Mila’s Prayer
By CYBILL BAYTO
Behold… I will heal them and reveal to them abundance and prosperity. I will restore their fortunes… — Jeremiah 33: 6-7
THE Light of Jesus Family shelter for abused girls is named Jeremiah 33 Foundation as it is anchored on this powerful, inspiring verse.
The Jeremiah 33 Foundation is one of the Mercy ministries established by Bro. Reylindo Ortega, longtime devoted member of our Light of Jesus Family, and so our LOJ, led by our founder, Bro. Bo Sanchez, has included Jeremiah as among the beneficiaries of our Mercy Ministries now led by Bro. Hermie Morelos as chairman.
Bro. Rey, well supported by his wife, Sis. Myrna, established a home for indigent pregnant women — with no means to fend for their baby, and thus most likely tempted to resort to abortion.
Bro. Rey named the ministry Grace To Be Born—yes, giving babies under threat of abortion the chance to receive God’s grace to be born.
Bro. Rey and Sis. Myrna already passed on to Heaven,
but God has continued their Mercy Ministries through our Light of Jesus Family.
The Grace home for women in crisis was meant for yes, women– already above age 21. But relatives brought to the home girls—as in minors—sexually abused, and therefore, yes, in crisis. Since such girls need pastoral care much different from the needs of women in Grace, Bro. Rey established Jeremiah 33.
The Foundation, began on November 27, 2012, marks its ninth founding anniversary this November 27, 2021. So, The Feast Family is celebrating this Mercy ministry with a series this November on beneficiaries as well as supporters of the Foundation.
In this issue, here’s a testimony of a grateful beneficiary. To protect her privacy we are giving her a pseudonym. Here is Mila’s story…
I Feel New
ON March 5, 2020, I was so happy because my mother visited me in the Jeremiah Foundation home. We had a good time and she said that she would visit me again in the next coming days. But shortly after, on March 11, 2020, the Pasig City government declared a lockdown as the Coronavirus Disease (COVID) Pandemic began to intensify.
I was, to say the least, disappointed. I slumped on the floor and cried out, “This is the beginning of my nightmare.”
And with tears, I prayed.
Honestly, that was the time I realized that I had not been praying to God—not every day. When COVID hit us, I realized I had been so far away from God. And I found myself turning to Him. I realized, even as I neglected God, He has been just around, waiting for me to talk to Him.
So, I asked Him, “Is this where you will reach out to me? Through this Pandemic? Is this Your way to let me feel Your Presence? To let me know that You have been there for me all along?”
That very moment, I somehow felt new. I felt like there is Someone that I could lean on — despite the crisis happening in the world and in my life.
So, since then, I’ve been praying every single day and every moment, thanking God for He has never left my side. I know now that He has given me strength so that with Him, I can fight my battles.
Also, I have been able to appreciate my friends in Jeremiah—our leaders, our caregivers, and girls like me dealing with the trauma of our terrible past.
God is always here for us and I am forever thankful for His promises to me. I will do my best to make Him the center of my life.
The lesson that I learned from this experience is… to not be afraid, to be a child of God again– because God is just right here, always here for you and for me. Just like the song, Yesterday’s Dream by Donna Cruz… “Building tomorrow for you and for me.”
God is planning for our future. Just like what the Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
The love of God to us is the best gift that we can ever receive in our lifetime. I don’t see Him, nor touch Him, but I can feel His everlasting love. I can feel His Presence here and now.
