Elmer De Los Santos: Pastor, Where Are You?

I met Pastor Elmer De Los Santos in 1997. He had to take a leave from his duties at the Emmanuel Christian Fellowship and focus instead on earning a living.

He and his family had to face such difficult challenges before they were really, finally able to live peacefully. But I’ve always known that their situation was only temporary; their collective faith, honesty, courage and sacrifices can only result in great blessings. It was just a matter of time.

Pastor’s economic concerns began when he was victimized in a scam. His financial situation then took a turn for the worse due to a subsequent failed business venture. But he had vowed to honor and pay off all the debts he had incurred. For many months, he worked long hours driving a taxi cab. He lived frugally and still there was barely enough for rent, food and education.

When his wife decided to work abroad to help with the payments, Pastor Elmer accepted this albeit with a heavy heart. When she left for the Middle East, Pastor stopped driving the taxi cab and took care of the children full time. He missed his wife terribly and longed for her quietly. He could only pray for her safety. One day, however, his wife had called long distance. She needed help to return to the Philippines immediately. His wife’s employer was not a kind man. Pastor Elmer was grief stricken.

Fortunately, through the intercession of a friend, Pastor’s wife’s employer had to release her. The Pastor’s wife, however, was not discouraged by her experience with her first employer. She left again, this time for Taiwan, after a few weeks.

Since then, blessings have poured in for the De Los Santos family! Pastor Elmer’s wife won some cash in a contest; Pastor was able to invest in a house and lot for the family. The debts were being paid on a regular basis. Pastor Elmer still missed his wife but he was no longer worried about her safety. The family would be reunited soon enough.

I have very good memories of Pastor Elmer. He was such a morally upright man. He was responsible and he put other peoples’ interests first before his own. He lived simply, unattached as he was to material wealth or influence or power. Pastor Elmer is a preacher and an evangelist, effectively speaking, acting and living in god’s grace.

I have not seen Pastor Elmer though in a decade and I am hoping that someone out there who knows him gets to read this. Nananawagan po ako…I would very much like to see him again. (I already scoured facebook and multiply.)