Why Didn't You Come Sooner? : Stories from My Life As a Missionary in the Philippines

Why Didn't You Come Sooner? is an insightful and fascinating true life tale of 40 years of missionary service in the Philippines. Author Richard Varberg tells of his life through four decades adjusting to a new culture and climate, developing effective strategies for planting churches and equipping local pastors, while also maintaining his own relationship with Jesus Christ through many trials and triumphs. Mr. Varberg sailed to the Philippines with his wife Elenor and their three-month old son, Paul, in 1958, twelve years after the U.S. ceded its sovereignty over the region. With their Iowa farm behind, the Varbergs raised five children overseas (three of which are still serving as missionaries in the Philippines). Impacted by the title query posed by a father grieving over the possibility that his son died without Christ before the gospel reached their village, Mr. Varberg gained a new resolve early in his ministry and an unforgettable account on reaching the unreached. Masbate Baptist Bible College and more than one hundred churches founded through the Varbergs' ministry continue today under Filipino leadership.|Why Didn't You Come Sooner? is an insightful and fascinating true life tale of 40 years of missionary service in the Philippines. Author Richard Varberg tells of his life through four decades adjusting to a new culture and climate, developing effective strategies for planting churches and equipping local pastors, while also maintaining his own relationship with Jesus Christ through many trials and triumphs. Mr. Varberg sailed to the Philippines with his wife Elenor and their three-month old son, Paul, in 1958, twelve years after the U.S. ceded its sovereignty over the region. With their Iowa farm behind, the Varbergs raised five children overseas (three of which are still serving as missionaries in the Philippines). Impacted by the title query posed by a father grieving over the possibility that his son died without Christ before the gospel reached their village, Mr. Varberg gained a new resolve early in his ministry and an unforgettable account on reaching the unreached. Masbate Baptist Bible College and more than one hundred churches founded through the Varbergs' ministry continue today under Filipino leadership. "Why didn't you come sooner?" True commitment! It's hot in the Philippines! Learning the language is important! Food and water Insects Appropriate dress Bicycles better than cars Rural philippine houses Priorities Debates Two attempts on my life A pig problem! A terrible accident! The first Protestant cemetery (part I) The first Protestant cemetery (part II) The first Protestant cemetery (part III) A warrant for arrest! Sea urchins! God proves the governor wrong A tornado at sea! Thank God for chickens "Just like Nicodemus!" A plane goes down in Burias! Strange food, great fun! A new way of building churches A miraculous dream! Life assurance The apostle to Burias Obeying God's call brings happiness! Graven images, demonic powers "I'll see you in the morning" A cathedral in Masbate! A mother superior finds the Lord! A tragic murder! A wealthy man searches for peace God stretched my faith but not His resources 72 baptized in one service.