Mayon from my bedroom window on Cagraray Island. (San Miguel Island can be seen jutting out from the right of the picture.
It was the fulfillment of my childhood dream to have an active volcano puffing smoke outside of my window.
Now I cannot get away from that dream.
Within the past few months I have seen a huge change in my ministry – from ministering mainly to fishermen and farmers on two islands to now reaching out to Mining Engineering Students in two of the largest cities in the province, from teaching in Tagalog, to now sharing more in English, from getting water from a well and eating my own home-grown veggies to buying water and visiting grocery stores, from paddling boats and hiking to get to Bible studies to having to pay for public transportation – it’s been a big change.
But one thing hasn’t changed – Mayon Volcano.
It still sits outside of my window. Granted, it’s on my left side when on Cagraray Island and on my right side when in Legazpi City, but it is still there, almost like a reminder to me of God’s continuing presence wherever I serve Him. And as I shuttle back and forth now between Legazpi and the islands each week, Mayon continues to tower up, just as God continues to work in both areas where I now minister.
The following is just a snapshot of some of the things God has done since I began to make the move to a duel-ministry between Legazpi City and Cagraray and San Miguel Islands. It been exciting to watch God work!
Beginning with the Islands:
Easter Joint Service at our campsite on Cagraray Island
Seventeen years ago on Easter Sunday I waded out into the waters of the Pacific Ocean for our first baptism on San Miguel Island. Six persons stepped forward that day. That day set the course for the next 17 years of my life, as it was then that God spoke to my heart from Matthew 28:19-20 to remain on the island and make disciples.
A few months ago I waded out again on Easter Sunday to, interestingly enough, baptize the same number of people as that first Easter Sunday. Yet this time – my last baptism here as pastor – God’s word to me was different. It was one of completion of a mission and a call, rather than a beginning, a call from Isaiah 54:2 and Mark 1:38 to stretch out beyond the islands.
How good it was of the Lord to both begin and end my time on the islands as pastor with an Easter baptism.
Teaching at our Easter Sunday Service at our campsite on Cagraray Island
“3 UTOS, 3 PANGAKO” means ‘3 COMMANDS, 3 PROMISES”
Congregation at Easter Service. This is a joint fellowship of our two churches on San Miguel Island and one on Cagraray Island.
Jemar’s baptism. He was one of six youth who stepped forward on Easter to proclaim his faith in Jesus.
Joking with Ruth before her baptism as a passenger boat passes by in the background. Ruth is the daughter of one of the up-and-coming leaders, Cesar. She also assists with our radio ministry.
Some of the baptism witnesses sitting on the steps of our campsite
The six youth to be baptized. Fernando is on the left. I’m obviously on the right – well almost…
R A D I O T R A I N I N G . . .
At the beginning of the summer break the Lord opened door for us to hold a 2-week intensive radio-ministry training for 15 youth and adults in our churches here on the islands. God was so gracious to send us a friend and trainer, Hazel Alvarez, to help us out. Hazel’s previous work with both Christian radio and secular TV broadcasting was an invaluable asset, and this, along with the help of six summer radio youth workers, helped us add 7 new radio programs to our already airing 17. We continue to receive text messages from people both on and off our islands, and I had the chance to visit two communities where our station basically serves as the only “church” for Christians there.
Hazel instructing one group of youth how to set up and run their own 1-hour weekly radio program.
Continued summer radio internship for students.
One group of students performing live from our campsite radio station “Youth on Air.”
Visiting a family in Banao, Bacacay (a community on the mainland) where “Island Breeze Radio is the only church here.”
R A D I O T O W E R R E P A I R
Besides the radio training, the past months also involved a lot of technical work in terms of getting our second radio station on San Miguel functioning well. A couple bad storms as well as some unknown causes put for a time both of our stations off the air. But by an amazing serious of events, the Lord supplied us just this August with all the equipment needed to get back on the air and expand again our coverage to many of the towns on the mainland.
Much thanks to Tony Randazzo, Maurice and Maria Carretta, and the group from Calvary Chapel North Long Beach, who were all amazing instruments from God to get us back up and running!
Preparing to push up the tower at our San Miguel Island Station – 102.3 FM.
Hoisting up the antenna to Cesar.
With power knocked out by Typhoon Glenda from San Miguel for perhaps 1 year, both of our radio stations have to run fully on solar power. Here Than, Nho, and Jonel are wiring up the panels to our resurrected San Miguel station.
Working with Than to wire in our solar panels to run the San Miguel station.
Our 15 watt San Miguel transmitter – able to bring 17 weekly programs to six towns on the mainland as well as most of San Miguel Island and parts of Cagraray as well. The station has tested out to reach significantly further than our original SM Island station. Amazing what a few watts can do!
Finishing at sunset. Mayon Volcano can be seen in the background puffing smoke.
Now doing it again at our Cagraray Island Campsite station (89.1 FM)…
Attaching the antenna to the top bamboo and wood section of our radio tower. We can push this one up to a bit over 70 feet. It’s signal is then captured by our San Miguel Island station and rebroadcast at 102.3 FM. All pretty low-tech stuff, but it actually works!
Ramir and Nho on the roof helping hoist the bamboo pole up.
Others up on the pole helping secure the bamboo pole as it goes up. It’s good that after all the times we have done this, no one has yet fallen – though I’ve gotten a little dizzy when I’ve had to be one to climb!
In my next blog I will share more about what God is doing on the other side of Mayon – in Legazpi.
News from the Islands 