The nephew

One of the pastors in the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family of churches in the Philippines is a member of the Tausug tribe. That may mean little to us, but the Tausug tribe is fiercely Muslim. In fact, they were the first people in the Philippines to convert to Islam, so their ties to Islam go back centuries.

We hope to tell the pastor's story completely one day, but for now, we will focus on the conversion of his nephew. We are purposely not identifying this pastor for security reasons. Though he ministers among his own people and is not doing so anonymously, we still would prefer not to cause undo trouble for our brother.

Not long after this pastor converted, he received a visit from his nephew, who was also a Muslim of the Tausug tribe, but he lived in Malaysia. He must have been surprised to find out his uncle had abandoned the family religion, but at the same time, something must have been noticeably different, too. After a while, the Nephew converted. It was no light conversion either.

Like all believers, he wanted to share his faith with those he loved. That meant trying to convert Muslims, and to a Muslim, anyone who converts out of Islam is considered to have committed blasphemy. Under sharia law, blasphemy is a capital crime.

So, when some tribal leaders approached the Nephew's mother about enforcing the law, she consented. The Nephew was shot, and the bullet caught him in the spinal cord. However, he did not die right away. He was taken to a hospital, where he stayed for many months.

About a year after his shooting, he knew he was growing close to the end of his life. So, he called his family and close friends to hear him. When they arrived, "he was able to preach Jesus,the Savior of the world whom God sent to us," our source tells us.

What was the result? Again our source tells us, "Then, his family were convinced and understand why he converted into Christianity.They all accepted Christ, and he said, 'I'll go first and we'll see you guys in heaven one day.'"

After pronouncing that blessing on his newly converted family, he asked to be put back into the bed, where he went to sleep for the final time.

Now, Uncle Pastor continues his work in a predominantly Muslim area of Mindanao. He faces persecution, but mercifully, God has protected him and many of his converts so far.

Men like Uncle Pastor are why we are praying about this ministry. We cannot infiltrate the Tausug people. In fact, Westerners are strongly advised to avoid the parts of the island where this tribe dominates. But God uses one of their own, miraculously saved, to reach them.

Please pray for us. Our vision is to be able to recruit sponsors for these indigenous missionaries, so they can do their work without being concerned about financial burdens. Will you pray for us, that God will provide the right people to join the work? Will you pray for Him to give us wisdom as we seek to follow Him in this work? Will you pray for men like Uncle Pastor, who daily live with their lives in peril as they try to reach their own people with the Gospel?

We thank you for your prayers.