article by Rey Paz
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Rolie Guira was a well-known drunkard. In rural parts of the Philippines, many men are unemployed or lack a purpose in life, so gathering together and getting drunk is one of their favorite pastimes. Rolie was no exception. People would often find him asleep along the streets, covered in mud, reeking of alcohol and too drunk to find his way home. As we became friends, he occasionally attended our Bible studies. In October of 2004, Rolie accepted Christ as his Savior and was baptized in April of 2006. |
The change in his life soon became evident as he stopped drinking. In 2009, we went to visit some of his relatives who lived about two hours away. The whole village of Digras came together and was totally astonished about the change in his life. Here he was, a clean-shaven man, with clean clothes, a hair cut and a willingness to pray in front of people. His change was so dramatic that 15 of his relatives and friends prayed to receive Christ on the spot.
Rolie Guira is now one of our key leaders in the church plant in Nagbacalan, a populated area in Isabela, Philippines. His dream is to be a missionary in the village of Digras. We praise God that the believers in Nagbacalan are on fire and reaching out to other places, even before their church is fully established.