Nathan Cameron, the first graduate from the Institute at Global Outreach Developments, International, returned from a 5 month Immersion in the Philippines in June. In the following article, he offers his thoughts on some of his experiences there.
by Nathan Cameron
I have recently returned from my five-month stay in the Philippines and my time spent there was mind blowing in multiple arenas. It was certainly a time unlike any other, through which I was able to connect with the Lord and the people of the Philippines. There is much that I learned and experienced over these past months that impacted me, and I hope that through the telling of my story, others may also be impacted.
ACBS and Hunger
The first three months of my time in the Philippines were spent at the Asia Center for Biblical Studies, where I had the privilege to teach at least once per week. To attach but one word to the students there, I must say that they were “hungry.” They were undoubtedly hungry for the word of God, even so much that they would make commitments causing great personal inconveniences to be at that institution. One such example is that married students who have a spouse not attending the school must stay in the dorms away from their other half, which they willingly do. I later found that this hunger for a deeper knowledge of the word of God is common throughout the Philippines. With rare exception, the people are open to the word of God and humble to receive it. More than just teaching in the classroom there, however, I had the privilege to spend countless hours with the student dean, Eliezar Jansol, pouring over the word of God. From him I gained many cultural insights that will forever stay with me, and a relationship with a friend that is based on the best thing in the world—the Kingdom of God. The fact that he is older than I and was still so open and ready to listen has caused me to continually remember the importance of always being a student. Additionally, Ely displays the brokenness necessary to truly learn from those God places in his life, and I hope such to be a quality I can legitimately imitate.
