Our Testimonies Pastor's Testimony: I was born In Sandwich, MA on February the 6th, 1954. As a young man I had an emptiness on the inside that the pleasures of the world couldn't satisfy, as well as a deep rooted fear of death. At the age of 23 my brother invited me to go with him to a Saturday night prayer meeting being held in a church basement. That night I picked up a gospel tract entitled "The Day the King's Son Died". When I got home I read the tract through from cover to cover. Prior to that night, I knew that I had done many bad things in my life, but I sincerely believed that God would let me into heaven when my life was over because my good works would outweigh my bad works. After reading that tract I realized that in the eyes of a holy God all my righteousness were as filthy rags and that I was a lost sinner on the way to hell. I read John 3:16 which said "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." I came to the realization that Jesus Christ loved me so much that He took all of my sins and died on the cross as my perfect substitute, paying for my sin debt in full with His own shed blood, and then rising from the dead on the third day for my justification. I also understood for the first time that the only way I could be saved was by putting my faith in the One who said "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me." At 9:45 that night of December 15th, 1977 I knelt at my bedside and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to come into my heart and be Lord and Savior of my life. That night I was able to lay my head down on the pillow and go to sleep without fear of dying. I John 5:13 says "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." I now had the absolute assurance that if I were to die I would go into the immediate presence of the Lord, not because of anything I had done, but because of what Jesus did for me on the cross two thousand years ago. Sister Mia's Testimony: I was born and raised in the Philippines . We were raised Catholic, as so many of Filipinos are. We were taught that Catholicism is the true religion. I was never much of a church goer - I went to church on special occasions. When I was in college we studied all kinds of religion in our Theology class (went to De LaSalle University - run by Franciscan Priests). I was assigned to interview a Baptist Preacher and a Salvation Army Preacher. I remember the Baptist Preacher sharing about Salvation, but it was over my head. All I could think is,"I am a Catholic." Several of my classmates who went to fundamental church used to talk about the book of Revelation. (They were not allowed to attend our Theology class- they were assigned to do some field work like working in a nursing home ) Anyway, I thought my classmates were crazy. After college I left my hometown to look for a job in the Manila area. I stayed in my uncle's home. They were born-again Christians, and they attended a fundamental Bible-believing church. My cousins invited me to go with them to church the first Sunday after I arrived. I told them,"I'll stay home & cook the meal, so it will be ready when you come home." I didnt understand then what took them so long to come home. Their pastor was engaged to be married at that time. He would come over to my uncle's house to fellowship with them, and everytime he's there I would hide in my room. I don't want to hear anything that he says. One day I didnt know the pastor was there when I came home from work. I don't want to be rude, so I said hello to him. He started talking and invited me to visit their church. I agreed (though not whole-heartedly). My uncle & his family were so excited for me going to church with them. When we arrived I look at the pastor & said to myself, "Well- here I am...now what?" That Sunday the message was in Amos 4:4 "Are you prepared to meet God?". I know that I know that I know in my heart that I wasn't prepared to meet God. When the pastor gave the invitation, I went forward to receive God's gift of everlasting life! Shortly there after the pastor got married, and he and his wife took me under their wings & discipled me. I taught Sunday School and loved doing it. We used to go around the neighborhood Saturday afternoon gathering children to teach them about Jesus . (Brought back memories when I was young). We were able to reach the parents of these children for the Lord. When my parents learned about me getting saved- my father especially was very upset. He almost disowned me. You see, as far as he was concerned I betrayed him. In 1981 I went to work for an import-export company as their accountant. The company was located in a different province or state that it was difficult for me to go back & forth to attend a service in my home church. I went to look for a church in the area, but I keep comparing it to my home church. I used it as an excuse not to go to church, and before I knew it I was a backslidden Christian. My best friend Mercedes one day asked how come I don't go to church anymore - I have no excuse - she asked if she could come with me when I go to my home church. I was convicted, so that Sunday we travelled around 4 hours to go to my home church. That Sunday my very best friend got saved. She's in heaven now - she died of cancer. (I never got to see her again because I'm already living here.) Then in 1987 I saw an ad in the Internation Herald about a family looking for a nanny. I sent my resume, and on it I told them that the only experience I have with children is that I'm a Sunday School teacher. The family considered me for the job. In August of 1988 I left my family and my job to come to U.S.A. Before I left my pastor told me that when I arrive in U.S.A. that I need to check the church where they stand as far as the fundamentals of the faith before I attend because there's alot of Baptist churches that don't hold to the truth. I first stayed in Long Beach CA where I have a cousin. While there I attended a church - told them I'm going to Plymouth MA and wonder If they could recommend a church for me to attend. They gave me the church's name-address -phone no. to contact. When I arrived in Plymouth- that church was an 1 1/2 hours away from where I'm staying. The lady (my employer) told me that there is a Baptist church at the end of the road and the pastor lives in the neighborhood. She asked if I want to check it out. That Sunday I went there, and they have a Revival Meeting. The speaker was Chuck Cofty. I believe he used to be in the Military and was assigned in the Philippines. He brought a tremendous message. He asked if we were the same Christian when we first got saved. I know I wasn't- I have been unfaithful to the Lord. So when he gave the invitation I didn't care who these people are, I just went forward to give my life over to the Lord. It was in this church that I met my best human friend - my beloved husband. He just graduated from BJU and was the associate pastor of the church. I didnt know who he was. I thought he was a snob! One day they had a missionary speaker (missionary to the Philippines) I happened to sit right next to him (my husband) during the slide presentation. I smiled at him and he didn't smile back, so I said to myself,"I will never smile to this man again!" I asked my friend Sue who he was, and she told me. Somehow the Lord laid in my heart to pray for him. I kept saying,"Why am I praying for him, he's not even talking to me?" That Sunday guess what?? - he came to talk to me and asked if I'm a Philistine -he was so nervous - he was trying to say "Philippines". Anyway one of the children heard him and said,"Aren't they the enemies of David?" He was so embarrassed. Then he started writing letters to me - and the rest is history! I never would have thought that I would be married- I was 33 years old when we got married. The Lord had kept me single all those years to give me the very best. I would have messed up my life if I have done it on my own. We got married in 1991, and he was called to be the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church the same year, and we've been here ever since. Our oldest son Isaac was born in 1993, and our youngest Jonathan was born in 1997. All my family in the Philippines are now saved. The first one was the youngest girl- Got saved under my pastor's ministry- The Lord used her to lead my mother to the Lord-My mother is with the Lord now. She went home in 1994. The rest of my family got saved through the ministry of their pastor. When my mother was so sick (diabetes) the pastor in the Bible church nearby comes to our house to minister to her. He got to know my family and one by one led them to the Lord. My husband has been to Philippines 3 times, and it really opened his eyes as far as foreign missions is concerned. ~ Ministries ~ Beliefs ~ Calendar of Events ~ Church History ~ ~ Our Location ~ Contact Us ~ Missionaries ~ Links ~