Report from Ella Santos

Recent Events

Church Planting Team Graduation

I will never forget the Filipino community atmosphere I have always felt whenever we work with the church planting teams but this year I will never forget the true Filipino culture I experienced when the church planting team in Saranggani Mindanao graduated in January. Testimonies were given by the new Christians in the community and how they were blessed by the lives of the church planters (Angelo, Minci, Rica and Emilyn). Rica and Minci got pregnant while being trained for church planting and we at first felt this might be a hindrance in going up and down the mountain and visiting the families in the area but I was inspired knowing that they never stopped the work. They continued visiting the families and they both managed their time well, praying along the way so they could split between them the families they would have to go to. They walked up through the feeder road going up the mountains and even helped the families in rearing their children.

What they didn’t know is that their perseverance brought Christ to the houses among the mountains and among the T’boli tribe. Rica and Menci were teary eyed listening to the testimonies of the new Christians during the graduation and I was too! It encouraged me a lot, having a missionary heart and passion for the community. I felt that I am not doing enough since I am not a true church planter where I will stay for two years in an area. But even tho I felt that way I just continued serving the Lord by looking after the church planters and providing the training and pastoral care for them. It encouraged me when Rica and Minci said that more than being mentors our friendship with them upheld them and grounded them well. When I heard that, I felt that the Lord has somehow spoken to me and hugged me, that even if I am not staying two years in the church planting area and just go to them for module training and pastoral care,  it still contributed a lot.   

I took this photo of the new church in Itis, Saranggani. I cannot forget the partnership of people and the genuine love of the community who also paved this walkway and planted these plants. They are now attending fellowship here in this church. 

Bicol Youth Campus Leaders

Another significant story I would like to share is that of the youth campus leaders in Bicol. We have an existing Campus Ministry Training with them and partnering with a church which is a product of an ECPM church planting ministry is something I will always thank the Lord for. I remember seeing Darwin in Ranao Ranao Gospel Church as a young boy whenever we are there for church planting activities. Each year we go there I’ve seen him grow up too. His mother tries her best to send her kids to school and I will never forget the hospitality his mom would show to us ECPM staff whenever we were there. Now Darwin is not only one of our youth campus leaders for ECPM-YMC Campus Ministry but was awarded one of the top 10 outstanding students of Bicol. He excelled not just academically but by maintaining good relationships with other young people in the university bringing the love of the Lord. Here is a young student bearing the name of Christ, awarded one of the top 10 students in the whole town of Bicol and part of the outreach bible studies of his church.

Why did this make an impact on me? In this technology-clad world of ours there are still young people in the outskirts of the city doing their best to finish their studies and never forgetting to share the love of the Lord. It made me realize that sometimes missions and ministries need not be grand. Even the simplest form of mentoring and friendship makes a whole lot difference in people’s lives. I believe this vision the Lord has given to ECPM through its campus work is His work and He is doing something meaningful in the lives of these young people. It is not our own efforts or skills but purely His own doing and I praise and thank the Lord for that.  

Personal Stories

Darwin Racadag

Darwin is a member of Ranao Ranao Christian Church and is also one of the youth campus leaders of ECPM Campus Ministry. His mother is a homemaker with a sari-sari store in Ranao-ranao Bicol. 

According to Darwin the training of ECPM Campus Ministry boosted his confidence. Aside from being trained in mission work in the university we also have personality development trainings helping them develop their communication skills. This helped him in talking in front of a group of people and also being friendly and open in encouraging people as a bearer of the love of God. He said that mentoring has given him a lot of guidance and having a “kuya” and “ate” is one of God’s privilege for him as a child of God. It encouraged him as he goes through different struggles in life especially as a university student.

He was recently awarded one of the Top 10 outstanding students of Bicol and was also an author of an advocacy increasing interest education proposing a project for the younger generation entitled: Nurture Understanding of Mathemathics Through Enriched Relevant Opportunities. Aside from excelling academically, Darwin is a youth leader in Ranao Ranao and part of the outreach bible studies and DVBS the young people in RRCC are doing. He is now preparing to someday preach in their church. 

Partnership's Influence within the Community

In the church planting work in Tula Tula Brooke’s Point Palawan the church planting team taught the adults in the area how to read and write. To become recipients of a special government’s benefit program for the indigenous people (4P’s) they need to be able to write and because the church planting team taught them how they are now part of this 4P’s project of the government. The community appreciated the church planters because of this. Therefore when ECPM brought young adults for a mission engagement (missons exposure) in the area the community was very open and even allowed the young adults to teach in the public school in the mountains. 

Ideas for the Future

Last year we included a time-out or family retreat for the church planters. After a year of church planting we hold a family retreat together with the church planters’ husband or wife and their children. We pull the church planters and their families out from the church planting area for a day or two just to have a breather and refresh. There are group dynamics for the husbands and wives, game time for their kids and free time for swimming (usually), picture taking and eating. Most of them don’t really experience “outings” and these have been very helpful in strengthening the families of the church planters. This also paved the way for including their spouses in the work of ECPM and understanding what church planting is about. More than that, this is aimed to give HOPE, REST and ENCOURAGEMENT to the church planters and their families, that surrendering their lives to the work of the Lord will never be in vain. 

I am inspired to see families serving the Lord together. The photo shows the families of the church planters in Samarinyana and Tula Tula Palawan during the Church Planters Family retreat. 

We are still improving this program and we are still trying to improve pastoral care (member care) to our church planters and their families to also assist them in their personal lives. We believe that caring for their families is part of church planting as well. In the coming years we will refine this even more as part of the church planting training cycle. 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) We have been praying for audio Bibles and solar radios because of the language barrier in teaching the word of God. One of our partners introduced the work of the Mega Voice which supplies solar mp3 Bibles. We are still exploring this. Please help us pray that the Lord will raise more Bible translators that will translate the Bible to Palawano. 

2) Please continue to pray that the church planter's families will be strengthened by the Lord despite challenges.

3) Please pray for Darwin Racadag that he will be a prime mover in the community bringing the truth and love of God and His words.

Comments

I always believe that whatever vision the Lord has given to ECPM He is faithful enough to provide for the resources and wisdom and skills so we may be able to do this service well. Please continue to pray for us as we seek always to improve not just the training cycle of ECPM but also as I, personally, seek to improve the pastoral care for the church planters including conflict resolution, team work and soul care. For me, our close relationship with the church planters impacts our lives in a very magnificent way. Everytime I go to church planting areas they welcome me thinking that I came with blessings for them but always I go home even more blessed from their lives, friendships and stories. Hearing their stories has always been a source of encouragement for the ECPM training team. 

Thank you Bright Hope World for enabling me to hear these stories. Your support to me and to ECPM gives me the privilege to see the wonder in these Filipino communities and the beauty of the Filipino culture the Lord has gifted us with.