I was born and raised in a Christian home. Even before I was born, my father was already a preacher and my mom a church worker. I remember growing up as a young boy, whenever the doors of the church were open my family and I were there. Everything about God and the church were just a routine for me. All I knew growing up was I was doing fine because I was always in church and participated in church activities. I did not understand that I needed to be saved. Whenever my Sunday school teacher led the sinner’s prayer or my father invited people who aren’t saved to the altar, I thought that I was exempted from that. I did what I thought was right. As I grew older, I began to compare myself to other people who did nothing for God. I thought I was better than them.

But something happened that changed my perspective about what my real condition was. There was a man that I really loved very much. I was told that he was the one who bought my milk and diapers when my father couldn’t afford to buy any when I was a baby. He was my grandfather. As I grew up, the more that I loved him. But one day, he was killed by people who hated my uncle. I was angry. I couldn’t believe that a day before he was just with us and suddenly he was gone. During his funeral, I remembered a pastor friend of my father preached. He quoted the Hebrews 9:27, “It is appointed to man once to die and after this the judgment.” I have heard that verse many times before, but it was different this time because in front of me was my grandfather in a casket without life. As I listened to the pastor, I realized that death can really happen to me too. I can die any moment. But what really bothered me was after death. There will be judgment for those who did not trust Jesus as their Savior. Since that night, death was always on my thoughts. I was afraid to die because I cannot remember trusting Jesus as my Savior. But I never told anyone.

Then one night during our family devotion, my mother asked me a question that I’ve heard many times before. She said, “Son, if you are going to die, where will your soul go?” I could have told her that night ‘To heaven’, but I was too afraid to pretend. I told her I didn’t know. Then she read to me John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” She explained that Jesus became a man, suffered, was mocked, and died on the cross to save me from perishing in hell forever! I am a sinner and when I die, I will be judged by God to go to hell forever! But Jesus gave his life for me to have eternal life in Heaven. All I needed to do is trust him as my Savior and ask him to save my soul. That night, I opened my heart and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior. From knowing the truth, now I have the truth. The truth of having a right relationship with Christ.

The Lord changed my life completely after that night. No longer am I afraid of death. No longer do I see myself as better than anyone else. He gave me a heart to reach out to the lost. He created a desire in me to preach the Word. That is why today, I am a missionary.

As a young boy growing up in a Preacher’s home, I have seen the hardships in the ministry, but in spite of that, I saw the joy in my parents’ life in serving the Lord. God used the life of my parents to show me the value of serving the Lord in full-time ministry God wants me to serve. Therefore, I surrendered my life to the Lord to become a missionary like my father.

My first involvement in the ministry was teaching little children about the Bible– telling stories about Jesus, teaching them to sing Christian songs and pray. As the years went by, I was given the opportunity to lead the Youth group in our church and other ministries. God laid in my heart to do more for Him. To be more equipped in the ministry, I enrolled at Fundamental Baptist College for Asians, a Bible college in Tarlac City, Philippines in 2012.

On my sophomore year in 2014, I was given the opportunity to be a scholar at Marietta Bible College in Marietta, Ohio to further my training and studies. I am currently taking up Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Theology. With God’s grace, I will be finishing my studies in 2017 and will be going back to Philippines after.

There is a great commandment Jesus gave to to believers and that is to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk. 16:15). I thank the Lord for the privilege of using me to reach unsaved people and see them accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior. I was able to go on soul winning and lead fellow young people to knock on doors and distribute Gospel tracts. Whether it is to little children on the street, or teenagers, adults, and families, the good news of Jesus Christ must be proclaimed to all. And I thank God he has given me that burden.

In 2011, I was given the opportunity to help start a Mission work in Liwayway, a village in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija in the Philippines. I thank the Lord for the life of Bro. Joel Fernandez who surrendered his life to full time ministry to start that mission work. As I assisted and helped Bro. Joel in starting that mission work, I learned many things in the ministry. Starting a mission work is not easy, but with the grace of God, people got saved and Christians are serving God. Truly, our labor for the glory of God is not in vain!

As the mission work in Liwayway village grew, we were given the opportunity to disciple believers in strengthening their faith. Aside from regular Sunday worship services, we held discipleship classes every Sunday in Liwayway. I saw how people become more hungry for God’s Word because of discipleship and were on fire for the Lord. By the grace of God, many believers became more involved in the ministry in the church and until now they are serving the Lord faithfully.

I was also given the privilege to disciple and lead young people in our church. I thank God because He uses me wherever He leads and He is the one that gives me the strength and determination to do His work.