We met Pastor Joshua and his wife Doris in the Philippines in February. Joshua inherited from his father, Pastor Bonifacio, the ministry he serves the Lord through in the southern, Muslim-influenced part of their country.
Doris is a Muslim background believer (MBB). Her story and the work God has done in and through her (and husband Joshua) are part of this week’s installment of Project Prayer: Ramadan 2017. We are focusing on relationships and praying for the Spirit to use us as He works in the hearts of our Muslim friends and neighbors … to the ends of the earth.
Let’s continue to lift our brothers and sisters in Christ – the MBBs who have found freedom in Jesus and those who I am confident will one day find this freedom.
Today, I want to share the testimony of Doris – in her words:
Doris on a church build in the Philippines last week.
My father was a Catholic and he died when I was 7 years old. My mother is a Chinese Muslim. We are 10 in the family: four boys and six girls. I am the eighth of the family. When I was child I was the most favorite grandchild of my Islam grandmother. They baptized me as “Amina,” my Muslim name. I always attended a Muslim school and went to the mosque.
When I was in grade 4, my older sister received Christ. She was the first (member of the family) who became a Christian. She taught me how to pray and sent me to VBS.
My first verse I learned was 1 Peter 5:7 (“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”). My first prayer during meals was “Most gracious heavenly Father, we thank you for thy bountiful blessings that You have given to us. Bless this food. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!”
Because I grew up without a father I would pray during the night before I went to sleep: “Lord, when I grow up I want to have a big house for the orphans.”
When I was in my second year of high school I studied (in a school) where Pastor Joshua also studied. My sister was one of the (youth) in the church of (Pastor Joshua’s father). So I attended and Sept. 13, 1993 – I was in the third year of high school at that time - was the date of my water baptism.
Since then, I always attended the church and youth activities. We (Doris and Pastor Joshua) became girlfriend and boyfriend in August 1996. We got married on Sept. 8, 2001. This was the answer to my prayer because we started the orphanage. We run the Refuge Home with 30 children by faith because there was no help when we started. The parents of Pastor Joshua (provided) support for the rice, vegetables, dried fish and sometimes meat.
We encountered many trials.
On July 14, 2007, I heard a cracking in my leg and I fell down on the road. My first word is: “By your stripe I am healed.” They run me to the hospital. I stayed for one week; they medicated me – just pain reliever. In that small room I read my Bible and every time I closed my eyes I saw demons under and surrounding my bed. I prayed and rebuked them. God showed me this verse: Psalm 118:17 - “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord!”
Joshua transferred me to (another) hospital and they diagnosed that I had bone cancer, stage 3.
All the pastors and missionaries prayed for me and I told God that if I die my children will become orphans. I take care of orphans so they will grow with no parents. “Lord, don’t allow that to happen to my children.”
Until the day of my operation was set, the plan is they will amputate my left leg. Pastors were in prayer and fasting. I’m in the operating room at 7 a.m. The schedule is (for surgery at) 8 a.m., but the doctor arrived at 10 a.m., which is not right. And they changed the plan; instead of amputation they just did a biopsy. They found out that there was no longer cancer.
I believed that the Lord was never late. He is the God of miracles. He hears the prayers of the righteous.
Today I am so blessed and happy by what the Lord has done to my life, the ministry He entrusted us, and I can say behind the trials there is victory. 
You can read more about Pastor Joshua and Doris’s ministry and relationship with Climbing For Christ. CLICK HERE and go to The Climbing Way, Vol. 38, and scroll to page 10. Read “Building ‘a little church’ in unfriendly mountains.”