Christine is a 35-year-old pastor in a remote place called Igsoro, in the middle of a Muslim region in Mindanao in the Philippines. She is married with one child. Because of Bible League’s Church Planter Training in their area, many Christian workers have been active and fully equipped in their ministry. Now, most of the population in the community are believers in Jesus Christ.

Christine has been a Christian for 20 years. She didn’t intend to participate in the Church Planter Training, but she was curious to learn more about sharing the Word of God. She did not register to participate in the training, but she attended one class and sat in the back to listen. The trainer noticed her and encouraged her to join. “I had my doubts and reservations about my decision to become a church planter, yet deep inside me, I was feeling the urge to do so,” she said. “While listening, I heard the Bible League trainer say, ‘you should decide now if you are going to plant a church or not.’ That moment, God reminded me of His calling according to the Bible verse in Matthew 28:19, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Christine completed the Church Planter Training course and it changed her outlook on sharing the Gospel. She practiced what she learned at the training and reached out to the farmers and people doing layman’s jobs in her community. Soon, she was conducting weekly prayer meetings, discipleship training, and in-home Bible studies—something she never imagined she would do.

Life in Igsoro is difficult because they are far from civilization; the people in the area rely solely on planting crops, so they have no means of buying a Bible. The cost of a Bible in the Philippines is the same as a full day’s meals for an entire family. But with the help of the Bible League, each family now has a copy and can read their own Bible anytime.

By God’s grace, Christine is now pioneering a church with more than ten families, many young people, and children. “The Lord is effectively using me now as a church planter which I have never imagined. I know God will use us, and when God calls, all we have to do is say, ‘Yes, Lord!’” Christine said.

Through the pandemic, the ministry of the Lord in Igsoro continues. “The training, free study materials, and Bibles are beneficial to Christians living in a poor and isolated area to grow in faith,” Christine said. “Thank God for using the Bible League to equip us in our ministry to the Lord. I commit my life to Him.”