Narlin's Story

As a Pastor’s wife, I supported my husband in his ministries and considered his calling includes me and my children. God had called him to pastor three churches. In those churches, God had put the burden in my heart to minister to women and children. Usually I end up teaching the children in Sunday School and set up a children learning center that ministered to the community.

When my husband was given opportunity to go to the seminary for further studies, I supported his decision to go. Even though we had no clear source of support we responded to the call and went to the seminary. Our going was made possible by selling our stuff that were still of use to our church members.

Our first few months at the seminary were really a struggle. Although my husband was granted scholarship, it was limited to tuition fees and other academic expenses. We had to have other sources of income in order for us to eat and buy our basic needs. The only option me and my husband had was to work in the seminary as work grant. My husband worked as security guard while wrestling with his academic works and ministry on weekends.

Me? I also had to work in order for us to survive and as we Filipinos would always say “para makakain kami ng tatlong beses sa isang araw” and my children could go to school. However, I was not qualified to work in the seminary as work grant if I was taking classes. And God provided me an opportunity to enrolled two very important courses that would prove to be useful in the future. These two courses were Crisis Counseling and Teaching English to the Speaker of Other Language (TESOL). Of course, I had to pay the tuition fees through my small work grant salary.

Eventually I was able to do some trivial works in the seminary from washing dishes at the canteen to cleaning the dormitory rooms. Until there was a need for a nursery teacher and I applied for the position. My experiences in teaching and caring ministry in my previous churches had become very useful. It was in addition to the fact that my major in college was elementary education.

I worked as nursery teacher for over a year. I enjoyed it and it became a ministry that gave me fulfillment. I taught and care for the children of the seminary students and faculties. I came to know the children and their parents and develop friendship with them. So that even the after my duty hours were over children would come into our small dormitory room to play, sing or just watch TV to wait for their parents to come home. The nursery was also able to minister to the community in Guisad. “Outsiders” also entrusted their children to me when they were out there working.

Presently, we are here in the mission field in the northern most part of Thailand. We are now ministering to the displaced people living in the borders of both Thailand and Myanmar. And one of the ministries that God asked us to do is to work in a Day Care Center. Yes, ministering to the children of these displaced people. I could never have imagined that the ministry that I had been doing in the Philippines is actually the ministry that God is preparing for me to do here in the mission field. As if God has arranged everything for me for this moment. Teaching and taking care of the less fortunate children of the unreached peoples in this part of Indochina. Through the Grace Day Care Center I have the chance to share and demonstrate the love and saving grace of our Lord Jesus to the poor and oppressed people.