Stories from the Philippines - Pastor Choi and Pastora Alma
What does it look like when two churches, separated by thousands of kilometres and very different cultures, decide to walk together for a quarter of a century? Not a quick visit. Not a one-off donation. Twenty-five years of praying, giving, sending and sharing life.
That is the story we got to celebrate this Sunday, and it is a story still being written.
As part of our OneCare Mission Month, our Missions Pastor Carly Cassidy sat down with two very special guests: Pastor Choi and Pastora Alma, who lead ACCC in the Philippines. This year marks 25 years of partnership between our two churches, and their conversation traced that journey from its humble beginnings to the thriving ministry it has become. You can watch the full conversation in the video above, or listen to the audio version below.
This Mission Month our theme is simply "together". Mission is not a solo task, it is a shared calling. As Carly reminded us, in the book of Acts we see a diverse church united by one Spirit, one mission and one gospel. These interviews with our partners are an echo of that same Acts church, and the conversation with Choi and Alma showed us exactly what that can look like over the long haul.
Where it all began
Carly asked Pastor Choi to take us right back to the beginning, and his answer was deeply moving.
It was June 2000. Choi had just lost his mother to cancer; she was only 55. Into that season of grief came a group of young Australian pastors who had travelled to the Philippines to run an encouragement conference for local pastors. At the end of the conference they drew lots to decide who would preach at each church. The pastor assigned to Choi's tiny, three-year-old congregation, then meeting in a small house, was Pastor David.
Choi remembers that first sermon vividly, right down to the chook clattering about on the roof while David preached on "fight the good fight."
"Who would think that that first preaching would still be ringing on unto our ears, to fight on and keep serving God with our hearts?"
A grieving young pastor, a small house church, a borrowed sermon and a noisy rooster. That is how 25 years of partnership began. Choi chose Psalm 126 to mark the occasion: "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
A partnership that changes both sides
When Carly turned to Pastora Alma and asked what the partnership had meant, her gratitude was overwhelming.
"We will not know where we are now without this partnership. Our engagement with the community will not be deeper and will not be impactful without this partnership."
Alma described an honest picture: a small church doing its very best, but limited. Through the partnership, communities have been helped and lives changed through medical missions, feeding programs, sponsorships and visits to local jails. But what struck her most was not the programs, it was the faithfulness.
"You have never given us up. You are always there. In times of need, you are always there. Truly it says, a friend in need is a friend indeed."
And this is the part we can easily miss. This has never been a one-way street. Alma reframed it beautifully: this is not 25 years of support, but 26 years of sharing life together. The church in the Philippines prays for us by name; our photos are on their walls. As Carly put it, our church has been transformed every time we come and listen and learn from their community. We come home blessed.
Seeing God at work
Asked for a story that captures God at work, Choi took us back about 20 years to an urban poor area, a place of shanties where families squatted on land they did not own. He described children covered in scabies, and one little girl scratching infected blisters with a rusty nail.
So they began to offer food. Not as a religious program, but simply as friends.
"Without them knowing, we call ourselves, we are Jesus' friends. We come to be friends with you. It's not about religion, it's about loving you."
The feeding program grew, but then the Philippine economy made rice so expensive the church could barely afford it. The finance team suggested they stop. In the middle of that pressure, Choi sensed God ask a question: would you rather give money for these children once they are in hospital, or feed them so they never end up there? The leaders, teary-eyed, decided to fund it out of their own pockets. It was sacrificial, and it was timely.
In 2006 a visiting team from our church saw that feeding program first-hand, and what had been one church's costly act of love became something we could share in together. From that one site, the program has now grown to 13 sites feeding more than 500 children every week.
One of those children, Mark, grew up through the program and now helps run ministries at the church. This year he was master of ceremonies for his city's Independence Day celebration, in front of the mayor and council.
"What a good God we have. I have more stories, but sorry, I have to stop."
What 25 years has taught them about partnership
Toward the end, Carly asked Alma what she had learned about Christian partnership. Her answer cut to the heart of why this matters.
"This partnership is not just about doing something, it is not just pooling resources. This is about inviting the presence of God in our partnership. Our togetherness seems to be a magnet for the presence of the Lord."
Alma explained that walking alongside us as a "big brother" helped their church define its own vision and mission. They describe themselves as a Christ-centred community multiplying other Christ-centred communities across Asia. Their mission is threefold: to glorify God, grow disciples, and reach the nations. And their core values are wonderfully concrete: each one win one, and each family a ministry.
That vision is bearing fruit. Their church has already planted two further congregations, with more beginning. From a couple starting a church from nothing, to a movement of churches planting churches, this is the book of Acts continuing in our own day.
Crumbs and bread
Choi's closing words to our church family will stay with many of us. He spoke of representing a community of fewer than 2,000 people, and then said something that turned our usual thinking on its head.
"All we ask from you is crumbs from your table. But you haven't given us crumbs. You shared with us your bread."
He thanked us not just for resources but for presence. "Your presence, whenever you come, it expands our horizons." Then, in his own language, he blessed us: "Salamat po sa inyong lahat," thank you so much to all of you.
Pastor Tim closed the morning by praying over Choi and Alma, and a small plaque was presented as a symbol of 25 years of friendship in the gospel. As Tim prayed, he named the deeper truth underneath the whole partnership: that in Christ we share a unity that runs deeper than biology and deeper than any organisation. What they do is part of us, and what we do is part of them.
One way to live it out this week
You do not have to cross an ocean to participate in God's mission. This week, take one concrete step toward the "together" theme. Pray by name for Choi, Alma and the ACCC community, just as they pray for us with our photos on their walls. Or visit one of the mission partner stalls and have a genuine conversation, ask a question, learn a name. Mission grows through relationships, and relationships grow when we show up. Choose one partner and commit to praying for them through the rest of this month.
A short prayer
Father, thank you for 25 years of friendship across the miles.
Thank you that your church is bigger than any one place, and that what one part does is the work of us all.
We praise you for Pastor Choi, Pastora Alma and the ACCC community, for feeding programs and medical missions and lives changed.
Make our togetherness a magnet for your presence.
Teach us that mission is not a solo task but a shared calling.
And use even our crumbs to become bread for those in need.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
Pastor Choi can look back and see God preparing the ground long before he understood it. Where might God have been at work in your own story in ways you only recognise now?
Alma said their togetherness with us became "a magnet for the presence of the Lord." Where in your life are you trying to serve God alone that might be better done together?
Choi spoke of being willing to feed children out of the church's own pockets when funds ran out. What would sacrificial, costly love look like for you this week?
Small Group Discussion
What stood out to you most from Choi and Alma's stories? Was there a moment that moved you?
The partnership began in a season of grief, with a borrowed sermon and a noisy rooster. What does it say about God that he builds something lasting from such humble, unlikely beginnings?
Read Psalm 126 together. Why do you think Pastor Choi chose this passage to mark 25 years? Where have you seen the Lord "do great things"?
Alma insisted this has never been one-way: "we come home blessed." Why is it important that mission partnership blesses both sides, and how does that change how we think about giving and serving?
Choi described befriending the community first, "it's not about religion, it's about loving you." What can we learn from that approach for our own neighbourhoods?
Their core values are "each one win one" and "each family a ministry." What would it look like for our group, or our families, to take those values seriously?
Choi said, "you haven't given us crumbs, you shared with us your bread." Where might God be inviting you to move from giving crumbs to sharing bread, with your time, presence or resources?
The theme of Mission Month is "together." Spend time praying for one another, that each person would find their place in God's shared mission, and pray for Choi, Alma and the ACCC community by name.