Homeless… for now

It’s been almost one year since we returned to the States after being in Cebu for 4-1/2 years. It wasn’t our original intention to stay this long, but events in Cebu have brought us to this point. So, we’re here in the States for an indefinite period of time as we wait on the Lord to show us what His next steps are for us.

Along these lines, a few days ago, my husband and I were discussing our present situation. He mentioned that he’s angry and hurt that we’re homeless, and not of our own choosing. We were joking that everything we own can fit into our 2 cars, so, essentially, we have our choice of “living” in either the white Mitsubishi Lancer or the green Toyota 4-Runner!! For the past 3 months, we sleep on a couch in Justin’s living room during the weekdays and in either Ashley’s or Erin’s spare bedroom during the week-ends. When we think about our present living situation, it really can make us tear up, if we allow the sadness of our situation to overwhelm us…!

It wasn’t always like this, however… In mid-2008, we obeyed the Lord’s call to go to Cebu to help out with the ministry there. We packed all our personal belongings into a 20ft container and shipped them over to Cebu. At that time, my parents had assured us that the apartment which had been built on the 3rd floor of the EL Ministry compound and to which we had contributed $37,000 would always be our home. My mom, especially, knew how important it was for us to have a place we could call our own since we had given up everything to obey the Lord’s call, including a nice home in Pasadena, great jobs which paid us well so that we could live comfortably, our friends, our children & grandchildren. For 4 years, we had no cause to be concerned that this sentiment would change. Alas, however, it did.

But, let me backtrack… When we moved to Cebu, we had no motive except to follow God’s call and to be of use to Him and the ministry there in any way possible. Not many people know that while we were overseas, we lived off of our small pensions. Extended family members were always surprised to learn that we were not paid a salary for all the responsibilities we were given in Cebu. For the first 2 years, we were involved with the church—Dan as the only elder with preaching/teaching responsibilities and me with the Music Department & CE—and with the Seminary (EL-TS)—Dan taught some under-graduate classes and I assisted my Mom, the late Dr Marge Isidro, as assistant Dean, as well as helping the masteral students with their thesis which they needed to complete in order to graduate. When my Mom went home to be with the Lord in January 2010, my responsibilities doubled; I was assigned to take over everything that my Mom had been doing. Added to my plate was the position of CE Dean for EL Church-Forest Hills, becoming the Dean for EL-TS, teaching all my Mom’s CE classes, and supervising ELIM TEKNON School. I was still heavily involved with the church’s Music ministry—playing the piano for worship services, directing the youth and adult choirs. Aside for all this, I was also watching out for my Dad to make sure he was OK and being well-taken care of by the relatives who were living in his house, cooking for him and keeping his house neat and clean. I helped him with the editing of his writings—The Isidro Annotated New Testament, the Isidro Annotated Old Testament, his “Spiritual Birth and Christian Nurture” (Discipleship) book, his pamphlet on refuting the teachings of Apollo C. Quiboloy, his various salvation and evangelism tracts, as well as retyping and reformatting the class materials for all his EL-TS classes. It was a heavy load but, with God’s grace and His strength, I was able to handle everything that was given to me.

Then, my Dad decided to remarry in late 2012 and everything changed. Dan and I felt strongly that his new wife was cut from a very different cloth from my mom and that she was not of the same high caliber and standard of someone who should become the wife of the Bishop and head of EL Ministries. My mom was the most intelligent person I have ever known, but she always put the needs of my Dad and the ministry ahead of herself. She was willing to labor behind the scenes and did not want to take any credit or glory for herself. So, imagine my dismay when my Dad married someone who was a full 180 removed from my Mom and her view of ministry and servanthood. Unfortunately, when we voiced our concerns to my Dad that he should take his time to really get to know this woman first before marrying her (because we felt that he only knew what she had told him about herself) and that she should not live in his home before their wedding, he did not take it well (to put it mildly!) and accused us of being insubordinate (among other terms). Dan & I were only saying this out of our love and concern for my Dad and our concern for the ministry. But, my Dad chose to look at it differently. Of course, wife #2 disliked us for trying to make my Dad really think through his decision to marry her. On the very day that we left for the States in October 2012, she began her campaign to erase any memory of my Mom from the church and the seminary. All the pictures of my Mom posing with members of the church down through the years which were displayed in the church’s fellowship hall were taken down. The latest insult to my Mom’s memory, as stated by one of the church members to my Dad, was the “intentional, willful premeditated defacement of our church Hymnal Book which we considered a beautiful, valuable legacy of Dr. Marge. It is [the] personal property of the church and the church appropriated Php 25 thousand [for them]. It is the only remaining memory that connects us to the unspeakable spiritual influence that she has impacted on [our] Christian life…”

In May 2013, we received a letter from my Dad telling us that we were no longer welcome in Cebu. We were shocked and very sad to read his reasons for not wanting us back. At the time, I was dealing with depression caused by the unkind and unjust things my Dad had said to us before we left Cebu. Plus, I was also grieving for the loss of my Mom, something that I hadn’t done after she died because I had been too busy to truly grieve. We decided, however, not to write a formal rebuttal to my Dad, but we were deeply hurt by the injustice and the lies that were mentioned which he used as justification to kick us out of Cebu. We know that most of the words we read were really coming from his 2nd wife who is really the one who wanted us out of Cebu, but we felt very sad that he didn’t have the strength to stand up for us, especially me, his own flesh and blood.

Later on, someone asked us this follow-up question: Does he have the right to kick us out of a ministry to which God has called us? The answer is No. He is not our boss; God is. He NEVER paid us a salary for the work that we did there. As a matter of fact, we used our own money to fix up the Seminary Library, to buy computer equipment, to buy an air conditioner and other items/equipment to help improve the physical aspects of the ministry. So, we did not refute my Dad’s accusations against us because we know that God is with us. God knows our hearts. He knows that our intention when we moved our lives to Cebu was only to be used of Him to further His kingdom. If God’s plan for us now is to stay in the States, we will follow Him and just trust that He knows what’s doing. So, even though it hurts to realize that we really are homeless right now, God has continued to provide for our needs. He has not forsaken us. He will reveal His next plan for us; we just have to wait patiently for it.

Back in June, we heard this wonderful message on 2 Corinthians from Pastor Ed Underwood of Church of the Open Door where we currently attend. This message brought such peace and comfort to our hearts, even though I was crying through most of the message! Here’s Pastor Ed’s summary of 2 Corinthians:
From this letter you will discover the two overarching truths all who serve Christ by pouring into others know: The expectation of suffering and the anticipation of glory. If you’re willing to pay the price of suffering for Christ, God will give you a front row seat to see His glorious power working in this world.
Don’t underestimate the pain of ministering in the name of Christ!
1. Expect trials and tribulations (2 or 4:8-15; 11:16-33)
2. Expect opposition (2 Cor 11:1-15)
3. Expect Satanic attack (2 Cor 4:1-7)
4. Expect to have to give your money and ask for the money of others (2 Cor 8-9)
5. Expect to be misunderstood and falsely accused (2 Cor 10:1-18)
Don’t underestimate the privilege of ministering in the name of Christ!
1. Expect the wonder of being used to change lives (2 Cor 3:1-5)
2. Know that you are ministers of an awesomely New Covenant (2 Cor 3:6-18)
3. Experience the power of Christ pulsating through your body, this “container” (2 Cor 4:1-8)
4. Experience the exhilaration of living by faith as an ambassador of Christ (2 Cor 5:1-21)
5. Anticipate your reward at Christ’s judgment seat (2 Cor 5:9-11)

Through the trials and challenges of the past year, we have learned that if you’re serving Christ, you are Satan’s worst enemy! We also have been assured that Christ appreciates our ministry! The magnitude of service for God eclipses the pain we might have to go through. This is why we are willing to say to God, “I am willing to endure the pain, if you’ll grant me the privilege of serving in Your Name.”