Bong Pedralvez
Photo credit: JIL Macau Facebook page
Known as one of the world’s gambling capitals, the former Portuguese colony of Macau has also become the site of thousands of overseas Filipino workers who have found the proverbial greener pastures there.
But living and working in the “Las Vegas” of Asia has its drawbacks, exposing Filipinos and other expatriates to vices and temptations that they can easily succumb to.
“Some of these OFWs wind up heavily in debt, get into drugs, and end up in prison because of the living conditions in Macau,” noted Jesus is Lord (JIL) Macau pastor, Ptr. Corazon Tongco. Ptr. Cora is in Manila to attend JIL’s 38th anniversary celebration at the Rizal Park.
A former OFW in nearby Hong Kong, Ptr. Cora who was the former JIL Las Pinas pastor before being assigned to Macau, was grateful that as an expatriate herself God had uniquely equipped her to minister and empathize with her compatriots in Macau.
“Nakatulong po ng malaki sa akin ang aking experience sa Hong Kong para matulungan namin ang mga kapwa ko Filipino sa Macau,” she said. “I can understand the challenges they face.”
Ptr. Cora revealed that, by the grace of God, the ministry has grown from around 100 attendees to 400 people since 2012, majority of them active workers.
She also attributed the increase in the congregation to JIL’s “Encounter God Retreat” that has transformed most, if not all, of its participants, enabling them to overcome their former vices and live new lives in Jesus Christ.
“We just held our EGR Batch 7,” said Ptr. Cora, adding that the church now conducts two services on Sundays on top of its separate weekly midweek service and prayer meetings inside its building near the popular Macau Red Market.
“We are currently conducting intensive training for emerging leaders,” she said in coping with the ministry’s increasing demands.
JIL Macau recently opened its prison ministry to women inmates, Ptr. Cora said, “because we also have Filipinas there who need to be looked after and be shared by the gospel.”
The church also celebrated its 20th anniversary with the theme “Forever Faithful, Forever Grateful,” based on Lamentations 3: 23. “God has been faithful to JIL Macau for the past two decades and we are forever grateful for that,” Ptr. Cora said.
The pastor, however, said that she and the rest of JIL Macau will not rest on their laurels but aim to break new ground further.
“We want to be more zealous in knowing and serving God better, evangelize and disciple more in keeping with the JIL mission and vision.”