Bible Workers Philippines
On a seemingly ordinary day two years ago, Pastor Ranny* and some teammates decided to visit the mayor of an island in his district. People in that area were not always friendly to outsiders, so Pastor Ranny was surprised by the mayor’s warm welcome.He was more surprised, however, when she requested Adventist Sulads** missionaries to teach in one of the villages on her island. Usually, he would have to request permission from the local governments to send teachers. But now, the mayor was asking them!
Years before, violent conflict in the southern Philippines had caused the locals to abandon this village. When peace returned, the local government decided to revive the area. U.S. aid workers had built a nice school, and others donated housing. People started to return, but there was a problem. The Department of Education could not find teachers willing to go. The mayor tried to open the school for ten years with no success.
Then, the mayor learned about the Adventist Sulads missionaries and their excellent teaching work on other nearby islands. She became jealous of those islands because the Sulads’ students seemed more successful than those taught by Department of Education teachers. She dreamed that the children on her island could achieve that same success.
She decided to ask the Sulads teachers to come and teach in this village where no one else would. Soon after that, Pastor Ranny appeared on her island.
Unfortunately, the Sulads organization had already filled its budget for the year. Still, he did not want to miss this God-given opportunity. Pastor Ranny contacted Jesus for Asia, and we agreed to sponsor these Sulads missionaries as Bible Workers who would use education as a practical way to share the Gospel.
These Bible Workers have now been serving this village for two years, and their faithful service has caught the attention of the other local leaders.
“There is a significant difference,” the local village chairman said, “[since the missionaries came]. The children are now clean. [They] used to be very dirty because no one taught them how to clean themselves.” The villagers are cleaning their homes because the Bible Workers taught them. They have helped to plant a community garden and beautify the village.
In the past, many children have not been able to attend school regularly because of their families’ poverty, the chairman shared. “Parents take their children to the sea for a living because 98% of their livelihood is in the sea,” he said. “Sometimes at night, they can’t eat because there is no food, so [they] have no choice but to go with their parents.”
The Bible Workers have been teaching the parents new ways to earn extra income so their children do not have to be disturbed during their studies.
Once, a high-ranking military officer visited the school. After observing the school’s classes and activities, he approached one of the teachers. He was beyond happy for what had transpired in a once chaotic place with unruly children, he said, wiping tears from his eyes. But now, he has seen happy and obedient children.
Other adults in the village have also seen and experienced the positive influence of these Bible Workers. Because of the fighting in their area, the students’ parents never had a chance to get an education. They wondered, how can we help our children learn when we cannot even read? To answer this need, the Bible Workers also started adult literacy classes.
Because of the religious background of their area, these Bible Workers cannot preach openly. However, they still endeavor to spread the Gospel through values lessons emphasizing Biblical truths in child and adult classes. Later, they follow through with these lessons during home visitations, which include promoting health, hygiene, and disease prevention. They are accepted partly because they do not eat pork, which is considered unclean by the locals.
Luke 16:10 says, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much…” The Sulads missionaries on other islands faithfully served God and their people. Because of their faithfulness, God used them to catch the mayor’s attention and create an opportunity to serve in a new area.
The Bible Workers in this village have also served faithfully over the last two years. As a result, they now hold influence among the villagers and their leaders. God often works in unexpected ways. How might He be able to work through us as we faithfully serve Him?
Please keep these Bible Workers in your prayers. Their task to share Jesus in this place is a challenging one. They need wisdom and courage to know how and when to speak. Please also pray for God to continue softening these villagers’ hearts to the Gospel.
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-Contributed by Jesus for Asia