Participants:
Series Code: JFAN
Program Code: JFAN000104S
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:21 - Hello and welcome to Jesus for Asia Now. 00:24 I'm Natalie Wood 00:25 and my husband Jon is here with me today. 00:27 Hello love? 00:28 - Hi darling, how are you? 00:29 - I'm doing fine. - Good. 00:30 - You know, it's kind of exciting, 00:32 'cause normally when we tell Bible worker stories 00:34 they're from India. 00:36 But today, we have some more from the Philippines. 00:38 - Yes. 00:39 Most of the stories from our Bible workers 00:40 come from India 00:42 because we have over 400 Bible workers in India. 00:45 - Right, and in the Philippines, 00:46 by contrast, we have about 30 00:48 maybe a few less than 30, I believe. 00:51 - Right. 00:52 - But anyway, we have a lot fewer workers, 00:54 but that doesn't mean the stories are any less amazing. 00:57 - Right. 00:58 - Or any less (mumbles). - Inspiring. 01:01 - Proof of what God is doing. 01:02 - Absolutely. 01:03 And there's still a huge field in the Philippines, 01:06 even though the Philippines is considered a reached country, 01:11 it's 90% Catholic. 01:13 And so for Protestants, that's still a big mission field. 01:16 - Right, still very unreached. 01:18 - The way that we got started is I had heard 01:21 that there was a plan to set up 01:22 a TV satellite ministry 01:25 based out of the Philippines that would cover all of Asia. 01:29 And so they had requested me to come 01:31 and do a training in July of 2008. 01:35 I was sitting down to order my tickets to go to Iloilo 01:38 which is in the Western Central, you know 01:41 there's like 7,000 islands in the Philippines. 01:45 And in this there's like the big one in the North 01:48 called Luzon, 01:49 the big one in the South called Mindanao 01:51 and then a bunch of other littler ones 01:53 in the center and all of those together called the Visayas. 01:57 Okay, and over on the far West is an Island called Panay. 02:02 And in the Southern part of that Island is Iloilo. 02:07 And so I was getting ready to purchase my tickets 02:09 to go to Iloilo 02:10 and I saw news of this massive typhoon 02:13 that was coming in over Iloilo. 02:16 Most of them come in and just keep going. 02:20 They call that typhoon alley. 02:21 It just comes in and just keeps on going. 02:23 But this one, it came in 02:25 and it sat over the mountains of Panay, North of Iloilo. 02:31 And it dumped like six months worth of water 02:34 in like three days. 02:36 And you know, for people like in Arizona, 02:39 its like it's I guess not a big deal. 02:40 - Yeah, but this is a tropical country 02:42 and they do normally have quite a bit of monsoon rain. 02:45 - Yes. 02:47 And so this massive flood happened and water just- 02:50 - Mudslides and- - Yeah. 02:51 And 5,000 people lost their lives. 02:55 And I thought, you know what? 02:56 I'm gonna wait a little bit. 02:58 So, I waited a month and went over there. 03:01 We did our training. 03:03 And while I was there, this training was sponsored 03:05 by a local church 03:07 who was trying to do the TV satellite ministry. 03:09 All the displaced people, 03:11 that lost their homes, 03:13 that their livelihoods were destroyed, 03:15 that, you know, lost family members, they were running out 03:20 of things like drinkable water, a shelter and rice. 03:24 Some of those basic life's necessities. 03:26 And so the church had organized a giveaway. 03:30 So they packed up the truck with all the aid supplies 03:34 and they drove out to a very needy area. 03:37 This is what's so beautiful about what they did 03:40 is before just handing it out, 03:42 they said, hey guys, we wanna have a small meeting. 03:44 You know, five minutes of your time. 03:47 This event was prophesied in the Bible. 03:50 And you may think that it's from a God that is angry 03:55 but it's actually not. 03:57 This is in prophecy, but it's a loving God 04:01 wants to give us insight 04:03 into what's gonna happen in the future. 04:06 And how to have salvation full and free. 04:10 Would you like Bible studies? 04:13 And within a few days, 28 hundred people signed up 04:19 for Bible studies. 04:20 - Wow. 04:21 - This is just a little church. 04:23 You know, this gonna give 28 hundred Bible studies? 04:25 - Yeah, they were like, we can't do this by ourselves. 04:27 - No, they have regular jobs. 04:29 They're lay people. 04:30 They just don't have the time. 04:32 I mean, they can do a few a week, but 28 hundred? 04:36 And so, we're like, can we hire some Bible workers? 04:40 And they said, sure. 04:42 There's people that are willing to do that full time 04:45 with a small stipend. 04:47 Now it's more expensive to live in the Philippines 04:49 than it is in India. 04:51 So the stipend is a bit higher, 04:53 but I think it was $150 a month 04:55 is what we started out with. 04:58 But they went beyond just hiring Bible workers, 05:01 they started an AFCOE for the Philippines. 05:05 They worked with Amazing Facts 05:06 and Amazing Facts started their own AFCOE up in Manila, 05:09 but they did something like it, 05:10 It's called the West Visayan Conference Center of Evangelism 05:14 or College of Evangelism. 05:16 - Right. 05:17 So it's local to that conference? 05:19 - Right. - Yeah. 05:20 - Yeah, and they trained some Bible workers 05:23 into doing Bible work 05:24 and they're out there in 05:26 they call them barangays 05:27 and a barangay is like a town. - Neighborhood. 05:30 - A village not a it's more than a village. 05:32 It's more like a town. 05:35 I don't really understand what it really is 05:37 but it's like an incorporated town thing. 05:41 They have a chief and they have a high government 05:44 and all that kind of stuff. 05:45 So there's a lot of barangays 05:48 that don't have access to the light 05:51 that we have, the hope that we have. 05:53 And so they've been doing this work ever since 2008. 05:57 - Wow. Awesome. 05:59 So our first story is of one of these Bible workers 06:03 and she was married to an American before. 06:06 And he has left. 06:08 And left her and her daughter by themselves. 06:10 But they used to be quite wealthy. 06:12 - Yeah, they were into business 06:14 and she talks about that in the video, 06:15 but they had a business 06:17 and they became focused on the business and making money. 06:20 And they kind of left God out of the picture. 06:23 And the result of that of course, was a dissolved marriage. 06:27 He left the country and she's been left with the daughter. 06:30 And then she decided during that time to go back to God. 06:37 And to put him first again in her life. 06:40 We have two videos about her 06:42 and the first one is like her living place 06:46 and her daughter and just their living situation. 06:48 - Okay. 06:49 Lets watch that now. 06:50 - Okay. 06:52 (soft music) 07:26 - [Narrator] This is where I live in this small room. 07:33 - This is my humble room, 07:36 very small but it's just enough (foreign language). 07:39 - [Narrator] It's very small, 07:40 but it's enough for me and my daughter. 07:48 - That's why this is what I like our room, 07:50 we can see the view. 08:02 - [Narrator] When we are not in a hurry, 08:03 we cook on the charcoal stove downstairs, 08:07 things like porridge. 08:09 But when we just boil water or cook simple food, 08:13 we just do it here on our small stove. 08:21 - [Woman] where do you eat? 08:25 - We have a tiny table (laughs) 08:30 (foreign language) 08:33 (slow music) 08:42 - [Narrator] Before, when my husband was still here, 08:44 we did a lot of business. 08:49 I experienced what it's like to have a lot of money. 08:53 Our goal was to build a wellness center. 08:58 But our focus shifted to serving self. 09:02 Then trials came into our lives. 09:05 My spa business was burnt to the ground. 09:07 Everything was ruined. 09:09 We went back to zero. 09:11 Maybe the Lord allowed it, 09:12 so I can be humble. 09:14 Or maybe God reminded me of my promise 09:17 that I would be a co-labor with him. 09:19 I had forgotten my promise to God 09:21 because we were busy with our business. 09:27 My life before was very comfortable 09:29 but I was far from God. 09:32 Today, I have peace of mind. 09:37 I told my daughter, 09:38 be content with what we have. 09:42 Whatever our food is, just eat it. 09:45 Don't look for other food 09:46 because we don't have a lot of money. 09:49 (slow music) 10:26 Now that I am a Bible worker, 10:28 it feels really good 10:30 that whatever I need, 10:31 big or small God provides. 10:36 I have proved and tested 10:38 that God really provides. 10:45 Our life today is very peaceful. 10:48 I don't worry about anything. 10:50 I just trust God. 10:54 - Wow! 10:55 - Beautiful, uh? 10:56 - It's interesting, the comparison. 10:58 You know, she was busy before 11:00 and she had a lot of things going on in her life. 11:03 And she forgot her promise to God. 11:05 Yeah, and she was getting more and more wealthy 11:08 and then she says God allowed trials 11:11 so she'd remember him. 11:13 - Yeah, and now she has a very simple life, 11:16 but very peaceful. 11:18 And she's content. 11:19 She's not worried about money 11:20 before when she had a lot of money, 11:21 she was worried about money. 11:22 - And now she doesn't have it 11:24 and she's not worried about it. 11:25 'Cause she knows God provides. 11:28 - Right. 11:29 I love how she made a promise 11:31 that she would be a co-labor 11:33 with God and God brought her back around to that. 11:36 And she's got comfort and peace in that. 11:39 - Which is what we'll see in our next video about her. 11:42 About what she actually does and the joy 11:44 that she gets from doing what she does. 11:46 - All right, well let's watch the second video now. 11:48 - Okay. 11:49 (slow music) 12:16 [Narrator] The people around here call me doctor. 12:19 They call me doctor because I'm always treating the sick 12:23 but I tell them that I'm not a doctor 12:25 because I didn't finish the nature apathy training. 12:28 But they're used to calling me doctor. 12:32 If someone is sick, they come to me 12:34 or they'll call and tell me that someone is sick. 12:38 And I go there immediately. 12:42 Every time I see a sick person, 12:44 every time I see someone who can't walk, 12:47 I really pity them. 12:48 I want to help them. 12:51 - Through diet, through hydrotherapy, massage, 12:56 (in foreign language) 13:06 [Narrator] I'm dealing mostly with stroke patients here. 13:10 And I was able to bring healing 13:12 to more than 10 of them by the grace of God. 13:21 I'm doing this at no charge 13:23 because I don't want them to have just physical healing. 13:28 I want them to have spiritual healing as well. 13:34 Right after I treat them, 13:36 I give them Bible studies. 13:42 So when all their treatments are finished, 13:44 their Bible study course is also completed. 13:48 They have physical healing 13:49 and at the same time they have spiritual healing. 13:54 They are very thankful to me and to God. 13:57 I love to share God's word with them 13:59 and to make them well. 14:11 - Isn't that beautiful? 14:12 - Yeah. 14:13 It's so neat how she's able to use 14:15 the natural remedies to help people. 14:18 Yes, of course. 14:20 And her focus is on the spiritual healing 14:22 but she realizes that they need physical healing so much. 14:28 What a beautiful opportunity to serve. 14:30 - And she could charge them quite a bit of money 14:34 I mean, if she's healed or brought 10 people 14:37 from stroke to recovery. 14:41 That's pretty amazing. 14:42 - Yeah, rehab is pretty intense 14:44 for a stroke patient many times. 14:46 - Right. 14:47 And she chooses to do it for no pay so 14:49 that she can direct people's attention 14:51 to the Father in heaven who does the actual healing. 14:54 So it's an amazing ministry 14:56 from a person that's quite qualified to make a good salary. 15:00 And yet she's doing this for the cause of God. 15:03 - Right. 15:04 Well, I think it's interesting too 15:05 that she originally, 15:07 when she and her husband had the business 15:08 she said we were raising money for a wellness center, 15:13 but then they lost the vision for that. 15:15 And they just started raising money. 15:17 - For themselves. - But she's been able to be 15:21 a mobile wellness center going around 15:23 and helping people. 15:24 - Right. 15:25 So it's beautiful to see the heart of service 15:26 and the joy that she has in service. 15:29 - Right. 15:31 And what a privilege and a blessing that she can be. 15:34 That's just awesome. 15:35 - And it's a privilege for us now to serve her 15:39 to enable her to do what God has called her to do. 15:42 - Right. 15:43 What a blessing! 15:45 Now we wanna to move to a different part of the ministry. 15:47 And that is in a place where sometimes it's hard to get in. 15:52 Sometimes it's easy depending on your life choices. 15:55 - People get in without wanting to. 15:57 - Exactly. 15:58 - I don't know anybody that wants to get in there. 15:59 - Well, if they wanna go into ministry 16:01 sometimes it's difficult to get in to minister. 16:04 But we're talking specifically about prison ministry. 16:07 And it's pretty amazing that God can use anybody. 16:11 And some of our best Bible workers are ex-cons. 16:15 Which is amazing. 16:16 I mean, we met one man 16:18 when we were in the Philippines last he's like, 16:20 yeah I used to blow up things 16:22 and now I try to blow God 16:24 into everything or I can't remember exactly how he said it 16:27 but he's like, yeah I used to blow up things 16:30 and now I try to blow the gospel 16:32 into people's lives or something like that. 16:34 I don't remember 16:35 but it was kind of funny how he was saying it. 16:37 Yeah, yeah, that's true. 16:39 But anyway, just seeing how God took him 16:43 from someone that had selfish interests, you know 16:47 just like Chris, the Bible worker 16:48 we just heard the story of. 16:51 We see God took him 16:52 from someone who was out for his own gain. 16:54 He was doing demolition for hire. 17:01 But anyway, it's so neat to see how God can take that 17:03 and turn a life around. 17:04 - Yeah, I think he likes to do that. 17:06 I think he specializes in taking the least likely people 17:11 and doing the most amazing things in them. 17:13 We see this a lot of times. 17:16 In a lot of different ways. 17:17 And he loves doing it. 17:19 - Right. 17:20 So the Bible worker we wanna talk 17:21 about now is not out of prison. 17:24 - No. 17:25 - He is serving a life sentence. 17:28 - Yes. 17:29 Now he started out in Iloilo 17:31 but they've moved him to a maximum security prison 17:34 up near Manila up in the North. 17:36 And so he's serving a life sentence inside the prison. 17:40 But while he was in prison, 17:42 some of our Bible workers reached him 17:45 and invited him to their program. 17:47 Well, you'll hear this story. 17:48 But invited him to the program, 17:50 he accepted Christ in the prison 17:52 and now he's living out his life sentence 17:55 for Christ in the prison. 17:57 And he's one of the organizers 17:59 for the work that we have in the prison. 18:02 So he's like one of the main people 18:04 that bring people together 18:06 and coordinate who's gonna speak 18:09 and all that kind of stuff. 18:10 So, and he's on fire. 18:12 He is really in love with God. 18:14 And he's just calling people to a higher standard. 18:17 - Now I remember, before he was moved to Manila 18:20 that everyone was praying 18:21 because there was a sentence to be set down. 18:24 - The judge was deciding 18:25 whether he should get life or stay 18:29 or I don't know, get it reduced, reduced sentence. 18:33 And everybody was praying for a reduced sentence. 18:35 But he was praying. 18:36 - Right. 18:37 He was surrendering. 18:38 He told the Lord, if you want me to go there 18:40 to be a witness, 18:41 then I'm willing. 18:43 And that's what happened. 18:44 And he was like, okay Lord, 18:46 I know it's your will. 18:47 And so it was amazing because you know 18:51 he could have been really sad or angry, 18:53 but he was like, God must have a work for me 18:56 at this other prison. 18:57 And so he took up the work as soon as he got there. 18:59 - Now he has a supportive wife, very supportive wife. 19:05 Brings him food. 19:06 Now in these prisons, 19:07 a lot of times 19:08 they're not provided meal. 19:10 And so their families have to bring them food. 19:13 And so, he's got a very supportive wife 19:18 and the church has behind him, 19:20 but they're very remote. 19:21 We can't go in to film him. 19:24 We're not allowed in. 19:25 And so the video that we have 19:28 of him here is him talking to a cell phone. 19:31 - Okay. 19:32 - (laughs) So the quality is not as good 19:33 but you'll get a sense of what he's like. 19:36 - Okay. 19:41 [Narrator] We were engaged in killings, 19:43 sometimes extra judicial killings. 19:46 I was also engaged in robberies. 20:03 I was in prison when I was only 14 years old 20:06 because I had been involved 20:07 in different robberies and rumbles. 20:11 Some of my companions died at that early age. 20:21 The event that put me into that life was when 20:23 a large gang came to our house and demanded 20:26 that my father choose one from among his six children 20:28 to go with their group as a vigilante. 20:38 My father pointed to me 20:41 because I was the only one 20:42 who was still single. 20:44 So I went with them 20:46 and helped in different killings. 20:52 - Rough life, eh? 20:54 - Wow. 20:55 - Can imagine your father. 20:57 This must've been a gang 20:59 that came in that was threatening, 21:01 and so he had no choice. 21:04 He was the only one that wasn't married yet. 21:06 So his father said, take him to a gang. 21:10 And he ended up living that terrible life. 21:13 Let's continue. 21:17 [Narrator] On November 5, 2008, 21:19 I was kidnapped by a group from Manila. 21:27 They didn't take me to the police 21:28 but to someplace, I think it was underground. 21:36 I was blindfolded and tied by my hands and feet. 21:40 I was kept in that place for 35 days. 21:47 When I eat, they would spoonfeed me. 21:49 If I needed to poop, they just cleaned me. 21:58 They tortured me to try to force me to tell them 22:00 who my bosses were and where my companions were. 22:06 Right there, I remember the name of God. 22:09 I told God that if I survived that situation, 22:12 I promise that I will serve him with my life. 22:17 - Wow! 22:18 So he was tortured and terribly. 22:21 And that's where he made his promise back to God. 22:24 - Yeah. 22:25 Wow! - Let's watch more. 22:30 [Narrator] Some of my companions in this cell 22:31 were baptized Seventh-day Adventists. 22:34 They were singing songs from a hymnal 22:35 and having a worship service. 22:37 And so I joined them. 22:40 They were surprised 22:41 that I knew some of the songs in the hymnal. 22:43 I told them that I was born in an Adventist family 22:46 and was baptized when I was in the fifth grade. 22:53 What brought me to my evil behavior, 22:55 was my hatred towards my parents. 22:59 Because they showed favoritism to my siblings. 23:03 I told myself that if I grow up, I will get my revenge. 23:08 So everything that I have done, the robberies 23:10 and the killings was not because of the money. 23:13 I just wanted to hurt my parents. 23:16 But now, since I learned about God's word, 23:18 I learned that revenge is not good. 23:22 And I realized that I misinterpreted my parents. 23:32 I remember it was February 4, 2012 in the afternoon. 23:37 That was the day I went back 23:38 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 23:41 My cellmate who invited me, kinda tricked me 23:44 because what we agreed was that I just wanted a copy 23:46 of the lyrics for the song, 'Why have you chosen me?' 23:50 But when I got there, they were telling everyone 23:52 that I was an Adventist. 23:54 After the program, they asked me to lead the closing prayer. 23:57 Even though it was my first time to attend. 24:00 And I immediately knew in my heart. 24:07 It felt like this, is my home. 24:10 Since then, 24:11 I never miss any of the programs. 24:13 And in April, 2012, 24:19 I was rebaptized. 24:21 - Isn't that an amazing testimony? 24:23 - Yeah. 24:24 - The first time he goes to a Bible meeting, 24:26 they asked to pray. 24:29 And it was in that prayer, 24:30 that he realized this is where I belong. 24:32 It was like his conversion 24:34 from somebody asking a first-time visitor to pray. 24:38 Incredible. 24:40 Very bold thing to do to ask somebody 24:42 that's never been there before to pray a closing prayer. 24:45 - Yeah (laughs). 24:47 - But that's what got is heart. 24:48 - Right. 24:49 - Amazing. 24:50 - Right. 24:51 Yeah. 24:52 And it's so beautiful to see how he realized 24:53 that he wasn't doing all that stuff 24:56 because of money or anything. 24:58 He was doing it because he wanted to get even 25:00 with his parents. 25:02 And yet here he is seeing that this God, 25:06 loved him still and wanted to change his heart. 25:09 And he was baptized in fifth grade 25:12 and you know so it's like, God brought him back 25:14 around to himself. 25:16 It's so beautiful. 25:17 - Yeah, absolutely. 25:18 Let's watch some more. 25:24 [Narrator] I'm so happy today, especially for my brethren 25:27 that were sent here to show his great love for us. 25:29 I'm not the only one that is happy. 25:31 There's also many other prisoners here that have lost hope. 25:34 Now they've been given hope again too. 25:36 And the courage to go on with their lives. 25:41 Prisoner's lives are being changed daily 25:44 through God's word that we are learning. 25:48 In spite of all of the hardships and sadnesses 25:50 that we are going through, 25:52 including missing our families and loved ones. 25:54 In spite of all of these trials, God is here for us. 26:01 These bars that surround us, don't hinder us. 26:04 They don't prevent us, whatever situation we have 26:07 because the work of God is for all the world. 26:09 God sometimes places us where we will be most effective. 26:13 Where we should be to do his work. 26:18 Many of us are longing for freedom, 26:21 but for me, freedom from these bars is not the answer. 26:24 It's not the answer to our thirst and hunger for our future. 26:29 Some of us want to be free, 26:31 to have a better future. 26:33 But for me as of now, who's studying his words, 26:37 I believe that wherever you are, 26:39 if you are with God, 26:42 that is where true freedom found. 26:44 And your future is secure in his hands. 26:52 - Amazing testimony, Isn't it? 26:54 - Yeah. 26:55 - Proud to have him as a Bible worker. 26:58 The work in the prison is going very well. 27:00 And of course people who are in there, 27:02 they don't have a lot to do, so they have time. 27:05 And of course they're there with nothing to do 27:07 except think about what they've done with their lives. 27:10 So they're looking, 27:11 many of them are looking for a better way to live. 27:13 Many of them have not even had options 27:16 or seen that there was any other way to live. 27:18 They just kinda got into the bad lifestyle 27:20 and didn't know how to get out. 27:23 And so when Christ comes along, it gives them hope, 27:25 gives them a future. 27:27 And as Bernie was saying, you know, 27:29 it doesn't matter where you are. 27:30 If you have Christ, your future is secure. 27:33 - Right. 27:34 Right, well, that's a beautiful story 27:36 of how God can change lives. 27:38 - So inspiring. - So it's so beautiful. 27:39 Yeah, beautiful and inspiring. 27:43 If you would like to enable these workers 27:45 and help the work go forward in the Philippines, 27:47 you can contact us at Jesus for Asia, 27:50 PO Box 1221, Collegedale, Tennessee, 37315. 27:56 Call us at (423) 413-7321. 28:00 Or visit our website at jesus4asia.org. 28:03 May God richly bless you, 28:05 until we see you next time 28:06 on Jesus for Asia Now. 28:09 (upbeat music) |
Revised 2021-01-12