Family is one of the values deeply ingrained in us.

It’s something we seek and guard fiercely, willing to do our best for them. This is the same—perhaps even more so— for our spiritual families, united and connected through Jesus. When we become part of God’s family, our connection goes beyond friendships and niceties—we become brothers and sisters united in faith, love, and the grace of God! These connections from Christ’s love help us go from strangers with different backgrounds (sometimes opposing ones too!) to one body helping each other through thick and thin. It’s also this kind of love that compels us to serve this family, much like Valerio (Val) and Ruby Casilan’s story.

Val and Ruby were both reached out in the Campus ministry. Val, moved and intrigued by the heart of his younger brother (who was already a disciple), started attending church. Ruby, on the other hand, was invited by her eldest sister. Studying in Cebu at the time and away from her family who was in another faraway city, she found solace in a spiritual family. Both Val and Ruby were invited by their biological family, gained another family–a spiritual one– and experienced God’s love through them. Soon enough, they were also being used by God to encourage their brothers and sisters in the faith. Ruby started leading in the ministry at only two-weeks-old. Meanwhile, Val was always helping in whatever way he could, serving in his bible talk group and later on even becoming a missionary for the church.

Witnessing their hearts filled with zeal to serve, God blessed Ruby and Val with each other, becoming the first dating couple in the campus ministry of Cebu and later getting married; they remained committed to serving wherever God took them.

Later in Val and Ruby’s marriage, Val decided to serve his fellow Filipino citizens by joining the military, just like the other members of his biological family. He had to face some time away from the fellowship because of his training, but his heart and mind were always with God and his spiritual family, cherishing the rare moments he got to attend services and experience the encouragement of being part of God’s kingdom. Ruby, on the other hand, soldiered through the faith as well! She was raising their eldest daughter alone while pregnant with their second child.

She constantly worried over her husband who was away for military training and over her children—knowing full well that she alone is responsible for their welfare. Still, in spite of this, she continued to minister to other disciples. She would often travel to other places with her daughter to attend to the needs of the ministry. When there were times that she couldn’t bring her daughter, the disciples were more than happy to look after her. Amazingly, it was also through serving that she experienced the love of Christ’s family.

After years of serving in one of the sectors in Cebu, another challenge came their way; this time through a threat that posed danger in the health of their eldest daughter. Ruby and Val found it difficult to leave Tacloban, the ministry that they had grown to love and treat as a family—even when it was for their daughter’s treatment. Nonetheless, they committed themselves to upholding the promise they made to God all those many years ago, to serve Him wherever and whenever. Thus, they chose to see this as an opportunity to serve God, to be part of another ministry — a family they were yet to meet.

In 2010, the family moved to Davao, where they served in a variety of ministries, shifting from married to singles and then to the campus ministry. Remaining true to their word, Ruby and Val wholeheartedly served wherever they were needed—becoming part of other missionary teams like the one to Digos (another city in Davao). Ruby and Val served in all these ministries, all the while bringing their three children with them. Perhaps it was witnessing the zeal of Ruby and Val (as well as the disciples in their ministry!) that encouraged their eldest daughter, Coleen, to make Jesus her Lord and Savior.

Val and Ruby’s dedication to serve is truly inspiring, now, God has brought them on a new journey as the leaders of ICOC Kidapawan, the newly sent-off part of the ICOC Philippines Family of Churches. ICOC Kidapawan, as a church, holds a lot of promise in the growing family of God in the Philippines. Currently, they hold their meetings in an intimate setting, approximately nine kilometers away from the city. Most of the time, they even have their devotionals in the houses of disciples who willingly open their homes for them to meet together as one family in Christ.

Quite unlike other churches, Kidapawan’s services and devotionals are mostly for the elderly, teens, and children who invite their parents. These children often go on their own, enjoying the company of the warm and welcoming disciples. These consistent gatherings every week are an answered prayer of the disciples who have been desiring more meetings of the body for so long ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Now, Kidapawan is a thriving family filled with zeal to spread God’s love to others.

With your support, you can help Val, Ruby and ICOC Kidapawan evangelize their province!

You may be miles away but with your donation, you can be part of God’s mission.