A Journey of Finding Better Things To Do
EXAMINING THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN IN THE PHILIPPINES
If you grew up in a country full of opportunities, a better educational system, cold weather, and a financially stable family, would you ever think of living in a developing country and staying there until your last breath? Probably not. It takes a lot of courage to move to a foreign island far from your comfort zone. There are too many adjustments and changes that you will face in culture, food, weather, and the way of living.
Jim Young was born and raised in Pennsylvania, USA. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S Air Force and served there for four years. Towards the end of his service, he was assigned to Clark Base in Pampanga, Philippines, and experienced the life of the Filipinos for the first time. His heart was overcome by the beauty of the people and the calmness of nature of the foreign island. Little did he know that his fate would be changed totally, and God would use him to expand the kingdom of the Almighty.
After he finished his service in the military, he went back to the USA but prepared his papers to return and live in the Philippines. He stayed in Mindanao, Philippines for three years and bought land to cultivate and fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a farmer. He discovered that with not a lot of money he could be both a farmer and experience living in simplicity with the Filipino people. In fact, he said that there were no hardships in adjusting to the foreign soil.
BETTER THINGS TO DO
Before Jim became a Christian, he didn’t know who Jesus Christ was. His family regularly visited church every Sunday during his childhood days, but he only enjoyed listening to the hymns of the worship songs. He was not aware of how Jesus Christ saved him from the death of sin. Though attending church didn’t feel significant to him during those times, God still used it to build upon His call to be His servant later on. After staying in the Philippines for three years, he returned to the USA. During this stay, he heard a simple and clear message on a Christian radio station: “What better things could you do with your life than serve God?”
It was a turning point when he understood that God was calling him for another service, not in the Air Force anymore, but in winning souls. The Holy Spirit transformed his heart, and he continued listening to Christian radio. After six months, he attended a church, but this time it was not merely about the enjoyment of listening to worship songs. It was about knowing Jesus Christ and serving Him for the rest of his life. He was born again at the age of 49.
THE PRIZE OF THE SACRIFICE
In 2006 after he retired from working for 34 years as a construction worker, he went back to the Philippines, not just to have a vacation or to plant vegetables, but to plant the Word of God. For some, being a foreign missionary or a Christian pastor in a different country is an ultimate sacrifice, but Jim is different. When asked what the weirdest things he needed to adopt culturally after migrating to Philippines the were, his response was, “Nothing.” He didn’t view it as a sacrifice because he was overwhelmed by the love of Christ, and he wanted to share it with other people, especially Filipinos.
He served the Lord by attending the Church of Our Savior in Bato, Toledo City, Cebu Island for more than five years. Then, he decided to give up his properties in California to officially move to Toledo City to continue building the Kingdom of God. Every decision he made was not just for his own sake but to help other people by using the Word of God. You might think his destiny is to be stuck in the Philippines, but no. It was God working in Jim’s life and moving him to a better place so he could influence hundreds of Filipino youth. Instead of a comfortable retirement, he sacrificed stability, reputation, and security to love his adopted neighbors trapped in the shadow of sin.
To chase your dreams is not wrong but maintaining a tight relationship with God must be central because He is the one that traces the right path for you.
LESSONS ARE SWEET AS HONEY
For many years he was just a passionate Christian serving God in the Philippines, but he officially became an appointed pastor in 2018 to serve and mold young people in Barangay Sagay. In this small mountainous area in Toledo City, he continues to build the foundation of faith through his church members and surrounding rural communities. His message to the youth especially is that chasing your dreams is not wrong. However, maintaining a tight relationship with God must be central because He is the one that outlines the right path for you.
We may think of God as if He were Santa Claus, so when things don’t pan out, we desperately try to take control of our lives. Jim initially just wanted a typical, comfortable life. Still, he always dreamed of becoming a farmer, and he even did it for a while, but it didn’t ultimately fulfill him. When he finally figured out that God was the answer to what he had been searching for all his life, He used his desire and made him a farmer of men.
It is not wrong to seek great things in your life or plan something for your future, but let God be the artist who paints your future like Jim. Now, it’s your turn. Are you going to be the solo artist of your life, or will you let God do His art?