A TESTIMONY OF A FORMER SCOUT RANGER, PHILIPPINE ARMY
A humble greetings in the most Holy Name of our Dear Savior Jesus Christ.I am grateful to share my testimony on how I found the Sheep's of our Lord and how I become one of them and part of The Church of God. (In which Bro. Jet Batalla, after listening to this humble testimony said, "You are like lost sheep wandering in the company of wolves, now you found the Sheep's of God under the Lord Jesus Christ as Shepherd, you don't need to go wandering outside anymore" and encourage me to write this testimony). Before I wrote this humble testimony, I pray to God with tears that He will use this to give more courage and investigate as I did for the sake of their salvation.
Cell number #5 of the Benguet Provincial Jail. A very cold and desolate room where I found myself to be one of the sad and lonely inmates in which this forlorn situation did never enter my mind even in my imagination.
Few years backward, I've got a promising career in the Armed Forces of the Philippines being a member of the First Scout ranger Regiment, an elite arm-wing of the Philippine Armed Forces, Philippine Army. During those times being with the Military. I promised myself to strive and do my best to get high rank or position. All of a sudden, I lost in serving in the military due to personal reasons attributed to negative acts of my senior officers that totally ruined my military career.
Before joining the military, especially during my high school and college life, I attended several religious groups or organizations but it seems all those Sunday Mass and fellowship were synonymous to ordinary secular gatherings having the same routine and very little effect in my faith and in my life.But then , I observed to myself that reading the Holy Bible alone is more beneficial rather than attending those Sunday gatherings. I observed during those days that when I prayed alone and come to the deepest of my prayer to God. I experienced like losing of my physical strength and found myself crying unto the Lord asking Him to forgive my sins and to show me "the way". Many times, I often heard people saying "Jesus is the way, believe and you shall be saved". I've done that so many times but to no effect in my life. I am like a pig which comes out from the mad after hearing those statements but to return again in the mad afterwards. My spiritual and physical life has no direction.
So it goes, I left the military as rotting soldier as they say. I returned home in Benguet Province with a plan to continue my education, finish my bachelors degree and go on to study law, but due to financial incapacity with no supporting jobs for me ti find. I became very frustrated in my plan. During those times, there was a scarcity of jobs in our place and entire the Philippines. I tried my best to find one but the only job I found in the construction as carpenter or laborer was for me to work five or eight days in a month. My presence in the Sunday Services in a religious organization or sect didn't help me with the kind of situation I had because very down both physical and spiritual.
Thn I found myself in Benguet Provincial Jail at Cell number #5 being charge (but not convicted) with robbery. Inmates were very crowded in that Jail. The two double deck bedding's were uncomfortably occupied by crowded inmate's so I being new, must sleep on the cold cemented floor. The cartoons being used as mat by my fellows were not enough. As i lay down one night staring at the upper grills, I noticed that there were packed magazines being kept on top of the iron grills. I crept upward through the side iron grills and reached the packed magazines. They were very dusty and were very old dated. I took some of the paper with the intention of using as my pillow. Laying down the night, I tried to scan one of The Way of Truth magazine but to my amazement, I found that the printed messages inside were not obsolete from the 1980's and 1990's but they were very fresh and very new spiritual food. At first, I don't know, but I can't control myself to read the magazine. It's more than a very good taste meal that I savored every words of it Then I ordered a Bible from a visitor and try to find out if the scriptures quoted in the magazine were true. I found to be real indeed.
It was very hard to kneel down in jail. I never had seen anyone kneeling or praying. It seems ridiculous to do such kneeling and praying in such place. I read at least five or six magazines when I felt my heart so heavy. My mind troubled me about the things I found out and my knees seems very weak to stand. Days and months passed and I can't control myself anymore. Since I was already acquainted with fellow inmates. I borrowed the upper bed deck, make a covering using a blanket and knelt down to God. There I poured out my tears to Him and with a humble and contrite heart I made a petition to God. Every now and then, I found myself constantly praying to the Lord.
I'm happy to have my physical freedom but the words or the message of salvation I read in The Way of Truth magazine keep on haunting my mind. At times, I took the Bible searching for the topic which was discussed in that magazine but I could not refer for the messages, for sad, I returned the magazines to the place where I found it at the upper grills of Cell Number #5, someone owned it someone must have put them there. Maybe until now, they are still there covered with dust, it was the issues of 1990's of The Way of Truth magazines. The messages I can't forget and a name of one of the writer. While still in jail, I thought of subscribing copies of it but I'm in doubt, the publishing might already discontinued in publishing since I read old copies or maybe they have change their mailing address. I can still remember, no Internet or e-mail address written in that old magazines only Post Office Box address. I didn't bother to copy their address.
So back in the social life I returned. I tried again to search for a job but to no avail. But nowadays, I observed that it was become easy for me to knell down to God. My prayer become frequent and my eyes watery with tears. Yes, I am very sad if I remember my sins and I am determined not to commit sin anymore by the help of our Lord Jesus.
One evening, while scanning the radio frequency in search for some good music, I came to encounter with Bro. Jet Batalla evangelizing through the radio. I got interested and tried to Listen for a few minutes, but those few minutes become my unending lifetime with God. I heard him mention of the magazines which I longed for, The "The Way of Truth". I immediately send him a message through the cellular phone he mentioned and ordered him copies of the precious magazine. Not a week long, a beautiful servant of God, Sis. Daisy personally brought new issues of those magazines at home.
I am now determined to attend the service of our Lord with the help of Bro. Jet as the Holy Spirit guide me. Bro. Jet encourages me to join the most awaited Philippine International Convention at Paniqui, Tarlac. I always pray that God enables me to participate on that occasion for I know He knows the best for me. Thus God said Melton, "I know what I am planning fro you, I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you , I will give you hope and good future".
For the most Holy God with all the glory through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this humble testimony was made possible.
BRO. MELTON L. LADIOCAN
LD #72, Lubas Proper, Km. 4, La Trinidad,
Benguet 2601
