Empowering our Indigenous Brothers

We look at our world as if this is the only thing that matters. The consuming public, political pretenders, religious figureheads, social elites and media among others, all live and project a world of self-sufficiency. But there is another world that has been seemingly ignored – another world where its people once and still lived in simplicity, dependence and harmony with nature.

Now marginalized and pushed aside, these people are the focus of these organizations – World Christian Gathering on Indigenous Peoples (WCGIP), Tribal Mission Foundation International (TMFI), and The Philippines Center for Indigenous Missions (PCIM). While the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) may long be ignored, these three groups work towards ensuring that they will never be forgotten. Their common vision is to see the IPs empowered and living out their creaturely call for God’s glory.

I had the priviledge of facilitating the first Strategic Planning workshop of WCGIP where Monte and Linda from New Zealand, Rey from Australia, Gavriel from Israel and the Key leaders of TMFI - Pio, Mae, Sherelle and Sonia - were the participants. Later through Skype, Richard fromWashington and Terry from Canada joined us. We had a great time of discovering God's agenda for the IPs.

And the following month of February, I facilitated also the first Strategic Planning for PCIM who currently works among the dumagat tribe in Tanay, Rizal. I can sense that these people have heard from God and are simply responding to His divine call to minister to these neglected communities.

My time in all three organizations has given me a new perspective in life - that time is most meaningful when it is lived at the moment. Tragically, our tendency is to look too far ahead that we fail to live out the moment.