“WHERE THERE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, THERE WILL BE GREAT OPPOSITION” (Part 1)
Pastor Rony Albaniel has been with IT for almost 19 years now. He remembered the time when God had called him to go on missions when he was about to graduate from the seminary. God’s Word spoke to him, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”. After hearing it, a spark was ignited in his heart to follow God’s calling in his life. Then a few months later after he graduated, his friend invited him to join IT. As he became a part of the IT family, it fueled his passion for missions. God placed in his heart a huge burden on the Thai Buddhist people.
In 2003, Pastor Rony, his wife, and four children were ready to embark on a new chapter of their lives. He trusted God so much that he overlooked their financial status. He had no money at that time and the six of them would have to go to Thailand. One would say that with no support, no one in his right mind would go to other countries. But God’s Word was more than enough for Pastor Rony that he decided to move forward. They opted to get their passports, but Pastor Rony did not have enough money on him when they went to the Department of Foreign Affairs as they applied for their passports. The ID picture they had was invalid because it must have a white background, so they had to re-take it. The problem though was he had no money to use for their ID picture. “Let’s go and have our ID picture taken once more”, Pastor Rony told his family despite not having enough money. Then a lady who was standing from afar approached Pastor Rony. She is an acquaintance of Pastor Rony. Not knowing his predicament, she handed him 500 pesos. She told him that something was telling her to go outside and then she saw him. It may be a small amount, but it was a very peculiar experience. It was like a 'go' signal from God.
After they successfully got their passports, they had to raise money for their mission trip. They were able to raise $200 and planned to leave in September. However, they could not depart that month. In November, they managed to book their tickets and flew to Thailand. They entrusted their fate to God and believed in His provision. Because of their bold faith, God has provided a spacious house for them through a Thai Church. They did not have enough money, but they do not need to worry about their accommodation anymore.
Pastor Rony received another word from God and that is found in Romans 1:5 “Through him, we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for His name’s sake.” God has called them to serve the Buddhist flock, and they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God’s work. However, they couldn’t secure a visa and had to exit Thailand every 23 days.
For the past 8 months that they couldn’t get a visa, Pastor Rony thought of going back to the Philippines. “There was a vision, but no provision”, Pastor Rony was starting to doubt whether he was truly called there. When he was about to lose hope, an American, whom he never met in his life, called him. “You don’t know me, but someone recommended you”. Pastor Rony was offered a job to be an English teacher. It was God’s answer to their prayers so he could secure a working visa. But after securing their visa, another problem was presented to them. They had to move out of the house they were staying in. He tried to find a new place for them. He found a house and the rental contract he had to pay was $400. He agreed to take it even though he had no $400 on him. He prayed to God where he could get the $400 that he had to pay any time soon.
Then, a short-term exposure trip for new missionaries was to be held in Thailand. He agreed to host them for a few days. Pastor Rony welcomed the visitors to his home warmly. The new missionaries had no idea about Pastor Rony’s dilemma. Despite having a lot on his plate, he did what he could do for them and helped them to get around places and enjoyed the fellowship with them. Much to his surprise, he received an envelope from one of them after the exposure trip. When everybody left, Pastor Rony checked his pocket, and as he opened the envelope, he saw $400 in it. It was the exact amount he needed to pay for the rent! Pastor Rony was so grateful to God, the God who genuinely cares for the needs of His children. It was amazing how God orchestrated and provided everything for them -- their airfare, their visa, and their house.
Then a few years later, with the help of the Holy Spirit and their hard work, they mentored the Thai people and they became followers of Christ. Even when Pastor Rony and his family had left Thailand already, their disciples continued to do the work of God. The vision God gave them came to pass. Despite all the hardships they had endured at the beginning, it was all worth it for the Lord.
“Where there is a great opportunity, there will be great opposition.” As we grow spiritually, there will be resistance and opposition, and we learn some ways we can respond to that resistance by looking at what God has already done in our lives. He is always in control, so we must keep our focus on Him because He sees the bigger picture. The obedience of Pastor Rony led to the salvation of many Thais.
Heavenly Father, we give You our praise and adoration! You are a faithful God, keeping Your covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love You and keep Your commands.
Romans 1:5
“Through Him, we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for His name’s sake.”
(Written by: Venus Jablo)
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