Hello, good day! I am Steven from the Philippines, i am a Global Mission Fellow International of the United Methodist Church serving in Zambia as Hope for Children Assistant. I served in my local church as a youth worker, worship and lay leader for the past 5 years and very involved in youth works and church administration.

I was born as Methodist and i don't go to church activities, i thought that people in the church look stupid when they clap their hands in worship, close their eyes and sometimes cry. I do believe in God, I pray sometimes too, but it felt empty that time.

In 2011 a new pastor came in our church and asked me to join the small group ---- that's when i accepted Jesus Christ in my life and involvement in ministries started.

My mentor (middle, wearing black polo shirt) who went home after 5 years when his family migrated to USA.  He was the pastor who asked me to join the church's caregroup, the reason why I became passionate about Christ  and ministries in music, leadership and discipleship.

I love following Jesus and doing ministries, i really could tell a lot of testimonies about the Lord's grace in my life especially the jobs and companies that i want and prayed for. Because i don't want my personal life to hinder my ministry works on weekends I ask God to give me jobs that would fit on weekdays, all are answered!

In 2016, i went to Singapore and Malaysia. I really felt favoured by that time, and quite frankly didn't understand why i got to travel. I was thinking that maybe the Lord blessed me of this because i devote myself to Him. Little did i know, these experiences are just my pre-requisite for my missionary service two years later.

2016: Singapore

After having been accepted in the GMF program i was surprised to find this note in my journal that's dated in September 19, 2017 that says "remember that soon God will send you someday to places". For me, it was God's approval to leave the Philippines and work abroad. Because i want to be "stable" before i turn 30 and have my own family.

As a worship leader, my job was to line up songs for our church anniversary last year, and that's based on the theme and key verse which is "therefore go". I remember having my rheema verse for weeks about Isaiah saying "whom shall i send, here i am Lord send me" perfect, just very very timely for our church anniversary.

My weekends are normally filled with church activities including worship and small group leadings, meetings and event participations.

For that anniversary, we also had missionary visitors and I remember how i was introduced by our elder pastor (who also worked as a missionary in Japan by global ministries). He said "someday, this guy would be a missionary too". I just laughed and in my mind "uh oh pastor, i am working abroad and ain't gonna be a missionary"

I was set to leave later that night too for a 5 day country crawl to Indochina.

Travelling in Indochina is waaay harder than travelling in Malaysia and Singapore. We experienced a lot of hardships like being shouted at, language barrier and got dumped at the back of the bus where you can smell the sting of the bus' bathroom. Let me mention that it was an 18-hour bus travel from Hanoi, Vietnam - Vientiane, Laos.

We also got so scared when they asked to surrender our passport and obliged to pay USD 1.00 for "border fee". The food in those vietnamese provinces are unbearable too. Along the way, we met friends who were also discriminated, a korean who helped us around finding our hotel in Vientiane and the Filipinos in Thailand who volunteered to be our tour guide in Bangkok.

God spoke to me through Deuteronomy 31:6 that says "i will never leave You nor abandon You". And realized that those hardships in travelling are God's way of showing His grace by sending people along the way.

Asia travel buddies with a Filipino staff in our hotel in Laos. Surprised that after the hassle we had along the travel still God brings people to make use feel home and secured.

I developed this feeling of involving myself in Mission and looked mission travel opportunities. I felt that instead of wasting money for personal travelling experiences, i should really invest myself in meaningful travels.

A week after that trip. I saw the "the Filipino Methodist" magazine being sold after our church service. I read a column about Carlos who is serving in Nothern Ireland, from there, i knew that GMF is God's next step for me. 

My local church family that truly made me home and contributed to who I am.  The thought that I would leave this comfort zone for years strikes from time to time.

My local church commissioning, 5 days before I left for my missionary training to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Global Mission Fellows International 2018 - 2020 class.  57 missionaries from 24 countries serving in Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Commissioning in Johannesburg, South Africa by the Global Ministries of the UMC.  Aug 9, 2018

Commissioning day with all the fellows, trainers, and staff of Global Ministries.

So all those experiences in 5 countries for the last 2 years and these very recent verses i recieved through Isaiah, "therefore go" and Deuteronomy made so much sense! The experiences that i had with these food, culture and people are God's way of preparing me in my mission service.

God really works in ways we don't know. And if you feel God wants you to do something, just go and do it! If you think you are called to be a missionary, if you want to learn about the program, or want to support it, i am so much willing to help you!. 

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Learn more about the program, ways to support and application by logging on to www.umcmission.org. You can also check out my missionary profile in the Global Ministries of the UMC website here.