Keith was born on the large southern island of Mindanao. His parents taught him to respect people, to work and study hard, and to be obedient and polite. Being a Sunday school teacher in the Alliance church, his mother also taught him to fear God. Keith’s parents worked hard to provide for their children. One day his father became ill and they found out he had stomach cancer. His mother became the only provider for the family as the father could no longer work. She was always looking for any job she could do such as washing clothes and working on a farm. She tried her best to buy the medicines her husband needed and feed her family.
Keith’s father died in 1998. Keith finished sixth grade (there is no 7th or 8th grade) but he could not begin his first year of high school because they had no money. Even public schools are not free. Keith decided, as the oldest child, that he needed to work to help his family. He was only 13. Unfortunately when he began doing this, he got in with the wrong kind of friends. He began drinking, smoking, and gambling at a young age. After a year he came to the conclusion that he had to stop living like that. He decided to work on a farm and get away from his bad friends. He wanted to work and help his family. He also had a desire to finish his schooling and he couldn’t very well do that if he was squandering his salary on vices. Keith’s uncle was a pastor in the Alliance church who talked often with the boy and encouraged him to live right.
Keith did not get saved until the age of 16, when he visited a Baptist church. He became involved in church activities, especially soul winning. One summer Keith went to church camp, sponsored by another BIMI missionary, Doug Sisson. During camp Keith surrendered for full time Christian service. Shortly after this camp one of the staff at Iloilo Baptist Church held a meeting with several Mindanao pastors and encouraged them to send their young people to Bible college. Keith is a product of that meeting. Keith’s sister Lalji also enrolled in IBC the following year. Lalji was born with a heart problem. Her parents were always worried about her physical condition. When she became a teenager she became rebellious. Since she grew up in a Protestant home, she thought she was saved. She is grateful a pastor led her to Christ. After graduating from high school, Lalji was offered a scholarship to a secular college, but she decided to enroll at Iloilo Baptist College, and serve the Lord in full time Christian service. The fact that her brother was going to IBC had a big influence on her reaching this decision, as she had gone to the same camp as Keith and her life was turned around.
Keith has a good attitude and he loves people. He is determined to serve the Lord. He is humble, self-disciplined, and content. He is involved in several outreach ministries at IBC including the school ministry. One girl in one of his Bible classes he conducts at the public school was in a cult. When Keith gave her the plan of salvation, she received Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour. This girl is now faithful to IBC, and brings her friends and classmates. Keith also has a jeepney route and brings people to church. One day he was talking to one of our workers about the people he picks up. He related that there was an elderly lady on his route who was blind. Most of our Bible college students are very poor, and can barely afford their daily meals, so it is touching to see them sacrifice their work scholarship earnings to help out people on their routes. Keith said every time he visits his area, he likes to give candy to that lady. The worker noticed that Keith didn’t look well and asked him if he had his lunch and he shyly replied “No.” He had used his allowance to buy candy for that elderly blind lady.
One time while he was visiting on his route, he visited a home where there was a very ill 90-year-old man. Keith took great pity on him and began to witness to him. Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he prayed the sinner’s prayer. The amazing thing is, before Keith left the house, that man died. He was so thankful he shared the plan of salvation with the man before it was too late. This man’s family was Catholic but Keith became close to them. He kept inviting them to church but they always said, “No.” One day we had “Baby Day” at the church. A relative of the elderly man decided to visit the church with her baby, as we were giving the visitors a picture taken with their baby. At the invitation the mother got saved! Both Keith and Lalji are fourth year students and will graduate from Iloilo Baptist College this coming March. Keith’s favorite verse is Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Please pray for these two young people as well as our other Bible students, that God will greatly use their lives for His honor and glory!
THE STORY OF A LAYMAN:
Rodrigo Enrique was a layman in the church of Pastor Leody Solomon, an IBC graduate. Brother Solomon trained Brother Enrique in his Bible Institute in his church in the province of Antique, and now Brother Enrique is a pastor. (See photo above of his church) When Brother Solomon met Rodrigo Enrique about nine years, Rodrigo was drunk. Brother Solomon said he heard a loud noise and when he looked down he saw a home-made, short barrel gun that had fallen out of Rodrigo’s pants onto the cement. Here is Pastor Rodrigo Enrique’s testimony:
“I worked hard to feed my six children. We lived in a small nipa hut but we were content enough. We taught our children to fear God but because of our Catholic background, we really didn’t know about the Bible. I didn’t feel like I could teach my children properly because I never finished school. Not only that but I had many vices. My work was making bamboo furniture. In 2003 Pastor Solomon shared the plan of salvation with me from the Bible. I will never forget it because I received Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I had three children in Bible college—one was first year, one was second year, and one was third year. I became very discouraged because all three of them quit school. I told the Lord that even though I was 53 years old, I would serve Him in full time Christian service. Part of the reason I did this was because I was so disappointed that my children did not. I really hoped that they would. Also, I knew even as a new convert that there was a great need for churches in our area of Antique.
“Pastor Solomon started a Bible Institute and I joined. Many people laughed at me but I really didn’t care what they said. They mocked me for attending a Baptist Church. I found my training hard at times—Bible studies, church services, Sunday school, camps, and other church activities. One thing that greatly helped however was attending monthly pastors’ meetings in our area and quarterly alumni meetings at Iloilo Baptist Church. I was so encouraged by these meetings. The things I learned rooted in my heart and I never regretted surrendering for full time Christian service.
“On March 21, 2007, after four years of training, I graduated. After assisting Life Fundamental Baptist Church, and other extension churches, I started a pioneering church in a nearby barangay. We went house to house and held Bible studies, children’s classes, and prayed that God would use us for His glory. I am no longer young but I believe I can do something for God. I am excited when my converts start growing. When they start, they think like I used to think, ‘What benefit is the Bible?’ Soon they realize the Bible makes a difference and attending church is fun and Christ can change lives and make our homes happy! My prayer is that our new church will be a channel of blessing to others, that souls will be saved, and that people will be encouraged and used of God.”
NEWS AND PRAYER REQUESTS
1. We never take for granted the opportunities to start churches in the Philippines. During the next year we are praying that more of the pastors will start night time Bible institutes for married men. These institutes are effective. Most of the institutes are small with an average of about three men, as they are in churches located in villages. But this is the way that many of the graduates of IBC are using to multiply their ministry. It is often several years before a church is able to train a man who is ready to start a church. However, there are so many institutes that there is a constant stream of men going out to start churches. Please continue to pray for those pastors who are involved with this and that other pastors will begin to train men.
2. Family: My wife Becky and daughter-in-law Brandie are doing well and are a big help in the ministry. Our son Ricky has exceeded my expectations and is especially helpful in organizing special events. He continually lifts some of the load I carry. T.J. turned two in October and is growing up fast. He has a lot of energy and brings us so much joy.
Special prayer request: Please pray for my sister Ann. Her husband Jerry went to be with the Lord recently. (See photo below; left to right: me, then my brothers-in-law: Bill, then Jerry. My sisters are behind us; left to right: Connie, Ann, and Vicki.) He was a wonderful Christian and loved people. He was Christ like and he touched the lives of people whose paths he crossed daily. Ann and Jerry set an example of what a good marriage should be. They were married 52 years. His children are all serving God: Becky and Julie in Ardmore, Oklahoma (Becky works full time in their church). Barbie for more than 20 years has worked with autistic children. Josh started a church in Texas a little over a year ago. I loved to hear Jerry pray—even a simple prayer for a meal. He prayed just like he was talking to a Dear Friend. His prayers revealed the kind of relationship he had with God, his Father, and Jesus, his Saviour. If you were ever down and Jerry found out about it, he’d always do something to help. I’ll never forget the night in September of 1977 when Becky and I flew to the Philippines. Jerry took me aside that day and told me how proud he was of me and that he was behind us going to the foreign mission field. I was able to see or talk to him several times since he got the cancer that would eventually take his life. He acted like it was nothing and would tell of all the good things God was doing. He would always take the spotlight off himself and ask about us. I really admire him because you could see Christ in him, even in the valley. Jerry was great in many ways. He was great as a husband and father. He was great as a friend and as a brother-in-law. But he was greatest of all as a follower of Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to seeing him in Heaven someday.
![](http://www.rickmartinministries.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/20341_105086839509600_100000248545210_132378_40876_n.jpg "Bro Leny (left) visiting people in \")
