"HUNTED BUT SHIELDED"

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4

My first mission field was the time I almost lost my life. It started with a visit to confirm a sensitive issue involving a young church member. After receiving her permission, we prayed and made our way to her home. Upon arriving, we were welcomed politely—but I immediately sensed something was wrong. Her father looked at me with suspicion. As the conversation unfolded, he suddenly turned toward me in anger, accusing me of being the one who had exposed the issue.

He tried to hit me, but my companion, a pastor, stepped in just in time. The girl urged me to come inside for safety, but things escalated quickly. Her father followed, grabbed a samurai, and chased me. I ran toward the kitchen to escape, but the back door was locked. Shaking, I struggled to open it while he came closer. By God’s grace, I managed to unlock it and run outside—barefoot and terrified.

I didn’t run far, knowing my pastor was still inside. The girl came out with my sandals, apologizing for her father’s actions. Though my heart was pounding, I simply said, “It’s okay. Maybe he was just shocked.” Just when I thought the danger had passed, her father came out on a motorcycle. As he sped toward me, I realized he was trying to hit me. I ran into the woods, hiding behind trees until I found a way to escape and take shelter in a nearby house.

There, I fell to my knees and prayed—my whole body trembling. I asked God to help me, to hide me, to spare me. When it seemed safe, I came out and flagged a ride to the highway. I then rode a tricycle to the city—still barefoot, not even thinking of my appearance, just needing to pray and feel safe.

I received a message warning me not to return to where we were staying—the man was heading there with a gun. I didn’t know where else to go, so I prayed again. That’s when I remembered someone I could call, a friend and a local church pastor. Amazingly, they answered just in time and came to pick me up. I was taken to a church for safety, where I stayed until I was brought to our mission headquarters.

The next day, I was transferred to a new mission field. And in that quiet place, I made a personal vow: I will serve God even more. I saw with my own eyes how real His protection is. Even when death was near, He never left me. He hid me. He carried me. He gave me another chance—not just to live, but to live for Him.

By: Jerecho Simborio, 63rd Batch Missionary

Mission Field : Lower Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga Del Sur