Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202415S
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00:04 [theme music]
00:07 ♪♪ 00:41 [calm music] 00:44 ♪♪ 00:50 >> Welcome to 00:51 It Is Written Canada. 00:52 Thank you for joining us. 00:53 Imagine a courageous, godly 00:56 mother praying to be guided 00:57 in her journey to raise 00:59 her young boy to become 01:01 a man of faith in a 01:02 foreign country, and having 01:05 to do the unthinkable, 01:07 to leave her son because it is 01:10 the best option given 01:11 the circumstances. 01:13 >> When Joba Mejares arrived 01:15 in Canada as a young boy, 01:17 he was shocked to see 01:19 no leaves on the trees. 01:21 Coming from the Philippines, he 01:23 had never been exposed to such 01:25 a desolate, cold country. 01:29 That wet winter weather was 01:31 not the only season he had to 01:33 go through in his quest 01:35 to create his own 01:37 enduring community. 01:39 >> Being away from his mother 01:41 for lengthy periods of time, and 01:43 being too young to understand 01:45 the many changes and challenges 01:48 that would come his way, 01:49 Jobo trusted his mother's God 01:51 to help him discover 01:53 what would later become 01:55 his lasting home, 01:57 a place with friends and family 02:00 that would not vanish every time 02:02 he had to change location. 02:05 >> Today on It Is Written 02:07 Canada, we are going to listen 02:08 to Jobo's story of finding 02:11 a place to belong. 02:14 >> My name is Jobo. 02:16 My full name is Jobo Samuel 02:18 Alenzona Mejares. 02:20 I was born in the Philippines, 02:23 immigrated to Canada 02:24 when I was nine years old, 02:27 and I currently live at 02:29 Burnaby, British Columbia, 02:31 Canada. 02:32 My story began before 02:35 I was even born. 02:36 My mom and my dad had conflicts 02:38 and it was really rough 02:40 for her 02:42 even to just start out 02:44 having me as a child. 02:46 She was first told by doctors 02:48 that due to a pituitary tumour 02:51 in her brain, that she would be 02:53 unable to even give birth. 02:55 Nevertheless, she prayed, 02:57 and that's when I came into 02:58 the picture. 02:59 As much joy as it brought her 03:01 to see me, it was also difficult 03:03 for her because her husband, 03:06 my dad, stepped out of 03:08 the picture. 03:09 And growing up, I never really 03:11 had that father figure. 03:13 It was hard for my mom to 03:16 financially support for me 03:19 as a single parent. 03:20 So she did her best running her 03:21 own pharmacy in the Philippines, 03:23 but as mega corporations stepped 03:25 in, it was difficult. 03:27 So she went and decided to 03:30 move to Canada to look for 03:32 better opportunities abroad. 03:34 However, she couldn't quite 03:36 bring me yet because of 03:38 immigration constraints 03:40 and limitations. 03:42 So she left me behind 03:44 temporarily. 03:45 It was a sacrifice that was 03:46 very hard on her. 03:48 She thought about it very deeply 03:50 before actually going. 03:53 Back in the day, we would buy 03:54 calling cards because we didn't 03:57 have the high speed internet 03:59 to video call each other. 04:00 We had to go through 04:02 Yahoo Messenger and have 04:04 weekly scheduled, like, times 04:06 to actually call. 04:08 And those times just 04:11 bring a smile to my face because 04:14 it reminds me of how 04:16 I really treasured my mom. 04:18 And I still do. 04:21 But while she was gone, it was 04:22 very difficult for me 04:23 to stay disciplined. 04:24 I might have gotten into 04:27 my fair share of mischievous, 04:29 like, activities, 04:31 like stealing and lying 04:33 here and there, 04:35 but that didn't last long 04:36 until I was finally caught 04:38 by my auntie. 04:41 My auntie then promptly asked 04:43 my mom if she could take care 04:45 of me while she was away. 04:47 I... 04:49 ...was adopted 04:51 into my auntie's family. 04:54 She took care of me like she─ 04:55 I was one of her own kids. 04:57 She had three of her own, 04:58 and I was─ I felt like I was 05:01 one of them. 05:02 She took me to all the 05:04 conferences that they went to, 05:06 on their vacations, 05:08 I was fed like one of their own 05:09 and treated like one of 05:10 their own. 05:11 It was really apparent that they 05:13 did love me. 05:15 And after two years of that, 05:18 I felt really comfortable 05:19 in that household. 05:21 But it was the first 05:24 time that 05:26 change now must occur again. 05:29 My mom came back from Canada 05:32 in 2007 05:35 and she came with news 05:36 that I could finally 05:37 come with her. 05:38 At the time, I was very happy. 05:40 There was a lot of things 05:41 that I would not understand 05:42 at the time, but I would 05:43 soon discover that there was 05:46 a very different world out there 05:47 waiting for me. 05:49 We arrived 05:50 in Canada 05:52 and I saw that there were 05:53 no leaves on the trees, 05:56 and I was so shocked. 05:59 I was just nine years old 06:02 and I finally got to the country 06:05 that my mom was 06:06 going to school at. 06:08 It was great. 06:09 I could spend more time 06:10 with her, I could 06:12 do all these things. 06:13 But that wasn't quite the case. 06:16 My mom still had to go to school 06:17 at UBC, and it's really hard 06:20 to raise a child and do exams 06:22 and studies at the same time. 06:25 The unfortunate case was 06:27 I had to live with 06:28 another family. 06:30 I was actually 06:32 adopted again 06:34 for a year by 06:36 Pastor Normand Cote. 06:38 It was cool meeting him. 06:40 He had three kids. 06:41 He had three kids. 06:42 I had fun with their kids. 06:44 When I got the news that I'd 06:46 be staying with them, 06:47 I felt like I did 06:50 when my mom would end 06:50 when my mom would end 06:52 the video chat 06:54 back when I was in 06:55 the Philippines. 06:57 It would usually be followed 06:58 with the words, "Be strong. 07:01 Be brave. 07:03 This is a sacrifice 07:04 that we must make." 07:06 It was difficult for me 07:07 not to feel sad, 07:10 but my mom said that 07:12 she would be visiting 07:13 a lot more often, 07:14 as opposed to every six months 07:17 or every year, it would be 07:20 every weekend or 07:21 every couple weekends. 07:23 And I felt comfort in that. 07:26 Other people have raised me 07:27 growing up, and it was never 07:29 a shortage of parental figures 07:30 in my life. 07:32 And so as I stepped into 07:33 this next one, I treated it 07:36 like I did my last and I 07:37 respected them as my parents 07:39 and I treated their kids 07:42 as my siblings. 07:43 And I think it was 07:45 quite the experience 07:46 because once again, I had been 07:47 adopted by another family. 07:50 Three kids and 07:53 learning what it was like 07:54 to have siblings, and 07:56 not having siblings 07:58 at the same time. 07:59 My mom and my auntie Lorna 08:02 actually was baptized by 08:04 Pastor Normand in Courtenay. 08:07 Me being a child and 08:09 hearing my parents go through 08:10 something like baptism, 08:11 I'm like, "What is that?" 08:13 And living with the pastor 08:15 that performed the baptism, 08:16 it was almost, like, perfect 08:19 because he could describe it 08:20 exactly as it was 08:21 supposed to be. 08:23 He brought me through the 08:24 process of Bible study, 08:26 went through a of couple weeks 08:28 questions and answers from 08:30 a nine-year-old mind. 08:32 And after a couple of months, 08:35 I got baptized at Courtenay 08:38 Seventh-day Adventist Church. 08:40 When I first got baptized, 08:42 I didn't realize the magnitude 08:44 of the community that I was 08:46 about to step into. 08:47 After living at Campbell River 08:50 for a couple months, I had 08:53 gone through my first 08:54 school year in Canada and 08:57 all these new things 08:58 have become routine. 09:00 And it was finally me 09:02 getting into the groove 09:03 of things, but it was not long 09:05 after that my mom came back, 09:07 said that she graduated from 09:09 UBC, that she was now able 09:11 to start practising 09:12 as a pharmacist, and... 09:15 ...that we once again 09:17 had to move. 09:18 And for me, that was 09:21 the start of another routine, 09:23 moving from place to place, 09:26 because it was not 09:27 our only move 09:28 in the next 3 to 5 years. 09:32 It was the start of many moves. 09:35 We moved to Chilliwack 09:37 We moved to Chilliwack 09:38 and I went to 09:39 an Adventist school there. 09:41 I spent, I think, my grade four 09:43 and five year. 09:45 I went through Adventist 09:46 education and learning 09:47 what that was like. 09:49 I made my community, 09:50 I had struggled once again 09:53 because community is 09:55 difficult to build. 09:58 At the time, I remember 10:01 being a child who 10:04 used to be very open. 10:05 I used to talk to a lot of 10:07 random strangers. 10:08 I would just be sitting on a 10:10 bench at a mall, and someone 10:11 would come sit beside me 10:12 and I'd start talking to them. 10:14 I kept that spirit alive 10:16 for around 2 or 3 years 10:19 while in Canada, but... 10:22 ...soon enough I found myself 10:24 getting discouraged. 10:27 I found it hard to build 10:28 community. 10:31 Because after those two years 10:32 in Chilliwack, I once again 10:35 uprooted myself and moved 10:38 to another city and I 10:40 moved to a new school, 10:42 moved to a new church, 10:44 had to meet new people, 10:46 had to make new friends. 10:48 It was really difficult 10:49 because... 10:51 ...one of the things I really 10:53 wanted to do was belong. 10:55 And it's difficult to do that 10:57 as a child because everyone else 11:00 already has their best friends. 11:02 Everyone else has their 11:04 friend groups. 11:06 And it's very difficult 11:07 for a new person to step in 11:09 and say, "Can we be friends?" 11:14 And this pattern continued 11:16 year after year. 11:17 After another move 11:19 back to Chilliwack, 11:22 it was once again a new school, 11:24 a public school. 11:27 And I was sitting on a bench 11:29 just waiting for friends 11:31 to come because I had 11:33 grown tired of reaching out. 11:36 I became... 11:39 ...discouraged. 11:41 But over time, friends did come. 11:44 I ended up talking to people 11:46 once again. 11:47 It got exciting. 11:49 It was something that 11:51 brightened up my life. 11:52 I was able to go biking 11:53 with them, paintballing, 11:56 and it was quite the experience. 11:57 And by this time, I was 11:59 in my teenage years 12:01 and the news came again. 12:03 We have to move. 12:06 And being a teen, having moved 12:08 so many times, you'd think I'd 12:10 get used to it. 12:11 But Chilliwack was the place 12:13 where I said, "I don't wanna 12:15 move anymore." 12:17 And that was the first time 12:18 I had ever said that. 12:20 And it was really difficult 12:21 because as much as they 12:23 heard me, 12:24 my voice, 12:26 it wasn't taken 12:27 into consideration. 12:29 In my teenage years, I ended 12:31 In my teenage years, I ended 12:31 up actually during my sleep, 12:33 I bit my tongue three times 12:36 and it swelled to the size 12:38 of my mouth. 12:39 I could not talk for 12:40 the next day. 12:42 Moving to Burnaby... 12:45 ...was one of the hardest moves 12:47 that I have ever done. 12:49 It was another new church, 12:51 another new school. 12:53 But thankfully some of these 12:55 people at the school 12:56 I already knew. 12:58 I had attended every single 12:59 camp meeting since 2009. 13:03 Camp meeting is a place where 13:05 Camp meeting is a place where 13:05 all the churches in BC 13:06 and other surrounding provinces, 13:08 and sometimes even people from 13:10 the states, come up to camp 13:13 for 10 to 14 days, depending on 13:15 how long you wanna stay. 13:17 And we just spend time there 13:19 together, learning more about 13:20 God, getting to know friends 13:23 and meeting new ones. 13:25 And in the process of going to 13:25 And in the process of going to 13:26 camp meeting every single year, 13:28 I had met some of the people 13:29 that were going to Deer Lake. 13:32 But not only that, 13:34 it helped me realize 13:36 now that my community wasn't 13:39 just based on the city that 13:41 I stayed at the time, but it's 13:43 something that could follow me. 13:46 And it did. 13:47 As I... 13:50 ...went to Deer Lake, 13:52 I was able to... 13:55 ...finally set up roots. 13:57 I was able to choose a church 13:59 that I wanted to go to, 14:01 that I wanted to serve at, 14:03 and that was Oak Ridge 14:04 Adventist Church 14:06 or OAC for short. 14:10 I did have that one 14:11 constant friend throughout 14:13 all of those different cities 14:14 that I moved to. 14:16 His name was Amir. 14:18 We actually met when I was 14:21 two years old and he was one, 14:24 in the Philippines. 14:24 in the Philippines. 14:26 After moving from city to city, 14:28 he actually lived in Vancouver 14:30 and in transit to those 14:32 different cities, I would see 14:34 him and his family. 14:36 He was that one anchor point 14:38 that we could always go back to 14:40 and just have fun with. 14:42 And when I finally moved to 14:44 Burnaby, we became a lot 14:46 closer friends. 14:48 We started attending the same 14:49 church, we went there weekly. 14:51 We got heavily involved in music 14:54 and ministry. 14:54 and ministry. 14:56 Uncle Joey, as I call him, 14:59 was also my teacher 15:01 at Deer Lake, but was also 15:04 the worship leader at OAC. 15:07 Seeing him lead worship during 15:09 the times I visited Vancouver, 15:09 the times I visited Vancouver, 15:11 it really inspired me to 15:13 want to do something similar, 15:15 to be a part of that. 15:17 to be a part of that. 15:18 And when I was given 15:19 the opportunity to do sound 15:21 at OAC, 15:22 I just got so excited. 15:24 I said yes right away. 15:27 I came under the 15:28 mentorship of Otto 15:30 and he taught me the ropes. 15:31 and he taught me the ropes. 15:32 He showed me what it was like 15:34 to be a good sound engineer. 15:36 He showed me what 15:38 a clean setup looks like. 15:40 And as I learned 15:43 all these things, 15:44 I absorbed it like a sponge. 15:46 Because for me, it was 15:48 not just an opportunity 15:49 to help out, but it was an 15:50 opportunity to build community. 15:53 It was great. 15:54 It was exciting. 15:58 But that wasn't all that was 15:59 happening in my life 16:00 at the time. 16:01 I was going through school 16:03 figuring out what I was 16:05 gonna do with my life, 16:07 my education 16:09 past high school. 16:12 I was learning... 16:16 ...who I was. 16:19 Not...not who 16:22 everyone told me to be, 16:24 but who I really am. 16:27 Outside of all the exciting 16:29 things that happened at OAC, 16:31 I was still a kid 16:33 who had moved 16:35 and moved and moved. 16:38 And by the two year mark 16:40 at Deer Lake, 16:42 that urge came again. 16:45 But this time it wasn't 16:46 out of necessity. 16:49 It was out of choice. 16:50 Summer came by. 16:52 I talked to people about it. 16:53 I counselled with friends 16:55 and family. 16:57 I was reminded of the importance 16:59 of roots, of staying in a place 17:02 long enough to actually grow. 17:04 Running away wasn't the answer, 17:06 it was staying. 17:07 And that's what I did. 17:10 After arranging my whole 17:12 dorm situation at PAA, 17:15 I think about two weeks out, 17:18 I cancelled everything. 17:21 I sunk my heels into 17:24 the community, I doubled down on 17:26 volunteering at church, 17:28 and I learned what it was 17:31 to be planted. 17:33 Coming to 17:35 OAC was like 17:36 going back home 17:38 to my second home. 17:39 And over the course 17:40 of my college years, 17:43 it was a place of comfort 17:44 for me. 17:45 It was a place of community. 17:47 And... 17:48 ...Uncle Joey 17:50 and Tita Ester, 17:51 the Aguilar's, were the ones 17:54 that really drew me into that. 17:57 They were people who 17:59 welcomed me in. 18:02 As a teenager, you just wanted 18:04 to belong. 18:05 You just wanted to feel wanted. 18:07 And that's exactly 18:08 what they did. 18:10 After having solidified 18:11 my community in 18:14 Oak Ridge and 18:16 my church, 18:17 I wanted something a little bit 18:19 closer than just community. 18:23 I wanted a partner. 18:25 My first real relationship where 18:27 the other person was in college. 18:29 However, that wasn't quite the 18:32 relationship I was looking for. 18:34 Our values were misaligned. 18:37 She wasn't quite Christian and 18:39 there was a lot of friction in 18:41 the values that we 18:43 didn't share. 18:44 A couple years after 18:47 that college relationship... 18:51 ...I met Rhythm. 18:52 I was already working 18:53 as a massage therapist 18:55 for a couple of years, 18:55 for a couple of years, 18:57 and I had become stable 18:59 in my financials, 19:01 and I had also 19:04 continued my community 19:05 and my volunteering. 19:07 I actually had met her 19:08 at a volleyball tournament. 19:10 She was a godsend... 19:14 ...in every part of the word. 19:15 I had previously made a list 19:18 of the things that I would like 19:19 in a wife, and she checked off 19:22 every single one. 19:24 Rhythm was definitely 19:27 an answered prayer because... 19:31 [RHYTHM] He was playing 19:32 volleyball with 19:33 my friend's team. 19:34 I was there to cheer on 19:35 my friend, but then he ended up 19:37 coming up to say hi to me 19:39 out of nowhere. 19:40 I was just so shocked by how 19:42 bold he was. 19:43 And me being the shy person 19:45 I am, I said hi 19:47 and then I ran away. 19:48 [laughs] 19:49 My life before I met Jobo 19:51 had always been characterized by 19:53 a lot of independence, 19:54 a lot of fierceness, 19:56 even in the way that I talk, I 19:58 always seemed really confident. 20:00 But as I met Joba and as he 20:02 got to know me more, I was 20:05 very humbled by how 20:07 gentle and kind he was. 20:09 And it really made me reflect on 20:11 what type of 20:13 characteristics am I reflecting 20:15 that are from God. 20:17 Am I gentle, am I compassionate? 20:19 Am I faithful? 20:20 And that's all the attributes 20:23 that he showed me in our 20:25 early stages of 20:26 our relationship and that 20:27 really softened me. 20:29 And I'm very excited to journey 20:31 through life with him. 20:33 [JOBO] God sent me somebody 20:34 who could dig 20:37 up my... 20:39 ...past, who could 20:41 help heal 20:43 those wounds that were made 20:46 moving those many times, and 20:49 growing up without 20:50 Mom, or 20:52 not really having a dad. 20:55 As much as the parental figures 20:58 around my life have helped 21:00 to raise me, there... 21:04 ...there is still some things 21:06 that I lacked 21:08 and Rhythm helped me 21:09 heal from that. 21:12 She... 21:14 ...showed me... 21:17 ...how 21:18 a partner could 21:20 truly understand you. 21:24 To speak... 21:27 ...and be heard. 21:30 She showed me that 21:32 you can converse with someone 21:35 and that they can respect you 21:38 even when you try 21:40 to say that they're wrong. 21:44 You're partners. 21:47 You're not each other's parent. 21:50 And I think 21:52 that was very healing for me. 21:54 And I think that 21:56 stemmed from those times 21:58 when my mom and I would have 22:00 video calls when I was 22:03 8 to 9 years old... 22:06 ...and she would tell me 22:07 to be strong 22:10 and not cry. 22:13 And so I took that with me 22:15 through those years, 22:16 through all of these years. 22:19 And I still have some of those 22:20 habits now... 22:22 ...where I will bottle up 22:23 my emotions, as opposed to 22:25 saying anything that might 22:26 cause the other person to cry. 22:30 But I have learned 22:32 that there is more, 22:34 and she has taught me that. 22:38 I think throughout my life, 22:40 that phrase that my mom said 22:42 when I was young 22:43 always wraps around. 22:46 "Your father might have 22:48 made his own decisions 22:49 to leave... 22:52 ...but no matter what, 22:53 don't hate him for what he did. 22:56 He still loves you very much. 22:59 And if your physical father 23:02 isn't present, 23:02 your heavenly Father 23:04 is always and always has been 23:07 there.” 23:09 And I have seen that throughout 23:11 every part of my life. 23:13 Seeing the parental figures, 23:16 the mother figures, the 23:17 father figures pop up through 23:20 the different cities 23:21 that I went, through different 23:22 schools, different churches. 23:25 I can't be─ 23:27 I can't help but be 23:28 overwhelmed 23:30 at the amount of love 23:32 that my Heavenly Father 23:34 has given me, 23:35 in giving me these people 23:38 to look up to, 23:39 to be inspired by. 23:43 >> I can't help wondering what 23:44 Jobo's mother must have 23:46 gone through. 23:47 It makes me think of the story 23:49 in the Bible of Jochebed, 23:51 the mother of Moses, who had to 23:53 let to a little boy drift down 23:55 the Nile River hoping to save 23:57 his life, not knowing where that 24:00 would lead him, and letting God 24:02 take care of his protection and 24:05 the ultimate plans for his life. 24:08 >> What kind of community 24:09 would her son end up in? 24:12 When our lives turned tough and 24:14 twisted and we don't know what 24:17 the future holds, we still have 24:19 a choice. 24:20 We can choose to turn to God 24:22 for strength and wait on 24:24 His goodness. 24:27 >> Jobo always had the voice of 24:29 his mother in his head 24:30 to look up and to look ahead. 24:33 With his Heavenly Father as his 24:36 guide, Jobo was surrounded by 24:38 strangers who later turned into 24:41 family, father figures, 24:43 and friends. 24:45 As hard as it was to be 24:47 continually moving around, 24:49 Jobo's community found him 24:52 wherever he went. 24:54 >> Community is difficult 24:56 to build, especially when you 24:57 have to keep moving. 24:59 Be it a new country, a new city, 25:01 a new town, a new school, 25:03 a new church. 25:06 >> For a child, that is 25:08 really difficult. 25:09 As Jobo said, you begin to feel 25:11 like you are outside the 25:13 community rather than within it. 25:16 Everyone else has their 25:18 friend group and it hurts 25:19 to feel like you don't belong. 25:22 >> Perhaps you feel like that. 25:23 Tired of reaching out and 25:25 waiting to find a place 25:27 to belong. 25:28 Waiting for someone to walk 25:30 into your life and say, 25:32 "Can we be friends?" 25:35 >> In a very beautiful way, 25:37 the Lord brought genuine friends 25:39 into Jobo's life and gave him 25:42 the courage and confidence 25:44 to take that step of faith, 25:46 to reach out to Rhythm, 25:48 who is now his best friend 25:50 and partner for life. 25:52 What a good, good God 25:55 we serve. 25:56 >> Throughout Jobo's life, 25:58 he had hope based on the words 26:01 that he found in the Bible. 26:02 He trusted those words because 26:05 the only thing really in our 26:07 world that we can rely on 26:09 is the Word of God. 26:12 And God invites you to also 26:14 prove for yourself the reality 26:16 of His Word, the Bible, 26:17 and the goodness and truth 26:19 of His promises. 26:20 He invites you to taste and see 26:23 that the Lord is good. 26:27 >> Instead of depending upon 26:29 the word of someone else, 26:31 you can taste for yourself. 26:33 Jesus declares, "Ask 26:35 and you will receive." 26:38 Our free Bible study guides 26:40 will help you to experience 26:42 for yourself the reality of 26:45 God's Holy Word. 26:47 The truth of His promises. 26:50 You will see how the Bible has 26:52 verifiable answers to all 26:55 your questions, to find 26:57 your place of belonging 26:59 and God's will for your life. 27:02 >> Our free Bible study guides 27:04 will provide you with 27:06 practical answers that 27:07 make sense, giving you the 27:09 assurance that you belong 27:11 to your Heavenly Father 27:13 who loves you with an 27:14 everlasting love. 27:17 Before you go, we would like to 27:19 thank all of you who have 27:21 supported the ministry of 27:22 It Is written Canada 27:24 with your prayers and 27:26 financial contributions. 27:28 Without your support, this 27:31 television ministry could not 27:33 have reached so many people 27:35 for so many decades. 27:37 >> Yes, thank you. 27:39 And we would like to invite you 27:41 to follow us on Instagram and 27:44 Facebook and subscribe 27:45 to our YouTube channel, and also 27:47 listen to our podcasts. 27:49 And if you go to our website, 27:51 you can see our latest programs. 27:54 >> Friends, Jesus is offering 27:56 you a life of confidence 27:59 and community. 28:01 We would like to recommend you 28:03 to open the Bible, where it is 28:06 recorded that Jesus Himself 28:08 found His assurance to defeat 28:11 the Devil through the Word of 28:12 His Father when He declared... 28:27 >> "He will wipe away every tear 28:29 from their eyes, and death shall 28:32 be no more. 28:33 Neither shall there be mourning, 28:35 nor crying nor pain 28:37 anymore. 28:38 For the former things 28:40 have passed away." 28:41 [uplifting music] 28:44 ♪♪ |
Revised 2025-01-08