Thursday, May 10, 2012

From Ignacio’s daughter, Kim, training to be a second generation missionary!

From Ignacio’s daughter, Kim, training to be a second generation missionary!

My parents have almost finished translating the New Testament for the Majukayong people, across the mountain from us here in Balangao. I came to know the Lord as a child,
I’m a Balangao…a second generation Christian. My parents are both serving the Lord with TAP (Translators Association of the Philippines) as Bible Translators for the Majukayong people, across the mountain from us here in Balangao. Since childhood, they have been teaching us from the word of God. We five children learned the importance of knowing God and accepting Christ Jesus personally. At the age of five I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior through my parents’ witness. As a kid I did not completely understand the implications of these things but as I grew up in Sunday School, DVBS and other church activities and by my parents’ guidance, I came to understand more and more about God and His Word. My knowing Him as my Savior and Lord was not dramatic but I feel His presence in my life.                                              
My father carried me back home after                                    Pineapple grows big in Majukayong!
meetings away from home.

From childhood I would often hear from my father that there are many people here on earth who do not yet know the Lord; so at first I thought I would study medicine and be a Missionary Doctor, using that to reach these people, so in preparation I focused my college work, majoring in Biology. I attended ECC (Evangelical Cell Church) during my 4 years in college where I got involved with the music team. I also taught kids in the DVBS programs during summers. I even facilitated during youth camps. I was also involved with Campus Crusade for Christ where we witness to our fellow students. Joining these different ministries and activities I grew spiritually and I desired all the more to become a missionary doctor. But after graduating from college, the door to medical school never opened for me. I was very disappointed at that time but I was reminded of what my parents always taught us about surrendering our wishes and desires to
God and just waiting on Him to lead.
                                       
                                                With my parents just before my college graduation, 2010

I waited for the Lord’s leading or for him to open a door for me For one year after I finished college. Two opportunities were opened, 1) There was an invitation for me to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand and minister to Missionary Kids or 2) to follow after the footsteps of my parents. But I thought kids of missionaries have already heard God’s Word from childhood like me. So that is not much of a challenge than going into a place where God’s Word was never heard before.

Growing up as a Missionary kid, I have experienced and also seen the hardships and difficulties of going into full time Christian service, but these things did not discourage me knowing that these hardships are nothing compared to God’s promises that He will give to His children in the in the days to come. Also, I thought of that passage in the Bible that says, “…What does it profit for a man to gain the whole World and loses his soul?” I understand this to mean that a single soul is far more valuable than all the wealth that planet earth can give.
So in preparation for the task ahead, I will be enrolling this coming June at PNU (Philippine Normal University) to take up MA in Applied Linguistics. After my MA, I want to do literacy works somewhere in Africa…. I’m also open of doing Bible Translation if it’s what God wants me to do.

Please pray with me for the following;
1) Pray that the Lord would lead me to the right people as I begin to raise ministry partners and prayer support.
2) Pray for my schooling to take up MA in Applied Linguistics by June of 2012. Pray that the Lord would give me a sound mind and hearth to go for it.
3) Pray that I would always hunger and thirst for His Word and to walk according to His leading every day of my life.
 
            DVBS class where I taught                                                                       Singing at a Group’s Christmas party



1 comment:

  1. hello sis. Kim, goodluck to your journey. May God will give you more blessings. you are so blessed to have such mission like that. It's so challenging. I will pray for you._ April Suminar

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