Last March 18 to 24, 2025, the SATMI students, admin, and staff had their mission immersion at Brgy. Little Baguio, Malita, Davao Occidental.
๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ , ๐.๐๐ฌ.๐ | ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ
ย ย ย ๐ด๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ โ๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐โ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐.
ย ย ย During the immersion, the team of Fr. Pierre Samson, PME, the renowned missionary-priest among the Blaan tribe of Davao Occidental, assigned me to my foster parents: a Baptist pastor, Delfin Tusan, and his wife, a Blaan farmer, Tita Sumbo Tusan. In the next days, I would learn that there were many pastors in our predominantly Protestant immersion area, Balete, who belonged to different churches.
What was surprisingly pleasant in our conversations was the lack of debate on matters of faith or religion; what instead transpired was a convergence of Christian practices between me, a Catholic, and the greater Protestant community. Pastor Delfin was the first to bring up the term โpractical ecumenismโ and he emphasized the priority of harmony in relations between his church and other Christian denominations. Ate Tita, while accompanying me on my trips to the nearby sitios, did not hesitate to join our masses and listen to our mass reflections. Both were good friends of the foreigner priest, Fr. Samson. On my part, I joined Pastor Delfinโs bible study session with our neighbors, expressed interest in listening to his evening messages on the radio, and conversed with him as he recounted the history of their local church.
ย ย ย ย Indeed, looking back, I realized that we were closer to how Jesus preached in his earthly ministry. Jesus, being a Jew, did not preach a church or a religion. The kernel of his teaching was the Reign of God, that inbreaking of a reality or a world marked by Godโs love, joy, peace, and justice. Pastor Delfin and Tita worked for the coming of this Reign in their own patch of land, exhorting the community to greater solidarity with the least and vulnerable in their midst and to greater communion with God through their ministry as Baptist church leaders.
In them, in Fr. Samson, and in the denominations which profess that Jesus is Lord, I see a bigger summons. Gone are the days of church-building, where the implied goal across churches was to amass as many members as possible. We are in the days of kingdom-building, a period where Christians of whatever denomination are tasked to introduce a radical shift in the human imagination – from conquest to surrender – and to bring the world ever closer to the ideals and values of the Kingdom.
ย ย ย As humans, we can be notoriously good at setting up boundaries and excluding others, emphasizing differences while disregarding the many qualities holding us together. My experience with Pastor Delfin and Ate Tita suggests that this tendency need not be so. Jesus remains to be the great Reconciler of all peoples and his message, the Reign of God, has not lost, even across centuries, the potent power to unite multitudes under one dream, one vision.
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๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ ๐. ๐๐ฎ๐จ๐ญ, ๐.๐๐ฌ.๐ | ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ
ย ย ย It was a humbling and transformative experience to be with the B’laan people in Sitio Anggas, Barangay Little Baguio, Malita, Davao Occidental. Engaging with the B’laan Tribe introduced me to a remarkable community of generosity and warmth, making me feel like one of them. From the heartfelt meals they shared to the richness of stories they told; their selflessness left a profound impression on me. Observing how their Catholic faith harmoniously enriched their indigenous traditions was genuinely inspiring. It was a powerful reminder that culture bridges theology, forming a vibrant mosaic of beliefs and practices blending diverse spiritual paths.
ย ย ย ย Pondering on my journey with the B’laan people, I am reminded of Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God. As God says, “Moses! Moses! Do not come near; take off your sandals because the place where you are standing is holy ground (Exodus 3:4-5),” I realized that this verse captures my experience of God in Sitio Anggas and the B’laan community. Like Moses standing in awe before the burning bush, I, too, stood in a holy place, shaping my faith grounded on the sacredness of Bโlaan tradition and humanity. I also removed my sandals of prejudice, apprehension, and doubts as I immersed myself in the world of the B’laans, forming in me a new understanding of faith, culture, and humanity with reverence and compassion. My excursion with the Bโlaan people was more than learning their way of life; it was about being transformed by their reverence for the Divine and the world around them. Truly, Sitio Anggas had become my Mount Horeb and I left it with a heart full of gratitude, enriched by the lessons they shared and the sacred ground I was blessed to tread.
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๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐, ๐.๐๐ฌ.๐ | ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ง๐๐ฆ
ย ย ย ย After our enriching Mission-Immersion Week in Sitio Kablulan, Brgy. Little Baguio, Malita, Davao Occidental, Iโm grateful to God and the Indigenous people there. I praise God and extend heartfelt thanks to my Bโlaan brothers and sisters in Kablulan Village for revealing His presence amidst poverty. Living among them, I felt Godโs closeness profoundly through their simplicity and kindness, yet their faithful lives became a mirror of divine love. Their existence bridged the gap between the divine and the regular day, deepening my spiritual awareness. Iโm inspired by the generosity and strength of the Kablulan community. They welcomed us with open hearts, sharing what little they possessed without hesitation. This selflessness left a lasting mark on my missionary journey, teaching me the power of giving from the gratuitous heart. I was especially touched by the children, who cross mountains and rivers daily to pursue education. Their courage and determination to chase their dreams despite hardships showed me the beauty of resilience and hope in action.
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