Philippine Churches and Schools Are Benefitted by the Generosity of Indiana Members
Single and never married, 33-year-old Robert Grigsby of Tippecanoe, Indiana, began corresponding in 1996 to find a wife in the Philippines. He shared letters with over 100 young ladies before receiving a letter from 20-year-old Genemie Ann Calub Pellazar (Gen-Gen). Gen-Gen was sweet, kind, and came from a good Christian home on the southern island of Mindanao. She told Robert in one of her letters that she was a Seventh-day Adventist. Robert wondered to himself, "What's that?"
Robert wanted to learn more about Gen-Gen's background, so he called up some area Adventist churches to quiz them on their beliefs. Stan Wilkinson, former pastor of the Warsaw (Indiana) Church, returned the call. He invited himself to Robert's home for a visit. This visit led to months of Bible study. Robert, an infant-baptized Roman Catholic, was immersed on October 17, 1998, in the Tippecanoe River.
In 1999, Gen-Gen and Robert were married at the Warsaw Church. They vowed to each other and to the people of the Philippines that they would help the needy and downtrodden.
In 2002, they returned to the Philippines and met with the Hilltop District pastor. Together they toured the area and visited 10 of 21 churches, assessing their physical needs.
Their first project would be piping water to the Hilltop Church from a spring that was purchased one and one-half miles away. Then they would collect materials for libraries in the three churches with elementary schools.
Back in the United States, with the Warsaw congregation offering immense material support, more than one ton of books and instructional aids were gathered in less than a year! Items were shipped through an agent in Chicago with donations collected every Sabbath. The volume of materials collected out-weighed the ability to ship and receive these items in the Philippines.
In 2003, Robert and Gen-Gen once again returned to the Philippines—this time to select a site for building a storage facility and office to receive, categorize, and distribute the materials collected back home. One acre was purchased, and a 2,400-square-foot concrete building was erected.
Diane Thurber is the Indiana Conference communication director.
