When Love Took the First Step

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

— 1 John 3:18 (NIV)

It all started after Ate Tinang tried Red Horse beer for the first time. Shortly afterward, she suffered a stroke that changed her life overnight. The woman who once moved freely suddenly lost the ability to walk. Even the simplest daily tasks became overwhelming, and the future that once seemed ordinary was replaced by uncertainty and pain.

When we met her, we didn't have medicine to offer or extraordinary resources to change her situation. What we had were willing hands, faithful hearts, and the assurance that God could work through even the smallest acts of love. So we kept coming back, day after day we visited her.

We gently massaged her arms, legs, and feet. We prayed with her. We listened to her story. We sat beside her in silence when words weren't enough. Those visits became more than acts of service—they became reminders that she wasn't facing her journey alone.

Every day, we prayed. We prayed in silence, we prayed together, and we kept praying even when the answers seemed far away. We asked God for a miracle—not because we knew how He would work, but because we believed He still does. Then, something beautiful began to happen. Little by little, we witnessed Him move. First came the tiniest signs of hope—a finger that moved, a little more strength than the day before.

Then came the moment that stole everyone's breath. She stood. Before long, she took a step. Then another, she was able to walk on her own. The woman who once struggled to rise was now moving forward again, proving that what looks impossible in human eyes is never beyond God's hands. As her body regained strength, her heart became more open as well.

After nearly a month of consistently visiting her, we gradually began sharing with her the message of Jesus Christ and the hope found in His unfailing love. Ate Tinang is Catholic, yet we never allowed differences in denomination to become walls between us. Instead of debating beliefs, we chose to let Christ's love be seen through service. We continued praying, encouraging, and walking beside her, trusting that genuine compassion could speak where arguments never could.

Today, Ate Tinang has become one of our Bible students, and together we continue discovering the beauty of God's Word. She has become a living reminder that evangelism is not always measured by the number of sermons preached, but by the lives touched through consistent love and faithful presence. God was not only restoring Ate Tinang's ability to walk; He was also leading her heart into a deeper relationship with Him. Because when love takes the first step, God often writes the rest of the story.

Name: Jovani Mansamahan/66th Batch

Mission Field: Mercedes, Leyte