Tent Stories (Part 3): This Is My Prayer

Evergreen Missions
1 day ago
6 min read

Heart Message from an Immersion Trip to the Missional Communities

By Star Maglajos

By the time we left Datal Salvan, I had already witnessed so much of what God had done through years of worship, prayer, and faithful discipleship.

Yet the Lord was not finished teaching me.

Our next destination was Purok Nanon.

For me, this was more than another stop on the itinerary.

It was the community I had longed to visit for years.

Several times in the past, I came so close to visiting Purok Nanon, yet every opportunity somehow slipped away. There was always another responsibility, another assignment, or another reason the trip could not happen.

So as Kuya Sal, Bibom, and I climbed back onto our motorcycles, my heart quietly thanked the Lord.

Finally.

The road to Purok Nanon was not easy.

There were moments when I almost asked Bibom if I could simply get off and hike the rest of the way because of how difficult the trail had become. The recent earthquake had left many roads rough and unpredictable, reminding us once again that ministry often requires perseverance before arrival.

But God was faithful.

We reached the community safely.

And the moment I arrived, something inside me felt strangely familiar.

Although it was my first time in Purok Nanon, it didn't feel like I was entering a place I had never known.

It felt like coming home.

Perhaps that's one of the beautiful things about the family of God.

Sometimes, home is not where you've lived.

Sometimes, home is wherever Christ has already united hearts together.

Preparing for Celebration

The following day would mark the fourth anniversary of the DMI Purok Nanon Missional Community, so everyone was busy preparing.

People were cleaning.

Cooking.

Decorating.

Serving.

No one was waiting to be asked.

Everyone simply found something to do.

I stayed for a while in a small hut behind the church, quietly taking in the beauty of the mountains and the cool breeze that swept across the hills.

Not long afterward, Gidion joined me.

Away from the busy preparations, we sat together and talked.

He shared more of his story.

The challenges.

The sacrifices.

The victories.

But more than anything else, he spoke about his burden for his own people.

He longed to see his tribe come to know Jesus.

Listening to him, I realized once again that missionaries are not driven primarily by adventure.

They are driven by love.

The deeper our love for Christ becomes, the deeper our love for people grows.

That conversation became one of my favorite moments during the entire trip.

There were no microphones.

No audience.

Just two believers sitting in a simple hut, talking about the things that matter most to the heart of God.

Life Together

Later that afternoon, I wandered over to Flor's house.

There, I found them carefully wrapping suman in preparation for the celebration.

Without thinking twice, I sat down beside them and began helping.

We laughed.

Talked.

Wrapped one suman after another.

It wasn't a ministry activity.

There was no program.

No preaching.

No schedule.

It was simply life together.

And perhaps that's what discipleship has always looked like.

Jesus didn't only teach His disciples in synagogues.

He walked with them.

He ate with them.

He served beside them.

Relationship has always been the context where transformation happens.

As evening approached, Ptr. Jeff and Malen finally arrived.

Seeing them greeted by the community was something beautiful to witness.

There was genuine affection.

Not because they had built an organization.

But because they had built relationships.

That evening, we shared another meal, enjoyed fellowship, and gave small gifts to the children.

Their smiles filled the evening with joy.

Once again, I pitched my tent beneath the night sky.

As I settled in for the night, I found myself thanking God.

Not simply because I had finally reached Purok Nanon.

But because I was seeing the fruit of years of hidden obedience.

A Family Reunion

The next morning, everyone woke early.

Little by little, people began arriving.

Families walked the mountain trails together.

Motorcycles climbed the rough roads.

Groups came from every direction.

Soon the worship center was filled—not only with believers from Purok Nanon, but also with brothers and sisters from Third Gate, Purok Lahak, and Datal Salvan.

Watching them embrace one another felt less like attending an anniversary.

It felt like a family reunion.

I had the privilege of leading worship while Ptr. Richard Lanzanas faithfully preached the Word.

As voices rose together in worship, I couldn't help but reflect on where all of this had begun.

Years ago, there were no worship services here.

No church family.

No anniversary celebrations.

Only worshippers praying.

Only intercessors believing.

Only missionaries saying "yes" before they ever saw the fruit.

Now, four years later, the prayers had become people.

The people had become disciples.

The disciples had become leaders.

And the leaders were raising more disciples.

This is how the Kingdom of God grows.

Quietly.

Faithfully.

One life at a time.

The Journey Home

After sharing a wonderful feast, it was time to begin our journey back to General Santos City.

Just as we prepared to leave, the rain began to fall.

We still had another worship gathering to attend that afternoon, so there was no choice but to continue traveling.

Before we even reached the main road, the rain became a heavy downpour.

Within minutes, I was completely soaked.

So were my backpack and belongings.

My body was tired from four days of traveling through mountains, sleeping in tents, crossing rivers, and visiting community after community.

Yet inside, my heart was overflowing with joy.

As I sat quietly in the vehicle on our way back to General Santos, I found myself reflecting on everything I had experienced.

I thought about Third Gate.

Purok Lahak.

Datal Salvan.

Purok Nanon.

Then my thoughts returned to Ptr. Jeff and Malen.

Knowing them over the years, I have watched them faithfully cultivate lives of worship and intercession.

Long before there were communities...

There were prayers.

Long before there were leaders...

There were tears shed before the Lord.

Long before there were worship services echoing through these mountains...

Two missionaries were asking God to reveal the people He wanted them to serve.

Today, I have seen God's answer with my own eyes.

When Prayers Become People

As I look back on those four unforgettable days, I realize the Lord was showing me something much bigger than four thriving missional communities.

He was revealing His pattern.

God begins with worship.

Worship gives birth to intercession.

Intercession opens the way for mission.

Mission builds relationships.

Relationships make disciples.

Disciples become leaders.

And leaders become those who will one day be sent to answer someone else's prayers.

That is the beauty of the Kingdom of God.

The answer to yesterday's prayers becomes tomorrow's missionary.

As I listened to Bibom, Kuya Sal, Gidion, Flor, and so many others, I no longer saw them simply as leaders of their own communities.

I saw future missionaries.

I saw men and women who have learned to worship before they work.

To pray before they plan.

To love before they lead.

And I believe the day is coming when these very communities will send missionaries into places that are still waiting to hear the name of Jesus.

Somewhere tonight, another tribe is crying out without even knowing it.

Somewhere, another village is waiting.

Somewhere, another missionary is praying,

"Lord, where are the people You are sending us to?"

Perhaps the answer is already growing in these mountains.

Perhaps one of the children who laughed during the anniversary celebration will one day cross another mountain carrying the Gospel.

Perhaps one of the young leaders now learning to pray will one day kneel with another generation and ask God to reveal another unreached people group.

That is my prayer.