Harvest Time!

My first encounter with Zanzibar happened more than 15 years ago.  I was a young staff then of a local church involved in feeding little children in this street located in Baranggay San Isidro, Makati .  Makati City is known as the business district of the Philippines but maybe unknown to many, it is home to many urban poor communities.  Zanzibar is one of them. 

I remember so well how the children would recognize our vehicle as it turns from Batangas street towards them, a 1975 Yellow Ford Fierra.  Young and old alike would then run, grab a bowl and a spoon and line up towards our vehicle.  We would do this week after week – for almost an hour, we would give food and then take some time to share God’s Word to the people. 

I don’t know why I stopped being part of that ministry, but maybe I was assigned to another area or I was given more responsibilities and I had to train and ask someone to take my place.

15 years later, I am back in Zanzibar.  The place looks the same although recognizing a single face is a bit difficult.  The many shanties are still there.  Children roam everywhere at any given time.  The one side of that street that is home to many jeepneys still operates as a garage/repair shop/garden (one man thought of using an abandoned dilapidated jeepney as a plant rack.  He has about ten ornamental plants on top of that jeepney).  There are still those who congregate to kill time in their own unique and special way.  Some would drink and sing while the others play a locally popular game called bingo for some small amount of money.  Others still set up a tent where they can relax and sleep during the heat of the day.

But amidst all of these, something different can be seen.  A young man in his early twenties holds a Bible while his companion happily strums his guitar while leading in singing spiritual songs.  Around them is a group of about twenty, mostly mothers while 2 or three are young people.  Fathers would drop in and out as the singing continues.

The one who holds the Bible and the one who leads the singing are my staff.  Lacking a place large enough to hold twenty people, we have decided to hold our weekly Bible Study on the street.  It encourages me a lot to see them lead the people in studying the Word of God, not minding the noise and the other things happening around them.  It is a good sight indeed, considering that these people used to do what the other people normally do for their past time.

Now, aside from the Bible study, they regularly attend church.  Many of them are already serving in different capacities.  Some are part of the ushering ministry while some are committed prayer warriors.  They are also very much involved in the women’s ministry, advocating what it means to be a godly woman in the house.  The church responds by providing venues for them to grow in the Lord and be productive.  They have a regular fellowship among other housewives of the church as well as out of town special activities, like the Women’s Camp that is scheduled on August 3 and 4.

Moreover, we have set up a livelihood program for them.  Initially, there’s the sewing project where women are involved in making inexpensive wash cloths and pillow casing.  Proceeds from the sale of these help the women earn income as well as some portion go to help fund church ministries.

I realize that the Lord never forgets what He has started.  15 years ago, we started to plant the seeds of the Gospel.  Now we are harvesting.  The Apostle Paul was right when he confidently said that that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  God is so good and faithful indeed!   

Reaching the Unreached

It’s been a year since Pastor Jordan Dela Cruz started a ministry among the Dumagats in a remote island (Baranggay Cozo, Sitio Dimaguipo) off Casiguran, Aurora.  His first encounter with the Dumagats was when he and his wife visited the island right after their wedding.  Pastor Jordan, an Aeta from Zambales married Zyra, a Dumagat.  After their third visit, Pastor Jordan responded to the call fo God to minister to the Dumagats.

The Dumagats, the close relatives of the Aetas, are semi-nomadic people.  They move from one place to another in search of food and better shelter although some have learned to live in permanent settlements.  Most of them are hunters and fishermen.  They inhabit the coastal areas of Aurora and Quezon and some are dispersed in smaller groups in the mountains.  They speak 6 different languages.

In spite of the obvious difficulties and challenges they will face in the island (the island is very remote and there’s no clean, running water and there is no electricity), Pastor Jordan started a Bible study in April 2011.  Immediately, 30 souls surrendered their lives to Jesus.  With those 30 regularly attending their Bible Studies, soon, they started a worship service.

Their worship sanctuary says it all – a make-shift structure built out of tree branches which serve as the posts and braces while a used polyester and nylon fabric serves as the roof.  Since, most of the members are poor they don’t have any funds to build a better worship place.  The church does not even have enough funds to support Pastor Jordan and his family.  But these conditions did not deter Pastor Jordan from pursuing God’s call for his life. 

Instead of being discouraged, he started evangelizing the area by going from one community to the other preaching the Gospel.  After a few meetings, he wondered what difference it will make if he had a portable generator he can use to power a sound system so the people can hear the Gospel better.  He started praying for it.  Meanwhile, his senior pastor shared this to us and we too started praying for it.  

God does answer our prayers.  When Joshua was in the US, someone approached him after he spoke to a mission’s class about the Dumagats.  He pledged to give funds enough to buy a portable generator.

After coordinating and sharing this wonderful news to Pastor Jordan, on June 14, Rico, Elisha and Ramon all Junior Pastors of JKKCC, volunteered to represent the Youth Mobilization Team and brought a generator that will help Pastor Jordan and his Gospel ministry.

The three traveled a total of 24 hours, including a 10-hour drive from Cabanatuan to Casiguran that started at 2:30 am, just to reach the island where the Dumagats live. It was a long drive indeed, but the hardship they encountered is nothing compared to what Pastor Jordan and his family experience in the island everyday.  They went home encouraged and so much challenged.

On the other hand, Pastor Jordan was so thankful.  He sees the generator as God’s proof that He will provide for all their needs.  He said in the interview, “The Lord commanded me to be here.  He was the one who brought me here; He will be the one to bring me out of here.  In all the trials and challenges we have experienced here, the Lord has proven Himself faithful.  I don’t know how to hunt nor to fish, and so I am totally dependent to Him who called me for this prupose.  This generator is just one of the many answer to prayers we have received from God”

Now, we have officially started of our ministry to the unreached.  As they board the boat that will bring them out of the island, they did’t say good bye but instead they said, we will meet again.  True enough, we are now planning to mobilize a bigger group to help Pastor Jordan and his ministry.  Please pray for us as we target to help build their worship place and his damaged boat.  That includes bringing a sound system and musical instruments.  We are also looking at bringing a medical team because many people in the island are sick and without any medical assistance.  The nearest hospital is at least 5 hours away by bus.