by David Pascua

“Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice; and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” —Ephesians 4:31-32, NRSV

Seafarers—250 strong—from a local shipping firm came to us, asking for a place to sleep. They had just been released from being detained at the harbor in Tondo, Manila. A few were able to stay with relatives, but most came from distant parts of the Philippines.

These seafarers could not return home because their struggle against unfair labor practices was not yet resolved. They stood in picket lines during the day. The local shipping company dismissed them for staging a sit-down strike. Rather than protecting the workers’ rights, the department of labor and employment sided with the company.

Desperate—out of work, out of food, out of rights—they came to St. Paul United Methodist Church in Manila. Although the church could shelter only 10 people, we gathered all of them for a worship service. We prayed for continuing strength and courage to pursue what is just and right. At Union Theological Seminary in Cavite, Philippines—where I direct field education and placement—we try to teach our students to reach out to very mixed communities. How do we live as neighbors to Muslim sisters and brothers, to Buddhists, to people from other countries, to persons striving for human rights? We need to create and to sustain church life that responds to a changing society. We find that as soon as our students live in the community with people they perceive as different, their perspectives change, and they are transformed.

Adjusting to being a missionary—something I did not set out to do originally—was relatively easy because I come from a missionary family. My father got his first missionary assignment in 1950, and we lived wherever the church sent him. So when I went to Manila, moving and getting accustomed to new surroundings was not new to me. It’s an experience that has been a part of my life since I was born..

I pray some of my students will be inspired to take a missionary journey, and I appreciate the financial support I’ve received through the Advance for Christ and His Church. Thank you

God, you teach us how to be neighbors—to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. Instill that lesson in our minds and in our hearts. In your name we pray. Amen.

—David Pascua, supervisor of field education and placement, Union Theological Seminary, Cavite, Philippines

	See Also... Topic: GBGM programs |  International affairs |  Missionaries |  Advance |  Geographic Region: Philippines |  Source: Advance
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Date posted: Aug 09, 2006