Reaching Muslims for Isa Al Masih (Jesus).

From where I am sitting in the Cagayan De Oro City airport, I can see many Muslims. I am on my way back to Manila from the Island of Mindanao. I get stares from time to time in Manila, but I'm getting a lot more of them here. It's probably because white guys are more of a sight Mindanao. I'm one of two in this room which was packed with some 400 people up until the last plane flew out a few minutes ago. There are only a couple of terminals here and all the departing passengers fit into one large room.

I came here for a 4 day conference that focused on partnering
with Filipino nationals, missionaries, American Churches, and any one else who is interested in reaching Muslims for Christ in Mindanao and other countries. As a result, God has filled my heart and mind with new ideas, questions, and more passion for reaching Muslims. For years it has been one of my desires to reach the southern most Islands of the Philippines where the majority of Filipino Muslims live.

I already know that it is dangerous for whites/westerns in many areas in Mindanao and that they are obvious targets, but I learned from some of the speakers at the conference that whites/westerns can actually jeopardize the safety of the national workers if they are seen with us (white/westerners). The best plan for western missionaries is to help train Filipino nationals is to do it from remote locations, like in Manila where I live, or to meet them in safer locations near them.

I listened to the testimony of many Filipino men and women who are putting their lives on the line everyday to share the good news that Jesus Christ wants to pay the price of sin for those who trust and follow Him. They shared about the difficulties of living and ministering on Islands among rural communities with no running water or electricity. They are giving their lives to serve people, many of whom want to kill them. Some have already been killed and some of them know that there are people out there who have been paid to kill them. One young man said that before he leaves every morning to minister, he gives his wife and two young daughters big hugs because he knows that each day could be their last together on this side of heaven. A team of three missionaries told of how their pastor friend and his daughter were shot multiple times (19 times for him) and how the team was warned that they were next. The fled for a short time, but have since returned to continue to preach the gospel. I join them in the belief that Jesus is so worth it. He is worth much more than our lives. Scripture says in Luke 9:24-25,

[24] For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. [25] What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

The Filipino missionaries plead for more training, support, and co-laborers to work with them to reach the many unreached people of the Philippines; which their research show to be over 2 million people. Let’s all do our part, weather it is training, supporting, going, or praying, let work together so that the nations can hear about and see Jesus in and through us!