October has a charm that makes members of the Jesus is Lord (JIL) Church Worldwide look forward to it with much excitement. It is the anniversary month of JIL!
If there will be a raise of hand of those excited, Pastor Carlo Sasuman of JIL Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte will surely waste no time raising his. He has not missed the yearly Anniversary thanksgiving in 18 years.
He exudes with enthusiasm as he recalled the first time he attended the celebrations in Luneta. In 1995, members of his local church helped him finance his transportation expenses from Agusan del Norte to Manila so he could attend the anniversary. (He was then assigned at JIL Patin-ay, also in Agusan.) He said, “You could really feel the Lord’s presence in Luneta. It was amazing. It was unforgettable.”
He added that it was also his first time to see Bro. Eddie Villanueva deliver a message in person. Seeing in person the Spiritual Director of the JIL Church added to the excitement.
Pastor Carlo said, “When I got back to our local church, I shared everything I experienced at the Luneta celebrations with my fellow pastors and with everyone in church. I knew that they will be encouraged as much as I was.”
It was the beginning of a continuous challenge he makes to his congregation: that it is also good to be part of the celebrations in Luneta and experience how God corporately blesses His people. In the following years, some leaders and members of JIL Patin-ay – saving enough for their personal trips to Manila – have also joined Pastor Carlo at the JIL celebrations in Luneta.
Pastor Carlo is excited to be part of this year’s milestone for JIL. He will be celebrating the Lord Jesus Christ’s 35 years of faithfulness to JIL in Luneta again! – KS Libunao