Editor’s note: Th
originally told in
by Harry Naylor
Smith and later
for Missions’ Act
And the
Gift
Goes
On …
Straw Hat
Just an Old
By Lori McFall,
Editor,
One Mission Society
By Joyce Oden,
Missionary,
One Mission Society
Tonio Juarez was our first language teacher in Manila. One day in class, he asked my
husband Bill a theological question. Bill’s
answer included some church history and
the plan of salvation, which intensified Tonio’s
spiritual hunger. The next week, Bill and Tonio
started a personal Bible study that led to
Tonio’s conversion.
One evening, out of curiosity, Tonio’s
parents invited us to their home for dinner.
Afterward, Tonio’s Uncle Noy arrived and
peppered Bill with more theological questions. They agreed to an extended family
Bible study that grew to 30 people, with
the majority of them coming to Christ.
Later, Noy’s son invited his friend, Eniong,
to his house, where Uncle Noy led him to
Christ. After Eniong’s graduation from university, he enrolled in Faith Bible College,
where he completed his four-year theological degree. We quickly recognized his giftedness in preaching and leadership. Later,
he also earned a master of divinity degree,
and today, Eniong Hilario is the senior pastor of Faith Fellowship, the largest OMSrelated church in the Philippines. Tonio
also completed a master of divinity degree
and was our first church planter. Tragically,
he died two years later of an asthma attack. Tonio’s father became Bill’s cultural
Filipino mentor and faithful member of
Faith Fellowship Church until his death
about a year ago.
photos top: Faith Fellowship Ministry Center and Tonio
Juarez inset: Pastor Eniong Hilario presents a plaque
of appreciation to Bill and Joyce Oden as he becomes
the senior pastor of Faith Fellowship in 2000.
22
Editor’s note: This story was originally told in a tract written by Harry Naylor and Reggie
Smith and later retold in Men for Missions’ Action magazine.
As Harry traveled and shared the story
of the Haitian man giving all he had for the
Lord’s work, people responded in amazing
ways. In one meeting, he showed the hat
to the group and said to them, “If one of
you has $5,000 and wants to buy this hat,
I’ll take your money—but I’ll keep the hat!”
Everyone laughed, but the next morning
at church, a man from that group handed
Harry a check for $1,000, and his church
pledged another $2,600.
A woman who heard the story was so
moved that she wanted to go to Haiti on an
MFM team, but she passed away before
she could go. Harry learned later that she
had designated $7,000 in her will for Haiti.
Many others gave as well, and though
Harry wasn’t able to determine the exact
amount raised, he estimated that the work
in Haiti received nearly $35,000 as a direct
result of that old straw hat.
A Haitian peasant obeyed God and
gave his hat. Harry obeyed God and
bought that hat. As a result of their obedience, dozens of people were moved to
give, and ministry in Haiti moved forward,
affecting many, many people there.
How is God challenging you? Will you
obey?
On a Sunday morning in a small Haitian
country church, Men for Missions team
members Harry Naylor and Reggie Smith
listened as the Haitian pastor gave a stirring
message and then collected the offering.
The church needed $119 to add a concrete
floor to their humble little building. But the
total collected wasn’t enough, so the ushers passed the offering plates again.
A Haitian man sat behind Harry. He wanted a concrete floor for his church, but he
had nothing more to give … nothing except
his straw hat. To Harry and Reggie’s amazement, as the offering plate passed by, the
man put his hat in the plate. The old worn
hat wasn’t worth more than a few pennies,
but the pastor held it up and challenged the
congregation, “We’ll sell this hat and put the
money it brings toward the floor.”
The Lord immediately spoke to Harry,
saying, “You buy that hat and take it back
to the United States.” He listened and
obeyed, paying the pastor $20 for the hat.
Harry returned to the United States with
the hat and began telling people about his
experience. The first man who heard the
story was so moved by it that he gave
$1,000 to Harry for ministry in Haiti. That
was just the beginning.
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