Pastor Wahab’s AMAZING “Saul to Paul” Conversion Story by ~Reva Moore (Adopt a Minister International)
It was the only way of life that he knew. As a young boy, Wahab was already bearing arms. Both sides of his family were leaders of the Moslem Group in Southern Philippines. He was only 9 years old when he first killed someone – an uncle, and a few years later, he killed a cousin.
He was a Troop Commander of MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) in 1984, a Troop Commander of the Pirates in 1993, a Field Commander of the Abu Sayyaf in 1997, a commander of the NPA (National People’s Army) in 1998. A Troop Commander of Kuratong Baleleng in 1999. And a Commander of MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) from 2000 to 2007. He was already a commander of these groups at ages 14, 23, 27, 28, 29 and 30 years old. He was 36 years old on his last post as a Commander of MILF.
He is the brother of the notorious King Kidnapper Kumander Mubarak of Mindanao.
But God works in mysterious ways. This notorious man was baptized on September 2007 (at age 36) into the Seventh Day Adventist Church and became a Minister of the SDA Church in 2014 at age 44.
Here is Pastor Wahab’s story:
“Those who knew me respected me because I was tough. I became commander of many groups, and the time came when I felt that my life was not safe anymore. I already knew too much. Some people told me it’s time to “exit” and start a new life. When I was WANTED by the government and the whole world, I hid in Valencia, Bukidnon using an alias name of Jonathan Recto. I worked as a bouncer at a bar. One day, my cousin called to tell me to go to Manila to kill someone. But God must have not wanted me to kill again because I did not go.
“One day, I had a seamstress make me a uniform, and while on my way to pick up the uniform, I was hit by a bus (that was backing up) at the old terminal bus station in Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines. The bus came back to run me over 2 more times. Only after I was no longer moving that the bus stopped. The town’s people picked me up and took me to Valencia Sanitarium and Hospital and it was there where I found Jesus and the Bible truth. I was 36 years old at that time.
“I stayed at the hospital for 8 months. While I was there, the hospital chaplain invited me to attend a Revelation Seminar. There were many who attended and when the seminar was coming to a close, the pastor asked who would like to accept Papa Jesus as their personal Savior. I was very surprised that most Christians did not want to accept Him.
“When the pastor asked the same question again, ‘Who wants to accept Jesus as your personal Savior?’ My hand, which I couldn’t move because it was affected when the bus ran me over, started to lift up. The pastor upon seeing my hand raised, asked me, ‘Why do you want to be baptized?’ I answered, ‘I don’t know.’ But I knew something was different with me. That Sabbath, I was baptized by Pastor Gonzalo Visto.
“After my baptism, Pastor Wendell Serrano, President of South Philippine Union Conference talked to me about going to Theology College. And through God’s mercy, Pastor Serrano found a sponsor for me who sponsored my schooling at Mountain View College. I graduated with a degree in Theology in 2014 and today, I have been doing ‘house-to-house’ visitations to my people (the Moslems) in Maguindanao under Southern Mindanao Mission.
“Please help me share the “Good News” to my people. The one way to invite them to attend the meetings is to provide snacks. When there are snacks, they come. With a small fund, I could buy snacks and give nightly meetings.
“Here are pictures of the work that is on-going here. Jesus kept me alive when I should have died so I could share HIM to my people. Please help me/us through your prayers and funds.
“To date: Nine Kumanders have been baptized and 339 others accepted Jesus through baptism. And so many more are wanting to know our Savior, Jesus Christ. ~Pastor Wahab”