29/01/2012
ENTRY #1 from Mirasol "Soy" Talaboc
Grace Baptist Church’s Part In Ministering to Melody
by Mirasol Talaboc |November 2011
Its been one year and eight months since the day that melody died. Looking back to what she had gone through, I can really say that God’s grace sustained her through. She came to know Christ on April 26,2007 through the ministry of GBC. That was during the Bible study conducted in their boarding house before by one of the members of the church. It didn’t end there. In her Christian life, God allowed her to face a big ordeal, and that is, to face with cancer. She was diagnosed of having a synovial sarcoma or a soft tissue cancer last July 2008. I can’t imagine how down and discouraged she was that time. But, God’s grace enables her to accept that sickness.
By that time, the doctor advised her to undergo an operation so that the cancer will not spread to the other parts of her body. Upon hearing that, we don’t really know what to do since we don’t have enough money for the needed operation. But, we have to follow what the doctor said or else, Melody will suffer the most.
Until such time that we decided to come in Cebu and just stay in the house of the brother of my brother-in-law. We planned to stay there for a while, while processing the needed things for the operation. Suddenly, Melody texted her friend who shared to her the Gospel and shared to her our concern. Unexpectedly, she offered that we can stay in GBC since it’s where she was staying. It was August 2008 that we arrived in the church. It was really a humbling experience for us as a family for we didn’t hve any relatives in the church. Only Melody knows some of them at first. We really thought that we will stay in GBC for a short period oftime since it’s a church and we’re ashamed to stay longer. We still think of possible options on what to do.
However, God has His own perfect way. He let us stay in the church for a long time. We stayed in the church for free. God used GBC to provide food for us, even the medication and in the spiritual aspect. We stayed in the church ‘till Melody was operated and was able to accomplish her chemotherapy. In our stay in GBC, Melody finds peace and hope in God because God provided godly people to partner with her financial and prayer support. He even used GBC’s Compassion Fund ministry to raise funds for her. That’s how amazing God works. It’s He who touched hearts of people to sustain Melody. We prayed sincerely that the Lord will hear her because we believe that God will still use her life in many ways. But, God’s thoughts are not ours. He took Melody’s life. She died March of 2010. It really hurt us as a family. But, knowing that, God has a purpose in everything, we learned to accept reality. God still used GBC to help us as a family in prayers, financially and spiritually. That’s how God used the church as a channel of His blessings. Until now, GBC still extended their help for us. God is really great. He never fails to show love and concern to His people. If it’s really His will, even if it hurts, He will do it. Our part is to obey Him and we will understand his purpose of allowing those things to happen.
We thank God for continually using GBC as a channel of His blessings to us as a family. We will never forget how the Lord works in them and through them to become part of Melody’s journey. She’s not here anymore but the testimony of her life is a great encouragement and inspiration to those who really witness how the Lord works in her, especially Grace Baptist Church. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
