By Ps Colin Stoodley, Australia

His name was Attoy. An older man, but not obviously so. He moved a little slowly and gingerly
into his seat accompanied by his wife. The front room of the home was small,but the spirit was generous.
There were 7 of us visiting that morning and Attoy welcomed us each with a kindly manner. I spoke no Tagalog
so I sat listening for the occasional English word to help me understand.

 We were there for a Bible Study. The team had been there before a few times. The first time the team visited
they had led Attoy in a prayer of repentance and given him a Bible. He was very receptive and had come to
the team HQ for a meeting. He was moved and responded and was baptized and so we were there for one of the follow up Bible Studies. 

It struck me as I watched him listening intently and reading the verses which were part of the study, that
here was what the Bible describes as a God-fearer. Without much opportunity to read the Scriptures or guidance
in responding to God, Attoy had a God-fearers heart, and, like all God-fearers Attoy had an instinctive
ability to sense that what he was hearing and reading was indeed God's message to him.

He told his story - of sickness that had left him near death. But at one point he took the Bible and placed
it under his shirt close to his heart saying it was precious to him.

And so it was. I had met a real life God-fearer who had found life and said he was a new creation. Then, without
much to say, we stood and blessed him and left. We stepped out into the little courtyard and then through
a very narrow alleyway and then onto a street and bright sunlight that seemed a world away from the
holy ground upon we had just stood.

I will not forget him. Fortunato Mendoza. A man whose heart was ready for the Gospel and who welcomed it
with an openness that would make most of us envious.

Praise God for all His mercies.