'Worst experience' becomes a blessing

By Jess Jennings, your missionary to the Philippines

We took the team of young people, ages 13-18 up the Agusan River in the Philippines, and then they backpacked into the mountains.  One of our target villages was Lingayao.  This village was one of the largest villages in our area, but still with no evangelical church.  The team was instructed to pair off with interpreters and go house to house sharing the gospel and inviting all to attend a drama program in the local covered basketball court.  David told me some months later that was his worst experience while he was in the Philippines.  He said as he shared his testimony at a house, the owner laughed, and showed no interest at all.  But what David did not know was that when the team pulled out and went back to America, God stayed and continued to work in that village and even the heart of that man who had made fun of David.  Two weeks later, we were invited to start a Bible study at that house and continued to go their for over a year.  That man never followed Christ, but over 20 others have.  There are 5 who have come out of that church who are now pastoring and preaching.  One out of that group has literally gone all over our valley telling people about Jesus.  He has led teams of Filipino young people on short term mission trips to other tribes, and help in training and sending out over 50 young people last year.  He feels a strong call from the Lord to be a missionary.  I have asked myself the question many times, Why did all of this happen?  It is because one fourteen year old was willing to hold up a blank piece of paper before God, with no plans of his own, and ask God to write in His plan.

The goal was the village of Lingayao, one of the largest in our part of the Philippines that still had no evangelical church. David and his teammates were to pair off with Filipino interpreters and go house-to-house sharing the gospel and inviting the villagers to attend a drama presentation on the local basketball court. David later said that it was one of his worst experiences in the Philippines. Read more . . .

The goal was the village of Lingayao, one of the largest in our part of the Philippines that still had no evangelical church. David and his teammates were to pair off with Filipino interpreters and go house-to-house sharing the gospel and inviting the villagers to attend a drama presentation on the local basketball court. David later said that it was one of his worst experiences in the Philippines; as he shared his testimony at one house, the owner laughed at him and showed no interest at all.

What David did not know was that when the student team went back to America, God stayed and continued to work in that village and the heart of the man who had made fun of David.  Two weeks later, we were invited to start a Bible study at that house and we continued to go there for more than a year. That man never followed Christ, but more than 20 others are now part of God’s Kingdom. Five believers who have come out of that church are now pastoring and preaching!  One out of that group has literally gone all over our valley telling people about Jesus.  He has led teams of Filipino young people on short term mission trips to other tribes, and he helped to train and send out more than 50 young people last year. He feels a strong call from the Lord to be a missionary. 

I have asked myself the question many times, Why did all of this happen?  It is because one fourteen-year-old student was willing to hold up a blank piece of paper before God, with no plans of his own, and ask God to write in His plan on it.

Be part of Jess' teams this summer!