ROBER ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ
Whenever I reflect on my faith journey, I return to the summer of 1990. That was when my parents informed me I would attend a youth camp organized by CFC Youth for Christ (YFC). At first, I reluctantly agreed because I had no choice.
The first night of the camp was anything but spiritual for me. My friends and I stayed up all night swimming, which left us completely exhausted the next day. As a result, we struggled to stay awake during the talks. However, everything was leading up to the second night, which included a pray-over session. The camp organizers called it “the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” I went through the motions at the time, feeling something unique but not genuinely life-changing. Little did I know that moment would shape the rest of my life.
After the camp, I started attending youth meetings regularly. Over time, I became more involved and eventually took on leadership responsibilities within our chapter. While balancing my studies, I also dedicated my free time to serving the Lord. This commitment led me to mission trips across different provinces, where we worked to spread the Gospel and inspire young people to deepen their faith.
Upon graduating from college, I received an invitation to serve full-time in YFC. This role took me to various parts of the Philippines, where I led different sectors, including campuses in the University Belt area of Metro Manila and the Eastern Visayas region. Eventually, my mission work expanded internationally, leading me to serve in India and Timor Leste.
During my service, I met my wife, who was also actively involved in campus ministry. Our relationship was built on a foundation of faith, but our early years together were marked by long distances apart. She eventually became a full-time mission worker and was assigned to serve in the Borneo-Timor Leste Region while I was stationed in Eastern Visayas. Just as she returned to Manila, I was sent to India for mission work. Despite these challenges, our shared commitment to serving the Lord strengthened our bond.
In 2005, our community assigned us to serve together in Timor Leste, where her missionary parents led our mission team. The following year, we got married, and our first two children were born during our time on mission. Life in Timor Leste was not easy. We even found ourselves caught in civil unrest, forcing us to leave for safety reasons. We returned to Timor Leste after a few months, even if the situation was still volatile. Despite these challenges, the Lord helped us to stay dedicated to our mission there.
Because English was not widely spoken in Timor Leste then, we had to find creative ways to evangelize. One of our key strategies was teaching English at the National University, which allowed us to connect with English-speaking locals who could help us spread God’s message and translate our teachings. Simultaneously, we tried to learn the local language to build deeper relationships with our community members.
Preparing for prayer meetings back then required a lot of effort. I would load all the equipment—sound system, projector, musical instruments, and other things—into our mission car, then unload and set everything up at the venue. On top of that, I would lead the meeting, play the guitar for worship, and deliver the talk. Thanks be to God, this exhausting routine changed when we started training local leaders, and in doing so, we witnessed the Lord’s work in action. It was by His grace alone that we were able to help form the community there.
After five years, we were asked to return to the Philippines for a new mission. However, as our family grew, we needed to shift our focus. Our calling had evolved, and our priority became providing for our children. This led my wife and I to resign from full-time mission work. We had no idea at the time about how God would move, but He eventually led us to jobs that focused on building His kingdom.
We ended up working for the publishing and media companies of Bro. Bo Sanchez is one of the most influential Catholic inspirational speakers in the Philippines and the Light of Jesus Community (LOJ) founder. My wife became an editor and writer while I was an event manager. Through this new path, we discovered that our mission was far from over—it had simply taken a new form. We started attending The Feast and found immense joy in simply receiving His word without the busyness of service. The Feast is a weekly gathering designed to reach the churched and the unchurched. It begins with the Holy Mass, followed by worship and an inspirational talk.
We believed this marked the end of our missionary journey for a while. We relished the opportunity to sit back, reflect, and grow in our faith without any leadership responsibilities. However, God had other plans.
We received several invitations to serve at The Feast but repeatedly declined, insisting that we came from a different community and brought a different culture. At one point, I even prayed, “Lord, I gave You the prime years of my life—I’m retired from mission work now.” But as I have realized, there is no retirement in working for the Lord’s vineyard.
Eventually, after years of saying no, I was asked if I would be willing to lead and build a Feast in Robinsons Galleria. That invitation made me reflect deeply. I realized again that faith is a lifelong journey, not a phase that one moves on from. Every season of my life—the struggles, the triumphs, the transitions—was preparing me for what God had in store next.
Since 2019, I have been serving the Lord as a Feast Builder (in addition to serving Him through my job), and my greatest joy is serving alongside my family every week. My faith journey has been far from perfect, filled with ups and downs, but every experience has shaped me into the person God wants me to be today.
Looking back on my 13 years as a full-time missionary, I consider those the best years of my life. But I also claim God has even better days for me and my family. There is no retirement in serving the Lord—only seasons of learning, growth, and new opportunities to answer His call.