, in my Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries eNewsletter I have attached a copy of the booklet in both Adobe PDF format and also in Word DOC format. Those will not show in this blog, but I can e-mail those attachments to anyone who will Facebook Message me your e-mail address.
And below are links to a YouTube video version and a URL linkable PDF version:
VISIONS in 1992 - Fil-Am Church Of Irvine (CA) FACI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5VS5pr3PAk
VISIONS Of FACI - 1992 (URL linkable PDF file) https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oNgiH1t0coOEBQGuOu3kwXalXPp5mvAe
In other words, I want to make this treasured memory booklet available to all my Friends is a format which will allow you to enjoy the moment - that moment in 1992 when we celebrated an exciting Christian fellowship in the Filipino-American Church of Irvine, California.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Click on image to enlarge:
No comments:
Post a Comment