Seeds In Silence

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 

— 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)

I was transferred to San Vicente, Northern Samar, because our district pastor was preparing for a crusade there. Before going to San Vicente, we had just come from Tarangnan, where we witnessed an incredible blessing—42 people were baptized. 

Seeing the fruit of the work was deeply encouraging. Naturally, I carried that same excitement and expectation with me when we arrived in San Vicente. But things did not go as planned, we arrived late.

The crusade had already been going on for two nights, which meant we barely had time to do the groundwork. This was already the third crusade in San Vicente, and compared to the previous two, everything felt different.

The attendance was small, and the response was not what i had hoped for. Still, we refused to stop. Every morning and afternoon, my partner and I joined our district pastor in going house to house visitation. We conducted Bible studies, talked with families, and invited people to the crusade. Most of the people we met were Catholics, but that never became a reason for us to stop sharing. We kept going. We even spent time with the youth, inviting people after they came home from school.

Still, the response was discouraging. Sometimes, only three or four people came. There were even days when only one person came. At first, I thought my greatest disappointment would be being questioned about why we had not done enough groundwork. But I eventually realized that my deepest disappointment was not with anyone else—it was with myself.

I began asking difficult questions. "Was I not doing enough?, Was my Bible study not good enough? , Why were so few people responding?, Had I failed as a missionary?" I thought that was already the hardest part, I was wrong.

Saturday finally came—the night of the crusade. Our four attendees came, and honestly, seeing them there made us happy. After all the walking, inviting, Bible studies, and prayers, at least they came. But then came the moment we had been waiting for. The invitation. One by one, they were asked if they had decided to accept Christ and be baptized. My heart was beating fast, I was nervous.

And when none of them decided to be baptized, disappointment came rushing back. On the outside, I tried to stay strong. But inside, I was deeply disappointed. I felt that despite our efforts, our prayers, and our invitations, we had very little to show for them. I especially blamed myself because I felt inadequate when it came to giving Bible studies. I knew I still had so much to learn.

That night, while my ate and I were walking and talking about the crusade, I shared my disappointment with her. Then she gave me words I will never forget: “What matters is that you shared the Word of God. You did your work. You gave your best to do the groundwork and invite people.” Those words were simple. But somehow, they reached the deepest part of my heart. Maybe I was measuring our success by the number of people who responded, when God was measuring our faithfulness. We may not see the harvest today. But never underestimate what God can do with one seed faithfully planted.

I simply need to continue sharing, continue praying, and continue trusting. For the transformation of a person's heart belongs to God. And suddenly, the disappointment I had been carrying began to feel lighter. I realized that those four people were not “just four.” They were four souls. Four people who heard the Gospel. Four people who were given an opportunity to know Christ. And the seed we planted that day will surely grow later—even if we are no longer there to see it. Small numbers do not mean small impact.

This experience humbled me. It taught me that I do not need to have all the answers. I do not need to see immediate results. But to faithfully plant the seed. Maybe the seed we planted today will become someone's testimony tomorrow. The numbers may be small. The crowd may be few. The response may not come immediately. But if we faithfully did what God called us to do—then the work was never wasted.

Name: Rhovic Mendoza/66th Batch

Mission field: Ternate, Northern Samar