Meet a Man on a Mission!!

This day, like all other days, starts early. Out of bed before the sun rises, get on a bus for a 3 hour trip up the mountain, then walk the rest of the way. Several hours of trudging up hill in the heat and humidity, finally arriving at a small village tucked away in the jungle-covered mountains of Mindanao Island in the Phillipines. But the trip is worth it - here come the children, eyes aglow and shouting gleefully, "Pastor Lanny, Pastor Lanny". Other villagers stream out of their homes, and gather around the suddenly rejuvenated traveler as he begins recounting to them his trips to other villages. He tells them of someone who got saved, or was baptized, and shouts of "hallelujah" and "praise God" ring out. And the long trip, once again, is worth it.

Brother Rolando Aboloc, or "Pastor Lanny" as he is called,   is definitely a man on a mission. Called by God to minister the Gospel to the native Bagobo tribesmen in the mountains surrounding Davao City, he is seeing his labors in the field bring forth a wonderful and bountiful harvest. Over the past few years, Bro. Roberto has been blessed to start 10 local churches in different village areas. He currently has eight tribal elders who have surrendered to a call to ministry, and are "pastor-trainees", studying hard to carry on the work even further into the hinterlands.

The Bagobo tribes of Mindanao Island have a long history of independence, and were at one time considered the fiercest and most warlike of all the Phillipine Archipelago tribes. Over the centuries, they have resisted the efforts of the Roman Catholic Church and other "evangelistic" agencies to a great degree, retaining instead their "old" ways. Predominately animist, they worshiped idols of stone that represented all of the "deities" that existed in their jungle and mountain homes.

Beginning in the late '90's, Brother Roberto trekked up to the mountains, making acquaintances, and speaking to them about the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Surprisingly, many had heard of the name of Jesus, but did not know anything about Him. Patiently and kindly, evidencing the love of God and the Spirit of Christ in his dealings and demeanor, Bro. Roberto explained who and what He was, and how the villagers could come to know Him personally. One day, one was born again. Then, another! And another! The witness, the joy, the peace of those who were born again became a source of a growing fire in the mountains, until many came to believe. And it continues to grow to this day.

  Brother Roberto hopes to train up many pastors to continue to spread the gospel into the mountains, and has established a school at his church in Davao City where the natives pastors can come for a period of time to learn. While there, Bro. Roberto provides shelter and food at the school.

While this all sounds well and good, Bro. Roberto and his flock are faced with constant danger. The Island of Mindanao, and the mountains, is one of the prime stomping grounds of the Islamic rebels, and the terror group Abu Sayyaf. It is not unusual for Bro. Roberto to hear of some of the villagers disappearing, being kidnapped, or tortured with demands to renounce their faith in Jesus and convert to Islam. And if that weren¹t enough, many of the mountain villagers are still under the control and sway of native medicine men, shamans clinging to the old ways, and deeply involved in pagan rituals, "voodoo", murder and any other thing they can think of to keep people from hearing about or converting to Christianity.

UPDATE: Since writing this article, terrorists have attacked in the heart of Davao City, in the process killing many children and adults, and injuring scores of others. Islamic "jihad" groups have "claimed credit", as if such murder were "creditable". Please pray for Bro. Roberto and his flocks as they continue to spread the Gospel.