The Villanueva teens joined the Pathfinder Club. The club scheduled an outing to Mount Kitanglad, hoping to earn their mountain-climbing honor. James Villanueva, 16, eagerly started the six-hour trek up the mountain with his sisters and 12 other Pathfinders. Soon he found himself ahead of the rest and decided to wait. He stepped onto a … Continue reading –>
The Philippines – by Nathalie Villanueva The Villanueva family were devoted to one another and their church. Napoleon, the father, often worked far from home. After a while, a pattern of late-night socializing with co-workers began. He began spending more of his paycheck and sending less money home. Lolita, his wife, grew concerned by the … Continue reading –>
THE PHILIPPINES – Max de los Reyes Lem was a soldier, and his assignments often took him away from home. When he was home he spent much time and money drinking with his friends. One day Lem’s buddies began teasing him about his wife’s interest in religion. What’s the matter, Lem? one man challenged.Couldn’t you … Continue reading –>
By: Max de los Reyes – The Philippines Fernando Lopez grew up in a town 60 miles south of Manila. Like many in the Philippines, Fernando’s family didn’t have much money. And like many young boys, Fernando quit school to help his parents by selling small items and running errands. Fernando was active in his … Continue reading –>
Mohammad looked at the old school building and wondered what his parents had done to him. Mohammad and his parents live in Zamboanga, a city in the southern Philippines. A friend had told Mohammad’s parents about the Adventist school, and they went to inspect it. They found an old building in serious need of repair. … Continue reading –>
Bien’s family refused to allow her to attend the Adventist church. When she insisted, they tried to force her to live with her grandmother on a small island. Bien tried to hide her fear. She wanted to continue her schooling, but the island had no school. She refused to be separated from the people at … Continue reading –>
The ropes bit into Bien’s [bee-YEN] wrists as she struggled to free herself. Her brothers had tied her to the small boat before they left to get gas for the boat’s engine. They planned to take her to the small offshore island where their grandmother lived so she couldn’t attend the heretics’ church she had … Continue reading –>
Chief Asang was weeping, and no one could console him. I had no idea why he was upset, but I asked God to help me comfort him. I am a student missionary teaching the children of the chief’s people. As I approached the chief, he reached out and hugged me. “Thank you for coming,” he … Continue reading –>
I am a Christian, but not an Adventist. My husband follows a different religion. We chose to send our two sons to Zamboanga Adventist Elementary School in the Philippines because we wanted them to study in a school with strong moral values. We looked at several schools, most of which had better facilities, but we … Continue reading –>
I was arrested and jailed for a murder I did not commit. I had been a lay pastor of a little church before I was imprisoned, and I was angry at this injustice. Then a group of Adventists visited the prison, and I heard their message of hope. But I found it difficult to accept … Continue reading –>
