by Arnaldo J. Ganaba
Imagine with me a life in the farm...the wide green rice field... Where the cool breeze of the morning embraces you. Where the sound of the chirping birds fill the air of a quiet afternoon break and put you to a good sleep. Where the sound of the wind dances with the trees. What a beautiful life! Perfect Vacation spot. Isn't it? This was my life. In the farm. 35 years ago.
Was it beautiful. Or, should I say, perfect?
But NO! It wasn't in my early childhood perspective. Living in the farm was living like a poor man deprived of a beautiful city life. So as early as 7 years old, I always dreamed to be rich & to achieve something to please myself. I laid out my dream house and imagined to have my own family. So I thought, I need to strive so hard in order to reach my dreams.
When I was in grade school, my teacher would always give us a challenge to compete on our addition and subtraction speed skills. I would normally win the challenge. So, I believed I was the best in the class. This experience motivated me to excel, to be well-known and to achieve something so I can reach my dream - to be rich!
In High School, I studied well with the aim to be on top of the batch. I became a consistent 1st honors from 1st year to 3rd year and graduated Valedictorian of the class. I was also elected president of several clubs and organizations, including the High School Student Council. I pushed my way to the Student Publication and eventually became the Editor-in-Chief. I felt good that I got what I wanted. Because of those achievements, I was granted with a scholarship in college. I was so determined in my studies to make sure that I will not be left out being in the star section class. The same pursuit to achieve, to excel, to be well-known and to feel good for myself kept growing in my inner being. I would go to the library during my free time to study. I would plot my weekly schedule and ensure that everything is purposely done. My routine was, school, church, house, farm – I was helping my father then in planting and selling vegetables and even farming though I didn’t like it. I would always say to myself, "When I get rich, I will never do this!"
One day, that was October 2, 1996, as I was studying beside the church across my campus, somebody approached me and asked if he can have a few minutes to share with me about the booklet that has been meaningful to him. So I agreed and took time to listen. I knew deep within me that I’m religious, I got almost everything that I wanted to feel good, I’m a good student, etc. but I realized that I haven’t really made a commitment to have Jesus as my Lord and Savior and allow Him to be the One to direct my whole life. Knowing myself as a practical person who would try to find out what or who could help me get what I wanted, after listening about what are the claims of Jesus, I sincerely made a commitment to receive Him into my life.
That’s the turning point.
Though I felt good that day, I was reminded in the booklet that…”don’t depend on feelings,” so I kept thinking about what took place that afternoon. The following day, I shared the same booklet to my 10 friends. I had mixed motives - I wanted to let them know about what I have heard and at the same time, I liked teaching/sharing to a group to feel good being a leader. Soon I got involved with CCC, I was discipled, and I had attended a lot of LTI’s (local and national levels). Through this involvement, I got to know a lot of real persons, real Christians whom I learned to be vulnerable and to trust with. I learned to be myself. I also learned that I don’t need to do something to get their attention and be accepted as I am.
Through our weekly small group bible studies, my conviction for His word grew which helped me to love my family and people around me. I kept sharing my faith, I kept motivating them for further involvement, I kept following up new believers, I kept on doing the basics of the ministry that I learned over and over again. I was so loyal to these basics and I experienced good results of students going back for my follow up/discipleship groups. I enjoyed meeting new friends and I really loved leading & managing people – arranging difficult schedule to meet, who will be integrated in certain groups, identifying the key leaders from among them, making discipleship plans, keeping records about their interests, skills, and many more ministry stuff. God’s word consistently spoke to me and dealt my character. I was reminded of the parable of the talents (to me it made sense to invest my time, treasure and talent wisely), the cost of Following Jesus, Paul’s discipleship ministry and spiritual Multiplication through win, build, and send strategies. With these experiences, I had a clearer picture of God’s love for me.
Besides having been actively involved in helping fulfill God’s Great Commission through CCC, I was gradually climbing the ladder of influence in my campus through our School’s Official Student Publication. I became a Managing Editor in my 2nd year, Associate Editor in my 3rd year and had the privilege of becoming the Editor-in-Chief in my 4th year wherein I had a lot of opportunities to write pre- evangelistic articles. I was aware then of my tendencies to boast or hide in the shadow of false humility. God provided CCC people to really help journey with me – to grow in Christ like character and excel for His glory. There was an instance that I had a self-evaluation. “Why am I doing what I am doing?” Then I made a commitment before God to continue pursuing excellence not to feel good about myself, brag about it, or to prove something about myself but give Him the highest honor and glory in whatever that I do, specifically with the gifts, talents and interests that He gave me. God also blessed me with a continued scholarship until 5th year and I graduated With High Distinction with the Degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.
After graduation, the pressure started to sink in me because I was expected to work and help my family. I struggled and wrestled with God for almost 6 months. I applied to my Alma Mater as a Teacher in Computer Subjects or Mathematics but my supposedly demo was cancelled and I never had a chance to reapply. Doors of opportunities in the workplace were seemingly unfavorable to me. Besides, I found myself keep going back to my Alma Mater, meeting my disciples and still generating more contacts. There were days that I never had an allowance because my father can’t support me anymore. My disciples generously shared their allowance with me. The battle inside of me was between the need of my family and a strong desire in my heart to keep doing evangelism and discipleship. The reason that I wanted to teach in my Alma Mater was to continue my ministry alongside my job but it didn’t work out as I planned.. On bended knees, I kept seeking God’s will for me. On one particular personal devotion, God led me to 1 Peter 5:2 ,”..to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly. Do your work, not mere for pay, but from a real desire to serve.” I kept meditating His word and had my “pros-and-cons” to asses where would I be – to be with CCC as full-time staff or in the marketplace. After days of praying and seeking God, He gave me peace as I decided to join CCC with a specific commitment of joining the volunteer program for about 2 years and afterwards, apply for full-time staff. My issue that time surfaced that I was afraid of MPD though I was able to raise support for my LTIs and other CCC functions.
My volunteer years were, for me, just a continuation of my ministry in my campus. But this time, I worked with a team. I had a lot of exposure to the lives of my Ates and Kuyas in the team – how they managed finances, raised support, modeled ministry (I also heard a lot of stories from them which helped me figure out how can I apply it in my context). I observed their lifestyle. During that time, I have seen growth in my leadership and relationship with people I worked closely with. Coordinating events like Movement Getaway surfaced my attitude how I would relate to my teammates. I was confronted with the reality that I wanted to do things my way, without considering what really can be more beneficial for everyone. I also enjoyed leading a ministry in my Alma Mater (WIT) as well as in CPU. I felt trusted with a limited capacity that I had and it helped me envision for stronger movements in these campuses through Spiritual Multiplication alone. In WIT, I had 89 disciples down the chain and in CPU I reached 70 in two years. It's all by His grace. Being a Volunteer was filled with much learning and a sharpening stage in my missionary life. It better prepared me for something bigger and a more challenging phase of being a full-time staff.
In 2004, I joined the GCTC and was assigned in PUP as my field ministry assignment. The same perspective was carried along – I’m just assigned in a new Target Audience, I’m just continuing the ministry God has called me to do. So, I enjoyed the sessions, re-evaluated my actions in light of the biblical principles taught. I envisioned and prayed to see a strong spiritual movement in this campus. I learned to grow more in my relational life and connecting with my new target audience. God blessed me with 35 disciples down the chain with 6 movers in my 9 months on training. On my second year in PUP, God blessed be with about 80. I have nothing to boast about these numbers but I’m thankful to the Lord for the privilege of investing in the lives of these people whom I learned to love, people whom God used for me understand more about His love.
In 2006, I was reassigned in MIT. Even during my college life, I looked up to this campus as one of the key influential sectors in our society through the Engineers they produce who can be movement builders for life. This is where I experienced more of what it meant to love by faith. I experienced to work with a team of 17 full-time staff and volunteers. This is where I kept on learning how to develop leaders for movement building, joggling different roles as a trainer, team leader, discipler, husband, father, etc. What a joy to see about 374 disciples involved in the movement in this campus. What a joy seeing our students step out in faith and make a difference in the lives of others despite academic pressures of having a quarter system.
God also stretched my faith as I developed my personal ministry while training a new staff in Ateneo de Manila University for almost a year.
At present, God placed me in a role to serve student-led movements across Southeast Asia. It's a joy and truly a privilege to journey with Indonesians, Malaysians, Burmese, Vietnamese, Lao, Thai, Cambodians & even my fellow Filipinos to see what does it take to have movements of multiplying disciples in different target audience and context but with the same Jesus who gave us the Great Commission. As I travel to these countries, I am encouraged meeting some of my disciples from Iloilo who are not just serving as teachers and engineers in some of these countries but as Christ's Ambassadors so that many more lost souls will come to life in Jesus. All by His grace, I got to know new persons & led a lot of them to follow Jesus wherever they are.
Let me share with you one of my witnessing experiences in Indochina as I trained a fellow staff there:
I shared the gospel to the 6 students of the top university in Indochina. All of them prayed to receive Jesus. (Note: I chose not to question that decision). I motivated them for further involvement. All agreed to meet with me on the following day for our follow up Bible Study.
The following day, Bee (one of the 6) came back with two friends. I learned from him that the rest went back to their towns. I asked these friends what did Bee tell them. They said, "Bee told us that he met a new friend from the Philippines. He also told us that he invited Jesus in his heart."
Right there and then, I asked Bee to share with his friends, Taimoah and Seng how he received Jesus by simply reading the booklet to them. I saw the eagerness in them to know about Jesus. One booklet being shared by three and they took turns in reading. Another friend, Chai, joined them. A day prior to this meeting, I did not give the booklets to Bee's group. I was sharing the Four Spiritual Laws (4SL) from memory, wrote the 4 principles on paper & draw the diagram too. I simply shared the 4SL without further explanation). Anyway, when Bee reached the section on the two circles, he asked his friends, Which circle best represents your life?" There response was "left" (self-directed). Then he asked them the second question "Which Circle would you like to represent your life?" and their answer was "right" (Christ-directed) except for Chai who then left the group because of an appointment. These two guys prayed to receive Jesus. I then asked clarifying questions to help them be assured of their salvation, but we did not finish the discussion. Seng had to leave for their event's practice while Taimoa stayed. Bee, Taimoah & I had our lunch together. Since they were free for about two hours, we continued the discussion on the remaining pages of the 4SL. When we reached the last page of the booklet and asked them, "To whom would you like to share this message?", they mentioned their friends' names. I asked them to write these names in the box at the back page. Taimoah asked, "how about to my parents?" I was surprised by this response because our staff were saying that the students are afraid to go back to their towns and tell their parents about this. So I simply replied, " wow, that 's great! Why don't you write their names too and we will pray for them one by one." I also asked them , "When will you share the gospel with them? Will you write down the dates?" And they did ! We prayed for the names.
Truly, God caused my dream to come true. I am indeed rich in Jesus. It's beyond material riches.
In my missionary life, I dream to see more lives know Christ and make Him known through Spiritual Multiplication by winning building and sending. I pray that I will continue to put God as my highest priority in life.
“I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already for me to himself. Of course my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.” – Philippians 3:12-14.
If my heart before was filled with dreams and ambitions to achieve, to feel good for my self, to be known & to get rich, my heart this time continues to desire to achieve anything or something that would cause to give glory and honor to our Lord & King Eternal, Jesus Christ. Above all, my ultimate goal to achieve is to face with God someday and hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
