Graduation Day

Graduation day is always a highlight, because we are celebrating the success of our students! This year we had 78 graduates. I just kept smiling (with tears too) as each one walked across the stage, because so many memories kept crowding into my mind. God has been so faithful to them, not only to provide for them, but to bring them through His own "curriculum" to help them grow.

The speaker was the Philippine Ambassador to Laos, a dynamic Christian lady by the name of Elizabeth Buensuceso. She talked about what is involved in being an ambassador for the Philippines. Her official title is "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipoteniary" or "AEP" for short. She explained about the power that she holds in representing the Philippine government in Laos, the responsibilities she has, and the privileges she enjoys. Then she compared it to our role as ambassadors for Christ. It was one of the most motivating talks I have ever heard. I have heard sermons before about being an ambassador for Christ, but never one delivered by a real ambassador. It was fascinating!

And, as always, I cried during the ceremony. We will miss these students so much! I laughed as our two students from Vanuatu marched across the stage. A few years ago, when they applied to ISOT, I had no clue where Vanuatu was. Now, they are leaving a gaping hole in my heart as they go! Who knew that a tiny island in the South Pacific could become so precious to us? And the tears flowed again as I watched our only graduate from Pakistan. It's a country where some Christians are called upon to pay a heavy price for their faith. And Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Vietnam . . . all tough places to serve. I remember our graduating student from Vietnam telling me last month, "The worst they can do is kill me. But they can only do it once." I was humbled by her determination to serve God to the end. It's hard to explain the mixed emotions as funny memories of their antics at ISOT mingled with the sober realization that they were heading into battlefields. I'm so proud to have had the chance to serve them for three years.

This is the graduating class of 007, along with the faculty, board members and guests. The lady in the front row, center, wearing a light green skirt, is Elizabeth Buensuceso, AEP.

This is Pastor Rogie, who I wrote about last month. It was a delight to see him graduate!

This is Tina and Titus Yi, some of our "best beloved" students. They are from Korea, but have spent ten years serving our God in China. They are a great encouragement to us too.

The "Ate" Stories

(My name at ISOT, to our students, is "Ate" (pronounced Ah-tey). It is a Filipino word for older sister, and is a title of both respect and affection. I hear the word “Ate” a hundred times a day, as students drop by my office to share excitement (“Ate, guess what!”) or anxiety (“Ate, I’m scared!”) or joy (“Ate, God is so good!”). I have often toyed with the idea of writing a book, and if I do, I will call it The Ate Stories. But in the meantime, I have decided to share the stories with you, as they unfold, in my blog. So here goes, the first “Ate” story . . .

Yesterday morning I reached into my mailbox and pulled out a blue envelope. I opened it and saw a flowered “thank-you” card. As I read the card, tears filled my eyes.

Under the printed verses, it said, “Dear Ate, I still remember the day when we prayed together in your office for my studies. A few days from now I will graduate. THANK YOU! ... Rogie"

Why the tears? It goes back two years ago to the day mentioned in the card, “the day when we prayed together.”

Rogie was an ex-prisoner, and he was introduced to me on that day by Pastor Noel, another ex-prisoner who had recently graduated from ISOT. Both men were involved in ministering to drug addicts, street children, and prisoners by the thousands in the overcrowded prisons and jails in Metro Manila. Pastor Noel saw great potential in Rogie, and felt that ISOT training was just what he needed! He brought him to me that day to persuade me to find Rogie a scholarship so that he could study at ISOT.

Pastor Noel started things off. “Rogie, this is Ate. Tell her your story.” (Pastor Noel has an amazing story of his own, but I will save it for another day.) Rogie told a harrowing tale of being abused as a child by a drunken father, becoming a policeman and later a drug addict, losing his marriage and family, and finally killing someone during a drug deal gone wrong. He ended up in prison where he found the Lord, and was discipled by Pastor Noel and some other Christians. Eventually he was released from prison and incredibly, won back the love of his wife and children. He was now working as an assistant pastor in a church in the poorest part of Manila. He told me, “In the seven years I was in prison my wife did not visit or call or write even once. But now, we visit the prison together – every day.”

I promised to try to find a scholarship, and I offered to pray for Rogie before they left. At that moment my assistant stepped out of our office, and as I bowed to pray, this thought popped into my head: “I am alone in this room with two convicted murderers!” But I reminded myself that they were no longer “hardened criminals” – they were my brothers. So I prayed and thanked God for all He had done in their lives and asked Him to help me find a scholarship for Rogie. After I finished, I looked up and saw both of my brothers with tears streaming down their faces. I realized that I was probably more “hardened” than they were. For them, the mercy of God is new every day and they never stop being awed by it. I could learn a thing or two from them.

God did provide a scholarship for Rogie, and he came to study at ISOT for two years. Every time I saw him in the hallway or classroom, I thanked God for the privilege of helping him be equipped for ministry. He already had a great passion for God, and it has been exciting to see him grow in his leadership skills and his effectiveness in ministry. And in a few more days, he will receive his Master of Arts in Christian Leadership and will be back in the field full time.

I've no doubt that it will only be a matter of months till Pastor Rogie shows up at my office with another ex-convict in tow, telling him, “This is Ate. Tell her your story.” I love my job!

.

The Golden Land

James and I are planning another trip! We plan to visit Myanmar from April 9-22. James will teach two classes in the Institute of Biblical Studies for the Campus Crusade for Christ staff in Yangon. We also look forward with great excitement to visiting our alumni there. It will be our first trip to the "Golden Land" in seven years.

We will apply for our visas next week. Please pray that our visas will be granted without any complications. And pray that God will make it possible for us to visit every ISOT graduate in Myanmar.
. .