Basketball & Baking

By Jim Leffew

Soon after our arrival in 1984 we learned that the Philippines is home to many Chinese people. Today 40,000 Chinese live in Davao City and, according to the 1997 World Almanac, 1.5% of the Philippines' 75 million population is Chinese.

In 1986 when we began a home Bible study with a woman and her family, we had one of our first contacts with the Chinese people. More than 20 adults attended the weekly classes. Through this we built friendships and were able to help when people went through difficult times, such as when the young woman who was instrumental in getting the Bible study started was kidnapped! For a person who didn't even like Chinese food in the US, the Lord gave me a genuine love for these new friends, and eventually an appetite for their food.

Initially the ABWE missionaries were concerned about singling out one minority ethnic group. They asked, "Are we not here to reach Filipinos?" Over the next ten years, however, the Lord continued to increase our network of Chinese contacts. God helped us to understand the Chinese culture and learn ways to share the gospel more effectively.

In 1995, through reading verses in Isaiah 43, Pam and I were moved toward a formal ministry with Chinese Filipinos. I am the voluntary Chaplain, Christian Education Director, and Athletic Director at Davao Christian High School for Chinese. These positions have brought to us many of the 1,310 students hungry for God's Word. On January 26, 1996 Grace Baptist Fellowship for Chinese Filipinos began. Today, Sam Pascual, the Filipino young man who helped with the original Bible study, is the senior pastor, and I am the youth pastor.

We use basketball-the national sport-to draw in young people. Grace Baptist Fellowship is unique because the majority are young men who came as a result of the sports program. Basketball is also opening doors of witness throughout the city. The church hopes to sponsor camps and tournaments where players will give testimony of their faith in Christ.

My wife Pam, the pastor's wife Anna, and ABWE missionary Jewl Spoelhof also have an unusual evangelistic outreach. The young people tasted Pam's pizza and declared it "the best in Davao." When the women assisted in baking cookies for a Valentine's project, the young people decided cooking lessons would be a way to reach their moms. Each baking session starts with a Bible study.

Basketball and baking are some first steps in sharing the good news. Starting a church is a long-term process, but already 16 people have followed the Lord in baptism, and two young men have expressed a desire to learn to preach. These requests may lead to a wider discipleship ministry. We pray that Grace Baptist Fellowship will make Davao a base for reaching Chinese throughout the Philippines, and ultimately the Philippines as launching pad for Asians reaching Asians.

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