I am Armando Lagda Valdez, married to Lilybelle Grace Mamaril.  God blessed us with four kids (3 boys and 1 girl), plus added precious children under our care.  I am a product of “Calvary Bible Institute” – supervised by Sir Ken Sandberg.  My wife and I are pastoring a church in Davao City, that is affiliated with – Maranatha Fellowship in Maryland, USA (IPHC). 

We have established relationship with Sir Ken & Ma’am Cris and partnered with them in equipping the saints through conferences, summer camps and at CBI. And just recently, after our Sunday morning service (Nov. 8, 2009), we received a phone call with the grandest surprise – A TRIP TO ISRAEL!  It blew me away and made me shout for joy!  Hallelujah, glory to God!  To step in the soil of Israel was only a dream that we hope would come true sometime in the future. Now, that the door to visit the birthplace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is in progress, I can’t explain the thrill and excitement going on as the days go by.  The trip to Israel is truly a big inspiration to us and this is happening because of the Lord’s kindness through my Bible School mentors (Sir ken & ma’am Cris) and through your generosity.  Honestly, we don’t really know how to express the gratitude and the joy that is within us.  Words may fall short to express it, but we sure are grateful to the Lord and to you.  May the good Lord multiply your blessings! Again, i want to let you know that we appreciate the love, the blessings and the big heart.  Thank you for sponsoring our trip.  Indeed, we don’t know how to repay you.  Simply, because we don’t have the capacity to do it.  But the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach will! God bless you and your family Sir Byron and Ma’am Tammy.  God bless you sir/ma’am John Turner.  God bless the “Father’s House Foundation”.  God bless “CBI” family.  We look forward to see you on December 5 & 6, 2009. To Sir Ken and Ma’am Cris, thank you for the high level of trust and favor.  God bless us all. In Christ, Armand & Lilybelle V

Cris and I had the experience of a lifetime on the January 2010 Israel trip.  We are so thankful to Father’s House for sending us and our friends Pastor Armand and Lilybelle Valdez to the Holy Land, where we joined some US church groups on a wonderful ten-day tour. Recently I have presented slideshows of our pictures from Israel to students of our Calvary Bible Institute (both Day and Night classes) in Davao City.  It has made a huge difference for me to have been to so many of the sites in Israel and to have been guided by such a knowledgeable Jewish guide as Moshe Bronstein.  I feel like I can now talk about the Biblical places with a bit of authority and certainly with insight that I didn’t have before.  The students were fascinated by the pictures and the commentary.  Many of them would love to go to Israel now! I know Cris and I have a heart to go back to Israel and see even more of that wonderful country.   God has truly turned our hearts toward “home”– here on earth, our true original home is in Israel. God bless Father’s House! Love in Christ, Rev. Ken & Cris Sandberg missionaries in the Philippines

It is amazing and will change your life. I can’t wait until we get to go back!

God’s message is everywhere. From the beginning of time, God has spoken through and in the land of Israel. The land speaks of God and His majesty, His love, and His grace. God is not finished with Israel & the amazing thing is we get to be a part of what He is doing there!

I want you all to know that I had a great trip and would certainly go again and recommend it to anyone. There is not a day goes by that I do not think about the trip and apply something to my life or study, although my head’s still spinning from all the information! Thanks to everyone of you who had a part in it.

My first trip to Israel was December 2010 and I was elated. That trip was the fulfillment of a 58 year dream. It turned out to be more than I had ever imagined. I had always wanted to have a real study experience in Israel. I got exactly what I wanted. It was so much more than a tourist trip. Thank God for the efforts and planning of Father’s House Educational Foundation and an expert guide like Moshe. I have read and studied the Word for 58 years, but that experience brought it alive. Since my return it seems that a light was turned on when I read the Word. When I share it through teaching and/or preaching, it is so exciting to see and hear the excitement of those hearing the information and seeing the pictures of the land of Israel. What a joy it is to share with others. The inmates in my services at the prison where I am chaplain are thrilled. I am thanked over and over for allowing them to enjoy the Power Point presentation of things they will never get to see because they are felons. I thought I was excited after the first trip, but when I came back in June of 2012, I could hardly keep silent. Most of the people where I work get excited just hearing about the trip. What I found was that the second trip compounded what I had experienced on the first trip. We revisited a few of the places from the first trip, but it was amazing how much more was added to what I had already learned. In addition we went to new places which expanded the knowledge gained 18 months later. For instance in the 18 month time between the two trips we were able to see the ruins of King David’s palace in the City of David. On both trips there was such wonderful fellowship among the groups. Anyone needing a refreshing spiritual uplift should really consider making this trip to Israel.

An incredible teacher, amazing heartfelt fellowship, probably the most spirit filled journey I will ever experience, feeling such a connection to the Lord. Words are inadequate to describe the feelings and emotions this journey brought about. Wish every Christian could experience this. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Our trip to Israel with the Father’s House was truly heart changing. I had heard from people who have been to Israel before and how God seemed to speak to them in the Holy Land. I wondered deep down, would he speak to me, what would it be like, what if he didn’t? With all those thoughts swirling around my head, my prayer was God speak to my heart. As a man, pastor, husband, and dad, I struggle with pride. I did not want to come back and be a know it all about Israel, I wanted to come back with a changed heart. And that’s exactly what happened. Sure, I learned, experienced, and gained tons of knowledge and I will never read the bible the same or preach the same again, but God’s greatest gift to me was a more loving heart. I tell people that Israel made me a better LOVER. I love my wife, my kids, others, and my God more and it’s easier to show it. The second to the last day of the trip John gave us the opportunity to be baptized in the Sea of Galilee. Inside I thought, I’m a pastor, I’ve already been baptized, I baptize others, I don’t need to be baptized. But then at the same time I felt our Father say, Do this for me, humble yourself, who cares what others think or say, do this for me, humble yourself for me. The wrestling match continued until the spirit won out and I got dunked. It was awesome. Humbling but awesome. It just felt right. Thank you for that opportunity. It was one of my highlights.