Many times when we are working for God, His protecting hand
is over us keeping us safe from seen and unseen dangers. Rujan* and Rob* were
assigned for their OJT on an island in the southern part of the Philippines and
what adventures they experienced there! Here are their stories.
Even during the first week, Rujan and Rob felt God’s
protecting hand over them! Rob said, “Last Sabbath, we were invited to another
church in another place. After the program, we were returning to the site for
our evening meeting on 2 motorcycles. I was ahead of my partner, Rujan and his
driver. I did not realize that we were in danger at that time! But suddenly 2
more motorcycles sped up behind Rujan and his driver and were trying to do
something to be able to “kidnap” the motorcycle and take it away. We sped
faster, hoping to reach the main highway where more people were so we would not
be hurt as it seemed that the men could hurt us. Later we learned that these
same men had killed several people earlier. It was a race for survival and we
hurried to the main road. Soon we reached it and jumped off the motorcycles to
ride a bus going to our site. Those people who were trying to overtake us stood
around staring at us, talking in their own language and we didn’t know what
they were saying. The bus soon came and we jumped on and praised God for
keeping us safe! We soon found out that stealing motorcycles is very common in
this area.”
That night their topic was the Bible Sabbath and obviously,
the devil wanted to make problems and distractions for Rujan and Rob, but God’s
protecting hand was over them and they were saved! But that wasn’t the only
time God kept them safe. Because many of the children coming to Rob’s children’s
program were coming from a place quite far from their site, Rob and some of his
friends would bring them home every night. The road was very dark and the homes
were very far, but every night the Lord’s protecting hand was over them. Rob
made it a point to pray with the parents of the children, for which they were
very appreciative and continued to let their children attend his program. More
challenges arose when the electricity went off just as they were to start the program,
but God helped them to be able to still continue anyways.
Rujan, the adult evangelist, said, “About halfways through
my one month program, it was exactly 6:30 in the evening when I was ready to
start and suddenly we heard gunshots nearby. I was tempted to be afraid, but
remembered God’s promises and instead of fear, I felt peace. That night 2 men
were killed (not at our site, but nearby) and our attendees were afraid to keep
attending. Satan was really trying to cause problems! But we kept on praying
and God kept on helping us each step of the way.”
During their visitation, Rujan and Rob found a lady who had
just returned from a northern island where she had been working as a helper for
an Adventist family. This lady had been observing the ways of the Adventists
and was very impressed with everything she saw. But then, the owner had a
relative who was sick and couldn’t afford to pay for his helper anymore and so
she went home and that’s where Rujan and Rob found her. She wanted to attend
the Adventist church and learn more about Him!
Rob was so inspired with the commitment of his children to
the truths they were learning each night! When he challenged them to try a 10
day trial and put God first and many of them did! One girl started cooking some
of her own food when her mother fixed food with unclean meat in it so she could
follow the Bible.
But the most inspiring experience came the final weekend.
Rob described it by saying, “When one of my students, a 14 year old girl,
approached me late in the program and asked to be baptized, I was very
surprised. She had wanted to be baptized before, but always said, ‘in the near
future – not now.’ But the last Friday, she told me she wanted to be baptized
that Sabbath and had always said in the future before because she knew that
parents didn’t approve of her decision. After the program that night, I went
with her to her house to talk with her parents. Her father said she could be
baptized when she turned 18, not now. So I decided that the girl could not be
baptized because we don’t want to baptize a minor without the parent’s consent.
Sabbath came and the girl asked to go with us to the baptism and just watch and
see what it’s like. But when we arrived at the site, I was surprised to see her
stand in the line of the baptismal candidates. I asked her, ‘Why are you here?
Your parents won’t allow you to be baptized.’ She looked up at me and said, ‘Kuya
(older brother), no matter what happens to me, my decision is final and I must
follow Jesus.’”
“I thought to myself, ‘Now I am in big trouble with the
father. What will he say when he finds out about it? Surely he will get angry
with me!’ Then I prayed, ‘Lord, please solve this problem that you will touch
the father’s heart.' Soon the girl was led into the water and tears filled her
eyes as the Pastor pronounced the vow before baptized her. That evening, I went
with her to her parent’s home and all along the way, I kept praying for wisdom
to know how to handle the father. I was so surprised with her parents’
reaction! They were not angry and the father said, ‘Well, if that’s your
decision, we can do nothing about it. I don’t want you to stop learning and
continuing to grow. Be faithful to what you learned.’ We prayed for them and
left, praising God!”
He added, “I learned not to be weary in well-doing. Though
every night, we walked about one kilometer sending the children to their homes,
when I saw some of the baptized, it was all worth it! We visited with the
parents, too and thus won many hearts. We never left their homes without a
payer and though we were tired going back to our home, our hearts were full of
happiness and joy!”
Over and over again, Rujan and Rob saw God’s protecting hand
and care over them during their OJT. Rob said, “Always depend on what God can
do through you! You might face giants, but go forward and God will take care of
them! Sometimes God allows trials to come to us to help us look more to Him. He
know that through Him, we can do all things!”
*Not their real names.
