Cultivating Faith: Walking Together in the Journey of Spiritual Growth

Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding ⁱn it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Colossians 2:7-8 NKJV

When we stayed in Northern Samar, it was never meant to be our assigned field. Our original assignment had been in Talalora. Yet looking back, I firmly believed that God had a reason for placing us there.

After our evangelistic meetings ended on September 6, the president of the Samar Mission and the district pastor approached us with a request. They asked if we could delay returning to Talalora. Their concern was for the newly baptized members. If we left immediately, they might feel abandoned—like spiritual orphans who had just begun their journey of faith.

So, we agreed to stay.

What we first thought would be a short time slowly turned into almost three months away from our official field. At first, I wondered why things had to happen that way. But over time, I realized that God had simply planted us where we were needed most.

During those months, we helped establish a new congregation in Pambujan, Poblacion 1, Northern Samar. Our mission became simple yet deeply meaningful: nurture the seeds that had been planted. Just like young plants, new believers needed care, patience, and guidance so their faith could grow strong roots. Only then could they stand firm against life’s storms.

The journey, however, was not easy.

There were many days when our food was very limited. The vegetables around us were often eaten by chickens, and sometimes the only food we had was papaya. For nearly three months, our meals were simple—often just boiled food with salt, dried fish, oil, or sugar. Back home, eating three times a day was normal, but in the field, we sometimes survived on only two meals.

Yet even in those moments, God taught me something powerful. Whenever I saw someone who seemed to have even less than we did, I felt moved to share what little we had. I realized that God’s work was not only about preaching—it was also about compassion.

During that time, we continued nurturing the newly baptized members through regular Bible studies and guidance. It was my first time leading this kind of work since joining the mission, and through it I clearly saw how God could use even someone like me.

What brought me the greatest joy was watching the members grow. Week by week, they became braver—standing up during worship, participating, and serving in even the smallest tasks.There were moments when I felt tired, weak, and discouraged. But seeing their faith grow reminded me why we stayed.

Looking back, that experience taught me a powerful lesson: when God plants you somewhere, your role is simply to stay faithful and keep nurturing what He has started. Because in the end, the work has never been about us—it has always been about Him. And every sacrifice made for His mission is never wasted.

Name: K Jay O. Aya I 1000MM 64^th Batch

Hometown: Baras, San Miguel, Surigao Del Sur

Mission Field: Pob-1, Talalora, Western Samar