When You Don't Get What You Expect

Naniniwala po ako na sinisikap nating lumakad sa kabanalan at magtiwala sa Dios saan mang sitwasyon ng buhay natin. Pero paano po kapag sa kabila nito'y tila hindi natin maramdaman ang kamay ng Panginoon?

Special Number: Sharim Haadhon

1-on-1 with Pastor Geoff Matias

When Life Seems Unmanageable

Marahil ang ilang sa atin ay nag-iisip na ang taon na ito ay tulad ng dati "mahirap, malungkot, karaniwan." Maging positibo po tayo at huwag mawalan ng pag-asa!

Special Number: Marikina Youth Choir, "I Will Sing"

Q&A with Bro. Jonathan Orillaza and Bro. Roger Miguel

Dealing With Anxiety

Pag-usapan natin kung paano mako-control ang ating isip at emosyon sa panahon ng anxiety o ng pagka-balisa.

Special Number: Cruzada Vesper Choir, "Sing Unto Him"

Q&A with Bro. Jonathan Orillaza and Bro. Roger Miguel

The Churches of Christ in South Korea

Mochon Church of Christ
Minister: Park Nam Yong
Church Address: 234-5, Mochon-Ri, Yang Chon-Myun, Nonsan City, Choong Nam, Korea 320-850
Tel.: (0461) 741-2239
Fax: (0461) 741-2239

Daejon First Church of Christ
Minister: Keum Saeng Choi, Ph.D.
Church Address: 85-12 Jayang-dong Dong-ku, Daejon, Korea
Tel.: (042) 633-3755
Fax: 623-3755

Grace Churches of Christ
Minister: Dae-Soon Park
Church Address: 573-5 Upnae-Dong Daedeok-Gu, Daejon City, Korea
Tel.: 82-42-639-0191
Home: 82-42-639-3388
Mobile: 82-16-400-9191
Website: http://www.eunhae.or.kr
E-mail: deasoon0209@dreamwiz.com

His Story of Conversion

Click here for the Filipino version.

            Bro. Melchor Leal Maldupana was born in the small barrio of Sta. Monica, Lubao, Pampanga, on January 6, 1952. He is the fourth of five children in the family, with three girls and two boys.

            Since childhood, he had felt "the call" to serve God. In fact and according to his own father, when he was in Grade Six, Bro. Mel asked his father to permit him to study in the seminary to become a priest. But his father disapproved of it saying, "You are too young to be thinking about it." But, because he believed he was destined to serve, a few months before he finished his high school, he, again told his father about his desire to be a priest. His father again said no.

             This made him very sad, more so because he felt all the members of his family were against his ardent wish. But he did not lose hope. The more he prayed the rosary (a prayer using beads while saying the Mysteries of the Life of Christ by way of a litany of repeated words). He also made the "Stations of the Cross" (a ritual commemorating the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross) and fervently attended all the activities in the Catholic Church. And to show how much he loved serving, he entered the Cursillo No. 18, Decuria of St. Ignatius of Maquiapo, Pampanga.There, his love for God deepened and immediately after his cursillo graduation, he enrolled in the Mother of God Counsel Seminary in San Fernando, Pampanga. He kept his secret but when his relative came to know about his plan, he was immediately transferred to another place to keep him away from the seminary he wanted to enter. He was made to temporarily live with his brother, Mario, in Olongapo City.

            There his parents thought that he had already forgotten his dream of being a priest. But it was not so because he became more active in the Cursillo Movement in Olongapo. He often joined the Welcomed Mananita, Ultreya, and other Cursillo activities. However, all of these ended.

             For a long time Mel went searching unceasingly for the true Church. While walking along the streets of Olongapo, he met a minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (founded by Felix Manalo in 1914). The minister brought him to their chapel. Bro. Mel asked him what his stand was concerning the deity of Christ. After looking around and finding that no other persons were there, he replied that he can both prove that Jesus Christ is man and also that Jesus Christ is God. Mel was shocked at the answer of the INC minister. He could not believe what he heard. In outright frustration and disappointment, he left the minister without asking any more questions.

            Another related interesting incident occurred when he met a pastor of  a Methodist church in Olongapo. Mel approached the pastor asking for explanation about the doctrine concerning salvation. The pastor nodded and immediately began to ask him to pray saying, "Repeat after me. Lord..." Mel felt the pastor was not really answering his question.

             Mel went on searching until one night, while on his way home, his heart was moved by a very beautiful song that he was hearing. He looked at the place where the beautiful voice of a man, Bro. Lowell Mason, was coming from and Mel listened intently to the song, "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling." Unknowingly, tears fell from his eyes, as he was touched by the message of the song, particularly when Bro. Joe Garman, the evangelist of the Christ-Centered Crusade (CCC) for the Olongapo region, called for an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He wanted to heed the call but his Catholic faith prevailed upon him. Nevertheless, after the CCC evangelistic crusade, somebody (later on, Mel came to know him as Bro. Mariano Comandante) gave him a pamphlet where the address of the Church of Christ at Olongapo in the 20th Street, East Bajac-Bajac was printed.

            This led Mel to see Bro. Nel Perez, then the minister of the said church. Bro. Perez satisfactorily explained to Mel the doctrine about salvation and the other very important doctrines found in the Holy Bible. When he was invited to accept Jesus Christ, he said that he would come back the next day. Both of them agreed that if Mel will come, he would be baptized. If not, no baptism will take place.

             That very night, he could not sleep. He prayed that if he were to make a serious decision for the very first time in his life, he would not regret it. The following day, June 22, 1971, myriads of angels sang songs of praise because Mel accepted Christ and was immersed in the water of baptism.

            Immediately, he gladly informed his family about his newfound faith. They got angry with him and more so because Mel told them that he was going to study in order to become a minister of the church of Christ. Again, he was restrained from leaving and so he abruptly asked for the address of the Church of Christ at Cruzada, and he left home with the help of Bro. Panfilo Pel and Bro. Roman Pel who brought him to Manila Bible Seminary. He wrote a letter to his family, who forgave him but they were not willing to shoulder his tuition fee and other expenses.

            For four years, his family and formerly close relatives objected to his Christian faith. But, because he was adopted and treated well by the brethren of the churches of Christ, ha had the courage  and the inspiration to fulfill the responsibilities he had accepted as a minister of various churches such as Lagundi (Rizal), Vega and Bongabon (Nueva Ecija), Pila (Laguna), and Olongapo City (Zambales). Later on, because of his and the brethren's earnest prayers for conversion, his parents - Bro. Benito and Sis. Regina Maldupana accepted Christ and were baptized by Bro. Erasto Sulit. This filled him with joy; in contrast, his brother and sisters got worried. But, because of the power of prayer, his youngest sister, Carmencita, accepted Jesus Christ, too. All these happened while he was yet the minister of the Pila Church of Christ in Laguna. And in order to bring the Gospel to his brother and two other sisters, he asked that he be allowed to serve the Church of Christ in Olongapo, where they live. After one year of ministering to the brethren and evangelizing the community, his prayers were answered because the same sisters who opposed Bro. Mel's faith came to the Lord Jesus and were baptized. Those who answered the call to accept the Lord Jesus were: Bro. Mario Maldupana, his eldest brother who is now a minister and his wife, Sis. Ana Ruiz; then, Sis. Normita (second from the eldest) and her husband, Bro. Rodolfo Rolle. The next couple who joined were Sis. Maria Maldupana and her husband, Bro. Rodolfo Layug. Carmencita's husband, Bro. Eddie Panlilio was baptized, too. This was truly a glorious victory and a great joy for the whole Maldupana family because even all his nephews and his nieces were brought to the Christian faith. He also faithfully served the San Pablo City Church (Laguna), Pines Church (Baguio City), and the Cardona Church (Rizal).

             He is now blissfully married to the former Sis. Besilda Vindua Garcia of the Ilwas Church of Christ at Subic, Zambales. God blessed them with two children: Jonathan John "Jt" and Hannah Grace.

            At present, he is the regular host and evangelist of the weekly television outreach ministries program, "Asin at Ilaw." He is one of the ministers of the Church of Christ at Cruzada (Quiapo, Manila), the biggest congregation of the Philippine churches. He is also part-time instructor and memberof the Board of Trustees of the Manila Bible Seminary.

            Bro. Mel is given the privilege and opportunity to serve the Lord in many ways: as a resource speaker in church conventions, seminars, youth rallies, summer camps and retreats, marriage enrichment fellowships, Bible studies and other spiritually uplifting activities. May God continue to use him as His channel of blessings upon the people who will be touched and inspired by his faithful, persistent, and unwavering service to the Lord, King Jesus Christ!

            [Transalated by Bro. Antonio Gozar, from an article in Sulo ng Kristiano.]

For Prayer and Counselling

Write to:
Asin at Ilaw, 1256 Cruzada St., Quiapo, Manila
email: filipino@gnpi.org

Or call:
(02) 733-10-30
(02) 734-86-58 (Cruzada Church)
(0919) 428-14-65 (Bro. Mel L. Maldupana)

Building Great Relationships With In-Laws

Sa inyong palagay, posible bang magkaroon ng "solid relationships" ang mag-biyenan, mag-hipag, mag-bayaw, at lahat ng tinatawag nating "in-laws"? Alamin natin yan sa lesson na ito.

Special Number: Pila Church of Christ Choir, "Are You Calling Me, Lord?"

Q&A with Bro. Jonathan Orillaza and Bro. Roger Miguel

Celebrating Anniversaries With The One You Love

Commonwealth Church Choir, "Humayo Ka"

Q&A with Bro. Jonathan Orillaza and Bro. Roger Miguel

When Your Husband Does Not Lead

Sa mga married women: Alam ko pong sang-ayon kayo na ang leadership sa pamilya ay nasa lalake. Ngunit paano po kung ang inyong asawa ay hindi nagli-lead? Pag-usapan po natin yan sa lesson na ito.

Special Number: Cruzada Vesper Choir, "Great Is The Lord"

1-on-1: Ate Merlyn Guillermo, Host, Heartline - DZAS

Keeping The Marriage Bed Clean

Special Number: Youth Boys (COC @ Marikina), "Thank You"

Q&A with Bro. Jonathan Orillaza and Bro. Roger Miguel