There’s Food in the Church
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The following story was recently sent to us from our Bible Workers serving on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Our Bible Workers there are working with the Mindoro Outreach project to serve the Mangyans, a group of indigenous people living in the mountains.
It was a Sabbath day. People were singing praises, sharing testimonies and thanksgiving, and speaking about God's transforming power. Yet, in the far back of the church sat a man battling darkness in his thoughts, trying to overcome the influence of the alcohol he had drunk on that Holy Day.
Rokel, his wife, and three children live in a village on a plain surrounded by mountains. A river flows beside the village during the rainy season but, sadly, dries up during summer. The Mangyans have gardens in nearby fields, but most of the land belongs to the lowlanders.
During the rainy season, getting enough food is easy; the villagers eat vegetables and catch fish. But during the summer, when the river dries up, the people are starving. The hot sun scorches the vegetables, and sometimes grass fires sweep the dry ground, destroying homes and food.
During the summer, while Rokel's family and the other villagers were suffering from food scarcity, Rokel was having the time of his life. He worked for one of the lowlander farmers, and whenever he received his paycheck, he went straight to the store to buy alcohol.
He often acted like he didn't have a starving family back in the village. He spent most of his time with his drinking friends, and he only visited his family when he felt like it.
Mindoro Outreach, the project we work with to serve the Mangyan people of the Philippines, started outreach in Rokel's village. They built a church/school building there and assigned Michael, a JFA Bible Worker, to serve with his wife and children. They started having worship each Sabbath and taught the village children during the week. Through their ministry, many people learned about Jesus, and their congregation grew.
One Sabbath, one of Rokel's children noticed that the churchgoers were having lunch after the service. The hungry child grabbed a bowl from his house and crept over to the church to eat the food the Bible Worker and his family served.
The boy noticed the churchgoers having lunch every week, so he kept coming each Sabbath. Eventually, his mother noticed and asked what he was doing.
"They have food after the worship," the little boy told his mother. "Maybe if you attend next Sabbath, you can eat too."
The next Sabbath, Rokel's son brought his mom to the church around an hour before the service ended so they could partake of that week's lunch. They were excited to eat even the simple meal Michael's family served.
Michael and his family started visiting Rokel's family and teaching them more about the Bible. One day, Michael heard Rokel was home and went to share God's Word with him directly. Rokel listened to Michael and was deeply impressed by the Word of the Lord. He started to read the Bible for himself.
Rokel's family started to notice a change in him. "Pa, let's attend Sabbath worship," his son invited. "It is good to go to church." Rokel accepted the invitation, and the whole family started going to church.
The other villagers also noticed a change in Rokel. He spent more time at home with his family and was always busy reading the Bible. He stopped drinking, and his attitude improved. His family was so happy.
Eventually, Rokel got baptized during a camp meeting for his whole tribe. He was immersed in the word of the Lord and was excited to learn more of His truth. But the enemy was not happy with Rokel's transformation, so Rokel was severely tempted.
On a glorious Sabbath day, one of the brethren, who's also an Adventist, invited him to drink. This brother became a stumbling block to him, and he could not refuse the temptation.
As he was drinking, his conscience pricked at his mind. His family was already at church, and there he was, drinking alcohol on Sabbath. The Holy Spirit came to rescue him from the dark. By God's amazing grace, he refused to take another shot of alcohol.
He left and walked through the village towards the church. There, he heard everyone joyfully singing praises to God. He sat down in the back, still having the influence of alcohol in his being.
As he listened to the Word of God, he breathed heavily, deciding to stand on the truth he had found in Jesus. That day, Rokel recommitted his life to the Lord and promised never to drink alcohol again, never to choose temptation over the love of God again. He was moved by the Spirit of the Lord and felt that he was forgiven and ready to receive God's plan for him and his family.
Today, Rokel's family is serving the Lord with the Bible Workers. He is actively participating in visiting nearby villages to share the truth with their fellow tribespeople. He is committed to serving the Lord wherever the Lord leads him. All because his little boy was hungry and found food in the church.
Please continue to pray for Rokel's family and the ministries of our Bible Workers and missionaries in Mindoro. They still have many more Mangyan villages to reach for the Gospel.
If God is inspiring you to financially support the ministries of our dedicated Bible Workers in Mindoro and other parts of the Philippines, please click the button below.