Pastor Eper has been planting churches in the Philippines for about eight years now. His area is dominated by false religions that partner with the government to suppress any Christian ministries. Religious conflict isn’t the only challenge; the long distances and elevated terrains he has to travel to get anywhere are a struggle he and our church planters in the area experience every day.

Pastor Eper was born blind because of a congenital cataract. “I grew up unable to walk without guidance,” he says. “In 1982, I talked to God, prayed to Him to open up my eyes, and give me a clear vision because I would love to experience driving a motorcycle,” he continued.

One day, God sent a missionary to Pastor Eper’s home and she shared the Gospel with him. Pastor Eper was interested to hear about God’s love and power and how He can do miracles. That Saturday morning, he and his mother accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and went to church the next day. At that time, his mother was old and suffering from high blood pressure. Though she could barely walk, she served as his guide since he could not see. They supported each other so they wouldn’t tumble and fall.

“The Lord remained faithful to my mother and me until she passed away,” Pastor Eper said. “My wife Bernadette accepted me despite my condition. She did not look at my disability; instead, she saw the love of God reflected in my life.”

Eventually, God provided support for Pastor Eper’s eye surgery. The doctor removed a thick layer of cataracts in his eyes, and despite having his condition for years, the Lord protected Pastor Eper’s eyes. He suffered no long-term damage. Pastor Eper regained his eyesight. He was finally able to ride a motorcycle.

Now with fully restored eyesight, Pastor Eper is able to serve the Lord more effectively. Ministries practicing false religions are actively teaching in his community, discouraging people from listening to the born-again Christians. However, Pastor Eper is persistent in visiting the mountain community using a motorbike, even though it’s more challenging during the rainy season and storms.

When Bible League came into his area, Pastor Eper and his wife participated in the training, which enabled him to become more efficient in sharing the Word of God. His wife established regular in-home Project Philip Bible studies reaching older people.

Pastor Eper found Bible League’s Church Planter program an effective model in his community. The books Tuklasin (Discovery) and Santiago (James) were well received by the people, both Christians and non-Christians alike. The translation in their dialect and teachings are clear and understandable for the locals. He recently trained 31 pastors in the Church Planter Training program.

“I am thankful to Bible League for keeping us in your prayers. I believe in miracles from God when someone is praying for you,” Pastor Eper says. “I experienced God’s miracle firsthand. He gave me a clear vision, and at my age, I never use eyeglasses like the people younger than me.” Pastor Eper prays the Lord will open the eyes of the people in his community to clearly see and experience His love, just as God did for him.

When asked if his clear vision encourages him to minister for God, Pastor Eper responded: “When I was blind, I was serving Him. Now that I can see, why would I stop?”