Mission Ministries Philippines Goes Tribal Ministry
Last July 21–25, 2022, Dr. Chonabelle M. Domingo, CEO and President, and Mrs. Aida Aquino, Administrative Officer of MMP, traveled to Zamboanga to hold a mission seminar. Pastor Leo Salibio coordinated this. 15 tribal churches from different places in Zamboanga participated in the aforementioned event.
This was the first mission seminar of MMP after almost three years of battling the Covid 19 pandemic. This is an offshoot of one of the preschools MMP started in 1991. The name of the school is Adonai Little Shepherd School located at Batasan in Quezon City.
Pastor Salibio’s father was a missionary in Mindanao at the time, while his mother taught preschool. His father was successful in starting 15 churches among various tribes. When Pastor Leo’s father passed away, he assumed leadership of these congregations. Catching the vision of his parents, Pastor Leo wanted schools for all 15 of the churches his father founded. Thus, this ECE seminar was born out of that vision.
The condition of the community is very poor. The majority are farmers who also keep pigs in their backyards for a living. They do not have access to clean water. What they have is a pipe from the mountain as their source of water supply. To have water in their homes, they must gather it from these pipes. The neighborhood is situated in a mountainous region. To reach the area, it is a 3-hour ride on motorcycles.
However, despite the fact that they may be financially underprivileged, they are wealthy spiritually. Once every two months, the 15 churches come together for a 4-day fasting and fellowship event. Daylong devotion and a dawn vigil are observed. They dedicate their lives to spiritual growth.
When one thinks back on the experience, one is reminded of how the ancient churches in biblical times dedicated themselves to living in accordance with the idea of love for God and neighbor.
Dr. Domingo is thinking about reaffirming MMP’s commitment to providing our tribal community with a high-quality education. And we need to acquire funding in order for such an endeavor.
A seed was planted in this ECE seminar— let us pray… wait… and watch.