I’ve seen a sign of the coming of the kingdom of God! It happened in a remote area in the Philippines that was hit by the typhoon.

The sign appeared in the person of a schoolteacher. She and her husband, a pastor, had worked in the area for 10 years. Hardly anyone had shown interest in the Gospel that they wanted to share with the community.  The couple was ready to give up and asked God for direction. Just then she received a December bonus from her school. She felt God indicating to her, not to use it for themselves alone. They decided to buy a pig and to invite the whole community  to come for a meal. To their surprise many came and… have come back since then. In hindsight they consider the decision to share the bonus with others instead of using it for themselves, as the turning-point in their ministry. 

Recently their area was hit hard by the typhoon. Most of the church members lost their houses. But they find comfort in working together and praying together.  Their new-found faith helps them to focus on the future instead of on their loss.  They have started to rebuild their church as a symbol of hope (picture). At the same time they started a building program for believers and nonbelievers as well. Financial support was received from Alliance churches in different countries. But the real change in the area occured when a woman was willing to lay her income in God’s hand. An impressive sign of the kingdom to come!