Eating as Missions

I just came back from a week-long missions vision trip in the Philippines. It was a whirlwind of a trip, traveling to a new place everyday, but it was a great time of encouragement and eating, meeting and worshipping with other believers from different places. While the Philippines has recently been in the news, due to the terrorist activity in the southern Philippines, we went to the northern part of the Philippines, which is relatively safe. My parents were born in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States in the 70s, and while I was born in the U.S., my roots are in the Philippines, so it’s always a blessing to be able to go back to the motherland. It had been five years since my last visit, and it was my first time going on a mission trip to the Philippines, so it was a great opportunity to open my eyes to see the different ways God has been working in the Philippines.

Traveling with Stanley, two of the college students from my church, my parents, and my uncle who was our driver, we first flew into Manila, then headed two hours north to Bamban, Tarlac in Central Luzon. It was the first time Stanley and the college students had visited the Philippines, so it was fun introducing them to Filipino culture and the land of the Philippines. We stayed at my parents’ house there, where my aunts and cousins kept us well-fed with their delicious cooking. The first ministry we visited was Amen Theological Seminary, where Stanley had the opportunity to teach a class on evangelism. I was encouraged by the students who were leaders in their churches, and how passionate they were for evangelism, going out to spread the gospel and reach people in the rural areas and villages in the mountains. The next day we also attended a Bamban Pastors’ meeting (as pictured above) where many pastors from the town came together to fellowship with one another and Stanley also gave an exhortation to them. I loved hearing the pastors and leaders sing praises loudly, singing that God is real and alive in Tagalog, the national language in the Philippines.  They also showed their Filipino hospitality by welcoming us into their home and feeding us more amazing food of egg rolls, salmon soup, and rice.

After this meeting, we traveled six hours north to Tagudin in Northern Luzon to my uncle and aunt’s ministry, On Wings Like Eagles Christian Ministries. They built a house church, so that their living area was also a place of worship where they hold Sunday services, with bedrooms attached. It’s a beautiful house church, with a stained glass window in the front, but what made it even more beautiful was the people gathered together to worship and fellowship together over a meal of rice noodles and oxtail stew. There were many children, laughing and playing, even in the hot and humid weather, showing us the joy of the Lord. I met one of the women who my aunt and uncle first befriended when they moved to the town. Their church started as a Bible study in her home, and then moved to a Bible study under a large tree, which then moved into the house church after it was constructed. Our college students loved playing with the kids and the teenagers. Since many Filipino teenagers love Korean pop music and dramas, our college students were able to connect with them through their mutual love of K-pop.

I’m always humbled by the way believers in the Philippines worship simply. They don’t need fancy worship music or a large church building, or well-established children programs, or technologically advanced screens. As long as they can come together, hear the faithful preaching of the Word, praise God in their struggles and hardships- whether they are living day-to-day, struggling to find work, battling cancer, preparing to have surgery, or dealing with family problems, they still testify of God’s goodness in their lives, and by seeing their faith, my faith was also challenged and strengthened. I was also blessed by their hospitality, welcoming us and feeding us so much good food. It made me see the beauty of sharing meals, and why love feasts and breaking bread together were so important in the early church.

As it says in Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.  And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The early church came together to hear the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. While the meaning of the “breaking of bread” has been debated, whether it is communion, a regular meal, or a love feast that consisted of both a meal and communion, essentially, food was part of their fellowship. Eating a meal with someone at their house also showed acceptance and fellowship, as Jesus ate with the sinners and outcasts, as came and loved the people who were the most unloved. Community formed over eating a good meal. As Jesus shared the Last Supper Passover meal with his disciples before his crucifixion, as His followers, we can also follow His example and enter into these meal times to worship and remember Him, His provision, and His goodness together.  As I shared these meals with the believers in the Philippines, I was also reminded of God’s goodness and His provision, as the believers showed me God’s grace through their generous hospitality.