Father and Mother were devout Catholics. But when they learned from the Bible that God’s name is Jehovah, they both became zealous Jehovah’s Witnesses. Father stopped carving images of Jesus. Instead, he used his carpentry skills to convert the ground floor of our home into the first Kingdom Hall in San Juan del Monte, a suburb of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

After I was born in 1952, my parents included me in the excellent spiritual education they had been providing to my four older brothers and three older sisters. As I grew up, my father encouraged me to read a chapter of the Bible every day, and he studied many different theocratic publications with me. Occasionally, my parents invited traveling overseers and representatives from the branch office to stay at our home. As a family, we drew great joy and encouragement from the experiences these brothers shared with us, which motivated us all to make the ministry a priority in our life.

My parents left me a legacy of faith. After my dear mother died from an illness, Father and I began pioneering together in 1971. But then in 1973 when I was 20 years old, my father died. Losing both my parents left me feeling empty and alone. But the “sure and firm” hope found in the Bible helped me to stay anchored and kept me emotionally and spiritually stable. (Heb. 6:19) Not long after my father’s death, I accepted a special pioneer assignment on the isolated island of Coron, in the province of Palawan.

I was 21 when I arrived on Coron. As a city boy, I was surprised to discover an island with little electricity, running water, or motorized transportation. Although there  were a few brothers, I had no pioneer partner and sometimes had to preach alone. For the first month, I missed my family and my friends terribly. At night, I would gaze at the starry sky as tears rolled down my face. I felt like quitting my assignment and returning home.

During those solitary moments, I would pour out my heart to Jehovah. I’d recall encouraging thoughts that I had read in the Bible and our publications. Psalm 19:14 often came to mind. I realized that Jehovah would be “my Rock and my Redeemer” if I meditated on things that pleased him, such as his activities and qualities. The Watchtower article entitled “You Are Never Alone” a was of great help to me. I read it again and again. In a sense, I was alone with Jehovah at such times, and that gave me precious opportunities to pray, study, and meditate.

Not long after arriving on Coron, I was appointed as an elder. As the only elder, I began conducting the weekly Theocratic Ministry School, Service Meeting, Congregation Book Study, and Watchtower Study. I also delivered the public talk every week. One thing was sure​—I no longer had time to feel lonely!

I enjoyed a productive ministry on Coron​—some of my Bible students eventually got baptized. But there were also challenges. Sometimes, I had to walk half a day to reach the territory, not knowing where I would sleep when I arrived. The congregation territory also included many smaller islands. I often traveled by motorboat through stormy seas to reach them, even though I did not know how to swim! Through all these challenges, Jehovah protected and sustained me. Later, I realized that Jehovah was preparing me for greater challenges in my next assignment.

In 1978, I was assigned to Papua New Guinea, north of Australia. Papua New Guinea is a mountainous country, almost the size of Spain. I was amazed to discover that the population of about three million spoke over 800 languages. Fortunately, most people could speak Melanesian Pidgin, commonly called Tok Pisin.

I was temporarily assigned to an English congregation in the capital, Port Moresby. But then I moved to a Tok Pisin congregation and took a language class. I used what I was learning in class in the preaching work. This helped me to learn the language more quickly. Before long, I was able to deliver a public talk in Tok Pisin. Imagine my surprise when less than a year after I arrived in Papua New Guinea, I was assigned to serve as a circuit overseer for the Tok Pisin congregations in several vast provinces.

Because the congregations were far apart, I had to organize numerous circuit assemblies and do a lot of traveling. At first, I felt very isolated in unfamiliar surroundings​—a new country, a new language, and  new customs. I could not travel between congregations by land because of the mountainous and rugged terrain. So I had to travel by airplane almost every week. Sometimes, I was the only passenger in a rickety single-engine plane. I found those trips to be as nerve-racking as traveling by boat!

Few people had telephones, so I communicated with the congregations by letter. Often, I arrived before my letters and had to ask around to locate the publishers. Each time I found the brothers, though, I was welcomed with such appreciation that I remembered why I was making all these efforts. I experienced Jehovah’s support in many ways, and my relationship with him grew immensely.

At my first meeting on a coastal island called Bougainville, a couple, all smiles, approached me and asked, “Do you remember us?” I recalled witnessing to this couple when I first arrived in Port Moresby. I had started a Bible study with them before turning them over to a local brother. They were now both baptized! This was one of the many blessings I received during my three years in Papua New Guinea.

Before leaving Coron in 1978, I came to know a charming, self-sacrificing sister called Adel. She was regular pioneering while raising her two children, Samuel and Shirley. At the same time, she looked after her elderly mother. In May 1981, I returned to the Philippines to marry Adel. After our marriage, we regular pioneered and cared for the family together.

Despite having a family, in 1983, I was reappointed as a special pioneer and assigned to Linapacan Island, in the province of Palawan. The whole family moved to this isolated place where there were no Witnesses. Adel’s mother passed away about a year later. However, we kept busy in the ministry, which sustained us through our loss. We started so many progressive Bible studies on Linapacan that before long we needed a small Kingdom Hall. So we built one ourselves. Just three years after our arrival, we were delighted to see 110 people attend the Memorial, many of whom progressed to baptism after we left.

In 1986, I was assigned to the island of Culion, where there was a colony of leprosy patients. After that, Adel was also appointed as a special pioneer. At first, we were nervous about preaching to people who were disfigured by leprosy. But the local publishers assured us that those who suffered from this illness had received treatment and that there was little risk of contagion. Some of these patients attended meetings in a sister’s home. We soon adapted and found it very rewarding to share our Bible hope with people who felt rejected by both God and  mankind. It was delightful to see people who were seriously ill find joy in the prospect of one day having perfect health.​—Luke 5:12, 13.

How did our children adjust to life on Culion? Well, Adel and I invited two young sisters from Coron to join us so that our children could have some good association. Samuel, Shirley, and these two young sisters enjoyed a productive ministry of their own, studying with many children while Adel and I studied with the parents of these children. In fact, at one point we were studying with 11 families. Soon, we were conducting so many progressive Bible studies that we were able to form a new congregation!

At first, I was the only elder in the area. So the branch office asked me to conduct the weekly meetings for the eight publishers in Culion and then to do the same for the nine publishers in a village called Marily, which was a three-hour boat journey away. After meetings there, as a family, we walked through a mountainous region for many hours to conduct Bible studies in a village called Halsey.

Eventually, we saw such abundant harvests in Marily and in Halsey that we built Kingdom Halls in both locations. As on Linapacan, the brothers and interested ones provided most of the materials and labor. The hall in Marily could accommodate 200 people and was expandable, which allowed us to hold assemblies there.

In 1993 when the children were grown up, Adel and I began circuit work in the Philippines. Then in 2000, I attended the Ministerial Training School to be trained as an instructor for that school. I felt inadequate for the task, but Adel always encouraged me. She reminded me that Jehovah would give me the strength to carry out this new assignment. (Phil. 4:13) Adel spoke from experience because she was accomplishing  her assignment while dealing with health problems.

In 2006 while I was instructing, Adel was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. We were shocked! When I proposed ending our assignment to care for her, Adel replied, “Please find a doctor who can help me with my sickness, and I know Jehovah will help us to carry on.” For the next six years, Adel continued in her service to Jehovah without complaining. When she could no longer walk, she preached from her wheelchair. When she could hardly talk, she answered in one or two words at meetings. Right up until her death in 2013, Adel regularly received messages of appreciation for her beautiful example of endurance. I had spent over 30 years with Adel, a faithful and loving companion, so when she fell asleep in death, I was once again overwhelmed with feelings of grief and loneliness.

Adel had wanted me to continue in my assignment, so I did. I kept myself busy, which helped me to cope with loneliness. From 2014 to 2017, I was assigned to visit Tagalog-speaking congregations in countries where the work was restricted. After that, I visited Tagalog congregations in Taiwan, the United States, and Canada. In 2019, I conducted English-language classes for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers in India and in Thailand. I have found great joy in all these assignments. I am the happiest when I am fully engrossed in Jehovah’s service.

In each new assignment, I have come to love the brothers and sisters I meet, so leaving them is never easy. At such times, I have learned to trust in Jehovah completely. I have regularly experienced his support, and this has helped me to accept wholeheartedly any changes that come along. Today, I am a special pioneer in the Philippines. I have settled into my new congregation, which has become a supportive and caring family. I am also proud to see Samuel and Shirley imitating their mother’s faith.​—3 John 4.

Yes, I have experienced many trials in my life, including watching my dear wife suffer and die from a debilitating illness. I have also had to adapt to many new circumstances. Yet, I have seen that Jehovah “is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) Jehovah’s hand is “not too short” to support and strengthen his servants, even in isolated territories. (Isa. 59:1) Jehovah, my Rock, has been with me throughout my life, and I am so grateful to him. I was never alone.