Felix Bravo’s Weblog

Dear brother Ed,
Thank you for sending me the history of our faithful brother Erasto M. Fuentes Sr. I would like to share some observations that I have about this long-time friend and beloved brother.

I first met bro. Fuentes, when he was a student at PBC in 1954-55. I was in the US Air Force, flying with the 31st Air Rescue Squadron,stationed at Clark AFB. I was invited to come to the First Graduation of the PBC by bro. Ralph Brashears in 1954, and I was able to spend some time with all of the students and Faculty. I remember that bro. Fuentes impressed me very much, and we worked together again in 1961. Read more…

Brother Erasto Marisga Fuentes’s walk of faith began in the 1950’s. His parents having died, he and his young siblings tried to make it in the world of the adults. He was then a young member of the Lord’s church in San Jose, Oriental Mindoro. Having finished the sixth grade, he got a job as sanitary inspector of the province through the help of the president of their school, who became governor of the province. In a few years he could be promoted to chief sanitary inspector. Politics too beckoned to him. But he had other things in mind.

He had just received a copy of “New Testament Christianity” magazine. That small literature interested him. He wrote the editor, expressing his desire to study at Philippine Bible College. Ralph Brashears wrote back and told him he could come and study for free. That elated him.

That was 1954 when he came to Baguio City. Having been a government employee, he went to a garage near Burnham Park where he saw government vehicles being parked and asked one of the drivers to take him to Philippine Bible College. It was a ride so short; he did not know that PBC was just nearby, along Carantes Street. He thought it was a big school, with a big campus; he saw that it was housed in a small edifice which it also rented. He thought Ralph Brashears, president of the college, would meet him; it was Adriano Limbawan (deceased), one of the students, who showed him around. Brashears was in the States campaigning for more support for the school.

Looking back at it now, brother Erasto said he had no regrets, only a deeper love and appreciation to the Lord who made use of him in His vineyard. His journey of faith, which began with small steps back in Mindoro, now taught him here is the life he should be looking for: The life of one who would be a minister of God. Read more…

THE MISSION’S BEGINNING. The work of the Lord in Gindi began almost simultaneously with the work in Bayandong, with the same persons and the same ministry groups involved–that of brother Salvador Cariaga’s “Body and Soul” and brother Chito Cusi’s “March for Christ.” Both churches in Bayandong and Gindi are newly planted. Both Gindi and Bayandong are villages of Bacacay. The distance between both places is more or less six kilometers.

These mercy groups came to help the needy victims of Bicol region, and to point them to the only Savior through whose name all blessings flow. With the distributing of benevolent aids also came the teaching. Teachers included Bonifacio Patricio, Bert Patricio, Buddy Buo, and a host of others…Read more…

THE BEGINNING OF THE MISSION. The work of the Lord in Bayandong, in the town of Bacacay, province of Albay, began when ministry groups “Body and Soul” led by brother Salvador Cariaga and “March for Christ” led by brother Luis Cusi came with aids from US brethren. These two ministry groups, both founded by members of the churches of Christ, supplement each other and complement the work of the church in extending assistance to the victims of calamities.

What they saw was a great devastation that had been created by, first, the typhoon “Reming,” then, by the great rush of the waters from the top of Mount Mayon, which pushed the stones, sand and lava that had been spewed by the volcano a month before that. The storm with its forceful winds fell the trees and the coconuts, if not rendered them leafless and fruitless for many months, and its rains flooded the ricelands. Vegetation destroyed meant hunger to these people whose lives depended on what the land produces. But the great rush of the stones and the sand and the lava meant more. It had destroyed some bridges and parts of the highway. It had buried villages, and homes and people. It meant death. Read more…