December 2005
Dear Friends, dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Sometimes in this far away place it helps me to think of us all
as one big family. In a sense, this is true because we are one
family. We are the family of God, the family of Adam, the family
of Abraham, and we’re brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
Just think of it. We are brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and
cousins. And so, in this letter, I’d like to tell you something
about some of your cousins in the Philippines.
The country is poor and most of the people live below any reasonable
standard of living. In the Philippines, I teach at Union Theological
Seminary. Our students come from all over the Philippines and
from Indonesia, Africa, Korea, and Myanmar, which was once Burma.
Our students come to the seminary bringing bags of rice, a few
belongings, a letter of recommendation from their bishop, and
the certain conviction that God has called them and will provide
for them physically, spiritually, and financially. They come with
a deep devotion to God, an active prayer life, and a conviction
that family matters above everything else.
The seminary sits on a verdant 97 hectares (240 acres) about
45 kilometers outside of Manila. The once rural province of Cavite,
where the seminary is located, is becoming engulfed in urban sprawl.
Carabao (water buffaloes) once grazed peacefully on the
green fields and helped farmers till fertile soil. This land once
supported countless families. Now, however, elaborate subdivisions
are springing up where once farmers laboriously planted and harvested
rice, the staff of life here. Huge malls are being erected where
once tipsy shacks and mom-and-pop grocery stores clung to one
another for support.
The seminary gate, festooned with murals, is open to the busy
and congested Aguinaldo Highway. Once inside the guard gate, your
eyes travel along the tree-covered lane and alight on the chapel,
which sits on a low ridge. The academic buildings and dormitories
flank the chapel. Faculty and married-student housing lies beyond,
amidst the spreading mango trees, towering palms, and magnificent
acacias.
The setting seems idyllic, but the life here is anything but
tranquil. The poverty that engulfs the Philippines is not absent
from our campus. Keeping the buildings in good shape is difficult
in the steaming heat of the tropics. Many of the buildings, especially
married student houses, are bordering on collapse. Our once resplendent
library has suffered the ravages of time and humidity. Our students
persist in their studies against difficult odds. Hunger dogs many
of them. Some of them resort to eating dogs and cats when they
can afford nothing else to eat with their rice. Yet their past
life of hardship has taught them how to rely on little or nothing
other than God’s grace and prayer.
Let me tell you a story about your cousin Joel.
“Courage,” Joel wrote in a paper for my class, “is
the strength, directness, and determination of the soul in face
of danger. This might weaken the soul and its purpose, but God
strengthens God’s servants and encourages them.” Courage
has been the guiding factor in Joel’s life. Life in the
rural Philippines is heartbreaking, and Joel’s family’s
life as farmers was no exception. The small farm that his family
tilled could not support the family. Both his parents had to hire
themselves out as day laborers to their more prosperous neighbors
to make ends meet. The dilapidated house in which they lived leaked
continuously and shook whenever anyone walked in it. During the
typhoons Joel and his family were forced to flee to the church
for safety.
The refuge they found there impacted Joel’s life in dramatic
ways. His family’s trust in God was the guiding force in
their lives. His father was a lay leader and Sunday-school teacher,
and he found precious time to bring his young child to revival
services, evangelistic crusades, and church meetings. In a spirit
of enthusiastic joy, Joel committed his life to the parish ministry
at the age of 12. He speaks of this event in his life as true
“conversion.”
The spirit of euphoria did not last. His father’s tragic
death soon after threatened to plunge the family into abject poverty
and to bring an end to his dream of becoming a pastor. His mother’s
strong faith in God formed the bridge that brought Joel’s
family from hopelessness and despair to courage and determination.
Joel writes, “Despite the tragic events we had in the family,
my mother’s strong dedication and faith in God has sustained
us to remain firm and hopeful on God. My mother is convinced that
God will always sustain us and never forsake us. She taught us
that it is not money that matters most in life. She taught us
that it is simple living, a strong devotion to God, and a love
for God’s work in the church. Throughout these difficulties
in life, I saw God’s hand at work. In the stormy waves of
life, God gave me the courage to move on.”
Painstakingly, bit by bit, the family fought for its dreams.
God’s hand was visible wherever they went. Joel took a theological
extension course offered by Union Theological Seminary. Kindhearted
strangers pledged support for Joel’s studies. At 16, he
was the youngest student in the class.
Soon, the district superintendent approached Joel and asked him
to pastor a small rural church. He was only 17. This small rural
church had never had its own pastor before. The church was languishing.
The church was dying. They had no budget, no program of activities,
and hardly anyone came to church. By God’s loving hands
Joel was able to minister and work with the people of the church.
Its pitiful condition was dramatically transformed. Joel writes,
“In a few years, we witnessed a revival in the parishioners’
Christian life and commitment. Members were reactivated. New members
were received. The parsonage was finished. A budget and programs
were made and increased, and the congregation had more time for
fellowship with each other. Indeed, by the courage God gave me
and to the church in Santa Cruz, we witnessed how God works in
marvelous, surprising, and unexpected ways.”
Brothers and sisters in Christ, cousins all around the world,
I pray that you too can find the joy in faith that Joel has found
and the church in the Philippines professes. May God continue
to guide you and us into a bright and blessed future!
In Christ,
Mary, Paul, and Rachie
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
253 |
