We’re just two young people living our lives to reach our dreams. But the Lord had different plans for us. Here’s the short story of how we got the call to be full-time missionaries.
Irene’s Story
My life had always been spent in various forms of musical endeavors. Born and raised in an Adventist family in the Philippines, I grew up with a love for books, writing, and most especially, music. This passion for music led me to take a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at the Adventist University of the Philippines.
During this time, my spiritual life was pretty much nominal. To be honest, I had more interest in things that were not godly in nature. Although a professed Christian, my life’s plan did not revolve around doing ministry.
I had always been the kind of person who would map out my life in detail, ten years in advance. I knew exactly where I was going to be and what I was going to do with my life. That included leaving my ‘sheltered’ life in the Philippines to learn more about the world has to offer.
I was converted after 24 years of being an “Adventist”
There were many interesting twists and turns that happened in between. And somehow, it brought me to Andrews University, a private Adventist university located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Not exactly “the world” I had pictured in mind. But in hindsight, it was simply because of God’s providential leadings.
I was enrolled as a graduate student in Music Education program. I had a scholarship as a music history professor’s assistant. I attended a great local Fil-Am church. I met many wonderful people. Life was perfect until a young woman invited me to a Bible study. At first, I thought the invitation was pretty irrelevant. I was already an Adventist, I didn’t need Bible study! But curiosity got the best of me and I reluctantly went.
That Bible study, led by Pastor Alden Ho, would turn out to be a paradigm shift in my life. I remembered going home that night, weeping and shame-faced before God. I realized what a fake Christian I had been. For the first time in my life, I prayed that I would give my life fully to Him, no matter what it takes.
As a result, most of my memorable moments in grad school was not the education I received, but rather those home Bible studies that fed my hungry soul. A young couple mentored me, and as a result, I got rebaptized on September 14, 2010.
To be a missionary — not my life plan
My initial life plan included pursuing a doctorate in music and then migrate to the US. But somehow, the Lord steered me towards Wildwood, Georgia (USA) to get a medical missionary training.
Words are not enough for the number of things I learned in that institution. But it was definitely an eye-opening experience that I will forever treasure. However, as a result of this training, I made several major life decisions that made my family and friends think I was crazy for getting too deep with this “spiritual stuff.”
Totally opposite from my plan, I found myself back in the Philippines as a volunteer teacher for a medical missionary school located in a mountain two hours north of the closest city. Later on, I moved to another island and worked for three years as a music teacher for a small Adventist college a few minutes away from Bacolod City.
Music ministry — not what I was trained for
The music department in that college was led by a woman who has a deep interest in missionary work. She saw that the students did not only get a music training, but rather a heart and a burden for missions.
I was tremendously blessed to be in that environment. Although I had a masters in Music Education, I was never taught to connect my musical concepts to spiritual things. I was challenged to teach beyond the music textbooks.
I began to see more of the importance of the ministry of music. Although I was the teacher, I felt very much like a student learning so many things.
Early beginnings of By His Stripes Ministries
I also got married to Davin, whom I previously worked with at Wildwood. Since we both had medical missionary training our life was full and busy with mentoring other young people.
On top of my job as a music teacher, our little house became a hub for Bible studies, vegan cookery, and spiritual fellowship. From this humble experience, our ministry as a couple began to take shape.
Many would be surprised that I had taken up cooking as a form of ministry. Many of my close friends had been witnesses to my lack of skills in the kitchen department. I was taken by surprise, too.
Music had only been the one and only thing I was most confident at. But I was slowly realizing that while music had its place in the ministry, it was not all-encompassing. There were many other skills that needed to be developed if I needed to be more useful in the mission field.
In 2015, Davin was called to pursue aviation. We sold our belongings. I bid farewell to my family, friends and students. I did not know what to do next, nor what God has in store for me, personally. All I knew was that I needed to be by my husband’s side to support him.
And yet, the next years that followed that proved to be an amazing walk of faith…
For more about Irene, check out her artist bio, music website, and Youtube channel
Davin’s Story
For more about Davin, check out his Youtube channel
The Story is Not Over
In 2015, we landed in the US, knowing only one thing: To find out how God will fulfill His promise about guiding Davin towards aviation ministry. We had no idea about the how, what, who, when and where.
But God was true to His promise. He provided through friends and friends of friends. Word of mouth spread, and by the time we knew it, we were sharing our testimonies in Adventist churches and people were helping out with our cause.
As God’s provision would have it, He led us from the East coast to the West, where Davin’s aviation school was located.
We look back now, and we see God’s tremendous guidance. Who would have known that in a span of two years and a half, we would:
- Have two cars (given by a friend of a friend and another member of a church who heard our testimony) which allowed us to travel with so much ease
- Have two websites (instigated by a friend over in Mozambique), with over 1k subscribers
- Conduct 10+ cooking schools in several different churches in different parts of California
- Publish the cookbook — “The Missionary’s Kitchen: 125 Delicious and Easy Recipes that Will Win Appetites for Christ”
- Have a weekly opportunity to train people to give Bible studies
- Gain so many new friends and reunited with so many old ones
- Receive SO MUCH help from so many people we know and don’t know
- (Most importantly) Be almost done with Private Pilot Training!
We came to the US, and only had No. 8 in mind. Yet God blessed us with so much more!
We only see this now, in hindsight. But had we allowed ourselves to look at what our bank accounts contained, bleak prospects, and what we were leaving behind, we would not be where we are.
And yet, the story is not over. The journey is still far, and the work is not done.
What the future has in store
Many people have asked us, “After aviation training, then what?”
To be honest, we don’t know. We have plans but the best we can do is to wait and see whether it aligns with God’s plans.
Tentatively, we’re hoping to:
- Get at least an Instrument-Rated Certificate for Davin, so he can be fully equipped to fly in the Philippines
- Join PAMAS and help out with their ministry as medical missionaries as well as help out in their aerial medical evacuation for Filipino patients that are located in the remote areas of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao
- Establish a school in the Philippines for prospective missionaries. This school will train and equip students in medical missionary work, music ministry, and Bible work
As we continue to move forward in faith, we ask that you will continue to support us more than ever with your prayers and donations.
