Spreading God's love

The Tala Andig village woke up to dogs barking, people screaming and flames shooting high into the sky. A fire was tearing through the house of Gigay, a Tala Andig believer, in the dry season. While shielding her son from the fire and escaping, Gigay suffered third-degree burns on her face, hands, back and legs and her cooking area was completely destroyed.

But God was at work, and He provided opportunities for the Tala Andig believers to minister to Gigay and be living examples of His love.

When the doctors from the nearby town released her from the hospital, two specially trained believers took over caring for Gigay. Twice a day they tended to Gigay’s burns with the knowledge they had from working in the village clinic.

Tala Andig culture doesn’t promote giving. It’s a concept that the believers are still learning. But one believer bought all of the lumber needed to rebuild Gigay’s kitchen, and ten more believers gave their time to rebuild it in a day.

As missionary Belinda Moffit was working in her own house, she mentioned to another believer that if every lady in the church gave just one cooking item from their house, a bowl or a wooden tool, it would be easy to help Gigay out. The woman answered, "I’ve already prepared a bag of cooking things to give her!"

The Tala Andig church is embracing and lifting up Gigay, but the giving isn’t just one-sided. Gigay and her husband are already giving back. After hearing that their neighbors didn’t have enough rice to feed their family, he promptly took some of their rice over.

And that’s what believers are supposed to do -- reach out and help one another, supporting in times of need.