The Philippines have become a hot spot for evangelical missionaries in recent years, with many missionaries hoping to spread the love of God throughout these receptive islands. This was especially true for the 15 Pacific Union College students and two sponsors who went to the Philippines during the summer of 2003 and preached to hundreds of people eager to hear the Word of God.
The small group from PUC led out in evangelism in a city near Manila as a part of Global Evangelism (GE), a program designed to give both pastors and untrained orators the opportunity to preach the Gospel.
Warren Ashworth, PUC professor emeritus of religion, eagerly volunteered to help organize a trip after hearing about the GE campaign in the Philippines. “I had already done evangelism in Russia for five summers and got excited about the Global Evangelism plan of involving our young people,” said Ashworth.
The program allows for short-term missionaries to arrive in assigned locations where everything is ready and waiting for them. Church members from the local area offer guidance and support, and sermon and illustration material is provided for the speakers as well. All the speakers have to do is preach.
Many of the missionaries who went from PUC were not theology majors, but simply Christians—ready, willing and able to spread the love of God. Edgar Mariscal, aviation major at PUC, was worried about speaking in front of crowds of people but felt inspired to go nonetheless. “I always heard of stories of those who had gone on mission trips, how blessed they were and the wonderful experiences they encountered,” said Mariscal. “I finally said to myself, ‘It is time to experience the adventure of being a missionary and share my stories with others.’”
The PUC missionaries stayed in a hotel in the city of Cavite and left everyday to go out to their assigned locations. Each person had his or her own individual series venue and preached sermons to congregations of about 150 to 200 people. Meetings were held on basketball courts, in small one-room churches and even in prisons.
Grace Chu, a recent graduate from PUC, felt moved by the Holy Spirit to speak in a prison nearby. “I didn’t know how spiritually hungry prisoners were,” said Chu. “They had an amazing response to the message given. The tears in their eyes and their smiles of joy touched my heart as I saw the Holy Spirit moving in them.”
And like many mission trips, some of the biggest blessings are the ones that the missionaries themselves receive from preaching to others. “During this trip, I truly felt an overwhelming knowledge of how little I have to offer, and yet how gloriously God can use my feeble offering,” said Jody Foster, a music student and a GE veteran, having already served in Ghana and the Dominican Republic.
“We all bonded marvelously, praying together, encouraging one another, sharing our joys and our challenges, and several after returning have told me that it was the best trip they had ever been on,” said Ashworth. “It is evident that there is nothing to compare with the experience of being used by the Holy Spirit to bring a soul to the foot of the cross and to share the wonderful Adventist message straight out of God's Word.”
