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My travels were in January, but my memories of the people that I
met, the places that I saw, and the work that is being done are
still beautiful and strong.
I landed in Manila close to midnight on January 7th, and filed
through immigration along with hundreds of natives, visitors and
“foreign workers” (Filipinos have the largest Asian population
of people working abroad). I was met by the Rev. Nannie Castillo
of the National Association of Congregational Churches and his
son, the Rev. Symphony John, who whisked me off in a melee of
traffic (the traffic in Manila is like nothing I’ve ever seen
before!) and deposited me at my hotel. They handed me my
itinerary with a schedule of visits they had planned together
with representatives of the Christian Mission in the Far East,
and wished me pleasant dreams! I woke the following morning to
begin a 10 day odyssey of touring mission sites from north to
south, traveling almost the full length of the Philippines.
My time began with the NACC. Our association with them dates to
1996. The Rev. Nannie and Awit Castillo, along with their son,
Rev. Symphony John, superintend a ministry that includes 30
churches, 3 primary schools, a Caring Community ministry and a
sponsored child program that tends to more than 50 children,
many of whom have grown up to serve as pastors, teachers and
leaders in the work. The work of NACC is primarily located in
the northern half of the Philippines.
While in Manila, I had a chance to visit, worship and preach in
several congregations. I also visited several schools. Further
on in the week, Nannie, Awit and I took a trip to the province
of Zambales where the work began, visiting a school and several
of their churches. The time with them was delightful. By and
large, the NACC serves the poorest of the poor: those living in
resettlement villages (in the aftermath of Mt Pinatubo’s
eruption), on the northern islands that form the Philippines, in
the barrios of Manila and Quezon City, and close to Smoky
Mountain (Manila’s dump!).
One of my most memorable experiences was worshipping on a Sunday
morning with the people of the “Promised Land” Church and
School. The work is sited on a hill overlooking Smoky Mountain.
The pastor of the church, and his wife, the principal of the
school, have served the people and the children of that place –
often without pay for months on end – for more than 15 years.
Yet, in sight of the dump, and poverty all around, the joy and
praise of God at work in the church and school and people’s
lives was awesome. We sang and prayed – and danced! – for almost
2 hours!
I also had the privilege of visiting a small portion of the
works sponsored by the Christian Mission in the Far East. Our
association with CMFE dates back to 1960, and their beginning
back to 1947. The ministry was started by the Rev. Amando Chanco
who was discipled by a Christian member of one of the many hill
tribe peoples of the Philippines. To this day, CMFE is committed
to bringing the Gospel to the tribes, having touched the lives
of tribal people and planted churches pastored by tribal leaders
in more than 30 provinces from north to south.
The work is currently overseen by the Rev. Jaime Julian, their
Executive Director. (I was his guest and spent the next several
days – in a van! – traveling to projects with Willie Agda, their
Administrative Officer, Nathan, our driver!, Pastor Jude and
members of their Board of Directors.) CMFE offices are
headquartered in Manila, Laguna, and Davao, Mindanao (an area in
the southern Philippines plagued by violence instigated by rebel
groups and Muslim insurgents – people who have, for many years,
been the beneficiaries of CMFE’s ministries, and who grant them
safety and opportunity to do their work). The work has grown to
include 192 churches, 1 college, 2 high schools, 5 elementary
and 5 primary schools, 4 Bible Institutes (whose graduates serve
their churches as preachers, teachers and leaders) and 2
orphanages. My whirlwind tour from north to south included
visits to many of these places. It was also my privilege to be
the first from our National Association to visit their “mother
church” and college at Edenton, Mindanao. A special assembly was
arranged for my arrival with presentations by students, faculty
and the children of the orphanage, along with a feast/fiesta for
everyone!
In every place, I was extremely impressed with the faith and
hope, the love and dedication of all our Filipino brothers and
sisters – many of them serving the cause of Christ and Kingdom
at great personal cost, all the while maintaining joyful hearts
and spirits.
Rev. John Carson
Associate Executive Secretary
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