Through times of suffering and times of joy, God has worked in the lives of three generations of the del Mundo family as they have diligently served the Lord with Intercede International ministry partner Student Missionary Outreach in the Philippines.
Pastor Renato del Mundo served as director of SMO from 1998 until his sudden passing in 2010. He and his wife, Nenita, began working as missionaries with SMO in 1989.
In August 2007, I visited the headquarters of SMO in Bacolod City, the Philippines, where I interviewed Pastor del Mundo.
“I became a Christian when I attended an evangelistic meeting in my home church in Metro Manila,” del Mundo told me. “One of my classmates – me and my [future] wife were classmates in those years – were invited to an evangelistic meeting, a film showing. Then I came to realize that I’m a sinner. That is the first time I really understood the message of John 3:16. I surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour. Since then, my life has never been the same. I was 17 years old when I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ.”
In 2007, SMO celebrated its 30th anniversary. “The title of our anniversary is Amazing God, Amazing Years,” explained del Mundo at that time. “Truly, God is amazing in providing our needs – the needs of our missionaries and the needs of this ministry. We thank the Lord and give God all the glory for all the souls that we’ve won through this ministry.”
“My inspiration is in His grace. He really inspired me in spite of many trials. During my 19 years of ministry here in SMO, a lot of times I almost quit. But then, His grace is always sufficient when I am weak. So, I thank the Lord for His amazing grace that He has given me.”
Pastor del Mundo had a hypertension attack in August 2010, and passed on to glory at age 47. After that, his wife Nenita del Mundo became the new leader of SMO.
At that time, Nenita wrote to supporters: “Thank you so much for remembering us in these times of both sorrow and rejoicing. We are in grief, because Renato, a great man of God, a loving husband, and a responsible father, will surely be missed, yet will always remain in our memory and hearts. Rejoicing, because he left with us a legacy of faithfulness, and a burning passion for God and the advancement of His Kingdom. In all these, God’s ways and time is always perfect. Our God is always to be praised. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
“Being Pastor del Mundo’s co-worker in the ministry, spiritual partner, wife, and mother to our grown-up children, Ameniel (God is faithful) and Theonikko (God is my victory), I have been firsthand witness to his dedication to what is entrusted to him. He exemplified an unwavering faith in God, whether it be his leadership in the ministry or at our home.”
Nenita del Mundo studied and finished her Bachelor in Theology at a Bible Institute in Manila in 1985. She married Pastor del Mundo in December 1988 and they moved to Bacolod City to be missionaries of SMO in January 1989.
Before becoming National Director, she had been Secretary of the National Office and a faculty member of SMO’s Bible Training Institute (BTI) teaching Biblical Counseling, New Testament Survey, and Church History. She takes an active role in the Prayer Ministry of SMO and in discipleship of young women.
God’s great surprise
The year 2020 was challenging for del Mundo because of COVID-19. She had planned to spend a few months in North America itinerating on behalf of the ministry. But the COVID crisis changed her schedule radically, and she and her son Theonikko were stranded in New York City with her sister and family for several months. Yet despite these circumstances, del Mundo saw the good work God was doing.
“The purpose of my coming to the U.S.A. from March to June 2020 was foremost to attend my son’s graduation for his M.A. in Religious Studies and secondly, to attend Mission Conferences, visit families, friends, and churches to introduce and share the SMO ministry,” she explained. “I planned everything, talked to people, coordinated flights, arranged accommodations and itinerary for a three-month Mission Trip. I and my son were excited as we looked forward to do everything as planned, including going to different places we’ve never been to before.
“Then came God’s great surprise… the COVID-19 Lockdown. My reaction? Honestly, I was disappointed! ‘Why, Lord? This trip is for Your glory and for Your ministry. We prayed and prepared for this for almost a year. We already spent our resources, time, and effort for this. What now, Lord?’”
“Then the Lord replied, ‘I am able to protect and to provide healing for your body and soul.’ True enough, we were healed and tested negative for the disease. As I sought God in His Word and in prayer, He opened my eyes to see the beauty of His great surprise. I failed to appreciate it because I was so selfish thinking about my own plans, aspirations, and pleasure. With God’s gentle rebuke, He showed me that His plan, purpose and timeline are far greater than mine.
“Actually, God’s surprise was to give me a ‘Sabbath rest’ from my 35 years of ministry service. In the Philippines, I didn’t have the opportunity to spend quality time for meaningful moments in personal Bible meditation and intimate prayer without the necessary ministry interruptions. God seemed to tell me, ‘Your service is good, but I need your full attention, your time, and affection, more than your service.’ God is more interested with who I am becoming (Christ-like) than with what I am doing. Who would have thought that God would send me as far as the U.S.A. just to enjoy sweet fellowship with Him – with all my needs provided, my life protected, without unnecessary interruption? We are thankful to God for His wonderful, unexpected blessing – the quarantine period.”
Theonikko del Mundo graduated from university in 2020 and has since worked with SMO-BTI.
Nenita del Mundo has now served for 13 years as leader of SMO. The ministry celebrated its 45th year last August. “We celebrated the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord through the good times and bad times in the history of the ministry,” wrote del Mundo at that time. “We praise God for His goodness to the SMO Ministry in sustaining us for 45 fruitful years. And we are thankful to him for your faithful partnership with us through the years. This program yielded so much fruit in the lives of many youth nationwide. Many of them became members of the different local churches and had grown to become church leaders, Christian workers, missionaries, pastors, responsible citizens and public servants of the country.
“God is using the partnership of His people around the world – prayers and provision of support – to accomplish His plan of saving people. May the Lord find us faithful as we all labour for the advancement of His Kingdom here on earth. “
Please keep Nenita del Mundo and her son, Theonikko, in prayer as they serve God with much dedication in the Philippines.
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