“WITH FAITH, POVERTY IS NOT A HINDRANCE TO SUCCESS”.
MY TESTIMONY
I was born on May 11, 1990. 26 years old, grown-up in the province of Masbate. Currently residing at Acacia Residence Hall, AUP Campus. We are seven (7) siblings in the family, and I’m the fourth son of Mr. & Mrs. Flaviano Mandado.
Since our beloved parents cannot sustain us in pursuing our college education due to financial problem, my three (3) older siblings after they graduated in high school, they look for a job in Manila and get married. And it is a norm in our place that when you graduated in high school you have to go to Manila, look for a job in order to support your parents. So when I’m about to graduate in high school my mind was already set to follow my Kuya Lito in Manila.
Unfortunately, two months before my graduation that was February 2006, I was 16 years old back then, the land lady of my boarding house approached me and said: “Rolly I have noticed that every time we have our evening worship, you are enjoying singing our hymns and in leading the reading of the Sabbath School lesson. And not only that, you’ve also influenced all of our boarders to join in our evening worship, and just only this year, that we experienced like that. You know what? We are happy that eventhough you are a Roman Catholic you still able to do such things. Is it ok with you, if we will invite someone to conduct a Bible study here?
In short, I became an Adventist after two weeks of Bible study. I was baptized last March 11, 2006. I know that it was a great challenged for me, to face the criticism in my family, teachers and friends, it’s because all of our lineages and the school are devoted to Roman Catholic faith. But despite of all those things, I remain firm to what I have just learned in our Bible study that the Saturday Sabbath is the real Sabbath not Sunday and other days of the week.
My parents respect my decision to be baptized. Right after my graduation last May 23, 2006, “it’s now time to leave Intusan, Palanas, Masbate that was our place. After 15 hours of travel I’ve arrived Pinagtipunan, General Trias, Cavite, the place where my Kuya Lito resides and work as a master baker.
MY WORK EXPERIENCE & AWARDS
I became his helper for two weeks that serves as a training for me, while looking for a job. And after a week of searching, finally I am accepted as an oven operator in the nearby barangay. At first, I’m happy with what I am doing, but during the first day of my duty I thought that I will just only operating one oven. Unfortunately, only to find out that I have to operate two ovens at the same time. In addition, I am also in-charge in washing all the trays that was used and cleaning the surroundings. I thought I cannot survived because of the hardship, and that a 16 year-old boy working 14 hours a day. It was really a tortured to me, there are times that I’m crying because of the homesick and hardship, but I am determined to work for my parents’ sake and to fulfill my dreams to finish my study. Eventhough during that time, I don’t know where and how I could study. After one week of working in that bakery, I decided to go back to my Kuya Lito and I quit and surrendered on working on the said bakery.
After sharing to him all my experiences he looked for another bakery again in order for me to have work. And again I was accepted and I worked there knowing that this bakery is small that makes my work easier. But another problem arise, and that is, when the owner of the bakery did not allow me to go to church during Sabbath for worship.
And because of that, I decided to transfer in a furniture shop, and during this time I am free to go to church every Sabbath. My task was being a helper of the chainsaw man or (maglalagari). It was hard because since I’m the smallest/light weight worker, I was the one who would climb the tree and cut all the branches, little by little using the bolo. What I did was to tie it first, and I slowly brought it down if there is a houses down. That’s my work every day and anywhere around Cavite area, for two (2) years.
One Sabbath morning in the month of June in General Trias SDA Center/church, I have been introduced by the church elder to the church pastor named Rey Rada a ministerial student from AUP. After I have shared my experiences and goals to him, he encourages me to pursue my study as a working student in AUP. What an “ANSWERED PRAYER”, I praise the Lord for He’s been so faithful. From that time, I began to dream big and grabbed the opportunity to study.
Since I don’t have money during that time, I continued working in the furniture shop. It takes one year for me, to have courage going to AUP and applied for work in the departments. Last April 2007, that was the time that I step-in and my journey started in AUP together with one of the church members that has been a working student of AUP before. He accompanied me looking and applying for work. Unfortunately, it was sad to say that all departments has no vacancy, they just said “we will just text you if there is vacant”. We had no choice but to go back to Pinagtipunan, General Trias, Cavite and again worked there. A week after, my kuya Lito was transferred to his wife’s province. Here I am alone, and no home to stay with. What I did was, I have talked to my boss in the furniture shop and he offered his small furniture shop to be my “kubo”. During daytime, I have to keep all my belongings to a small locker so that the area will be used, and at night time, I’ll just put “trapal” or something that can cover the area around the open furniture shop, so that the cold temperature will be minimized. And the long table that is in there, serves as my bed. In short my work place was also my home/house, for almost one year. In there, I’ve experience being robbed. One morning when I woke up my cellphone was gone, and I was so upset and disappointed of what had happened. I don’t like to stay there anymore, because of what had happened and the hardships that I’ve encountered. But I don’t have a choice but to wait for the right time.
April 2008 came, it’s been a year of waiting upon the result of my work application in AUP, but no single text from the supervisor of the departments in AUP. So, I tried to follow up my application and applied for the second time, again the same word that I received “no vacancy”. During that time, I’m almost giving up, realizing how hard it was to apply for work in AUP without a backer/who backed you up. I said to the Lord, “Lord after May 2008 had passed and I’m still working here I had to better go home. I’m already tired of working here in this furniture shop for almost two (2) years. Yet despite of all my unbelief/distrust to Him the Lord is really good. He answered my prayer at the right time.
On May 19, 2008, around one (1) o’clock in the afternoon, a text from Sir Warren Vegafria the head of the AUP FARM DEPARTMENT that time, confirming that I am already accepted to work in the said department. Without any doubts and hesitations on May 21, 2008 I went to AUP with only 500 pesos in my pocket, a determination, a faith in God for my future and yet able to enroll 6 units in my first semester.
In the Farm Department, I worked for three (3) years, in the year 2008-2011, there I worked faithfully, I’ve learned planting, putting fertilizers in the vegetables and plants, spraying, watering the corn plantation by operating the water pump machine, and also I’ve learned on how to operate, how to drive the tractor and elf truck. In that certain department, I was awarded as the “best worker” in the department for doing my best by God’s grace. I wanted to learn new things, so I decided to transfer to Food Factory Department, last June 2012-April 2013. I was assigned to the area where tokwa, soya and taho was made/manufactured and I worked there for two (2) semesters. Also I helped the other area, in fixing/repairing the ceiling fan and other machines that are not functioning already, and I did the rewiring of some lights. Again, God has blessed me and I was awarded as the “best worker” in that department.
God had given me a chance to worked at Sampaguita Residence, last June 2013 and I worked there as a student maintenance. There I learned discipline, self-control and leadership. And then again, God has been so good to me because I was awarded from the Work Education Department as one of the “Excellent Work Scholar”of the year.
Last October 2013, I heard that College of Theology (COT) Department, is in need of a male worker.To maintain the classrooms and to assist in the office. I submitted an application immediately and worked there until February 2015. In this department, I was awarded as the “Working Student of the Year” amongst the Theology Working Students.
On April 2011, my brother Val followed me here in AUP. Val also encourages his batch mates to work and study here. And I praise God because it’s now easy for them to apply for work since me and Val were here already to guide and help them looking for a work.
MY LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
I’m actively involved in the religious small group named “ADVENT EXPLORER” here in the campus.
I became an Advent Prayer Leader last (2010- 2011),
Advent Discipleship Leader (2011-2012)
Advent Vice- President (2012-2013),
Working Student Association, Religious Director (2013-2014),
Advent President (2014- 2015),
Working Student Association, President (2015-2016)
and currently (2016-2017) I'm the Lead Student Worker of Mission of Hope Farm, and
Small Group Coordinator of Adventist Youth Ministry (AYM) of Philippine International Church, AUP Campus.
Thank you for taking time reading my testimony. I hope that it gives you a glimpse of who I am and how the Lord leads me in this life journey.
"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deut. 31:6 New Living Translation
God bless you.