During our follow-up calling campaign in Ozamis City in the Philippines, one of our pastors happened to call Al’s wife’s ticket—out of thousands of others from the festival. When we reached their home, we learned that Al’s wife had been the only one able to attend, and even then, she hadn’t stayed for the full presentation so she never heard the full Gospel message.

Because of that divine phone call, our discipleship team arranged a home visit to meet the family. That’s when we met Al, who had also never heard the full Gospel before.

As the team shared the message of Jesus and His great love, Al listened closely. It was his first time hearing that salvation and healing are a free gift that Jesus had already paid the price for him. With a sincere heart, Al prayed to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior right there in his home.

Afterward, the team asked if they could pray for his healing. Al had been suffering from severe, crippling arthritis and gout, barely able to move because of the pain. As prayer began, he saw Jesus standing before him, looking at him with compassion, and raising his arms. In response, Al lifted his arms and found that he could move more freely than he had in a long time.

The pain began to fade, and his mobility improved. With tears streaming down his face, Al said he could tell the change… it was as if his pain and stiffness had been cut in half. The moment was deeply moving as he experienced both spiritual and physical transformation.

His wife sat nearby, weeping with gratitude that out of all the homes and all the cities on the island, God had sent someone to theirs.

The local pastors who were with our team scheduled follow-up visits and committed to keep returning regularly to disciple the family and help them grow in their new faith.

This is what discipleship looks like, the Gospel taking root in hearts and homes. We’re so thankful that Al and his family are now connected to a local church and growing in their relationship with Jesus.