FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DARKNESS

INTO HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT 

I am Boy Sing-ingan, a resident pastor of Arise Christian Ministries, Inc. based in Bokbokon, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte, Philippines. I am a pure Higao-non, one of the tribes in the hinterlands of Agusan, Mindanao, Philippines. 

My life before Christ 

Before I became a born-again Christian, I was a member of civilian armed forces geographical unit (CAFGU), a local militia of the government’s armed forces. But even before I became a CAFGU, I was a rebel commander and a warrior called “Alimaong” of our tribe. As a former rebel commander and alimaong, I did not trust anybody and very suspicious of people especially those coming from the lowlands. My motto then was “ Power flows out from the barrel of a gun”. In the hinterlands, in the middle of the forests where we seldom had three meals a day, many tribal folks often got sick. One of them was my wife, Editha, who was diagnosed to be suffering from breast cancer. My wife many times groaned because of excruciating pain in both of her rotting breasts. Our tribal practice was to seek help from the gods of trees, sun, rivers, etc. My wife was not healed. 

How I met the Lord Jesus 

Later on or at another time, a Pastor from Arise Christian Ministries, Inc. shared to me the Gospel. He also offered to bring my wife to a doctor in a bustling city of Cagayan de Oro for treatment all-expenses paid for by the Arise Christian Ministries, Inc. I did not believe him and even more hostile to the idea because the doctrines of communism and our tribal beliefs still controlled my mind. But knowing that antagonism and rage would not solve my wife’s illness, I acquiesced to the proposal. I requested however, to accompany my wife wherever she would be taken if only to guarantee her safety. In the hospital, after a thorough check-up, my wife was indeed suffering from cancer in both her breasts. Still, she was administered with drugs and the many Christians prayed for her miraculous healing and recovery. Temporarily, we stayed at the residence of a leader of the ministry based in Cagayan de Oro City, and at said setting Edith was nursed back into good health. After two weeks of medication and prayer by the brethren, she was again diagnosed by the doctors but was found out to be healing already. After a month, with Edith fully recovered from her life-threatening illness, we went back to the hinterlands of Agusan. And when we arrived at our home, news that Good Samaritans and their God, the Lord Jesus Christ, helped Edith in her speedy recovery spread like wildfire among our tribal people. The news erased lingering doubts from our tribal people about the ministry’s sincerity to reach out to them. To confirm that the ministry is worthy of our trust and confidence, a resolution was unanimously passed, approved and adopted by the tribal council (ruling body of the tribe composed of chieftains). Because of this miraculous event that happened in our tribe, many of my fellow higaonons (including me) accepted the Lord Jesus in our lives. 

My life after I met Christ 

These events also began to change my heart (Boy). Where violence and creed did not change me a bit, honest to goodness attention and care opened my heart up to a possibility of a better life ahead. After few years of being followed-up thru bible study by the pastor, I was sent by the ministry to a pastoral cum agricultural training at the Baptist rural life center based in Davao, Philippines. I (Boy) by God’s grace metamorphosed into a changed being from the inside out. I testify, that where once I could not speak and preach in front of many people, now I have the knack and fire to do the same. Where once I could not shed off and throw away my lingering vices, now I am a paragon of a Christian leading a clean life – because “anyone who is in Christ is a new creation”. Where once the environment of my residence was simply thorns and thistles, now it is blooming and budding with various vegetables for my family’s consumption and of course to be shared with my tribal kinsmen. 

My present involvement 

At present, I am the resident pastor of the ministry outreach in Bokbokon, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte, Philippines. There are more or less 50 Higaonons under my care. We now have regular church service and bible studies with my fellow higaonons. In addition, I do counseling with fellow Higaonons from other villages (young and old), sharing the Gospel to them and some insights from the word of God, the Bible. I would say, without me realizing it, I am doing what my surname “Sing-ingan” means – a higaonon term which means accepted standard, measure or criteria. I am thankful to God through the ministry because he has led me to a better life, to a better way, to a blessed hope in Christ. Not only that, I am also thankful that my tribesmen would be able to have a better future because God has found them back to the fold of true faith in Christ. To Him be the glory honor and praise.