Messages from Mark: Standing Beneath a Pomelo Tree

Jul 22
4 min read

Field Notes from Mark | July 2026 | Philippines

One of the gifts of living in the Philippines is that I regularly get invited into moments where I'm not the one doing the work, I just get to watch it happen.

Last week, Pastor Edwin asked if I could drive two pastors from the Philippine Church Planting Center to visit two of the newest churches in our region. Pastor Rene and Pastor Rostum had recently finished the PCPC's training in church planting and community development, and the purpose of the day was simple: encourage the local leaders at each church, strengthen relationships, and see what God is doing in these communities firsthand.

Edwin and his team have been investing in pastors across the Bicol region for years, and days like this one are the fruit of that investment. My job was to drive. It turned out to be one of the best days I've had here.

A church one month old — and a year in the making

Our first stop was a church that officially began gathering just last month.

When you hear "one month old," it's easy to picture something fragile. The reality was different. Long before there were Sunday services, a Bible study had been meeting quietly in a home for the past year, building relationships, preparing hearts, laying a foundation most people never saw. What looked like a beginning was really the moment when a year of quiet faithfulness became visible.

While we were there, we also met several local students, and I thought immediately of the scholarships so many of you gave toward at our gala.

Meeting students face to face is a good reminder that those gifts are more than tuition. Education opens doors and changes the direction of a life, and it's one of the most practical ways we get to come alongside these communities.

The pomelo tree

Outside the church stood a tall pomelo tree, and standing under it, I found myself thinking about the person who planted it years ago. At the time it would have looked like almost nothing, a seedling anyone could overlook. Today it gives fruit and shade to the whole neighborhood.

I told the pastors that this church reminded me of that tree. Scripture asks,

"Who dares despise the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:10, NIV).

A one-month-old church plant is a small thing by almost any measure. But children will come to know Jesus there. Families will find hope there. Leaders will be raised up there. The fruit takes time, but faithful planting always comes before lasting harvest.

Hope lives here

Our second stop had just wrapped up a Saturday morning children's outreach. We arrived after the activities ended, which meant we got the better part: unhurried conversation. We met the pastors and volunteers who serve that community week after week, encouraged them, and prayed together.

Standing outside afterward, looking at the homes surrounding the church, it struck me that some of the people living within sight of that building are carrying burdens nobody else can see. Because this church now exists, they have somewhere to bring them, not because of the building, but because of the people in it. The Church becomes the hands and feet of Jesus in a community.

The drive between the stops

Some of the most meaningful ministry that day never would have shown up in a photo. For several hours in the car, Rene, Rostum, and I talked about family, leadership, rest, and how to keep serving without burning out. These are the conversations that sustain pastors for the long haul, and I was grateful to be part of them.

Driving home, I found myself thanking God for the car itself. Some days ministry looks like preaching, and some days it looks like giving two pastors a ride and a listening ear. Both matter.

Better together

Days like this one are why Mosaic exists. We aren't planting these churches, Edwin, the PCPC team, and local church planters across the Bicol region are, with humility and perseverance, in their own communities.

Our role is to encourage them, help equip them, and remove obstacles so they can keep doing what God has called them to do.

And that only happens because of you. When you pray, give, share a story, or sponsor a student, you're part of what's growing in these communities, even the parts that still look small.

The fruit of these small beginnings may take years to see. But I have a feeling we'll look back someday and realize we were standing in the shade of trees that, by God's grace, are only just beginning to grow.

Better together, Mark