Fourteen youth and young adults from across the Philippines, Finland, and Canada gathered at the PAMAS base in North Luzon for the sixth batch of the Quirino Missionary Training Program (QMTP). With the theme “Let Your Light Shine,” based on Matthew 5:16, this group entered a six-week journey of missionary training, spiritual growth, practical service, and personal transformation.
Here is their story.
At the beginning of training, some of us felt excited, while others felt hesitant as we began to realize what the program would require. We had to leave behind our phones, daily routines, and personal comforts. Although it was difficult at times, we soon discovered that this was more than a training program. It was a journey of transformation.
Through each experience, we learned to serve with joy, faith, and love.
As we grew closer as a group, we jokingly gave ourselves a nickname: the “Magah-ling” Batch. In our dialect, this means “skilled” or “talented.” Many of us, especially those from the Palaw’an tribe, pronounce magaling as magah-ling, so the name quickly became special to us.
Learning and Growing
During QMTP, we were not only taught from textbooks. Instead, we were encouraged to wake up early, pray, seek God’s strength, and memorize Bible verses. Little by little, these habits helped shape our hearts.
One moment we will never forget was standing before a crowd to preach for the first time. Our knees were shaking, but by God’s grace, we pushed through. That experience taught us that we can be brave for Jesus, even when we feel afraid.
In addition to spiritual training, we also learned practical skills. Through farming, we planted seeds, cared for the soil, and discovered that people, like seeds, need patience, care, and time to grow. We also learned how to prepare healthy foods, such as green juice and tofu. As a result, we began to understand more clearly that caring for our bodies is one way to honor God.
Personal Challenges and Changes
As the training continued, God began to challenge many of our habits. Several of us realized that we had been spending too much time on our phones, listening to worldly music, or allowing distractions to shape our minds. However, through prayer, worship, and quiet time with God, our desires began to change.
Instead of constantly reaching for our devices, we began to long for stillness with Jesus.
Batch 6 stopped at the experiment station, marked by the big cow image, after being assigned to different churches across Quirino Province before returning to base.
Some of us also had to let go of unhealthy relationships and poor communication habits. This was not easy. For a few, it meant making big decisions about love, marriage, and the future. Yet through these experiences, we learned that God should be the One to guide our relationships. The world often pressures us to rush, but God’s timing is always best.
Outreach and Real-Life Experiences
During community outreach, we felt both fear and excitement. At times, while going house to house, we were rejected. At other times, however, people warmly welcomed us with chairs, water, and open hearts.
One experience that touched us deeply was praying for a man who was struggling with alcohol. After we prayed with him, he promised to change. Moments like that reminded us why missionary work matters.
In public outreach, we helped paint a community center and taught health classes, sharing habits that had already begun changing our own lives. Then, one day, we saw someone reading The Great Controversy. Another person told us, “It’s rare to see youth doing community service these days. May the Lord bless you!”
Those words encouraged us and reminded us that young people can be lights in their communities.
Batch 6 up in the mountains, with the best view ever–the communities they reached at Brgy. Dumabel and Brgy. Banuar down below!
Our Continued Mission
By the end of training, we knew our mission was only beginning. We returned home with stronger faith, healthier habits, and a deeper passion to serve. Now, we are excited to teach, share, and live for God wherever He sends us.
By the end of training, we knew our mission was only beginning. We returned home with stronger faith, healthier habits, and a deeper passion to serve. Now, we are excited to teach, share, and live for God wherever He sends us.
And now, we can joyfully say:
“Dito lang ako naging masaya”—I have never been happier than here, serving Jesus.
We are QMTP Batch 6: Trained, Transformed, and Shining.
Continuing Fruit
Because of this training, one student from Batch 6 joined the one-year missionary training at PAMAS Banuar in Cabarroguis, Quirino, eager to continue serving and growing in Christ.
