ANTIPOLO, PHILIPPINES--John Zaprzala
and members en route to baptism of two new members.
By John Zaprzala
PASADENA--The primary reason for my February trip to the Philippines was to receive a condensed version of a mission training course and exposure to the work God is doing there.
While one could receive similar training in the United States, it would cost more and would not have the effect of being exposed to the cross-cultural missions conducted by the WCG. To be immersed in another culture and see the challenges people face makes for an enriching experience.
I attended the inauguration of the church at Bucay in a province of Luzon island called Abra. Later I attended an outdoor Bible study overlooking the hills of San Paulo-Canay. That weekend I also visited a church at Antipolo.
We traveled 13 hours to Albay in southern Luzon. There I saw Mayon volcano, which had a major eruption the day I left the region.
In that area we visited the Cimmaron tribe. One evening we had a Bible study using lanterns, as no lights were available. The Bible study took place in a meeting hall made of bamboo and without windows or doors. We filled this tiny hall with crowds overflowing to the outside.
The last area I visited was Payatas, about two hours north of Manila. This is a community of 100,000 people who live in and around Manila's main trash dump .
About 20,000 people make a living scrounging for recyclable material to sell. In the middle of this trash heap we have members who live there with a retired pastor. The church is not only spreading the gospel but also serving people by teaching them skills and providing a means by which they can earn a living through production of handmade greeting cards.
If you are interested in helping me in this project please e-mail me at zaprzala@hotmail.com
The country is experiencing a spiritual revival. The Philippines is a bridge between west and east, and God is calling many Filipinos to be used as missionaries throughout Asia and even in the Middle East.
Within our own denomination we have many missionaries as well, and they are raising up churches through their work of evangelization of local communities. The process usually starts with an outreach program such as a medical mission. This then leads to acceptance of our missionaries and what the church has to offer in terms of preaching the gospel.
The areas I visited such as Bucay and the Cimmaron tribe were reached by such a missionary work, and today we have churches there.
While living in comfort in the United States I had to ask myself what my response is to the call that God has given to Christians? "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19)
In 1990 statistics (Global Evangelization Movement Database), it is estimated that Christians worldwide earned about $8.95 trillion, yet they contributed less than two percent of their income to churches, out of which less than .01 percent went for mission work.
"Over 90 percent of the foreign missionaries, 87 percent of mission funding and over 94 percent of the full-time Christian workers are directed toward those countries where 60 percent or more of their people identify themselves as Christian" (AD2000 Global Monitor, April 1991). Yet 1.2 billion people have yet to be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Michael Green in his book, I Believe in the Holy Spirit, said that the reason Jesus Christ promised his disciples the Holy Spirit is "to equip them for mission. The Comforter comes not in order to allow men to be comfortable but to make them missionaries."
The harvest is ready, and laborers are needed. Will you be a missionary, or perhaps one of those who will send and support the work of a missionary?
ANTIPOLO, PHILIPPINES--John Zaprzala
and members en route to baptism of two new members.
BUCAY CHURCH--Three children
at the inauguration of the Bucay church.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2000