(Below you will find the story of Emy van Polen-Manuel. She has written down this story, for us to put on our website, to tell people about the importance of missionary work.)

My name is Emy van Polen-Manuel and this is my testimony.

I have been born on the Philippines in a small village called General Mamerto Natividad. I am the oldest daughter in my family and after me my parents received one son and another six daughters.

There was a little Catholic church in our village but I did not really like the services. One day a woman from a far and strange country arrived in our village. She sat down under a big Mangotree and told beautiful Biblestories with colourful pictures. My mother did not like this at all and did not want me to go anymore. Still, as a child I was drawn to these meeting so I went secretly.

The stories were about Jesus and I started to understand them. I enjoyed  the singing with the other children. After a while my mother discoverd that I was not only visiting under the Mangotree but also attended sundayschool. She was very angry and tried to prevent me from going. She said: “If you want to meet that evangelist you will have to clean te house first and then you will have to water the plants en tidy the garden!”

I did this every sunday, very early in the morning, and afterwards I went to sundayschool. It was there that I gave my heart to Jesus en He has never forsaken me after that!

After me my brother and later my sisters all accepted Christ and we have been baptist in the river. Some time later my father followed and lastly my mother accepted Jesus as well. My brother is a pastor in a small church near the our homevillage.

Beacuse of a shortage of nurses in the Netherlands I ended up in Eindhoven. There I met my husband and together we received two sons. They married as well and now we are blessed with five grandchildren and awaiting two more. I am a very happy grandmother as all our children and their families know Jesus as their personal saviour, Creator and Lord.

God is good foor al of us! He really loves everybody and He loves you! What is your answer to His neverending love?