Can bees plant a church? Well, of course not. Not really. Bees cannot plant a local church. But do you know that a local church was planted at Barangay Antipolo, Rizal, Laguna because of beekeeping? That’s right! It’s quite an amazing story so last September 25, 2016 I visited this beekeeper to find out his story.
Beekeeping Pastor
It all started when Pastor Tom Sotalbo got interested in beekeeping. This gave him a livelihood and source of income which eventually made it possible for him to get a beekeeper job in Canada.
This is the Love of God Christian Fellowship, a local congregation of Grace Communion International in Barangay Antipolo, Rizal, Laguna, Philippines.
Having lost their jobs, his brothers also got interested to become beekeepers in order to support their families. So he trained his brothers as well. But before the training, they studied the Word of God first. Other friends and relatives got interested too. Pastor Tom shared the Word of God to them first before the beekeeping training started. That is how that church was planted in their local community. It’s now called the Love of God Christian Fellowship (LGCF), a local congregation of Grace Communion International(GCI).
Another Beekeeping Church in New Zealand
But that’s not the end of the story. Just a few months ago, a new local congregation was planted in Masterton, New Zealand because of beekeepers! These are mostly Filipino beekeepers and their families who have moved there to work as beekeepers. Pastor Tom trained many of them. This is another GCI local church planted because of beekeeping. Isn’t that amazing? God truly works in many amazing ways.
Together with my wife, I went to the Payatas garbage dumpsite of Metro Manila last September 4, 2016. We went there to visit the Payatas Family of Christ Church which is a local congregation of Grace Communion International. This congregation was obviously sharing love in Payatas. They were sharing the love of God to all the neighbors in their Payatas community at the dumpsite.
Ptr. Fred Millamena (right) and me (left) at their Sunday worship service in Payatas.
Having lost his arrastre job at the South harbor, Ptr. Fred Millamena went to Payatas to look for a place to live in which was rent-free. He was also at the same time looking for a means of livelihood in the area. Being passionate about God’s love, he also shared the good news of Jesus Christ to his neighbors. A small group of several families was formed which was eventually became a a local congregation since it started in 1997. The church has continued to grow and serve the community of poor people in the community. The church has grown a lot since we last visited them sometime in the year 2000.
This is the Payatas Family of Christ Church, a local congregation of Grace Communion International.
Here’s a video of Ptr. Fred Millamena himself telling the story about how the Lord has reached out to the poorest of the poor at the Payatas garbage dumpsite:
One of the highlight of my recent visit to Palawan last January 27-30, 2017 was my visit to the Taw-Kabui, a school for special children in the city of Puerto Princesa. I interviewed the school president, Pastor Solomon Rosario along with his wife Ofel. It was inspiring to see their dedication to help the children in the city with special needs. The school for special children has been in operation for some ten years now.
A young German volunteer teacher shares her time with the special children at Taw-Kabui.
Taw-Kabui, a Ministry for Special Children
Pastor Mon, his wife and his team went through a lot of challenges when they started this ministry and the challenges continue but they have persisted in this ministry knowing that the Lord is with them all the way.
Taw-Kabui is a ministry of the Touch of Grace Christian Fellowship (TGCF), a local congregation of Grace Communion International (GCI) in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Taw-Kabui is a word from the local dialect which means “share a life.”
I’ve been a pastor since 1985 and I have already lost track of how many unique weddings I have officiated. The very first wedding I officiated was unique because the couple wanted their wedding ceremony to be a private affair. So they both went to my house and I solemnized their marriage privately right in my own home! That was amusing to me haha!
I thought I’m already a retired pastor but it’s interesting that I still do get wedding requests sometimes.
Beach Wedding for Tattooed Couple
Just last month, December 16, 2016 I was asked to solemnize the marriage of a young couple. I could not refuse the request. The girl happens to be my wife’s niece. I’ve known her since she was a baby. My wife told me her niece wanted me to officiate in her wedding because she wanted to also have a long-lasting marriage just like what she has seen in me and my wife’s 37 years of marriage. I thought that was an interesting reason to choose me. It touched my heart of course. We love this girl like a daughter. May they “live happily ever after” which is what all of us want to have in marriage.
This wedding was unique to me because this was the first time that I solemnized a marriage of two young lovers who have lots of tattoos on their bodies. This was also my second time to solemnize a marriage right beside the beach. This was a unique wedding for me also because it was the first time I got wet in the rain hahaha! As the drops of rain began to fall, I hurriedly said, “You may now kiss the bride!” Despite the rain which stopped after a while, it was a happy event all the way up till evening.
More Unique Weddings
On another occasion just this past weekend in Barangay Bahile, Puerto Princesa in Palawan, there was also a wedding of a young couple. I am always fascinated with weddings done in the province or in some remote barangay. I guess maybe because I grew up in the province and it amuses me when I see weddings in the province. It was also a happy occasion and the reception was in a nipa hut building. I enjoyed that one.
Maybe it’s the provincial setting that amuses and fascinates me in weddings done in the province or in a remote barangay. All set! All the ninongs and the ninangs are ready. Let the wedding begin.
I was not the officiating minister for this wedding. But what made this an interesting experience for me was because the officiating minister asked me to co-officiate in the wedding ceremony with him. And so I did and it was fun. I have another unique wedding experience of becoming a wedding photographer but that’s another story in another blog.
Grace Communion International – Philippines national director Eugene Guzon solemnizes the wedding of a young couple in Palawan.
I had great fun co-officiating in the marriage of a young provincial couple.
Wedding Banquet in Another Barangay
The couple was married officially at Barangay Bahile. In the afternoon, everyone ate lunch at the groom’s home at Barangay Salvacion. Everyone enjoyed the wedding reception under the nipa hut roofing and the twirled yellow and green coconut leaves reminded me that it was a celebration out in the province. Really nice!
Weddings are wonderful. God divinely instituted marriage. It is not just some man-made ritual. And its really wonderful to see young couples promise to love each other for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health until death do them part. Marriage is a blessing from God so we can experience life and love here and now and not just in the life hereafter.
Last Friday morning, my family was at a beach resort in San Juan, Batangas and while I was inside our room, my daughter excitedly asked me to go out with her and watch some birds outside. Well, I got lucky to get one good photo of a kingfisher. There was a crow also but it’s all black haha! I also saw an egret but I was not able to take a shot of it.
