My real name is Merman Custodio but my friends and relatives call me Mackie. I am 29 years old, happily married to Lerma and just very recently, one lovely daughter was born to us, Yanara Micah. Currently, I work for International Teams Philippines as a missionary under the Youth Mobilization (YM) team. I am one of the trainers of the Training Department. Aside from YM, I am also helping a church in Makati, Jesus Kings of Kings Community Church, focusing on the discipleship program for the members.
It was 16 six year ago, March 1995 when I came to know the Lord Jesus as my Lord and savior. I came from a poor but a big family. I had 6 brothers and 3 sisters. My father was a freelance automotive painter. Not really having a facility to do his job, He would paint cars on our street, so when it rains, he can’t do his job. In spite of not having many customers, most of the time when he got some, instead of buying food for his family, he would spend the day's earnings to liquor and other vices. Also, since that painting cars was the only trade he knew, he forced us, his sons to work for him without really compensating any of us for the work we did. That’s why I grew up with resentment and anger to the point that I became rebellious to my father.
That rebelliousness became evident when I entered high school. Having found new friends, who influenced me to skip school; we spend most of our time in shopping malls. It was almost every day that I cut class just to go with my classmates. After a few months, my teacher didn’t want to accept me anymore because of the many days that I didn’t attend class. She asked me to bring my parents so she could talk to them. I didn’t know what to do then because my parents didn’t know that I was skipping school. I felt so helpless. I was in such a hopeless situation that I didn’t know where to go. It seems that no one can help me with my problem.
Until one day, the youth pastor of the church where my sisters attend Bible study invited me to attend their youth fellowship. Wanting to have more friends, I attended the youth fellowship. That was my first time to attend a Christian church. As the program continued, the youth leader gave a message that seems to be speaking about my situation. It was like the youth leader was only talking to me. He was talking not just about my problem and hopeless situation but also who can help me. I felt like a sheep, wandering in the wilderness and then the shepherd (God) suddenly came searching for me, calling my very name to come to Him.
The message became so personal to me that night. It was so clear that Jesus is inviting me to come and know Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Being hopeless and in need of a Lord and Savior, I gave my hope, faith and life to God. Right after that prayer, I felt so relieved and I had so much joy that I never had before.
After the service I met friends who helped me grow in the Lord. They even helped me to explain my situation to my parents and to my teachers. They helped me to resolve my problem in school and in my family. As I continued to grow in the Lord, I have learned how to forgive and how to be free from angry and guilt.
Then my deep passion in serving the Lord also grew. I saw myself serving in various ministries of our church. I became part of the pastoral ministry, youth ministry and administration of the church.
I even had the chance to go to England for a mission trip. Together with another co-worker of our local church, we ministered in Luton, England for four months. God used that mission trip to open my eyes to missions. I realized that people in different cultures and different walks of life need God in their lives. God touched my heart and I responded to His call for missions. I resolved in my heart that from day on that I will be involved in mission.
It wasn’t easy though as I received a lot of criticism and discouragement after I decided to pursue God’s call. There were many times that people close to me who doesn’t know the Lord, told me that I won’t survive without a secular job. For them, being missionary means I won’t have any means to support my needs. Even my mother discouraged me to the point that she nagged me to get a job instead of serving in missions. But I held on to God’s promises that God will provide for my needs. He will never let His people run out of resources because He will be the one to provide for all their needs.
Amidst criticisms and discouragements but armed with God promises, I pressed on. Now after more than 5 years of serving God as a missionary, God proved Himself once again as faithful and true. Since 2005 when I joined International Teams Philippines, until now, God has never been late in providing for my needs and for the needs of my wife and daughter. Not only that He is faithful to my personal life but He has also shown faithfulness in the ministry. He is truly blessing the work of our hands. Through the YM team, many youth in different churches are responding to missions. Countless youth and youth leaders are being trained and exposed to various ministries, here in the Philippines and in other countries. As a result, they are becoming a big blessing to their church as well as to their communities.
As I look back, I am glad that God called me to missions and then gave me the grace to pursue His call. The more we train youth leaders the more I can see God’s faithfulness. It became my driving force that’s why we never get tired of training and discipling youth and youth leaders. As a result of that drive, we started a mini-bible school in our church. I called it Be E, a name I derived from its purpose - Be Enlightened, Be Empowered and Be Equipped. I am praying that it will become a formal bible school someday.
All glory belongs to our God!
(edited by: Joshua B.)
