From Miracle to the Mission Field | A Share Your Story Blog

“Do I really need to share my faith?”

It can be easy to pose this question as a Christ follower in the Western world, especially since many of the people we meet have likely already heard something about Jesus. But at what cost do we ask it? In our increasingly post-Christian culture, it’s becoming more and more evident that the mission field to which Jesus calls us isn’t just an international one — it’s at our own front door.

Living with a mission-centered mindset is something that Pastor Abe Philip has worked at since God first called him to ministry. After experiencing both the sudden loss of his dad and a debilitating neurological disorder that left him immobile at thirteen years old, Abe dedicated his life to ministry at the prompting of his prayer-warrior mom. Several days later, against every odd occurrence, he walked out of the hospital completely healed. Today, Abe works full-time as an engineer while serving as the executive pastor of ministries at Woodside Romeo.

“I have a passion for missions in ministry because the life I have is a gift,” he said. “I recognize that and surrender it daily because my selfishness wants me to own my life. But my life is God’s to live through me. We all have scars, but those scars are what makes us shine the glory of God the brightest.”

Born in India, Abe’s family moved to the United States when he was five years old. His father, a pastor, launched the first Indian-speaking congregation in Metro Detroit and worked a second job to support his family while he pastored the church. After eight years in the states, Abe’s parents began planning a trip to visit relatives back in their home country.

“We had bought gifts,” Abe remarked. “The suitcases were on their way to being packed. Then, my sister and I came home from school to a note attached to the door that read ‘Go to the neighbor’s house. They’ll take care of you.’ Long story short, my dad had a heart attack while cutting the grass. Two weeks later, he passed away.”

Without many resources and tight on money, Abe’s family gave their plane tickets away to another family at their church, who had only just come to Christ weeks before. In June, that family of five boarded the flight to India, but the plane never reached its destination.

“The flight took off from Toronto, and just over the coast of Scotland, it blew up,” Abe said. “It was a terrorist bomb in the luggage compartment. So for all of the wrestling that we did — ‘Lord, why are you doing this? Why did you take Dad?’ It all became so clear when the news broke that all lives were lost on that flight, including the family who had given their lives to Christ.”

A month later, Abe was in recovery from a case of chickenpox when his vision suddenly started to blur. He quickly tried to get up, but his limbs had no strength. After half crawling down the hallway, Abe attempted to tell his mom that something was wrong, but his words came out as gibberish. He was rushed immediately to the hospital and eventually diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder that attacks the nervous system.

“I stayed in the hospital for weeks with no change,” Abe said. “And my mother is just broken. She asked the doctor in her broken English what was going to happen, and the doctor said that there was a 50 percent chance I’d stay that way or a 50 percent chance that I’d get better, but never be the same as before. And that just broke her even further. I could not tell you that there were that many tears in a human body to shed.”

Then, one night at three a.m., Abe woke up to his mom sitting beside him. “Abe,” she said, “you need to give your life to Jesus for ministry.” “Mom,” Abe replied in his broken mumbling, “it’s three in the morning. I’m going back to bed.” And he did. But the next night, like clockwork, Abe woke up at three a.m. to the same urging from his mother. On the third night, he finally gave into her prompting.

“I said, ‘Okay, I don’t know what God’s going to do with an invalid.’ But I gave in and prayed a prayer of dedication with my mother. The next morning, I’m 50 percent better. Within two or three days, they’ve discharged me and I’m walking home. The doctor’s looking at me, going ‘This is a miracle.’ I have full faculties and no issues as a result of the disorder. And so, at the age of 13, I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ for ministry. That’s where it all started.”

Abe went on to graduate from Wayne State with a Bachelor of Engineering, then worked full time while completing a Master of Divinity at Michigan Theological Seminary. During this time, He also worked with a church plant in Southfield to evangelize the many students and workers in the area who had moved to Michigan from overseas. Then, in 2004, Abe and his wife, Blessy, came to Woodside.

“This life I have is a gift because I shouldn’t be here,” Abe said. “The story you heard from me is a drop in the bucket compared to the ocean of ways in which God touches people who’ve never heard the Gospel. Our faith grows when we step out to missions because God is not a respecter of persons. Missions locally, missions globally — it’s Matthew 28. Everybody needs Jesus. How do I take the Gospel to them as fast as I can?”

“You don’t have to go to India or Africa,” he continued. “You can start at City Hall. Because the way that you deal with issues, with township officials, with the fire department, the schools — all of that is a mission field. We’re all international, and when we have a mindset that says, ‘I’m part of the broader world that God has made,’ we’ll want to take the Gospel everywhere, including to my next-door neighbor, my school, city hall, and yes, also to Ecuador or Thailand.”

As Pastor Abe and his family continue to follow the Lord with their lives, they remain committed to the call of Jesus to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). To Abe, everywhere is a mission field, whether it’s Ecuador on a short-term mission trip or a routine trip to the grocery store.

“Missions isn’t built in a vacuum,” he said. “Missions are built on relationships. Every relationship is a chance to share the Gospel, the love of Christ, and the light of the world. God loves the whole world because they’re all created in His image, and we’re called to love every one of them, including the ones we shy away from. None of us have arrived, so don’t leave going, ‘Oh, Abe’s got this down.’ No, Abe doesn’t have this down. Abe is so far away from having this down. But every day, God works on me. The paint is still wet, and God is still working on me.”