| Tim's Tale: A PUC Student Writes
from the Mission Field
By Tim De La Torre and Landon Bennett
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It's finally the end of my first week teaching out at the
villages, and I am back in Manila. At first, it was kind of nice:
warm showers, flush toilets, e-mail and soft beds. But I've learned
first hand that it's not those "necessities" that make life enjoyable; it's
the warmth of friendships and love. I miss my kids. I never felt
it so much before as after spending two days in Manila. Tim De La Torre, a PUC student missionary in the Philippines,
wrote these words in a letter to friends and family in the United
States. A junior, digital video technology major, Tim previously
traveled to Mindoro, an island in the Philippines, in December
2002. He, with two other students and one teacher, documented the
mission work being done by Laymen Ministries. As a result of that
experience, Tim returned as a student missionary this year, living
and working in villages, doing friendship evangelism, teaching
English, and making videos to promote mission work. His letter
continues:
At first Manila was exciting--culture shock. Sure, I had been in the Philippines for a month and a half already, but I had never seen such a contrast between poverty and riches: bodies lying all over the sidewalks at night, people so persistent at begging that they knock on the windows of cars. Even bicycles and BMWs drive side by side, all fighting for position on the streets. And the honking - unrelenting honking.
Along with all the people, come many malls - huge malls. I was going to buy a big 1,500-piece puzzle for my students to put together, but then I remembered it's
typhoon season and it would all be blown away.
Tim continues to describe the small town called Agbalite where
teaching takes up most of his time. He works with a group of
people called Mungyans, a native, tribal people who have lived
on the island for centuries. They live shrouded in spirit worship
and are discriminated against by the majority of Filipinos. Many
are poor and starving and are often taken advantage of because
of their inherently peaceful nature. But, according to Tim, God
is working wonders in their lives:
The children are the real
key to the parents' hearts, and I know God is expanding my influence
in the village through them. I got great help from a boy named
Erwin. He is the most outgoing of all the Mungyans I've met so
far, and he's brilliant. Although Erwin is only 13 years old
and recovering from tuberculosis, he amazes me every day with
his talents.
Tim has found teaching difficult, encountering students eager
to learn but lacking in education because of their social position.
The kids memorize things they want to tell Tim in English: "I want to be as tall as you when I grow up," and "I hope you like it here so much that you won't want to go back to America!"
I have a couple of students who are having a harder time
than the rest of the students. One is named Bimboy and I decided
to keep him after school one day and tutor him. He looked very
tough but started crying after a while because he was so ashamed
that I had kept him after class. I encouraged him and said
that I wanted to help him learn. I felt bad and questioned
whether I should have kept him behind. However, the next day
I saw him sitting in the front row (not the back like he usually
did). And every day since, he's sat in the front row, raised his hands to answer my questions, and he's learning! Praise God! What a difference it can make in the life of a child when we pay attention to them and let them know they're loved--even
if it makes them cry at first.
Despite Tim's busy schedule, he still manages to send e-mail newsletters to friends and update his website with photos of his students. His newsletters are uplifting and inspiring. When he writes, he humbly asks for something that everyone can give--prayer.
Please keep me in your prayers. My big prayer needs are:
1. To adapt socially to the culture of the Philippines (I get
shy when I can't communicate well with people). 2. To effectively
teach my students something, and to motivate them to be inquisitive
and excited to learn - I have no experience in this. 3. To learn
the native language, Tagalog! 4. To grow closer to God by learning
to trust in Him for EVERYTHING.
Tim's letter is representative of over 1,200 PUC student missionaries who have "gone into all the world" since the SM program began in 1963. Some went as teachers; others as preachers. Some worked in orphanages; others in jungles. Some built churches; others dug wells. But whatever they did, and wherever they went, they all shared God's love and the truth about God. And they all came back changed.
To learn more about Laymen Ministries or to join Tim's monthly e-mail newsletter, visit www.mindoro.org.
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