About Bantayan Island.org
This web site
operates without the
payment of money or services by any resort or business listed on this
web site to Bantayan Island.org
For this reason the writer of Bantayan Island.org can publish actual
and
unbiased information about each hotel, restaurant, government agency
and information web site mentioned here.
You can rest assured that what you read here is what you will find on
Bantayan Island. Unlike other travel web sites who
are
paid a fee by the hotels and restaurants on Bantayan Island to
give
good reviews, we simply tell you how it is.
The Purpose of this
Web Site:
After
serving
as the pastor of two churches in Northern Arizona for 14 years, and
producing over 2,000 hours of Bible Commentary on our ministry web
sites
Teach
The Word.com,
The Word MP3.com,
and
Bible
Prophecy Update.com,
my wife Marissa and I
began to pray and ask the Lord where He would next have us serve Him in
Ministry.
Marissa being from Cebu in the Philippines, we planned a trip home to
visit with family and friends for the Christmas season and new year. On
a five day trip from Cebu to Bantayan Island we had the opportunity to
walk amongst the people of Bantayan Island and get to know them and
what their lives were like.
On one particular day, we met a family in one of the many small
fishing villages along the beaches of Bantayan Island. Three
petitie mothers approached us and began to talk with us as if they had
know us for years. Holding in their arms their tiny babies, ever
smiling with eyes full of light and life, I began to look just past the
shoulder of one of the women standing in front of me.
What I saw shocked and stirred my heart as I have never felt
before.
A small home made from the elements of the island. Coconut palm frawns
covered the Nipa hut roof. Woven strips of palm and bamboo made the
walls. A dirt floor, no windows and the sight of an outdoor
cooking
area with the nutty smell of smoke still rising into the air.
I felt a swell of emotion within my heart that I recognized as the
voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to me.
"Help Them..."
I began to
tremble and then weep. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a few
old and tattered Philippine Peso's. I whispered into my wife's ear if
it would be alright if I gave to each of the three ladies standing
before
us some of our money. She nodded her head as we both looked back into
the faces of the women before us.
As I handed the tattered and faded paper money to each woman their
faces lit up as if they had just been given a great gift long hoped
for. They humbly bowed their heads in acknowledgment and moved their
lips in unrecognized words that I knew meant "Thank You".
I motioned to my wife that I was going to walk a few steps away from
those who had gathered to meet us. The tears now flowing
uncontrollably,
I stood still waiting and pondering what had just happened.
The people of the fishing villages were unlike any that I have ever met
before. They had so
little, living in object poverty, yet they had such beauty of soul and
a joy within that I had not seen before in a human being who was living
under such conditions. Despite having so little I wondered at their
humility, gentleness and obvious love. How could someone with so little
have such a beautiful countenance and spirit?
Once again I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit say to me "
Didn't I
tell you Blessed are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven..."
These people had no natural barriers to their heart that those in
places crowded with material possessions have. They were not burdened
with worries of gaining, keeping or losing. Their lives were simply
lived moment by moment, trying to care and provide the needs of their
children and family members. They have open hearts because they have
not been closed by the callousness of the world.
I realized at that moment that we had the power to help these precious
people have better lives. Although we were not wealthy ourselves, we
had resources far beyond anything they hoped for that could supply the
precious blessings of food, clean water, shelter, clothing and medical
needs they needed so desperately. It wouldn't take much to bring to
their lives, the basic necessities that would allow them to live.
Having such beautiful and open hearts I understood that when we began
to tell them of God's great love for each one of them and how He had
sent His Only Son to die on a Roman Cross to pay for their sins, they
would respond with eagerness to know more of this God who loved them so
dearly.
Unlike those who have grown up learning to grab for more and the
preoccupation with things, these had no such barrier or distraction.
All it would take to reach them for the Lord would be to love them and
become their friends. To give a few basic necessities of life to them
freely with no expectation of anything in return. To show them the Love
of God by meeting their practical and daily requirements. This is how
the Gospel should be given, this is the way that we make Jesus known to
these humble island fishermen and farmers.
I registered
bantayanisland.org as a travel information web site to
give important facts about the island, the resorts, hotels, and other
facilities so that others could learn of this beautiful place and most
importantly,
the beautiful people of the island and how desperately they need our
help.
Marissa and I have been blessed by the Lord financially so that we do
not
need to ask for your help to provide for our needs. We come to you here
on this web site to ask you if you might consider coming alongside us
to
help the people of Bantayan Island have better lives. If you have a
heart for people and an inner sense that you should use your resources
to touch other lives, then perhaps you will be led to help us in our
work here.
We do not receive any money from this web site for us personally. We do
not ask for a fee to partake of the information on this web site that
hopefully will allow you to choose a resort and pick a travel date to
visit the island.
All of the information that we will place here on this web site is
yours for
free and is to be used by anyone who would like to find out more about
Bantayan Island.
If you come to bantayanisland.org, and learn about the plight
of
the people on the Island and feel the same
sense of urgency that I felt as I walked among the people, you can help
us in a variety of ways:
First
we need your constant and fervent prayers for wisdom, guidance and
direction in how the Lord would have us help these precious people.
Second,
you can come to Bantayan Island for a visit and to see the people for
yourself, and do so with an open heart that perhaps the Lord would also
move you to come here and join us in this important work.
Third,
you can give of your financial resources to allow us to buy rice, meat,
fresh water, clothing, and provide the medical needs of these humble
people. We need to rebuild their homes that were destroyed in the
Typhoon of 2006 that have never been repaired. It will take hundreds of
thousands of dollars to make this possible, but with the compassionate
help of many we can make this a reality for these deperate people.
Together we can feed and cloth a single family for an entire month for
just $50.00. A new Native shelter can be built for about $2,000.00. We
can take care of the medical needs for a family for less than $100.00.
Thank you for taking the time to learn a little of these wonderful
people, their lives and their needs. Marissa and I pray that your heart
has been touched by their story and that you will come with us in any
way to help us make better lives for these desperate people and bring
the Love of God by the message of Jesus Christ to all of the 120,000
souls on Bantayan Island.
In ministry to the
People of Bantayan Island,
Pastor Rob and Marissa Robinson