"Faith Journey: A Life Transformed by God"

Faith, Purpose, Inspiration

Every time we had a family gathering or reunion, I was always the one assigned to handle the children. Whether it was organizing games or simply keeping them entertained, I was the go-to person. I often wondered what my family thought of that. While I genuinely enjoyed it, I never imagined myself becoming a teacher. In fact, the idea scared me. I believed I lacked the patience to teach children and survive the demands of the role.

But God had a different plan.

The more I resisted, the more He placed children in my path. One memorable event was an outreach I sponsored in Malikongkong during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme was "Fostering Teamwork as the Key to Survive." Due to health protocols, we couldn’t gather physically, so we opted for an online celebration. Still, a few of us discreetly delivered donations to the community. We gave out slippers, rice packs, and canned goods. We also set up small camps and played games with the youth.

That evening, we held a praise and worship session. Midway through, the pastor had to leave because of an emergency. The youth leader in charge of the program suddenly approached me and asked if I could deliver a message. It was unexpected and awkward, but I said “yes,” not knowing what I would say.

As I stepped onto the stage, all I could do was mumble a short prayer. I bowed my head and asked the Holy Spirit to speak through me and use me as His mouthpiece. When I opened my eyes, I saw the children—seated and quietly waiting—while the adults wandered about, as it was already past 10 PM.

Then I spoke.

The words that came out were anchored on the verse: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

I managed to finish the message, but afterward, I felt both relieved and ashamed. Relieved that I had said something, but ashamed before God—because it was clear to me how empty I was and how little I truly knew of His Word. That was the moment I asked Him to equip me, so that He could use me more powerfully.

Today, by His grace, He has done just that. He has truly empowered me with His Word.