MORE GOSPEL MISSIONS

Dr Jose Lagapa

Moses, the man of God says in Psalm 90:10, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” As the Lord allowed me to reach the age of 50 last December, I began to ponder how long I will still have to live to serve Him.

God marvelously saved me at the age of 30 on January 15, 1999. I still remember the snowstorm in the middle of winter on that eventful night in Sapporo, Japan. The Holy Spirit gripped my heart, “Tonight I must confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.” I do not know how, but I went on my bicycle to Hokkaido Bible Center to see Pastor Kluttz. That night I repented from trusting in the wrong Jesus—the Jesus of the Catholics and Charismatics. From that moment onwards I had the desire to offer my life to serve my Lord and Savior. I went through many trials of faith. I stumbled, I failed and was bruised many times, but I thank the Lord for always raising me up to continue walking and abiding in Him. Twenty years just flew by very fast, and the question I have in my mind is: Have I done my best for Jesus?

Gospel Debt to My Hometown

Then the Lord convicted me when I saw the zeal and passion of my brothers Deccarlo and Jude in reaching out to their own relatives and friends in Cebu. I had this desire before but deep within me laid those terrible experiences I had in my hometown in Trinidad. I love the ministries in Mindanao and now in Cebu, but I dared not face again the people of Trinidad who knew well the shameful deeds of my father during my childhood days. Even though he was a primary school teacher, he was very infamous for his drunkenness. He just slept beside the roads when unable to get up to reach our home. Immediately after primary school, I left for my secondary school studies in the capital city, Tagbilaran. I thought I had finally escaped that awful place, but the shame remained in me. During my university days, I ended up in Mindanao, thankful I was away from Trinidad.

But as I realized I will not live that long, I cannot let those feelings prevent me from reaching out to my own relatives and friends in Trinidad. The prayer of the psalmist pricked my heart, “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.” (Psalm 39:4–5). As a child of God who had experienced His great and enduring mercy, I should do the same. Praise God, He gave me an opportunity to visit my hometown—not unwilling but praying.

Praise the Lord for the privilege given for a short missions trip to the Philippines from January 6 to 8, 2019. Thank God for a blessed and smooth trip in the central Visayas region of the Philippine archipelago.

I left Singapore very early on Sunday and ministered on the Lord’s Day morning worship service of Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Mission Church in Cebu. Praise God for the warm fellowship with the brethren there. In the afternoon, Rev Reggor Galarpe gave me a ride to Mactan Island where the Lapu-Lapu City outreach of True Life BPC-FilBF is located. The Christian Bible Fellowship (CBF) held its first worship service that day. Thus far, they have only a series of Bible studies with our brothers Deccarlo Igot and Jude Gabales. Only a handful came for the service but we praise the Lord for a blessed worship that afternoon.

Sunday evening, Pastor Rodolfo Gayon (BEST student from Bukidnon) and I took a ship to my hometown in Bohol. On Monday morning, we walked around the centre of Trinidad. I grew up and attended primary school in this place. After 30-over years, the town has changed and improved much. Particularly noticeable is the Trinidad Municipal College which used to have less than a hundred students in the late 1980’s but is now populated with more than 5,000 students even from nearby towns. The Lord showed us a great harvest field among these youths, of whom more than 85% I believe are still Roman Catholics. As we enquired, aside from the RCC, the charismatic Maranatha church, the Jehovah’s Witness cult and a Bible Baptist Church are the only existing churches.

On Monday night, January 7, we conducted a Bible study with the students and a few teachers. We had an attendance of more than 20. These are lodgers of our ancestral home as none of my siblings are living there. A near relative is managing the place. Praise God for the presence of brother Chev Gonzales who gave a testimony of how he came to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He lives in Trinidad and is currently working on a cruise ship abroad. By God’s providence, he was in our hometown for the vacation. He was a former drug addict and was rehabilitated under the House of Hope in Cebu. He came into contact with Pr Edsel Locot (FEBC alumnus) who nurtured him spiritually until his full recovery. Praise the Lord for his timely testimony for the young people who attended the Bible study.

I went back to Cebu on Tuesday morning and met my brother who is now assigned there. He is still a Roman Catholic but I am praying that the Lord will be gracious and merciful to let him understand the Word of God that he has heard. I thank the Lord for the safe trip back to Singapore, just before midnight of Tuesday, January 8.

Praise the Lord that Preacher Gayon answered God’s call for him to start a work in Trinidad! He is going there in February. Please pray for him and for this new missions station. Lord willing, it shall be called Trinidad Bible-Presbyterian Church. All glory and honour be unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Vacation Bible School in Japan

God willing, my family will be going to Sapporo, Japan this year June 17–25. This is after brother Yamazaki liaised with the brethren in Japan. The arrangement took a long time to complete because the schedule had to fit our availability. That is also the only weekend that both parties are available (ours and Abashiri as well as Suzuki-san). This time Sister Katherine Go will join us. She will be responsible for teaching the English language and hymns to children. It is my plea that this missions trip be commissioned by True Life BPC.

[Ed: Session has approved the above mission trip to Japan: “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isa 44:6–8).]