By Pastor Larry de Guzman, Philippines

My parents worshipped in the Roman Catholic church and when I was young, I always felt frightened by all the statues surrounding the inside of the church. However, I went to church until I was an adult and I still don’t like it that many people worship at these statues.

When I graduated from school, I became a seaman and got married. My wife and I had a family of four children. While working, I always prayed for the safety of our voyages and the protection of my family.

I had a good job and a good salary but, as the years passed, I gradually forgot to pray and to thank the Lord for all that He was doing for us. I began to focus only on material things and gradually slipped away from Jesus ... I committed so many big mistakes.

Alcohol, small amounts of drugs, women and gambling dragged me down and my family with me. Because of this, I had a problem with my wife, quarrelling began and soon my job was affected.

I stopped working which led to financial problems and we lost our savings. Soon we couldn’t pay rent and had to ask for temporary help from our relatives. We thought that things couldn’t get any worse but my health had deteriorated.

I was finally diagnosed with tuberculosis ...

The relatives who had helped us were afraid of being infected themselves so asked us to leave. We were desperate and began to ask around for any help. Thank the Lord that a person offered us a small room to stay in. We had nothing, not even pillows or blankets to cover us at night. I looked at my wife and children and asked myself, what could I do?

In the morning, my wife went to her mother’s house to ask for food and I went to any person who could help me feed my children. Sadly this went on until one day, May 4th, 2004, I met a pastor who invited me to come to his church, “Jesus is Alive Christian Church”, in Manila. I was reluctant but went anyway.

As soon as I entered, I felt strange and my body started to shake; I had to sit down. When the worship music began, I fell onto the floor shaking and crying continuously while all my sins against our God were racing through my memory; my wretched life flashing before my eyes – all the sins I had committed made me feel like a dirty rag that no one would even want to touch. But I met Jesus there. He held me and spoke to me in an audible voice while I humbly asked for His forgiveness.

I continued crying, lying on the ground and shaking for two hours while we talked. I didn’t notice that time had passed till someone tapped me and said that the church was closing.

Before I left the church, the pastor asked if I could stay a while and talk with him. After that, I went to church every Sunday and also to the midweek services. My first ministry in the church was to clean the toilets and I was so happy to do this to serve our God.

Then in the last week of July 2004, a miracle happened. I received a message to go to the government office of the Philippine Ports Authority. The Port Manager asked me if I wanted a job. Of course, I said yes – I needed a job desperately.

The miracle is that I didn’t apply for a job, there or anywhere else, because I have a medical condition and was afraid that I wouldn’t be accepted because of that. But God is a miracle God who provided for my needs and I thank Him with all my heart for what He has done. He forgave me, He restored me, He healed me and the best thing is that He trusted me.

I am still working for the Port Authority but am also now in the ministry, pastoring three congregations of the Dumagat tribe at the Ipo Dam Reserve, near Manila ... and that is a whole new story.

Asia Focus Australia - Faith and Love in ACTION!