Thanks to sponsorship, Sherwin finished high school, but when it came time to apply for college, doors kept closing. The only one left open was at Luzon Nazarene Bible College, the former name of what is now Philippine Nazarene College. And there, he says, God truly captured his heart. Later, Sherwin started seminary in the Philippines, but when his father was offered a pastoral position at a church in California (USA), he moved with his parents. After working as a youth pastor for three years, Sherwin moved to Kansas City, Missouri, to finish his degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary. After several years of ministry, most recently as youth pastor at Marysville, Washington, Church of the Nazarene, Sherwin recently moved to Bremerton, Washington, with his family to serve as lead pastor at Bremerton Church of the Nazarene.
MEETING FACE TO FACE While Sherwin, the Happenys, and others from the Catalina Vista congregation sent letters back and forth, what Sherwin remembers most is a photograph the Happenys sent of themselves. When the Rullodas moved to the United States, his mother brought the photo. Maybe, she thought, they would have a chance to meet. Sherwin wrote it off, though, sure that his sponsors had passed away by that point. After all, they started sponsoring him in the 1980s, and it was now nearly 30 years later. Then, at Nazarene General Assembly in 2013, Sherwin had been asked to come onstage to share about NCM Child Sponsorship. What he didn’t know is that the Happenys had also been invited, and they would meet for the first time that evening. “It was pretty humbling to meet the people who helped get me an education,” Sherwin says, “knowing they were the ones who shaped my education and made me what I am today.” After their initial meeting, they went to dinner together, where they each talked so much that they hardly touched the food they ordered. Since then, they have continued to stay in touch. Bettye and Jim regularly pray for Sherwin and his family, and they exchange photos back and forth.
Sherwin calls them his prayer warriors. “This whole thing is a God thing,” says Bettye. “If any of these pieces had been left out, we wouldn’t even know Sherwin. And he would just think, ‘Thank God for my sponsors who are in heaven.’”
THE LEGACY CONTINUED The Happenys continue to sponsor through NCM Child Sponsorship today. So do Sherwin and his wife, Megan. They’ve sponsored a boy from Nepal, now 14 years old, since he was 7. “Child sponsorship has a big spot in our hearts because it changed me,” Sherwin says. “If it’s done that for me, why shouldn’t it do that for another kid?” Ultimately, Sherwin and Megan hope to sponsor children who are the same age as their three young daughters. For the past decade, Bettye has served as the Nazarene Missions International
president at Tucson Central Church of the Nazarene. During that time, the church has come together to sponsor 19 children. “If you can do full sponsorship that’s terrific, but don’t say, ‘I can’t,’” Bettye encourages. “Just see who you can get on board to do it with you.” Sherwin’s reconnection with the Jim and Bettye has inspired others to sponsor children as well (see the Bakers’ story on page 5). Of course, that inspiration is just a small part of the full story. Because of the commitment of the Happenys and their church family, Sherwin’s parents didn’t have to worry about how they would afford school, and through that education, God captured Sherwin’s heart for ministry. “The ripples in the water just keep going, and the blessing,” Bettye says. “I can hardly even talk about it. It’s just God’s blessing in allowing this and being a part of this.” n
“Child Sponsorship has a big spot in our hearts because it changed me.” Above: Sherwin and his sister went to see their childhood home on a trip to the Philippines. Left: Sherwin and his wife, Megan, would eventually like to sponsor children the the same ages as their three daughters.
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