Sanders: Angeles, Philippines

I’m moving to Angeles city. I’m helping my friend Erwin with a new church plant he’s starting there.

I’d like to give you a little more information regarding some of the circumstances God has orchestrated over the past few months.

In June (the start of the school year in the Philippines), I stopped regularly visiting Far Eastern University for the first time since I first began ministry here in 2002. Getting inside without an “official” purpose was becoming impossible. Years ago, I could just walk in past the guards. Now it is a process that requires signing in, signing out, etc. I’ve also had to be a lot more careful about highly visible ways of evangelism, such as opening a Bible or passing out tracts. In other words, the campus closed to ministry.

July was kind of a blur. I was still wrestling with my call. I knew God wanted me here in the Philippines, but I was not sure what the long-term plan was. Thoughts of pastoring, church planting and moving were on my mind. I prayed about a few of the opportunities I knew about, but nothing specific really stood out as a directive from God.

In August, two very significant events happened. The first issue was the rent drama. The building management asked me to sign a ridiculous lease. It included a 10 percent increase in rent and thousands of pesos in additional security deposits (over $1,000 in U.S. currency). This had me rethinking everything.

Then Universidad de Manila shut down to ministry.  

I visited Erwin and family the last weekend of September. Moving to Angeles City was the last thing on my mind when I went there but God had other plans. I worshiped with his fledgling congregation that Sunday evening. God put some really strong impressions in my heart about my future there.

Plans to move were in full force by October, and God continually confirmed everything He was saying in my heart.   
This verse neatly summarizes the activity of God in my life over the past few months: “What He opens, no one can shut; and what He shuts, no one can open” (Rev. 3:7).

What has happened makes me all the more thankful for the doors the Lord opened these first nine years here: incredible mentors, access to campuses, financial provision for rent, etc. He has now sovereignly chosen to close some of these doors. He’s still at work on these campuses, but for now, He wants to do it a different way.

Kevin Sanders
Angeles, Philippines