NewMan - A Thousand Bucklers

The Lord recovered my grandfather and grandmother at their wedding day. They served the Lord from that day on. My grandfather is presently the elder and my grandmother is one of the serving sisters in the church in Mabinay, Negros Oriental. As a third generation in the Lord’s recovery, I saw their faith and love for the Lord. I grew up in an environment where family members are always together in the church meetings.

At the age of three, I had a serious illness that almost led me to death. My mother did not know what to do because the hospital was far from where we reside. At that instance, she came before the Lord and consecrated me to Him. By the Lord’s mercy, I was healed mysteriously. Praise the Lord!

Eventually, when I became a teenager I always attend meetings and trainings. But when I was in my collegiate studies, gradually, I lost my taste in spiritual things, even in attending the Lord’s table meetings. Because I was exposed to the things of the world, I lost my church life. My friends in the world taught me various vices, getting me into many troubles whenever I am with them. At one time, I was suspended in the school because of the foolishness we did. That incident opened my eyes and caused me to realize that nothing good will result if I maintain my friendship with them. Thus, I had a turn.

I applied for a scholarship in a student organization and was accepted. I became a working student until I finished my collegiate studies. I finally finished a college degree on April 1, 1997. After a month, trainees from the Full-time Training in Malabon (FTTM) visited our locality and encouraged me to join the training. But when the time of training drew near, though at first I agreed, I again became lukewarm to pursue the training. While lingering in this state, an unexpected thing happened—a portion in our house was caught on fire. The experience caused me to be serious with my consecration to the Lord. I could not afford to have any forthcoming incident to arise due to my unfulfilled consecration to the Lord.

Hence, in the following month, I entered the trining with two of my brothers in the flesh. At the beginning, the sudden change of environment was difficult for me. In the training, my self was exposed. I realized that in my living, I should not be loose, instead I needed to live a God-man living. Life in the training was contrary to the life of the “old me” in my collegiate studies. Before the Lord, I was ashamed of my living in the past. Even though I was constituted with things other than the Lord, in my opening to Him little by little, He infused Himself into me. I enjoyed and experienced the Lord in a deeper way. He is indeed sweeter than yesterday.

The training brought me back to the church life again. What I learned about the church in the training became practical each time I was sent to many local churches and places. I appreciated the importance of the church more in a locality. During my propagation assignments, I saw the vastness of the Lord’s work but I also witnessed that His workers are few. I came to learn and know more of the Lord, which caused me to love Him and offer myself for Him. Praise the Lord for His grace! Because of my enjoyment of the Lord in the training, I did not notice that two and a half years quickly passed by. I asked brother Liu Chi Cheng that I would go home first and consecrated to the Lord that after two years I will go back to the training and will serve Him life-time. I spent the first year serving the churches of Negros Oriental as a local full-timer. On the second year, I worked to financially help my family and support the studies of my siblings.

In October 2001, He enabled me to go back to the training. Praise the Lord for His preserving grace! Although the world’s pull was strong, the Lord preserved my heart’s desire to serve Him. Deep within I know that He is fulfilling my mother’s consecration when I was still a child. On my return, my love for the Lord and to the church was made afresh again. I learned that serving Him is the greatest turn in me. In my learning to serve my Lord and His church, I had a deep impression on 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, preparing me of things to come my way, which says, “But in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in a holy spirit, in unfeigned love, in the word of the truth, in the power of God; through the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left, through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet well known; as dying and yet behold we live; as being disciplined and yet not being put to death; as made sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.”

Thank the Lord that He also gave me a partner in life and service to Him. On October 4, 2003, sister Delia Rose and I were married. Presently, we are serving with our daughter in the churches of cluster 2 in the province of Pampanga. I want to serve Jehovah with my whole household. Praise the Lord because until now His grace is still sufficient for me and for my whole household. May the Lord preserve us more for His economy to be together in diligently pursuing the Lord, becoming the strong part of the woman, the overcomers, to turn this age. Praise the Lord!

Not A Sacrifice, But A Privilege Untold

A Religionist

Since I was born to a God-fearing family, I have loved the Lord at my early age. I have always had the desire to serve the Lord. I thought becoming a nun would be the right way to fulfill my desire to serve the Lord. Studying in a Catholic high school run by the nuns intensified this desire. Like my parents, I became a devoted Catholic. I led in reciting the rosary. Worst, I played as “Mary” during the Feasts of Nativity.

One day I asked the Lord if I were doing the right thing. The Lord answered my prayer when I was in my third year of collegiate studies. Before, whenever I heard of people who turned away from my religion, I told myself that I would never do it. I reasoned that since I was born a Catholic, I would die a Catholic. But even my mother, a devoted Catholic, left our religion after my father died. Although I questioned it, I could not deny that she had joy in her. I realized then that because many people came out of our religion, something must be really wrong with it. I prayed to the Lord to show me the way. Praise the Lord, He has shown me His great mercy and led me to the right way.

A Great Turn in My Life

He arranged my environment so that I could stay in the boarding house of a sister in Vigan. On the very first day of my stay, she preached the gospel to me. She led me to call on the Lord’s name, but when she encouraged me to get baptized I ignored her. After six months, because I got so irritated with her for repeatedly asking me to be baptized I conceded. But great joy enveloped me after they told me that I was already saved through baptism. Thereafter, I realized that the Lord really loved me. The joy that I felt was really incomparable. I experienced a great turn in my life.

I thought everything was over because I was already saved. But I was wrong. After my baptism, the sister asked me to attend the meetings of the church. Whenever she went to the meeting, she encouraged me to go with her but I always gave her the alibi that I was busy with so many school requirements.

Falling in Love with the Lord

One time, she invited me to attend the young people’s meeting. During that meeting, we sang a hymn that really captured my heart: “Lord, take my life, I present it to You. / If I had a thousand, I pour all on You. / Nothing withholding, my all is for You. / My life and my future, dear Lord, is all for You.” I shed tears while we were singing this song. It refreshed my desire to serve the Lord when I was still young. The Lord touched and captured my heart. I told the Lord, “Lord, You have given me one life to live on this earth. I just want to present and pour out this life upon You. My life would be nothing if I would waste this life in the world. I only want You, Lord! My life and my future Lord, I give to You.”

The more I sang this song, the more I fell in love with the Lord. I realized it is a great privilege to give myself to the Lord who saved me and loved me to the uttermost. I knew that I would never, never regret loving Him and giving my all to Him. I asked myself, “Who am I that this Lord of all died for me to save me?” Then I told the Lord, “You own me. I give myself to You.” From then on, I have known that this is where I should belong. Forthis reason I became so fervent for the Lord.

Foretaste to the Full-taste

My joining the foretaste of the Full-time Training in Malabon in 1995 totally changed my view. I saw the full-timers and heard their testimonies. I was delighted to see a group of young people, who loved the Lord so much. I thought that there was no longer such group of proper young people today. As I gazed on them, I told myself, “One day I would also be here. I want to be like them.” I promised the Lord that I would also join the full-time training after graduating from collegiate studies.

Of course, it was not easy for my family, especially for my mother. I am the youngest in the family, so she loves me the most. She does not want me to be separated from her. Nonetheless, I convinced her that I would just be away for one year. I already spent 20 years with her. Would it be too much if I would give the Lord at least one year of my life? So in July 1996, I joined the full-time training.

In the training, I was put in a very different environment. I was not used to waking up at 5:30 a.m. so it was really difficult for me. Even the messages in every session were new to me. Prophesying, too, was a breaking experience for me. I was naturally a silent person who did not want to speak in front of many people. Whenever I stood, I felt so nervous. But I had no choice—I am in the training. I have chosen to be here so I should just be open to the Lord’s working in me. So gradually, I learned to speak for the Lord in the meetings.

During my first term in the training, I enjoyed memorizing the book of Hebrews, which is a requirement in one of our classes, despite my hectic schedules and my difficult environment. Though it was difficult, I had to go on and I enjoyed it.

The training has helped me much in developing my relationship with the Lord. I have learned to tell everything to Him, causing me to be drawn nearer to Him. I gained the Lord in my experiences by giving my all to Him during my intimate fellowship with Him. The truth released in every session enlightened me much, particularly the matter of the church as the Body of Christ. With this enlightenment, my heart’s desire to serve the Lord my whole life was intensified. I prayed to the Lord, “Lord, I want to have a part in the building up of Your Body to consummate the New Jerusalem. I want to serve You my whole life so that I may have a full participation in the preparation of Your bride and that I may welcome Your return.”
During my second term, I was given the opportunity to propagate in my own locality. Praise the Lord, my mother was recovered and brought into the church. The establishment of the church in Dolores encouraged me to proceed to the full-time advanced class. In this class, brother Liu’s speaking in session after session caused me to see more of the burden of the work and the great need for people to work in the Lord’s vineyard.

Moreover, I was privileged to co-work with the Lord in various places, like in Mandaluyong, Cavite, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, and La Union. I was also given the chance to visit the beautiful island of Palawan. But to me, nothing is more glorious than the church there. The most glorious thing is to meet with the saints.

I have been to Masbate, which helped me much in choosing this way. While going there, we rode on a cargo ship. It was my first time to travel by sea. I experienced lying on cartons at the bottom of the ship. We were awoke all night because we could feel the heat of the machine below us.

Then at midnight, the ship stopped in the middle of the sea. I was afraid. But I was reminded of brother Liu’s words that in serving the Lord, we should not be afraid of difficulty, of suffering and even of dying. It strengthened me much, especially my consecration toward the Lord. At that moment, I again declared to Him that I will serve Him my whole life. Praise the Lord! He preserved me and is still preserving me to this day.

For three years, I also enjoyed serving in cluster 2 of the church in Malabon, particularly in district 23. That was one of the most flooded areas there. But it was there that I fell in love with the Lord even more. It did not matter to me how high the flood was. Just to see the brothers and sisters there made my joy full. No matter what the situation was, I experienced that the church was a family with love and support towards one another. My experience caused me to love not only Christ, but also His church. May the Lord preserve my heart for Him so that I may know the Body, care for the Body and love the Body even more.

It has been nearly 12 years since I decided to join the full-time training. I witnessed how the Lord had shown His faithfulness toward me and my family. Before I entered the training, I asked my mother to give me only one year for the training then I would find a job in order to pay her back through supplying her material needs. I have not fulfilled my promise to her but the Lord filled up my lack by continually blessing my family. The Lord never failed in supplying all their needs. I know it’s beyond the things that I could do for them. Praise Him! He’s the all-sufficient One. Not only that, He prepared a counterpart for me in serving Him, brother Sherwin, one who loves Him also and willing to serve Him for life. Now, we are blessed with a daughter who not only brought joy to our married life but a constant reminder to us in taking care of the saints. As a mother who gives her all for her child, who does everything for her, who loves her unconditionally, so also must we be towards all the saints.

Presently, we are serving in the province of Pampanga. May the Lord preserve our heart for Him and for His economy. May He find us faithful at His coming. To give our whole life to the Lord of lords and to the King of kings is not a sacrifice but a privilege untold. Amen!

Delia Rose Barber-Baldado
Church in San Fernando, Pampanga



	With the present 628 local churches and still 278 localities to be propagated in Regions I-VI alone of the Philippines, the concerned serving saints felt that even a thousand co-workers would not suffice to meet the need of these places which the Lord so graciously committed to us. Beginning the early part of the year 1999 we started asking the Lord to give us at least 1,000 co-workers, to gain the people and the land for the Lord. Take note that the general title of this feature is fittingly quoted from the Song of Songs 4:4 which says, “Your neck is like the tower of David built for an armory. A thousand bucklers hang on it, all the shields of the mighty men.” “A thousand bucklers…all the shields of the mighty men!” Praise the Lord, these are those who are to be enlisted by the Lord in His army. His co-workers must be mighty men. Hallelujah! Here are the testimonies of young co-workers who practice the six “NOTs”: not afraid of suffering, not afraid of difficulty, not showing one’s poverty, not soliciting funds, not afraid to die, and not loving one’s soul-life; and practicing the six “ONEs”: one spirit, one soul, one prayer, one work, one labor, and one building. May the Lord bless this feature by encouraging more young professionals to come out to serve full-time the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
	Under the column A Thousand Bucklers, we will be featuring the testimonies of the couple co-workers of Regions I-VI. To-date we have 16 couple co-workers. But our daily prayer to the Lord is to grant us at least 44 couple co-workers for the 44 provinces of Regions I-VI to make the shepherding of the young churches finer. Through the reading of these testimonies, may more saints have the burden to bring the said matter in prayer to the Lord, and may a number also be touched and moved to be a part of the answer to this prayer. Amen.
	Preserving Grace
	Growing Up in the Church Life The Lord recovered my grandfather and grandmother at their wedding day. They served the Lord from that day on. My grandfather is presently the elder and my grandmother is one of the serving sisters in the church in Mabinay, Negros Oriental. As a third generation in the Lord’s recovery, I saw their faith and love for the Lord. I grew up in an environment where family members are always together in the church meetings. At the age of three, I had a serious illness that almost led me to death. My mother did not know what to do because the hospital was far from where we reside. At that instance, she came before the Lord and consecrated me to Him. By the Lord’s mercy, I was healed mysteriously. Praise the Lord! Eventually, when I became a teenager I always attend meetings and trainings. But when I was in my collegiate studies, gradually, I lost my taste in spiritual things, even in attending the Lord’s table meetings. Because I was exposed to the things of the world, I lost my church life. My friends in the world taught me various vices, getting me into many troubles whenever I am with them. At one time, I was suspended in the school because of the foolishness we did. That incident opened my eyes and caused me to realize that nothing good will result if I maintain my friendship with them. Thus, I had a turn. I applied for a scholarship in a student organization and was accepted. I became a working student until I finished my collegiate studies. I finally finished a college degree on April 1, 1997. After a month, trainees from the Full-time Training in Malabon (FTTM) visited our locality and encouraged me to join the training. But when the time of training drew near, though at first I agreed, I again became lukewarm to pursue the training. While lingering in this state, an unexpected thing happened—a portion in our house was caught on fire. The experience caused me to be serious with my consecration to the Lord. I could not afford to have any forthcoming incident to arise due to my unfulfilled consecration to the Lord. Enjoying the Lord in the Training Hence, in the following month, I entered the trining with two of my brothers in the flesh. At the beginning, the sudden change of environment was difficult for me. In the training, my self was exposed. I realized that in my living, I should not be loose, instead I needed to live a God-man living. Life in the training was contrary to the life of the “old me” in my collegiate studies. Before the Lord, I was ashamed of my living in the past. Even though I was constituted with things other than the Lord, in my opening to Him little by little, He infused Himself into me. I enjoyed and experienced the Lord in a deeper way. He is indeed sweeter than yesterday. The training brought me back to the church life again. What I learned about the church in the training became practical each time I was sent to many local churches and places. I appreciated the importance of the church more in a locality. During my propagation assignments, I saw the vastness of the Lord’s work but I also witnessed that His workers are few. I came to learn and know more of the Lord, which caused me to love Him and offer myself for Him. Praise the Lord for His grace! Because of my enjoyment of the Lord in the training, I did not notice that two and a half years quickly passed by. I asked brother Liu Chi Cheng that I would go home first and consecrated to the Lord that after two years I will go back to the training and will serve Him life-time. I spent the first year serving the churches of Negros Oriental as a local full-timer. On the second year, I worked to financially help my family and support the studies of my siblings. Experiencing the Preserving Grace In October 2001, He enabled me to go back to the training. Praise the Lord for His preserving grace! Although the world’s pull was strong, the Lord preserved my heart’s desire to serve Him. Deep within I know that He is fulfilling my mother’s consecration when I was still a child. On my return, my love for the Lord and to the church was made afresh again. I learned that serving Him is the greatest turn in me. In my learning to serve my Lord and His church, I had a deep impression on 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, preparing me of things to come my way, which says, “But in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in a holy spirit, in unfeigned love, in the word of the truth, in the power of God; through the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left, through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet well known; as dying and yet behold we live; as being disciplined and yet not being put to death; as made sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.” Thank the Lord that He also gave me a partner in life and service to Him. On October 4, 2003, sister Delia Rose and I were married. Presently, we are serving with our daughter in the churches of cluster 2 in the province of Pampanga. I want to serve Jehovah with my whole household. Praise the Lord because until now His grace is still sufficient for me and for my whole household. May the Lord preserve us more for His economy to be together in diligently pursuing the Lord, becoming the strong part of the woman, the overcomers, to turn this age. Praise the Lord! Sherwin M. Baldado Church in San Fernando, Pampanga Not A Sacrifice, But A Privilege Untold A Religionist Since I was born to a God-fearing family, I have loved the Lord at my early age. I have always had the desire to serve the Lord. I thought becoming a nun would be the right way to fulfill my desire to serve the Lord. Studying in a Catholic high school run by the nuns intensified this desire. Like my parents, I became a devoted Catholic. I led in reciting the rosary. Worst, I played as “Mary” during the Feasts of Nativity. One day I asked the Lord if I were doing the right thing. The Lord answered my prayer when I was in my third year of collegiate studies. Before, whenever I heard of people who turned away from my religion, I told myself that I would never do it. I reasoned that since I was born a Catholic, I would die a Catholic. But even my mother, a devoted Catholic, left our religion after my father died. Although I questioned it, I could not deny that she had joy in her. I realized then that because many people came out of our religion, something must be really wrong with it. I prayed to the Lord to show me the way. Praise the Lord, He has shown me His great mercy and led me to the right way. A Great Turn in My Life He arranged my environment so that I could stay in the boarding house of a sister in Vigan. On the very first day of my stay, she preached the gospel to me. She led me to call on the Lord’s name, but when she encouraged me to get baptized I ignored her. After six months, because I got so irritated with her for repeatedly asking me to be baptized I conceded. But great joy enveloped me after they told me that I was already saved through baptism. Thereafter, I realized that the Lord really loved me. The joy that I felt was really incomparable. I experienced a great turn in my life. I thought everything was over because I was already saved. But I was wrong. After my baptism, the sister asked me to attend the meetings of the church. Whenever she went to the meeting, she encouraged me to go with her but I always gave her the alibi that I was busy with so many school requirements. Falling in Love with the Lord One time, she invited me to attend the young people’s meeting. During that meeting, we sang a hymn that really captured my heart: “Lord, take my life, I present it to You. / If I had a thousand, I pour all on You. / Nothing withholding, my all is for You. / My life and my future, dear Lord, is all for You.” I shed tears while we were singing this song. It refreshed my desire to serve the Lord when I was still young. The Lord touched and captured my heart. I told the Lord, “Lord, You have given me one life to live on this earth. I just want to present and pour out this life upon You. My life would be nothing if I would waste this life in the world. I only want You, Lord! My life and my future Lord, I give to You.” The more I sang this song, the more I fell in love with the Lord. I realized it is a great privilege to give myself to the Lord who saved me and loved me to the uttermost. I knew that I would never, never regret loving Him and giving my all to Him. I asked myself, “Who am I that this Lord of all died for me to save me?” Then I told the Lord, “You own me. I give myself to You.” From then on, I have known that this is where I should belong. Forthis reason I became so fervent for the Lord. Foretaste to the Full-taste My joining the foretaste of the Full-time Training in Malabon in 1995 totally changed my view. I saw the full-timers and heard their testimonies. I was delighted to see a group of young people, who loved the Lord so much. I thought that there was no longer such group of proper young people today. As I gazed on them, I told myself, “One day I would also be here. I want to be like them.” I promised the Lord that I would also join the full-time training after graduating from collegiate studies. Of course, it was not easy for my family, especially for my mother. I am the youngest in the family, so she loves me the most. She does not want me to be separated from her. Nonetheless, I convinced her that I would just be away for one year. I already spent 20 years with her. Would it be too much if I would give the Lord at least one year of my life? So in July 1996, I joined the full-time training. In the training, I was put in a very different environment. I was not used to waking up at 5:30 a.m. so it was really difficult for me. Even the messages in every session were new to me. Prophesying, too, was a breaking experience for me. I was naturally a silent person who did not want to speak in front of many people. Whenever I stood, I felt so nervous. But I had no choice—I am in the training. I have chosen to be here so I should just be open to the Lord’s working in me. So gradually, I learned to speak for the Lord in the meetings. During my first term in the training, I enjoyed memorizing the book of Hebrews, which is a requirement in one of our classes, despite my hectic schedules and my difficult environment. Though it was difficult, I had to go on and I enjoyed it. The training has helped me much in developing my relationship with the Lord. I have learned to tell everything to Him, causing me to be drawn nearer to Him. I gained the Lord in my experiences by giving my all to Him during my intimate fellowship with Him. The truth released in every session enlightened me much, particularly the matter of the church as the Body of Christ. With this enlightenment, my heart’s desire to serve the Lord my whole life was intensified. I prayed to the Lord, “Lord, I want to have a part in the building up of Your Body to consummate the New Jerusalem. I want to serve You my whole life so that I may have a full participation in the preparation of Your bride and that I may welcome Your return.” During my second term, I was given the opportunity to propagate in my own locality. Praise the Lord, my mother was recovered and brought into the church. The establishment of the church in Dolores encouraged me to proceed to the full-time advanced class. In this class, brother Liu’s speaking in session after session caused me to see more of the burden of the work and the great need for people to work in the Lord’s vineyard. Moreover, I was privileged to co-work with the Lord in various places, like in Mandaluyong, Cavite, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, and La Union. I was also given the chance to visit the beautiful island of Palawan. But to me, nothing is more glorious than the church there. The most glorious thing is to meet with the saints. I have been to Masbate, which helped me much in choosing this way. While going there, we rode on a cargo ship. It was my first time to travel by sea. I experienced lying on cartons at the bottom of the ship. We were awoke all night because we could feel the heat of the machine below us. Then at midnight, the ship stopped in the middle of the sea. I was afraid. But I was reminded of brother Liu’s words that in serving the Lord, we should not be afraid of difficulty, of suffering and even of dying. It strengthened me much, especially my consecration toward the Lord. At that moment, I again declared to Him that I will serve Him my whole life. Praise the Lord! He preserved me and is still preserving me to this day. For three years, I also enjoyed serving in cluster 2 of the church in Malabon, particularly in district 23. That was one of the most flooded areas there. But it was there that I fell in love with the Lord even more. It did not matter to me how high the flood was. Just to see the brothers and sisters there made my joy full. No matter what the situation was, I experienced that the church was a family with love and support towards one another. My experience caused me to love not only Christ, but also His church. May the Lord preserve my heart for Him so that I may know the Body, care for the Body and love the Body even more. It has been nearly 12 years since I decided to join the full-time training. I witnessed how the Lord had shown His faithfulness toward me and my family. Before I entered the training, I asked my mother to give me only one year for the training then I would find a job in order to pay her back through supplying her material needs. I have not fulfilled my promise to her but the Lord filled up my lack by continually blessing my family. The Lord never failed in supplying all their needs. I know it’s beyond the things that I could do for them. Praise Him! He’s the all-sufficient One. Not only that, He prepared a counterpart for me in serving Him, brother Sherwin, one who loves Him also and willing to serve Him for life. Now, we are blessed with a daughter who not only brought joy to our married life but a constant reminder to us in taking care of the saints. As a mother who gives her all for her child, who does everything for her, who loves her unconditionally, so also must we be towards all the saints. Presently, we are serving in the province of Pampanga. May the Lord preserve our heart for Him and for His economy. May He find us faithful at His coming. To give our whole life to the Lord of lords and to the King of kings is not a sacrifice but a privilege untold. Amen! Delia Rose Barber-Baldado Church in San Fernando, Pampanga

	News\|Campus Work \|Trainees from Abroad\|Life in the Training\|Message\|A Thousand Bucklers\|Editorial\|Home