Written by Kaitlyn Tan
From 26 May to 2 June 2026, a team of brethren from Singapore and Malaysia made their way to the Banaoang Church of Christ in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, for a week-long mission trip. For some, it was a return to familiar faces and a beloved congregation. For others (like me!), it was their very first time stepping onto mission grounds. But for all of us, it was a week that left a lasting mark.
Being part of this team broadened my love for God and His people in ways I did not quite anticipate. I was deeply moved and encouraged by the brethren and the work done, and all of that within just 5 days!
This is my attempt to put into words what that week looked like and what it left in my heart.
A Full Week of Service
The week was packed with purposeful activity.
Mornings were dedicated to a Vacation Bible School for close to 150 children aged 3 to 16, alongside Bible classes for their parents addressing foundational questions about the Bible and the right church.
Afternoons were filled with workshops to equip the brethren. A Preaching Workshop covered everything from how to prepare a lesson to delivering a sermon. An Evangelism Workshop then explored the mission, motivation, method and message behind sharing the gospel. Together, these workshops served as a timely reminder of the great commission that every Christian carries:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)
preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. (Acts 28:31)
The weekend brought a Children Teachers’ Training Programme to equip the ladies with the principles of effective Bible teaching for the young ones, and home visitations to encourage members and friends of the church.
Three days of Gospel Meetings drew the week together beautifully under the theme The Greatest Invitation, centred on Christ’s call to come (Matthew 11:28-30), obey (Mark 16:16) and follow as His disciples (Luke 14:26-33). These were not just messages for the congregation in Banaoang but also a timely reminder for each of us on the team as well.
Sunday was the fullest day with Bible classes for adults, youth and children, followed by worship, before the team set off for a day of fellowship and rest in Baguio.
With that as the backdrop, I want to share three of my most memorable moments and takeaways from the trip.
A Welcome We Did Not Expect
As the van pulled up to the church building on the first morning, I felt nervous. I was not sure what to expect, how I would be received, or whether I was truly ready for what lay ahead. But before I could let those nerves take hold, something stopped me.
The brethren were already there. Standing at the door, lined up and ready to welcome us, before any of us had even stepped out of the van. These were people who had made their way to the church building more than two hours before the classes were even set to begin. Not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Because it mattered to them.
In that moment, the nervousness quietly gave way to something else. I felt a deep sense of warmth, of being truly welcomed into the family of God. It was perhaps a small gesture on their part, but it spoke volumes about the character of the Banaoang brethren. Their dedication set the tone for everything that followed that week, and it is a memory I will not easily forget.
It brought to mind the words of Paul and John:
Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)
5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth. (3 John 1:5-8)
I see these verses lived out wholeheartedly in their actions. They did it not as an obligation, but as an expression of their love for God and for His people. And it left me wondering: do we show that same hospitality to the brethren who come our way? Are we the ones standing at the door, ready to welcome, before they even step out of the van?
More Than We Gave
What struck many of us was not just the busyness of the week, but the spirit in which it was carried out by both the visiting team and the Banaoang brethren. The Banaoang brethren welcomed us with a warmth and generosity that was deeply encouraging to witness. Their hospitality was genuine, their love for one another evident, and their zeal for God’s Word unmistakable. We had come prepared to give whether in teaching, serving or encouraging. And yet, many of us found ourselves on the receiving end of far more than we had brought.
Perhaps what struck me most deeply was that the brethren in Banaoang do not have the same material comforts or financial stability that many of us are accustomed to back home. Life there is simpler, and in many ways, harder. And yet, their love for God and their commitment to His Word were not diminished by any of that. If anything, I believe, it put ours to quiet shame. They gathered eagerly and worshipped wholeheartedly. They opened their homes and their hearts without hesitation. We learnt that close to 20 members meet 4 times a week, gathering at a fellow member’s porch! No grand building or setup, just brethren committed to meeting together. Their faith did not seem burdened by the distractions and comforts that so easily occupy our minds. In their simplicity, there was a clarity of devotion that was both convicting and deeply inspiring.
It is a humbling thing to realise that we, who have so much, can so easily become comfortable, and that those with far less can model for us what it truly looks like to hold God at the centre of everything. Seeing how they loved God and one another, with so little of what we often take for granted, left me both grateful and quietly convicted. They gave us something far more difficult to quantify. A mirror held up to our own faith, and a challenge to examine our own faith honestly.
This brought to mind the story of the widow and her 2 mites, who gave more than all the wealthy had given because she gave her all (Mark 12:41-44). It is a parable that explains what true sacrifice, faithfulness, and trust in God really look like. Passages like 1 Timothy 6:6-8 and Matthew 6:19-21 further reminded me of what contentment really means and where our true riches lie.
There is something about worshipping with brethren from a different country and culture that quietly enlarges my understanding of the body of Christ. The church is not contained within the walls of any single congregation or the borders of any single nation. Seeing that truth lived out in Banaoang was, for me, one of the most powerful lessons of the entire trip.
Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone
This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I did not fully anticipate. Even before we left, there were moments of doubt during the planning stage. I wondered whether I was prepared enough, whether I could carry out my role well and whether I could connect with the people there. The nervousness I felt on the first morning did not fully go away after the warm welcome either. If anything, it showed up in different forms throughout the week, in the new faces and unfamiliar surroundings each day, in serving alongside people I had just met. But it was in those very moments that I found myself letting go of my own confidence and leaning on God instead.
Looking back, those were the moments I am most grateful for. Growth rarely happens in comfort, and this trip was a reminder that God does not call the equipped; He equips the called. I am reminded of His words to Joshua:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:9)
And yet, for all that the week held, 5 days felt far too short. There is something bittersweet about leaving. Yet rather than feeling like a conclusion, the end of the trip felt more like a beginning. It is a calling to do more and to not let the fire that was kindled that week quietly fade.
An Invitation Worth Considering
Looking back, 5 days feel both too short and yet full enough to last a long time in memory. Being part of this team, serving alongside brethren from different congregations, and worshipping with the family of God in Banaoang has broadened my love for God and His people in a way that is difficult to fully express. I came as part of a team going to serve. I left having been served in ways I did not expect.
Mission trips are not reserved for the experienced teachers or preachers. They are for anyone willing to show up and to serve, anyone willing to step outside the familiar and trust that God can use them in ways they did not expect. If you have ever wondered what it might look like to put your time and energy towards the kingdom of God beyond your own congregation, perhaps this is your invitation.
There is the greatest invitation extended to each of us. Not just to believe, but to obey and follow wherever that may lead.
The apostle Paul, writing to the brethren at Rome, captured this beautifully. He longed to visit them, not only to impart something to them, but because he knew the encouragement would flow both ways. Trusting God can sometimes feel like a hard and lonely road. It is not meant to be walked alone. Seeing how others trust God encourages and challenges us, reconfirming what we know to be true.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. (Romans 1:11-12)
That is exactly what this trip felt like. We went to Banaoang hoping to give. And yet, it was their faith, their warmth and their wholehearted devotion to God that ended up strengthening us in return. The encouragement was mutual, just as Paul described. And that, perhaps, is one of the most beautiful things about being part of the family of God.
Like Paul, who wrote of “making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you” (Romans 1:10), part of our hearts remain in Banaoang. Lord willing, we hope to return!