THIEVES AND CRIMINALS NO MORE
By: Levi Laput
Log
Deck-5 Mission School
October
2000
It was after reporting
time at Mountain View College. My shirt
under my heavy fully-packed backpack was soaked from my sweat as I slowly
climbed the hill that sunny morning.
“Whew!” I unloaded my pack and
breathed some fresh air under a cool shade.
In a distance I noticed the familiar lowlander we call "Manong"
coming by.
“Going home to that
Manobo village again?” he greeted.
“Yes”, I said, “and I
am waiting for some boys to fetch me.”
“How many hours will
it take you to climb that high mountain?” he asked, pointing to the forested
mountain I was about to climb.
“Two hours,” I
replied, ”and then from the top of that mountain you can see the village about
two kilometers away.”
“You know”, he
continued, “I've been here for some ten
years now and I haven't visited that place yet and I never will.”
“Why?” I was curious.
“Those Manobos in that
village are thieves and criminals.
Whenever animals are lost in nearby villages, the owners would visit
that village and on the way they recover extremities, rope, and some remains of
their lost animals. In the village they
could see children playing and discover their lost animals' heads skinned to
the bones. They recognize their animals
only by the horns. Whenever they are
apprehended, they kill with their bows and arrows, spears, and bolos. I can't understand why you people from
Mountain View College keep on going to that village. What are you really doing there?” he asked
again.
“I am a student
missionary to that village. The college
has an extension literacy program to the natives around and I am assigned here
to teach them how to read and write and tell them about the love of Jesus,” I explained further.
“These people are
stiff-necked thieves and criminals. No
amount of good will come out of that dirty village,” he said and left.
I was stunned to hear such a story, but deep
inside me I pondered for a moment and sought for a positive side of my
people. ”They are God's people still, no
matter how wicked they are, because God paid the ransom of His Son's blood for
these people. I am the assigned
missionary here and I am duty bound to teach them,” I said to myself.
October 22, 2000, was
the scheduled date for a baptism.
Neighboring churches under the district of Pastor Vistor were invited to
witness the big occasion. One church
elder said, "I never thought there would be any person who would change
their life to accept Jesus from this village, and now I'll be witnessing with
my own eyes. This is GREAT.”
We assisted them in
filling up the baptismal forms, and laboriously but successfully they were able
to sign their names. Their big happy smiles were enough to show us that they
were proud of what they had learned in their adult class. There were ten who filled out the application
forms. I was surprised when my partner
told me that four more men approached him wanting to join the group to be
baptized.
“They should not be
baptized,” I stated. “They should
undergo Bible study first. We should
produce here ripe Christians who know the truth well and can stand and die for
it.”
“Why not interview
them, Partner,” he suggested. And so I
did.
They said, “While you
were giving Bible studies to our families since when you started your first
batch of Bible studies in our homes, we were listening in the dark outside and
we understood. We realized the sins and
wickedness we've been doing, but our vices were so hard to do away with. We had a hard struggle in fighting our mortal
enemy of "self". We made up
our minds to leave our vices, and now we are happy to tell you that we have
been successful. We are asking you to please
include us in this second batch of baptism.”
I recognized these
four men as the hardened thieves and criminals, alcoholics that cause trouble
in the village. I was moved to tears
when they requested, "Please pray for us, Sir, and don't forget to include
our names in your daily conversation with your God, for the renewal of our
"old nature" to the new-born self.”
I understood because in their culture, they converse with their gods in
a normal way of conversation.
Who could ever say
“no” and deprive them of the privilege of being baptized when they make a
request such as that?
I then pictured the
thief and criminal hanging with Jesus on the cross on Calvary who pleaded with
Jesus to remember him when He comes in His Kingdom. I long for that grand reunion when I'll meet
them all in paradise.
We had 14 precious
souls baptized last Sabbath (October 28).
If you would like to
be a part of this ministry, please write a check to AWESNA and send it to:
AWESNA
2417
S. Azusa Ave.
West
Covina, CA 91792
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