Links to Bro. Don's digital books for the Gospel:

• The Gospel of the Lord, English, Part 01
• Saliksikin ang Aklat ng Panginoon

Video links:

• Studio23 interview with Bro. Don

Or, read as follows:

MY PERSONAL LIFE TESTIMONY WITH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST:
This is my personal life testimony with the Lord Christ Jesus
My humble yet dramatic birth - (Based on the personal accounts to me by my beloved mother (now with the Lord):

A Time of war and escaping from death

According to the story narrated by my mother, the events surrounding my birth were quite dramatic and unforgettable. The year was 1945, in the 3rd month of the year (March), the time of World War II, where the American forces (led by the famous General Douglas Mcarthur who made good his promise to return) was coming back to the Philippines to liberate it from the 4-year occupancy of the Japanese military rule. The place was in northern Philippines, in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos region, along the lengthy Cagayan River, in a small barrio called Enrile. Due to the intense battles between the American and Japanese forces, the atmosphere was terrifying and dangerous. The Japanese soldiers, feeling the impending defeat from the hands of the liberating American Forces, were destroying everything in their path and were going in a rampage, killing Filipinos including babies, at times throwing them in the air and thrusting them with their deadly bayonets.

A small house near the Cagayan River, refuge in birth

In a small house in a barrio of Enrile, my mother who was heavy with a baby (me) was laboring hard in the middle of the night of March 26, 1945. While the deafening silence of the night filled the air, it was broken at times by cries and scream of people either being tortured or killed by the Japanese soldiers. My father, who was an intelligence officer in the Filipino guerilla underground movement, was outside looking frantically for a "comadrona" or a local midwife. And while the arrival of my father and the local midwife was being much delayed, and knowing that her time of delivery was at hand, and that there was nothing more that could be done - my mother nervously placed a "bilao" ( a rounded nipa-knitted rice container) on the floor, knelt down in front of it and prayed earnestly to the Lord for mercy and strength, while pushing hard to deliver her baby. Finally, by the grace of God,I came out from my mother's womb and into this world, uttering the glorious sound of life, The Word in the Beginning, the tiny but distinct cry out of the mouth of a new-born babe, then falling gently into the "bilao", my first earthly cradle or delivery bed.

A strange warning to flee - Exodus from Cagayan to Manila

After half-an-hour or so, the comadrona or local midwife with my father eventually came, cut off the umbilical cord and cleansed the baby. Then an old lady relative called "Lola Maria" told my parents that there was no time to lose and that we have to leave the place soonest because she had a strange & frightening premonition that something bad was bound to happen. Heeding the pleading of Lola Maria, we all left our house the early next morning and started our journey to Manila. It was a long, hard journey with many dangers along the way due to lack of transportation and moreso because of sporadic gun fightings between the Japanese soldiers and the underground resistance supporting the advancing American forces. But the most supensefull & dangerous part was going through the Japanese checkpoints where they were arresting all suspected guerilla soldiers. Fortunately again, by God's saving grace, we were able to pass safely because of the ID pass or permit my father was able to somehow secure from the Japanese military hierarchy in our town. Then after a day or two, we finally arrived in Manila and found refuge and residence in Sta. Ana, Manila. Then we heard the terrible news - that just 3 days after we left Cagayan, the whole barrio along the river was destroyed and burned by the American air raids & bombardment as they were taking the province from the Japanese forces. Then immediately the family remembered the warning made by Lola Maria saying we had to leave immediately for she felt something really bad would come to the place - and it did truly come to pass. My parents earnestly praised and thanked God for this grace of salvation. While some might consider this occurence as just a strange stroke of fate or mere coincidence, our family knew in our hearts that the Lord has given us the warning to flee to spare our lives for His divine purpose that would be revealed to us in the appointed time.

A mere strange coincidence? Or God's hidden design?

Now, as I look back and began reminiscing the circumstances surrounding my birth, I could not help but realize that in a strange manner these somehow tried to resemble those of the birth of the prophet Moses and that of our Lord Jesus Christ. For as in the days when Moses was born, the Egyptians were killing the male babies and that Moses was hidden in a papyrus basket and floated down the Nile River and was found by the Pharro's daughter; and our Lord Jesus was also born in a manger in Bethlehem and was hid from the soldiers of King Herod who were given order to kill all Israelite male babies 2 years and younger- so maybe the Lord designed his lowly servant's (yours truly) birth to be in the same dangerous period and in a lowly surrounding, and to be borne on a native "bilao". A name given to glorify God & His Christ And moreover,now after a long time, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I came to understand that even the name I was given, both through my father's family name and my first name given by my mother - ADONIS DONATO means something deeper, something more pious.Because the family name DONATO came from the latin root word "DONUM" or the spanish word "DONAR" which means " TO DONATE", so DONATO means "DONATED" or "GIVEN FREELY" as a "GIFT". While "ADONIS" although in the Greek mythology was a name given to a legendary handsome person, which name means "prince of beauty"and "prince of love" - ADONIS really came from the Semitic root word "ADONAI" which means "LORD". Therefore, if we have to relate it to the glory of God, Adonis (ADONAI) Donato (DONAR) would mean " The Lord was given to the world as a Grace (Free Gift) for the Redemption of Mankind. Of course, I know I am not worthy whatsoever of this honor, but if it be God's concealed will, and for His glory, not mine, who am I to contend with the Almighty, but only to praise His Holy Name, for His kindness and love to His lowly & unworthy servant. Amen +

Boyhood to Manhood days : Romancing this material world

From Sta. Ana Manila, my parents moved residence to Pasay City in the 1950s, in 115 Capt. Ambo Street (namesake of the old man of then Mayor Pablo Cuneta). We were regarded as a prominent family, not because we were rich, but maybe because my father was very close to then President Elpidio Quirino as his Confidential Assistant in Malacañan, and we, the kids, were also told to call President Quirino "lolo". My mother during the american occupation was a High School English teacher, and then later was working in the Bureau of Education division in Manila City Hall.

It was there in Pasay where I grew up as as a normal boy full of energy and carefree in the way of life. I was a loving and obedient child to my parents and to my brothers and sisters, but just like most of other boys was very fond of playing especially the game of swashbuckling swordsmen like the 3 Muskeeters, Knights of the Round Table, Scaramouch, and the like. On the other hand, I was also very adept in singing and playing the rythm guitar with Elvis as my favorite singer, also Cliff Richard, Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka, and their contemporaries, as was endowed with such natural talents from above. During my early teenage days, I was joining a musical combo singing Elvis songs, and even sang at the Plaza Miranda, where I was given garland of flowers and signed autographs for the fans. Then I had also this talent in dancing where during the twist dance craze, I joined in the dancing contest in the TV dance-o-rama where I won in the day contest, then in the weekly contest and in the monthly semi-final contest. And got the privilege to join the final dance contest at the Araneta Colliseum where the famous american musicial band " The Ventures" and popular singer Jo-Ann Campbell were doing their concert. I did not win any major prize but the honor and opportunity to be one of the finalists and to be part of the great show were more than enough reward for me.

On the other hand, it was also during my teen-age days that I began to be exposed into the darker side of this world and made me experience the downside events in my life. Being then so curious, daring and adventurous, I somehow became involved in the wild life of a teenager. The street life of teen-age gangs has lured my innocent young mind to try and taste the life of the wild and furious young men who roamed the streets at night and conquer and hold "territories" as part gangs or street fighters, like in the movies.Because of these adolescent vanities and furious way of living, I was driven away from home by my strict military-minded father. Thanks to my ever-understanding and loving mother who brought me to my aunts (motherside relatives) in Bignay, Quezon City where I stayed for almost a year, until my father's wrath subsided and allowed me to come home again. When I asked forgiveness from my father, kneeling down in tears, he readily replied without any emotion, saying "you are forgiven, and forgotten"!And for a little while living together at home, my father gave me the cold treatment but I know it was to ensure that his points were driven down deep inside my heart anByd that I have learned my lesson well and would reform henceforth.

Because of this unwarranted chapter in my teen-age days which disturbed my education, I was forced to stop schooling for 2 years in high school. The reason was that due to shame, I wanted my original classmate in 3rd year and those of the 2nd year below me to graduate so that when I come back for my 4th year, chances were nobody would not know or remember me anymore if I come back to the same school after 2 years. (This was also the reason why when I went to college, I was naturally 2 years older than most of my college classmates).


The start of the ' Turn of Tide ' in my life

By God's strange ways, these unfortunate experience in my past two years gave me a bitter but a good lesson and resolve to mend my ways and try to stand up from where I have fallen.