Armed with prayers, courteous manners, health books, inspirational literature, religious publications, and a lot more helpful reading materials, 439 students from various Adventist schools and private and public learning institutions served this summer as literature evangelists (LEs) in four out of five missions under Southeastern Philippine Union Mission (SePUM).
Seven groups with 77 students LEs are now serving the territories of Davao Mission (DM) comprised of Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and the cities of Samal, Davao, and Digos. Northern Davao Mission, with territories at Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Davao de Oro, also hosts 150 student missionaries composed of 20 groups.
Working for Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur under Southeastern Caraga Mission has no reports detailing student LEs, but the regular book armies continue distributing resourceful publications. South Central Mindanao Mission, where Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat provinces belong, has eight groups with 110 active student literature evangelists. The tuna-rich territory of Southern Mindanao Mission is providing home and supervision to 202 students under ten groups roaming around South Cotabato, Sarangani, and the cities of General Santos and Koronadal.
With the consent and blessings of their parents, church, and school, each group of student literature missionaries is led by well-trained leaders who teach them that “if there is one work more important than another, it is that of getting our publications before the public, thus leading them to search the Scriptures. Missionary work—introducing our publications into families, conversing, and praying with and for them—is a good work and one which will educate men and women to do pastoral labor.” Ellen G. White, Publishing Ministry, 272.3.
These students hail from many Adventist learning institutions like South Philippine Adventist College (SPAC), which incorporated Literature Ministry in their Theology curriculum as approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Other schools that provided opportunities to high school and college students to be part of the mission to spread the gospel through the literature ministry are Mountain View College, Mountain View College Academy, South Philippine Adventist College, Adventist Medical Center College, Sahmyook International Academy, Matutum View Academy, and even possible enrollee in any school all over the archipelago.
In their assigned territory, they visit Adventist churches and assist or participate in all Sabbath programs, midweek, and Vespers services. They preach, sing, discuss Sabbath school lessons, and fulfill other essential tasks assigned to them. Their presence also becomes a blessing and inspiration to the believers and visitors.
At the end of the summer canvassing work, a prayerful and hardworking student literature evangelist will have financial gains to cover expenses for the incoming school year, improved public speaking skills, increased self-confidence and social and interpersonal capability, and most of all, a more prayerful life and achieve rich spiritual growth.
As observed throughout the years, dedicated student literature evangelists become more mature and independent, being far from the comforts of their homes yet closely related to Jesus throughout their short-span missionary journey. Many of them even finished their education without the support of family through literature ministry, the “work second to none.” (SePUM Communication)
Photo Credits: Aaron Joseph Maniego Oguel, DFV Callo
