While we were in the Philippines this past summer working with several Filipino churches, I had the opportunity to preach at a small non-denominational church that reaches 50-100 families in Cagayan de Oro. The churches we worked with were often ministering to some of the poorest of families, bringing the Kingdom of God to neighborhoods (barangays) with little to no running water, families who had known the darkness of losing a child or children to illness, and families who might be working for $2-5 a day. Some of the church buildings had roofs but no walls. The local dogs often joined us in church because there might be a fan blowing.
Here I was, an American missionary, preaching and teaching in these churches, supported by multiple families in America, but it never failed that these congregations would take up an offering for me in the spirit of 3 John, where it says:
5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
And, the amounts I received was always enough to buy dozens of kilos of rice in the communities where we ministered.
I say all that because I received this email this morning, and I would like to call upon the readers of this blog to answer the email.
Hi Bryan,
How are you now your family and ministry?
Please include us in your Prayers,for as this time we are looking by faith of a ph 40,000.00 pesos for our church renovation before our Church Anniversary and Thanksgiving Day Celebration on May 25.
For us this so impossible but we believe God’s miracle through our Prayers.Thank you so much for making your self to be a part of this needs and for the minstry here.
God Bless you always and your family!
In Christ….Rene & Family
I went to XE.com to convert the amount and discovered that what he is praying to raise over the next three months is $991.33. In other words, for $1000.00 we can transform a local church in Cagayan de Oro. To put that into context, $1000 is what many people dropped over Christmas for a new TV for the family room. 
Or, if 20 people were to give toward raising $1000, it would be $50 per person, or less than taking out four people to dinner at Chili’s for a dinner of those delicious baby back ribs and an ice cold Coca Cola. Seriously, if just twenty people would skip one decent, sit-down meal out, we could raise the moneys needed for this church. 
So, how do we do this? Well, our family has a ministry called FJ Ministries. It has been created by F.A.I.T.H. to mobilize American families into missions. It also is the vehicle through which our family is supported to do mission work, as we are not paid a salary and are 100% support-based in our ministry. You can read more about the ministry here, here, and here.
FAITH stands for Families reaching families, as Avenues to the Nations, Igniting passion for God and compassion for people, by Teaching and Training in God’s Word, with open Hearts and open Hands. Gifts to FJ Ministries are tax deductible and can be made through Paypal electronically by clicking on the donate box located on this blog or at the FJ Ministries website. They can also be made by check to FJ Ministries, P.O. Box 10583, Fayetteville, AR 72703. Please include a note that says the gift is for Rene Salazar’s church in CDO. 100% of the moneys raised toward their goal will go to the church. Any additional funds will support our mission efforts toward the Philippines (as I will be needing to buy a plane ticket to go there at the end of this month to help prepare for the two-month outreach that will take place this summer). Whereas $1000 here might get a tile floor laid in a small room, in the Philippines an entire church can be renovated and preserved for many years of future use.
I’d also ask that any blogger who feels led to do so, please let your readers know about this as well and pray for our ministry.