If Your God Exists, Let Him Speak

While researching my family’s ancestry, I discovered a story about my hometown that my mother and other kids heard from elders when she was younger. I researched it in my town’s historical archives, and I discovered that neither I nor the current generations in my town are aware of it. My mother recalls it as a funny story, but I find it to be an amazing story about God saving my people.

During WWII in the Philippines, Japanese soldiers fled north into the mountains to escape from American forces. One of the villages where they retreated was my hometown. Many of the people in the village fled farther into the mountains to hide, and some were captured.

The soldiers then brought the people into the church, believing that because it was the house of the God of the enemy, they would not bomb it. They tied up the people and forced them to gather together. They stayed there for days, starving the villagers. During those lengthy days, the people prayed loudly continuously while the soldiers took turns watching over them.

Hearing them pray, one of the soldiers looked at the cross at the altar then turned around and told those who were praying,

“If your God truly exists, let him speak or we will execute all of you,”

and exactly at that moment, a gecko emitted a call that echoed throughout the church. The Japanese soldiers were horrified and rushed outside, shouting,

“Cristo angri! Cristo angri!” (Christ is angry).

The startled soldiers informed the rest of their comrades of what they just witnessed, and the Japanese forces abandoned the village.

Seeing the town seeming empty, the residents who hid in the mountains returned to the village, untying the people who were all alive and well.

When my mother told me about this story, I was curious what sort of gecko it was because I wanted to hear the sound they make. I looked it up and discovered that the animal is mostly nocturnal, so hearing one during the day is unusual. Also, in the village where I’m from, I’ve never heard or seen the gecko; it is usually seen in our neighbouring areas.

In my family ancestry I added this story for the current and future generations of my village to know. It is not a funny story, but it is a beautiful story showing that in our most desperate cries God always hears us and will save us.