Listener Responses - May 1950

PMs are doing the job

SOMETIME AGO, I had the joy of my life in seeing for myself, just in a little way, how the "PM" is doing the Job for the Lord in remote places in the Philippines. Gathered around that PM in a small barrio called Lepit-Mabilao up in the hills of San Fabian, Pangasinan, were no less than forty people, young and old. Not many huts were in sight among those hills and to see that many people around looked entirely strange. But there they wire. The. had come from beyond those hills, hearing of the arrival of the radio in the native pastor's place. What a joy- it was just to watch those eager, brown faces visibly affected by the uplifting Gospel messages coming out of the faithful PM". A fifteen-minute Gospel program in their native tongue (Ilocano) came on and oh, You should have seen the light in those eyes as young and old nodded their understanding of the truth spoken over the radio.

After four hours of listening, the faithful audience was not only there, undiminished, but the people were determined more than ever to stay in their seats on the split bamboo floor of the rickety nipa but. Then "Back to the Bible" came on at 8 o'clock. As the English message was being given, the native pastor who sat with his flock around the "PM", with automatic ease translated the message into their native dialect to the satisfaction of everyone.

Recently a dear Christian lady came all the way from Taliba, San Luis, Batangas braving the dangers that lurk on the dissident-infested highways just to express in a little way her feeling of gratitude to the - good folks at DZAS for their kindness in sending a "PM" to her barrio. She comes with a thrilling report of scores of people gathering around the radio and the nipa house where the "PM" has been placed. "Tonight, our barrio folks will gather again as usual, and her cousin is preparing a halo-halo party (refreshment) to entertain the people who come to listen," she says with jubilance. "The signal was extra good last night, we heard every word, both in English and Tagalog." With tears of joy, she narrated how much their particular barrio is being blessed with the radio ministry. "Whenever our favorite Tagalog or English program comes on, we jump out of our seats, halfthrough eating but very eager to partake of the Bread of Life broadcast on the air. We all rush to the side of the radio and listen. Since we have this "PM" we feel that our long-standing need of a pastor in our place has been wondrously met. We join the worship on the air as realistically as we do actual services when a minister happens to pass this way." Our sister's expression of appreciation was not empty words. She meant every bit of what she said. Under the scorching sun, she came that noon perspiring all over, heavy with tokens of genuine Christian affection for DZAS friends and missionaries: delicious macapuno, (coconut), sun-ripened bananas, and home-made chocolate bricks. "We can never give you people enough for the services you are rendering, not only to us in Taliba, but also to all the places which are tremendously blessed by your broadcasts."

Maximo D. Atienza