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Project I.S.L.A.M. Transforms a Muslim Stronghold in the Philippines
Since the DNA began in 1997, our goal has been to catalyze a movement, rather than manage an organization. Central to this has been the widespread distribution of our core teachings. One of our operational principles is "Getting Ideas Out as Widely as Possible." As a result, we often give materials away freely and don't often know whose hands they will end up in, or how God will use them.From time to time, we hear reports of people who have come across these sources and been impacted by them. These are always occasions for rejoicing. Several of these moments occurred during the recent DNA Forum in Hong Kong. We heard from a pastor and group of dedicated Christians from a coalition of churches in Manila, Philippines who came to meet with usand share their story. It was the first time for any of us had the chance to meet these dear brothers and sisters. Here's what they shared:
Pastor Paul (not his real name) had come across a copy of If Jesus Were Mayor, written by DNA co-founder Bob Moffitt. For some time, he and a coalition of churches in Metro Manila had been involved in evangelistic outreach on Mindanao, the main southern Island of the Philippines, and a stronghold for radical Islam. Their outreach efforts focused mainly on overt evangelism and were bearing little fruit. For years, a civil war has been waged between the Philippine government and Muslim insurgents in Mindanao. Few churches are daring enough to do outreachin a place where Christian missionaries have been executed.
After reading If Jesus Were Mayor, Pastor Paul had an "ah ha" moment. While they had been faithfully proclaiming the message of salvation through Christ, they had failed to demonstrate Christ-like love to those they were trying to reach. To remedy this, they banded together to form an association called "Project I.S.L.A.M" which stands for "I Sincerely Love All Muslims." They then set out to love Muslims as hard as they could! Some of their acts of love included:
- Construction of 250 houses
- Annual youth camps
- Provision of university scholarships
- Installation of electric power to every home in one village
- Construction of a new highway
- Construction of additional rooms for a primary school
- Construction of a dormitory for high school students
- Improved local farm technology
Through this powerful witness of Christ-like love in action, villages that were previously chaotic and violent are now orderly and peaceful. There has been a dramatic decrease of guns in the village homes, and many people have become responsible citizens. The transformation has been so significant, that the national government recently cited the change that has occurred as a model for peace.
The pastor brought a young woman to the DNA Forum from a Mindanao village that was so impacted by t
he love expressed
he love expressed by Christians that, even though she is now a worshiper of Jesus, she was selected as a leader and trainer of other young
people by her Muslim village elders. This is unheard of. After hearing the testimony of this young lady, we gathered around our new friends, laid hands on them and thanked God for His amazing grace which is bearing fruit in even the most violent and broken places of our planet.
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