David and Mariko Manglay explain how they came to know Christ as Savior on today’s Harvest Time with your host Pastor Gary Walton.
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Episode transcript:
Chris Harper: Welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper, and our host on this program is pastor Gary Walton, the lead pastor at Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these 25 minutes together telling you the stories of our church by interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We’d like to invite you to join us at Harvest Baptist Church this week. We have 2 services, the first at 8:45 AM, the second at 10:45 AM.
We have Japanese and Korean translation during our 10:45 AM service, and that’s also the service we live stream at hbcguam.org, hbcguam.org. This week is Vision Sunday. Pastor Walton will be preaching on Colossians 1 15 through 20. Let’s begin Harvest Time by welcoming pastor Gary Walton. Hi, pastor.
Gary Walton: Hey. Hafa adai, Chris. Vision Sunday. Yeah. We have this once a year, this exact weekend each year, and it sort of launches our ministry for the fall and actually through this whole next part of the year.
We, for many years now, in fact I think almost 20 years, Harvest has had an annual theme that guides sometimes our preaching, but always guides sort of our thinking along the way of the year. And so this year we do have a new theme. It’s a surprise, so, that’s the reason that Chris did not share the title of the message because it’ll, coincide with our theme. But we’ll introduce that that Sunday. It’s not actually that big of a surprise, a few people know about it, but it will be there this Sunday and we’re gonna talk about that theme and, and then begin to apply it specifically.
We’re gonna teach from Colossians chapter 1, an amazing text. I think one of my favorite texts in all the New Testament. Actually, you know, I think I say that a lot. But, it is one of my favorite texts about who Jesus is. And, if you want to know about harvest and what’s important to us, this Sunday you’ll hear it because it’s gonna all be about Jesus.
And, and we do that week by week, but this text especially gives us such a clear description of Jesus and his ministry. So we’d love to invite you to come. As Chris mentioned, there’s 2 services and we have a greeter team that will welcome you warmly and help you get connected. If you have kids, we will be able to find help you find a way to kids ministries or you can bring them with you into that main service. But, invite you to come.
We would love to see you this Sunday. I’m glad to welcome and introduce to you a couple that’s been a part of Harvest for some time, David and Mariko Manglay. First of all, welcome you guys. Thank you for being here.
David Manglay: Thank you, Pastor Gary. Thank you.
Mariko Manglay: Thank you.
Gary Walton: David has been a member of Harvest about a year. Very interesting work of God in his life. I wanna talk about that. And then Mariko joined the Harvest family. This is interesting because I know this.
Mariko joined the Harvest Heart family the exact same day that Faith and I did.
Mariko Manglay: Oh, really? Yes.
Gary Walton: A little over 6 years ago, 2018. And, that means that we join the family. Mariko, we’re like twins. You triplets. You, Faith, I and our family, we’re Harvest Twins.
But, yeah, it was the same Sunday that our family actually had officially joined and and been a part of the Harvest family. So about a little over 6 years. And they have a family. Mariko, could you tell us your family ages and names?
Mariko Manglay: So we have 3 kids. Rio is 12 years ago 12 years old. Yeah. He’s 7th grade.
Gary Walton: K.
Mariko Manglay: And Leola, she’s 9 years old, 4th grade. And youngest one is Hikari, 7 years old.
Gary Walton: Okay. Beautiful family, beautiful kids God has blessed you with. And it’s so wonderful just seeing, and watching the work of God in your life, your lives both of you. None of us have arrived, we know that, but it’s been very sweet to see that. And I’m anxious for, for people to hear your story of, what God has done.
Let’s back up to, kind of the beginning. David, let me start with you. Tell me about your, your background. Where’d you grow up? So,
David Manglay: back in 1979, I’m from Yap. My name is David. I’m from Yap. We moved I was born in Yap and the same year we moved to Pohnpei because my dad was assigned a job at in Pohnpei. So we all moved there and we stayed there for the rest of our lives.
But then I got, excuse me, I got, accepted for a scholarship to Japan. Mhmm.
Gary Walton: A
David Manglay: 3 year scholarship. So I was there for like 5 years, 10 months or 11 months, almost 6 years. And then, but my high school was a Catholic school. So that’s where I kinda like Oh, actually I went to SDA school first. And that’s where we started to learn about the Bible and then I grew up to high school And then we it was a Catholic school.
So I kinda like have a little knowledge of God. I wasn’t I don’t walk in spiritually. I still do what I did. I was you know, yeah. So anyway, so a long story short, and then we went I went to Japan, came back, and then I was working for a Japanese entity.
Gary Walton: Did you learn Japanese when you were in Japan, right?
David Manglay: Yeah, I learned Japanese for 1 year and then I went to my technical school for another 2 years.
Gary Walton: Okay.
David Manglay: And then everybody was Japanese in my class. I was the only foreigner.
Gary Walton: Yeah, interesting.
David Manglay: And so I had to do extra work to catch up with them because they’re native. So it was a bit of a challenge. Yeah, so when we came back and then started working and then after she my wife came as a volunteer. It’s like, it’s a Japanese version of the Peace Corps.
Gary Walton: Okay. To
David Manglay: Pohnpei? To, the FSM.
Gary Walton: FSM. Okay.
David Manglay: So I took them and assigned to their assignment, island.
Gary Walton: Okay.
David Manglay: So to recipient island they call it. And then I take them, then that’s where how we met. But then after she worked in Yap, she was assigned to Yap, but they come to Pune, we have the orientation and briefings, and then after that we assigned them to their destination.
Gary Walton: Okay.
David Manglay: So she was assigned to Yap for 2 years, but I was based in Pune, so so from time to time, I was going between islands.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
David Manglay: And then, and that’s how I met, my wife.
Gary Walton: Okay. And then when when did you move to Guam?
David Manglay: And so when, we met and then we decided where should we stay? Should we stay in in Pompeii? Should we stay in Yap? Should we stay in Japan? But then we decided to move to Guam because it’s, like, one flight away from everywhere.
Gary Walton: Mhmm. It’s in the center.
David Manglay: The hub. The hub. Yeah. There you go. The hub.
And then so that’s why we decided to to come here to Guam.
Gary Walton: Okay. And that’s all gonna be part of your spiritual story too. Right? It’s pretty cool. What year was that or when did you move to Guam?
David Manglay: So we came to Guam in 9, in 2,000 12?
Mariko Manglay: 12.
Gary Walton: Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Great.
Marika, what about you? Tell me about your background.
Mariko Manglay: So I am from Japan, Niigata City.
Gary Walton: Okay.
Mariko Manglay: It’s Niigata is kind of countryside in Japan and very famous for rice field, rice
Gary Walton: Okay.
Mariko Manglay: And sushi and fish. So and around my parents’ house, there are lots of rice fields. So I used to play in the rice field. Wow. And then in my late 20 years old, I joined JOCV, Japanese Overseas Corporation Volunteer.
And then
Gary Walton: I met That’s what you’re saying is like like USP score. It’s a Japanese version of that. Okay.
Mariko Manglay: They sent me to Yap as a math teacher. So I worked there for 2 years. So actually I know some of the HBBC students.
Gary Walton: Really?
Mariko Manglay: They were used to my students in Yap. So
Gary Walton: So you live on Maine, Yap, Maine Island?
Mariko Manglay: Yes.
Gary Walton: Okay. And taught there Uh-huh. In math?
Mariko Manglay: Yeah.
Gary Walton: Wow. Okay. And then same thing, met David there?
Mariko Manglay: Uh-huh.
Gary Walton: Alright. And came to Guam.
Mariko Manglay: Yes.
Gary Walton: Okay. 2018. 2012. 2012, right? Yeah.
It’s so interesting to me how God puts our paths together and then directs them. And, you guys met there in Pompeii or In FSM is what you said.
David Manglay: Yeah. They first come to Pompeii. Like, there’s a assigned date, like, twice a year that the Japanese, volunteers, they come to Pohnpei, and then that’s they, undergo, certain orientation and briefings, and then before we, dispatch them to their, recipient islands.
Gary Walton: That’s really cool. I didn’t even know about that program. I hadn’t heard that part of your story. That’s really cool. Well, and then along the way, I know David, you you shared a little bit about your background, Catholic, other schools, SDA.
Tell me about spiritually. Marika, let me start with you. Tell me about your spiritual story and then I’m gonna ask David about this.
Mariko Manglay: I was born and raised in Japan and then my parents, my family is Buddhist. So in my family, there was a large Buddhist altar in my house. In my area, there’s lots of Shinto temple and Buddhist altar everywhere. So that’s where I from. Yeah.
And but my family was kind and I enjoy every day, most of the day. And my motto when I was young was like believe in yourself or I can do everything or do my best and everything will be fine. That was my motto. But somehow, I always felt empty in my heart. So to feel my emptiness, I tried to do my best.
However, no matter what I tried, I couldn’t feel that emptiness. And then after I got married with him and then decided to live in Guam, I met a Korean lady at a local store in Guam.
Gary Walton: Okay.
Mariko Manglay: And then she suddenly asked me, do you wanna read the Bible and then let’s have a Bible study together. I was so surprised, who is this lady?
Gary Walton: Yeah, so you didn’t know her before? Yes. You just met in the school? That’s fantastic.
Mariko Manglay: But I just said, oh, okay. Yeah. Yes. So that’s how I started reading the Bible. So I read the Bible and then I found it is very interesting and then spend every day reading it.
And then I wanted to know more and more, so I started going to church. For next 3 years, I attended church faithfully and then read and study the Bible and then increase my knowledge of Christianity, and I prayed every day. But the one thing I couldn’t do was confess Jesus as my lord. I I couldn’t believe he died for my sins. How could I say it was for my sin when I when it was over 2000 years ago?
So
Gary Walton: Such a good question.
Mariko Manglay: Yeah. So I couldn’t believe that. But one day, God gave me a big trial, and I used to think if I work hard, I will get over this. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t change the situation, and then I felt empty again. I felt I have nothing, and finally, I realized that I am a sinner.
When Jesus was on the cross, it was my sin and my dark sin. And that is why Jesus who has no sin was crucified for me. So then one of my friend, Christian, she he was a Christian. He taught me this scripture. It’s Revelation 3 20.
Behold, I stand out the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will eat with him and he with me.
Gary Walton: Amen.
Mariko Manglay: Yeah. Amen. So so I knew that Jesus has been waiting for me to open the door. What I need to do is just only to open the door. Wow.
Yeah. So then I prayed, Lord, I’m sinner. I finally understand that I cannot do anything by myself without you. So let me call you my lord. I believe that you died on the cross for me, and that was on May 30th 2015.
Gary Walton: Amen, Marika. Wow. Powerful testimony. Very clear. Thank you for sharing that.
You were baptized then? How how long after that?
Mariko Manglay: 20 15. 15 October. October.
Gary Walton: So 2015? Yeah. Okay. David, tell me about this. I mean, you’re alongside Mariko.
She’s starting to go to church. How does all this affect you?
David Manglay: Yeah. So I, I simply at the time I was just a hypocrite. Straightforward. I needed, the Lord on my own terms. It’s like a switch.
I think I’ve I said this one one time. It’s like a switch. You could walk into a room and then you need to turn on the switch so you can see where you’re going. Mhmm. Yeah.
So if you don’t need the that switch, you turned off and just do whatever you wanna do. And it was like that to me. It’s like the Lord was in my pocket. You know, when I need him, I put him out. Mhmm.
So I was living a very, very sinful life that I didn’t know how deep I was in the pit, and I thought everything was okay. And then I read in the in in the Bible, one of the verse said, God is not mocked. You can’t be using God like that. So calamity, everything that I know, everything that I enjoyed, calamity hits in. And pastor, one sermon you mentioned very clearly that I came to an end of of the road.
Gary Walton: And, yeah. The verse you read, God is not mocked, the end of it for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.
David Manglay: Yeah. Yeah. Just to go back a little bit where, my wife was having sort of struggling with her faith when she was introduced by this lady.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
David Manglay: When, this lady was introducing to her the word, she came to me and then she was asking me, you know, how does this work? But, you know, I had a little bit because, yeah, I went to Catholic school. It was similar. I went to Estes, so I had a little bit of knowledge about the Lord. I just didn’t walk in the faith.
Yeah. In his word. So she was asking me and I said, okay, I think this is how it is. I went to Japan not knowing anything about Japan. But then over the time, I was able to understand why Japanese do what the Japanese do.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
David Manglay: So why not at least you try to understand why Christians do what Christians do. So you know, so I kind of like relate my walk, my stay in Japan to her struggle, even though I wasn’t like a genuine Christian, if you may.
Gary Walton: Yeah. It’s a good analogy. It’s a really good analogy.
David Manglay: And I was telling just I don’t know if she remembers this or not, but I was telling her that what just try to understand why Christians are Christians. You don’t have to be Christian. Mhmm. I didn’t have to be Japanese. If I wanted to be Japanese, I can apply for them for a national deal.
Yeah. Yeah. So so that’s that’s what I see. I was like okay so at least try to understand why Christians are Christians. Yeah.
And and at the same time in my mind it’s like and maybe I didn’t tell her this but maybe the Lord will work the rest. But even though despite the fact that I wasn’t walking how I should be walking, I believed in the Lord. I know that the Lord existed. I know with all my heart since a child that the Lord is just that I was so disobedient. I had never submitted to Him.
I never surrendered everything. It was just a not a kid doing his own thing. Yeah. But then when a calamity ends going back faster word, when calamity hit, this was here in Guam actually. So it was within the timeframe of 2012 up to this point.
And when I accepted the Lord, that’s when a lot of a lot of things started to open. Like like like lot of, door of verses come to light and and, you know, sometimes you read the verse after verse the same verse over and over again. It doesn’t really open anything but then when you submit everything to the Lord you realize that oh I didn’t know this was like this. I didn’t know that this verse was meant to be you know it’s talking about this. You know all these things and it’s like I mean, still today, I’m still sinful, but I can I know that the Lord has chipped away the unnecessary junks?
Not all of them yet, probably still working, but I know that, you know, some of the things that I used to do, I don’t do now. And and I praise the Lord for that. And and some of the faculties here, at harvest, I won’t mention their name. They were so, patient with me because I was kinda, like, aggressive and rush harsh when I was being, mentored and discipled. But then I look back to them, and I then I meet them, and I was like, I I I apologize for for for about 5 years ago or almost 10 years ago of how I treated you or how I was harsh to you.
And I wasn’t expecting him to answer this way. David, you are my joy. I I I was like Yeah. Yeah. Everything just melted in my heart, and I said, lord, you are good.
Gary Walton: Amen. Amen, you guys. That’s very powerful.
David Manglay: But if I may just one last thing. The the verse that kinda like, I had this mentality that you know, I know some things I went to Japan. I got a little bit knowledge. I can speak this much. I can speak for language and all this, but you know everything that the God gave me even the knowledge you know I wasn’t used.
It’s like money. You know you you can use money the wrong way And knowledge, you can also use it the wrong way. And I wasn’t using it the way the Lord wanted me to. I was just using it just the opposite of what the Lord wanted me to. And then I thought I had all this knowledge, and then I came to this verse that, kinda like struck me the most is, because I thought I had this all this knowledge and stuff like that.
It’s the fear it’s, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
Gary Walton: Mhmm.
David Manglay: And that’s where my heart also melted because I I know I didn’t have that fear toward the Lord. And and that’s one of the verse that really kind of like, stayed with me for a very long time. And and I realized how sinful my you know, the Lord laid my sins on the table, like, so clearly. The things that I didn’t care about before and I said I never mind you know it’s done and the sins that you know I just kinda like put it away. He kinda like laid down on the table straightforward for me to see and this is and the things that I’ve never been I never confessed and for so that all of that was, like, a very big struggle because I and I was rolling on the floor and and trying to to, you know, to battle this, this thing that was sitting I can’t really explain, but, you know, the conscious of knowing that you’ve the slightest wrong that you’ve done against the Lord and then it’s all like a flashback of coming back and hunting you.
So it was a long journey but then, you know, God was just using his word to, like I said earlier, to just chip anything that displeased him. But, yeah, praise and all glory and praise go to the Lord. And I thank you. And I thank also Harvest, some of the staff who stuck with me and along the way through that struggle. Yeah.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Amen. That is an amazing story actually. Both of primarily of God’s work in your life, David, both of you together. But, yours David, I was able to kind of watch God in that process.
So, God’s working in your life, but there’s people that are walking beside you patiently, teaching, listening, caring. It really is, listening to you both, I’m emotional here today because it’s such a beautiful work of God. David, we’ve talked about this before. In the last couple of years, let’s talk about that specifically. You’ve talked with me.
I’ve talked with you about how the word has changed you, how it’s renewed your mind. Could you just talk about that?
David Manglay: Yeah. So, for me, you can’t, change by not reading the word. Yeah. But you have to know, I mean, at least read the first every day or just take one verse and and if if you read through the Bible and then, oh, this verse hit me, struck me. It means something to me.
I tend to lean on that verse for that whole for that day. And it’s just, I mean, I’ve had verses that I’ve carried with me in my my my best pocket shirt for 2 years. So whenever like something like offended me and I put it out and I kinda like really put it back in. Yeah. I say so I was living that for 2 years then.
And Proverbs was was, you know, it has 31 chapters. So you can do it every month and every day. Yeah. One chapter at a time. I’ve done that for 2 years.
Wow. So now pastor Clinton and I are doing it doing it again. So he’s refreshing. So we’re starting to do that again and it’s it’s been really helpful bringing back. You have to stick with the word.
You can’t do it alone. I couldn’t.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Well, that was part of both of your story, right? I mean, Mariko, you were so clear about that, this idea that, you know, I thought I could do these things and figure it out myself. And at some point for all of us, God brings us to the point where we cannot do enough. We are not enough.
Mariko Manglay: And
Gary Walton: then we are able to go to him, the one that we ultimately needed in the 1st place. You know? So and then to watch God’s word change you, change our minds, change the way we think about life, about ourselves, about our families, about our circumstances. Yeah. It’s really been beautiful.
And you guys just shared that so clearly. So time goes fast. We are out of time already. I we might have to do a part 2 because I I got some more questions that I wanna ask, But thank you guys for your testimony. Thank you.
I know it’s a little scary being here today. You guys did fantastic. Thank you for having us. Yeah. Thank you for being willing to come and share.
Chris Harper: And thank you for listening to Harvest Time. Of course, at this point in the program, we always wanna personally invite you again to services at Harvest Baptist Church. We have 2 every week on Sunday, 8:45 AM and 10:45 AM. Japanese and Korean translation during the 10:45 AM service. We also broadcast the service live here on 88.1 FM and khmg.org.
We hope to see you this Sunday. Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.