SePUM Workers’ Moriah Care Group Evangelism Series Wins 7 Souls
This story shows how care groups need cooperation, resources, initiative, and, most of all, prayer and time management.
Mount Moriah Care Group, one of the three care groups among workers of Southeastern Philippine Union Mission (SePUM) headquarters, conducted the Vibrant Life Series, an evangelistic meeting at Sitio Guadalupe, Catalunan Grande, Davao City, from November 3 to 9. Seven (7) precious all-adult converts were baptized, and a land donation for the church building was outright pledged.
Such a care group includes SePUM directors and staff living in places like Catalunan Grande, Mintal, Tacunan, and neighboring villages under Elder Ismeraldo Cantila, Jr., SePUM Associate Treasurer. Their other members, busy serving the five mission fields, were: Pr. Raul Emnace (Sabbath School/ Personal Ministries Director), Pr. Jonathan Hemoroz (Adventist Mission), Pr. Reynald Dela Cruz (Ministerial Secretary), Dr. Perlyn Panes (Education Director), Pr. Victor Navarro (Health Director), Pr. Nilo Seda (Youth Ministries Director), Mrs. Ivan Mae Flores (Admin Assistant for Youth and Communication), Miss Irenea Alboria (Chief Accountant), Miss Cherry Anne Sotto (Receiving Cashier) and Mr. Lemuel Bayo (Maintenance).
Those residing within Talomo, Bangkal, and adjacent residences belong to Mount Sinai Care Group, which has 13 members and is shepherded by Pastor Rene Rosa, SePUM Vice President for Evangelism (NDR/IEL).
The remaining SePUM workers living around Buhangin and Cabantian named the care group Mt. Zion, which has ten members.
On the first night of gathering at their makeshift tent, the homeowner who promised an electricity connection was not around, and the neighboring house was also hesitant to provide electricity for a fee. The care group members started to pray.
An answered prayer instantly, the owner of a store in a big house offered a week-long power connection, and the evangelistic meeting started, and heavy rainfall came. The lectures and singing went on despite the threat of heavy rain and strong winds.
They spent the next day with more intensive home visitations, but the second night came with the water wall, and rain poured again. So, the “eager to preach” committee changed the venue to Catalunan Grande Adventist Church on the third night.
The third day began with heavy rainfall in the late afternoon and ended before night fell. They continued sharing the health lectures, songs, and preaching without any drizzle or rain, so they decided to repair the wind-stricken tents at Guadalupe.
The fourth to seventh night’s lectures resumed at the old venue at Guadalupe, and attendance was swelling. Brethren from neighboring churches poured in to provide support. The seven directors, who are members, alternately delivered their message every night with so much fire. God is indeed in control of the weather. Right after the closing prayer on the last session on Friday evening, rain poured the hardest, with winds raging from different directions, and the makeshift tents totally collapsed.
Despite the obstacles and challenges, amidst busy timelines, the motivated SePUM workers, along with their families, imitated the faith of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham, who ascended Mount Moriah with his son Issac. When Issac questioned about the sacrifice, Abraham told his son that “God would provide the lamb.”
God provided Moriah Care Group with the resources and volunteers for the Medical Mission on October 27, which offered a free medical check-up, health risk screening and assessment, selected laboratory and diagnostic tests, and selected free drugs and medicine.
Furthermore, God provided a donor, offering 200 sq. m. of land for a future church building in the area, where believers and visitors could praise the God who offered a sacrificial Lamb at Moriah, a mirror of the Lamb at Calvary. The same Lamb atoned for our sins and will gather us near His throne in the eternal golden Kingdom He prepared for His faithful.
For all small groups in all churches all over the world, let us gain a significant amount of inspiration from this writing: “The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort is a plan that has been shown to me by One Who cannot err.” (Ellen G. White, Evangelism page 115).