When missionary and field communication coordinator Terence Lustaña began a Bible study for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the port city of Keelung, Taiwan, he asked a simple question of the 12 participants: Who has a Bible?
Only one person raised a hand. The Bible presented was in Filipino, but it was worn and fragile. Its thin, tattered pages were mostly held together by tape. Although Lustaña shared several Bibles from his own home for the Bible study, many OFWs struggled to read the Scriptures in English.
Lustaña says that in Keelung, OFW men are generally fishermen living on the boats, and the women are mostly domestic helpers to the elderly. They have chosen to join a workforce overseas in search of greater wages to help support family back home.
“Any money they make is expected to be sent back to their families in the Philippines,” Lustaña said. “It’s really challenging for them. It’s difficult to order Filipino Bibles online and ship them here.”
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Wakulla, Florida, a third-grade class in a small Christian school was preparing for their annual plant sale. Their teacher, Angie Pulsifer, encouraged students to dedicate the funds towards a missions project.
While the class wondered where to donate, eight-year-old Eowyn Dundon raised her hand. Eowyn shared about the Lustaña family, who spoke at an NMI event at Tallahassee Church of the Nazarene. After contacting the Lustañas and learning about the need for Filipino Bibles among OFWs in Keelung, the children created signs and advertised their fundraiser.
In one week, the third-grade class raised $500 for Filipino Bibles.
The Lustañas and the OFWs praised God at the news from Florida. A local contact in the Philippines picked up Filipino-language Bibles and shipped them to Taiwan. The Bibles were then distributed to the OFWs at their Christmas service.
“Those who received the Bibles were overjoyed and grateful that they finally owned [a Bible] and were thankful for the generosity of the donors.” Lustaña said.