FIELD VISIT: APRIL 17-19, ORIENTAL MINDORO

Elma and I went to visit Oriental Mindoro. Oriental Mindoro is a 2 and a half hour bus
ride from Manila and a one hour boat ride. From the pier of Mindoro we have to ride a
van for more than one hour in order to reach the first of the church planters we plan to
visit. The first one is Pastor Gawaine Boncaras.

When we reached
the target area of
Pastor Boncaras,
in Maluanluan,
Pola, Oriental
Mindoro, we were
met by him in the
midst of a Banana
tree plantation.

A short walk led

us to the meeting
place of the
church. This
church has a lot
area of 400 square
meters already
acquired from the
donation of
friends.
 We thought we will
just be meeting with
Pastor Gawaine
Boncaras and his
wife. We were
pleased to meet
some of the
members who
gathered even
though it was a
weekday. The
location has no
water and electricity
yet. The weather at
that time is about 36
degrees centigrade.

The church did not

hesitate to hold an
impromptu
fellowship, study of
the word, testimony
and prayers.

Elma huddles with Pastor

Gawaine’s wife and the old faithful
member sister Imang.
 After the service comes eating
fellowship. With meager income,
these folks manage to serve food
for everybody

Fruit of the season: Pakwan

or Water Melon.

Celebration comes with

Pansit (sautéed noodles)

Just as the land gets used by the church,

vegetables are also being planted around
the church ground. This gives the church
members the vegetables they need for
food. One of the prayers they asked is for
the church to have a deep well water.
A well has to be dug so both the church
and the plants will benefit.
The church has no electrical connection
and sewage still.

I sense the excitement of the members

who came. The men are working as well
as many more members who come on Sundays.

It surprised us to
meet two of the
church planters
who were in the
Program several
many years ago.
They are Pastor
Vernie Equing
(in sunglasses)
with his wife
and Pastor
Joseph
Mariscotes.
Pastor Vernie is
now the
chairman of all
Pastors in the
town of Socorro
and
Pinamalayan.

Pastor Joseph
invited us to see
the location of
his church. In
the past, Pastor
Joseph was
having a hard
time moving
from one place
to another. They
even sue the
market as the
place where
they fellowship.
But now they
have a place of
their own right
at the center of
the town of
Socorro.
We went to visit another churchplanter, Pastor Danilo Macuha but he was not in his
target area, a tribal community. He was in the neighbor island of Batangas training for the
Daily Vacation Bible School.

TO VICTORIA, ORIENTAL MINDORO: PASTOR JUN FALLA

The next
town we
went is
Voctoria,
oriental
Mindoro,
about less
than an hour
from Pastor
Boncaras
area in
Maluanluan.
The weather
was good
and sunny.

It is the heat also of

election campaign
all over the
Philippines. A jeep
is shown on the left
with all the
campaign pictures
slogans and sound
system. This jeep
goes around with a
special campaign
jingle and
announcements.
There are so many
of these sorts all around.

To reach Pastor Jun Falla’s place,

it took us one hour ride on a
motorcycle on this kind of road on
the left.

All we see are rice fields as far as

our eyes can see in a very hot
summer sun.

Even the water buffalo has to be under the shade since he has no mud pond to waddled
and keep cool.

It was too dry and sunny at that time.

The picture below shows Palay (rice
grains) dried under the sun before
getting it to the mill. Rice is
delicious in this part of the country.
 We were starving and
thirsty but Pastor Jun
and Annie fed us fresh
grilled ”Tilapia”
(Peter’s fish) and beef
stew with fresh
vegetables and cold
Soda. Yummy!

This is Pastor Jun’s

church, Bagong Buhay
(New Life) Christian
Church. This is where
they hold the pre-
school. At this time of
the year is vacation
time that is why no
children are around.
Pastor Jun and family
once lived at the back
of this church structure.
Now they have their
own lot a few meters
away from the church.

This husband and wife team is a soldier for

Christ. In this difficult community, they
continue to see and communicate hope as they
remain faithful in preaching the gospel and
addressing needs in the community.

They do have two more daughter churches aside

from this base.