We've been in the Philippines for over a week now. Each day we toil beneath a beaming sun that seeks to alert the roosters to crow at three in the morning without fail, as well as make it a competition to see how much sweat can pour down our faces before we seek relief beneath the shade of the leafy banana trees. We trek house to house, seeking anyone who will give us the time of day, to speak about salvation found in Christ alone.
Many greet us warmly because we are Americans, but many more politely wave us off once they see the Bibles in our hands. Our intrigue as foreigners fails to outweigh the hardened hearts of the numerous Catholics we meet.
From house to house, we find miniature altars placed on the walls.Within them sit statues, many depicting our Lord Jesus, who is often accompanied by other statues of saints, the Virgin Mary, and rosaries wrapped around their little limbs. They peer down at us as we lead our Bible studies with apathy.
As I look up to match their stare, I give thanks to my Lord that I don't feel a need to pray to idols in order to atone for my sins. I give thanks that I don't believe I must pray a rosary in order to find favor in the eyes of God. I give thanks that I know the living Jesus, not a little statue that never speaks to me.
Many of the Catholics we meet are warm and inviting. They take us into their homes and listen attentively as we talk. Many answer our questions with great conviction and seemingly strong belief in the Lord. They speak of their faith in God, how they depend on Him and pray often to Him, and offer forth answers that many would take as true belief upon first glance.
Yet, when we ask them if they have certainty in where they will spend eternity, many respond that "it depends on how much good I do” and "if the Lord is merciful that day." When we present the Gospel, many say they have never heard it, yet they go to Mass and learn from their priests as often as they can.
There is a great need for true laborers of Jesus here, for the chains of empty religion have put many into bondage, having them work in vain to attain a salvation that is freely given through faith alone. When we try to explain this free gift and the freedom it brings, many will continue to claim we serve the same God, not realizing that the God they serve is distant and demanding, constantly judging and condemning.
In all our work, it is as rewarding as it is challenging. Yet, we press forward to serve our God faithfully. As team leader and the creative media intern, I'm tasked with finding the delicate balance between stepping to the forefront to direct and stepping behind my camera as I capture my teammates at work. The joy of this balance is that, as much as I learn from engaging directly, there is much I learn from stepping back.
I’ve learned from stepping back to rely more on my Lord. In Isaiah 41:10, it says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
By no power are we able to do anything here without the Lord's help. I've seen this practically in His blessing of giving us multiple faithful national partners to help us in our labor. I've seen it spiritually in the Holy Spirit going out before us to soften hearts, leading us to houses that are ready to hear the Gospel. Each day, no matter how weak my faith might be, I challenge myself to believe in my God and His astounding power to change stony hearts into flesh, for He alone is capable. He will help us and be with us as we work, so we can continue on in perseverance.
My faith continues to grow in other ways, but it returns to faith in the Lord and trusting in His ways, provision, and love. Part of one of my favorite verses, Proverbs 3:5-6, guides me on the harder days. In all things, we must trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not depend on our own understanding, seeking His will in all we do, knowing He will show us which paths to take.
Please pray for the Catholics of the Philippines, that their hearts would be made soft and ready to receive the gospel. Pray that the Lord would continue to show them that works alone do not save, but faith alone does. Pray that God would convince them of His great and all-fulfilling love done by His work on the cross and that a person can rest in the Lord, knowing their soul will go to be with Him once they pass.
— MaKenna, Creative Media Intern Philippines