From Cursing to Blessing
(The Story of YASIM “You Are Special International Ministry” – Tinago Village, Philippines)
What could be the heart of a person toward a people and a place where he experienced violence, poverty and ultimately a questionable demise of his loved one? Nothing but hatred and resentment. But God can reverse the heart, from hate to being compassionate and from cursing to blessing.
When his father died in an outrage, Noah (not his real name) became resentful and hated Tinago and the people there whom he blamed for the tragedy. He decided to leave the place to forget the nightmare. But God saved him and changed his heart toward the people in that place! Then with the help of some caring Christian friends, he initiated an outreach ministry in the area.
The NCCCCI (National Council of Christian Community Churches Inc.) and You Are Special Foundation 111, Inc., (headed by Rev. Judah Jim Cantoria) conducted a Medical and Dental missions at Pilar, Sorsogon, Philippines, and the residents of Tinago were catered to. After that, an outreach team from YASIM - Pilar went to the place and conducted Bible Studies using the T4T materials. The community was receptive to the Gospel and right then a worship fellowship was established! Men, women, youth and children flocked at the house of Noah!
With such positive response, and with financial assistance from YASIM-Main and NCCCC, a semi-concrete fellowship center was built at the backyard of Noah’s house. The ministry flourished even more when Crossover Sports Ministry was introduced among the young people! Basketball teams were formed and discipled by a coach from the mother church, YASIM-Pilar. In partnership with other ministries like Samaritan’s Purse and Rice for Soul, more people were evangelized. A team was created to start an outreach in Oras, a nearby village.
What seemed to be going well was interrupted by a severe persecution from the Roman Catholic leaders. The youth and children were being harassed and made to believe that attending fellowship of another religion would lead them to hell. Of course not everyone believed the lie from the pit of hell, but a major shift in the atmosphere was experienced.
To date the ministry in Tinago village persistently continues. A number of adults, youth and children faithfully attend.
Photos
OBS using T4T Materials. 
Children Ministry. 
Church Planting Team on the go. 
Total Transformation
In a village inhabited by over 100 families, team members had been conducting prayer walks and sharing the gospel for 5 years, but the villagers were totally resistant to the gospel. That would soon change when a girl from there was referred by the district administration and admitted to a children’s hostel. After coming to the hostel, the girl accepted the Lord, and she requested the team to pray for her village and visit the houses. Two brothers who had completed their studies in a Bible school visited the community for practical training. They were invited to pray for a man who was paralysed, the brother of the village chief. The Lord healed the paralysed man immediately!
This incident opened the eyes of the village chief. He was a strong supporter of another religious group, but after this miraculous healing, he accepted the Lord. The moment the chief accepted the Lord, he became very enthusiastic and wanted to share the gospel with the entire village. He also requested to start worship in the community right away. A foundation stone was laid for a place of worship, and construction was started that same night. Within a week’s time the construction was completed. Since then, regular worship is being conducted in the village and the whole village attends the worship meeting.
The people were filled with such a joy and the elder brother of the chief was so impressed that he volunteered to donate a plot for construction of a larger church building to accommodate 500 people. The whole town participated in the dedication service, with over 500 people attending it. In addition, the entire community is delivered from alcohol, which had enslaved the people for generations! Today no alcohol is permitted to enter the village.
Within the short span of one year, the villagers visited other communities with the gospel, and the Lord established 12 new places as house churches. Many more people are being added to the Lord because of the transformation of this village!
Persecution and Passion
In 2020, there were 85 cases of persecution reported to an African indigenous ministry that is involved in reaching unreached people groups and multiplying disciple-making movements. Almost all of those cases of persecution involved new disciples who have recently come to faith in Jesus through one of the ministry’s disciple-making movements. The persecution came from those who practice the faith from which the recent believers turned. There were deaths and beatings, and a large number of the new disciples had to flee their village. They travelled a long distance with what they could carry and finally found a village that welcomed them. The ministry coordinated relief through grassroots leaders and sent resources to help the refugees resettle. Already, the new residents are having an impact in the village! They continue to pray for persons of peace, share their faith, and invite neighbors to join in a Discovery Bible Group.
Another case of persecution involved a disciple who had left the “faith of his birth.” Because of this, he was being shamed by his community, he lost his job, and he was forced to leave his community. The ministry team in the area is providing spiritual and emotional care and facilitated an income-generating activity for this brother, who has a readiness and a passion to go make disciples among his own community that threw him out. God has redeemed this terrible situation and used fellow-disciples to help him turn what was a display of shame into an opportunity of praise of the Lord Jesus.
Please pray that hostile relatives and communities would open their hearts to Christ. And pray for the disciples to be strengthened in faith to endure persecution and that they will remain obedient to Jesus.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it has hated you.” John 15:18 (ESV)
Flood of a Different Kind
In a region consisting of many islands, with much of the population being of another religion, it is not easy to share the gospel. Recently, thunder and heavy rains affected two islands in the area. One of the islands is approximately 20% Christian, with many tribes and ethnic groups, and is open to the gospel. The other island is very difficult to reach with the gospel. To approach the local people there, Christians have done various things, including schools and clinics, trying to show the love of Christ and to help people.
With the heavy rains impacting these two islands, there was severe flooding and many problems with landslides. But in this special moment, some GCPN leaders were ready to bring a different kind of flooding to the islands – an outpouring of compassion and help. They got involved directly in the area, distributing meals and providing food packets. They sent teams from the church and Bible schools, including a medical team with doctors, and counselors for the victims. Only the believers provided help in these ways.
Please pray that a spiritual flood of God’s mercy and grace will come to these islands as people become familiar with what the believers have done to help. And pray that, as those who have suffered from these catastrophic events are touched with goodness, somehow they will open their hearts and that it will become easier to plant churches later.
Uncategorised