From left: Tim & Chesney (Scotts Valley, CA) • Rachel (Fullerton, CA)
Oli & Nem (Santa Fe Springs, CA) • Lem & Shannon (Los Gatos, CA)
Nollie & Evelyn are currently on furlough in Concord, California
until the end of January 2013

Christmas Greetings from the congregation of
Pasig Covenant Reformed Church in Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines

Christmas Greetings from the congregation of
Trinity Covenant Reformed Church in Imus, Cavite, Philippines

These congregations also want to extend their gratitude to all who pray for them
and support them with generous gifts.

We have a substantial shortfall in both our personal budget and church budgets.

For tax-deductible gifts: MEANS, Inc., P. O. Box 8434, Barlett, IL 60103
Please write “R1612 (FEURM)” on the check’s memo line.

As approved by the 1787 Constitutional Convention, voters in each state select a certain number of “electors.“ After the election on November 6, 2012, these state electors will meet in an “Electoral College” on December 17, 2012 to “elect” the president and vice-president. Since the 1964 elections, there have always been 538 electors. This number is equal to the number of US Senators (100, 2 for each state), plus US Representatives (435), plus 3 from the District of Columbia. Since the number of Representatives are divided proportionally among the states, the big states have more electors. So, for example, the four most populous states have the most electors: California (55), Texas (38), Florida and New York (29 each), but tiny Alaska (population, not area) has only 3.

The idea for this system was not only to ensure that a few big states do not control the elections, but also to make sure that the one who wins the popular (or national) vote becomes the president. It is a mechanism to balance the power between the people and Congress.

(click picture to enlarge)

Almost all states (except two) have a winner-takes-all rule: whoever wins the popular vote wins all the electors. In almost all states, the electors are required to be “faithful” to vote for the state winner during the Electoral College vote.

So to be elected president, a candidate has to win a combination of states for a minimum of 270 electoral votes to get the majority, because then the other candidate would get only 268 max. In this system, there is always a possibility of a tie at 269-269, but this has never happened. However, in US history, there were three elections in which the candidate who lost the popular vote won the electoral vote, the last one in 2000 when George Bush squeaked by Albert Gore, 271-266 with 1 abstention, even when he lost the popular vote by over 500,000.

Note: The president and vice-president are also elected together on a “ticket.” The presidential candidates handpick their vice-presidential running mates. So, unlike the Philippines, the president and vice-president can’t be enemies. Unless …

there is a tie at 269-all. In this unlikely scenario, a most unusual process would be set in motion, which will most likely end in a historic nightmare. The House of Representatives will vote for the President, and Romney will be elected President because the House majority is Republican. Meanwhile, the Senate would vote for the Vice-President, so Biden would be elected Vice-President because the Senate majority is Democratic. President Romney and Vice-President Biden will head America. This will be a scenario of apocalyptic proportions.

So if the race is very close, a tiny state with only a few electors could swing the election. The states where the polls show that the race is a toss-up are called “battleground” or “swing” states. It is in these states where the candidates concentrate their campaign, because if the polls show that the candidate is ahead by much, there is little chance of him losing that state (and vice versa).

The map below illustrates this strategy. The dark blue (Obama) and dark red (Romney) states are safe for either candidate, since the polls indicate a wide margin. The light blue and light red states are leaning towards a candidate (just a few points ahead of the other). But the most important states are the yellow ones, where polls indicate a toss-up. For example, New Hampshire, which has only 4 electoral votes, is a “battleground” state (yellow), so this tiny state could swing the race one way or the other if the race is very close such as it is now. This is why Obama and Romney have been campaigning almost exclusively in CO, FL, IA, NV, NH, OH, VA and WI—the yellow states.

Most of the states’ polling places close at 8-9 pm East Coast time (9-10 am Wednesday Manila time), and the counting begins shortly after polls close. In the dark blue (Obama) and dark red (Romney) states, the news networks usually project the winners almost as soon as the polls close based on exit interviews. But the battleground states are the ones to watch (all times Wednesday Manila time):

Since FL, OH, and VA are the biggest of these states, it could take several hours to determine the winner in each of them if the race is tight. The counting for these close races can go on until the wee hours of the morning. It could be a long night (or a long day in Manila).

CNN.com’s US Electoral College Project as of November 5, 2012 (click picture to enlarge)

Assuming the above mapping is close to accurate, if Obama wins Florida, it will be almost impossible for Romney to overcome his lead.

Download PDF newsleter

ANTIPOLO CITY, Philippines, October 23, 2012—Greetings on a beautiful sunny but mild Metro Manila, Philippines in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We apologize for the long delay from our last update in July.

Pasig Covenant Reformed Church

Pasig Covenant Reformed Church family on a typical Lord's Day (click to enlarge)

We celebrated our 4th anniversary last September 30. We had around 35 people, eight of them first-time visitors. It was a good time of fellowship, with several meeting for the first time after “knowing” each other on Facebook for months. We praise God that we were able to move to a bigger room on the 2nd floor, from the 3rd floor, so we can squeeze as many as 40 people in.

We continue our Sunday adult class on church history, led by an elder. The little children started Sunday school, with a couple of the women teaching. Our Saturday discussion group was moved from Saturday morning to Saturday night and to a coffee shop at a mall in the main artery traversing Metro Manila. We made these changes to make the class more accessible to those who come from different parts of the metro area and those who still work on Saturdays.

On November 2-4, we will be celebrating Reformation Day with a weekend seminar and a Reformation Sunday with Rev. Allen Vander Pol as our guest.

Trinity Covenant Reformed Church (Mission church in Imus, Cavite)

Trinity Covenant Reformed Church in Imus, Cavite, after 1st Anniversary worship service (click to enlarge)

We celebrated Imus’ 1st anniversary last September 23. We also had around 35 people, with about 10 first-time visitors. I preached from Revelation 3:7-13 (the church in Philadelphia), encouraging the congregation to persevere in keeping the Word of Christ, even though they’re small and has “little power.”

Pastor Jayson Santiago alternates with me in preaching and leading worship services. Our elder continues to teach Sunday adult class about basic Christian doctrines. Pastor Jayson also teaches the youth on their Saturday Bible studies. Lord willing, we will install Pastor Jayson as pastor of this church next month.

Expository Preaching Class

I started a class on expository preaching open to all pastors and elders and others who have preaching duties. This is a critical need I’ve seen in my visits to other churches here, and in my conversations with other pastors. About 5-6 have attended each lecture so far in our Imus church.

Family

Evelyn & Rachel glad to be reunited at HIU (click to enlarge)

Evelyn and I are excited about our coming furlough. She left last week for LA and was very glad to see Rachel for the first time since she left for college in June. Oliver & Nem were also glad to have her for three days. Then she flew to the Bay Area where she was reunited with Tim & Chesney and their three little boys, and with Lem & Shannon.

I have mixed feelings about our furlough, mainly because of the two congregations that I’ll be leaving for ten weeks. But we have a preaching schedule all set for both churches. Lord willing, we will be back in the Philippines on January 29, 2013.

We praise God that Rachel has settled in college, and is doing well in her studies at Hope Intern-ational University in Fullerton, CA. She’s very happy that she got a job at HIU’s library.

Praise & Prayer Requests

We praise and thank the Lord for providing another pastor, two elders, Sunday school materials, and psalter-hymnals and Bibles from another URC congregation in California.

As I’ve mentioned above, we have many ongoing needs. If you want to help, please let us know by writing us at

dvopilgrim@gmail.com or evelyn.malabuyo@faith.edu.ph

You can support the Philippine mission by sending your tax-deductible gift to through Mission: East Asian National Support (MEANS):

Mission: East Asian National Support, Inc.
P. O. Box 8434
Bartlett, IL 60103

Please write “R1612 (FEURM)” on the memo line to designate your gift to the Philippine mission.

The rest of the pictures taken by Tim are here.

“I can’t help but to compare each of them, and I feel blessed about [Pasig Covenant Reformed Church] because his church preaches the real Gospel of Christ. The church is not a megachurch but it is more than that.” ~ A regular attendee

Greetings from rainy Metro Manila, Philippines in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The following is our July 2012 update of our activities. You can download the newsletter (PDF) here.

Pasig Covenant Reformed Church

Pasig Worship Service (click to enlarge)

Because of our steady stream of visitors, we now have about 20-25 in our Sunday afternoon services, most of them in their early 20s and 30s. Many of the visitors have now become regular attendees, and one of them wrote this public endorsement:

While talking with my husband about the different churches that we’ve attended. I can’t help but to compare each of them, and I feel blessed about Pastor Nollie Malabuyo’s church because his church preaches the real Gospel of Christ. The church is not a megachurch but it is more than that. They are nailing the gospel every week, the pastor cares for the flock and they are full of love for each other—they even conduct free Bible lessons at their cost wherein even non-members learn a lot. I praise God for this church and I will always pray that He will bless each and everyone there. I hope this church will grow according to the will of God so He can use it for His greater purpose.

A member of Grace Church (URC) in West Linn, Oregon also wrote this note to me publicly:

Well I have been very excited to see the Lord blessing your efforts and your faithfulness to serve in that capacity and to train godly men to serve as elders… BTW, watching your congregation is what prompted my research into the URC and what eventually brought us to be in one of their churches, which is a huge blessing so far… I love watching the progress and the growth you all are achieving, may the Lord make His face to shine upon you all!

These two letters have been a great encouragement to me.

I have resumed Sunday school for adults using a workbook called Christ’s Living Church: A Journey from Then to Now from Reformed Fellowship. It’s a church history class.

Almost every Lord’s Day now, we run out of chairs, and the air-conditioning is not nearly sufficient. So our financial needs include buying ten extra plastic chairs and a bigger split-type A-C unit which would cost about $900. Today I learned from the building manager that a second floor room is vacant, and it’s almost twice the size of our present room on the third floor. The monthly rent is 13,000 pesos ($313), compared to the present 7,500 pesos ($181). Please pray that we will be able to afford this rent.

Lord willing, I’ll meet with the two elders this Saturday afternoon, July 14 to discuss various things related to the two churches. We also plan to have a congregational meeting on July 29 to update the church on our finances, plans and future.

Trinity Covenant Reformed Church (Mission church in Imus, Cavite)
Our regular attendance here has also grown to about 20-25 people, most of them also in their early 20s and 30s. But since our rented place here is bigger than the Pasig church, we’re not as crowded here.

Imus Worship Service (click to enlarge)

Pastor Jayson Santiago and I still alternate in preaching and leading worship here. He also started a Bible study for the youth on Saturday evenings, and about 6-7 attended the first two meetings. He has also started regular visits to a family that has worshipped with us for about three months.

As in Pasig, I also resumed our adult Sunday school here using another workbook called Facing Faith’s Challenges from Reformed Fellowship. It covers defending opposition to various Christian doctrines, worship and practices.

Lord willing, we will have a congregational meeting on July 22 to update the church on our finances, plans and future.

Lectures at Mars Hill Study Center
I continue to hold informal lectures and discussions on Saturday mornings, going through Berkhof’s Systematic Theology. I provide supplementary reading materials, mostly from Westminster Seminary California’s faculty, in our website at www.twoagespilgrims.com/marshill. About 4-5 attend each lecture, and Lord willing, several more will come as we progress through the book. One of our biggest needs for this ministry is a multimedia projector, which costs about $400, so we can also show videos.

Personal
We thank God for a great family reunion during the first two weeks of June when Tim, Lem and his friend Shannon Drach, and Oli and Nem visited us from California to attend Rachel’s graduation from Faith Academy. We had a great time visiting the historic Walled City of Manila, swimming in Taal Volcano’s crater lake, and seeing old friends and teachers and new buildings at Faith Academy. In Davao City, we all enjoyed visiting our familiar haunts when we lived there from 1995-2001. You can view all the pictures at www.timches.com. We will always treasure those two wonderful weeks of family time!

Rachel went back to the Bay Area last June 14, and is now working for a camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She will start working for Peet’s Coffee in Santa Cruz this week. If there’s such a thing as empty-nest syndrome, these first weeks after she left surely felt like it because we miss her so much.

Evelyn and I postponed our trip to California until the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays. The last time our family was together for the holidays was in 2004. Our three boys assured us they will take care of settling Rachel in college this Fall.

Support
As I’ve mentioned above, we have many ongoing needs. Please consider supporting the Philippine mission through Mission: East Asian National Support by sending your gift to: MEANS, Inc., P. O. Box 8434, Bartlett, IL 60103. Please write “R1612 (FEURM)” on the memo line.

Special Request: For those who do not need a tax deduction, would you do us a favor by sending your gift directly to us? We still have bills and a student loan to pay in the U.S. You can mail your check c/o: David & Irma Crow, 3266 Tioga Rd. Apt. 101, Concord, CA 94518.

Note: Only Evelyn and I are in the Philippines in 2012 (click to enlarge)

Pasig Covenant Reformed Church
RCJ Bldg. Room 305, Ortigas Ave. Ext. cor. Countryside Ave.
Brgy. Sta. Lucia, Pasig City, Metro Manila

Trinity Covenant Reformed Church
T. De Castro Bldg. 4th Floor, Aguinaldo Highway
Brgy Palico I, Bacoor, Cavite

0927-863-6364 (Philippine cell) • 925-969-7951 (U.S. home) • dvopilgrim@gmail.com
Web: http://twoagespilgrims.com/pasigucrc