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What began as silent dinners and hidden pain became a calling to bring healing… one family at a time.
There was a time when Josiah would sit at the table with his family… and say almost nothing.
They ate together.
They lived under one roof.
But the conversations?
“Kakain kami sa table, pero we avoid having deep conversations.”
Left hanging. Unexplored.
And for Josiah, that silence wasn’t neutral.
It was heavy.
“Deep inside, I’m really longing for someone to disciple me… someone I can share all of my burdens.”
He didn’t say it out loud.
He didn’t even fully understand it then.
But there it was…
a quiet ache for guidance, for trust, for someone who would simply listen.
He was a pastor’s son, raised in Tuguegarao where his family was serving in ministry.
A son of a church planter, he grew up seeing ministry up close… both its beauty and its weight.
A BS Accountancy graduate, his path wasn’t without pressure… he attempted the board exam twice and eventually stepped into work in bookkeeping and a lending institution.
Responsible.
Driven.
Involved in church life.
From the outside, everything looked aligned.
Inside… it was a different story.
A Calling That Started with a Burden
Josiah didn’t grow up planning to enter ministry full-time.
He was on track… studies, career, stability.
But in 2022, during a missionary convention held in Baguio City, something shifted.
He remembers listening to missionaries share… stories of provision, of sacrifice, of God showing up in ways that didn’t make sense on paper.
And somewhere in the middle of that… it felt personal.
Not just inspiring.
Personal.
God wasn’t just speaking to the room.
He was speaking to him.
“Ang meron lang ako is yung salita Mo… that You will be with me.”
Around the same time, his family sensed it too.
His parents would later serve as missionaries under Cru’s FamilyLife ministry, focusing on reaching couples and families.
And unexpectedly, Josiah found himself stepping into responsibility… helping lead in their church back in Tuguegarao while his parents stepped further into mission work.
No formal training.
No clear structure.
Just a word from God… and the decision to trust it.
The Question That Changed Everything
By 2023, Josiah began spending more time on campus… initially just joining, observing, showing up when he could.
It was a relatively late exposure for him, stepping into campus ministry only after years of focusing on studies, work, and church responsibilities.
This was also when he became more closely connected with Cru, being exposed to both campus ministry and eventually FamilyLife, where his parents were serving.
But the conversations started to deepen.
Students began opening up.
And a pattern emerged.
Not just once. Not just twice.
But repeatedly.
“One out of three students… broken family.”
They would talk about pressure, struggles, direction.
But eventually… it would lead back home.
Parents who didn’t understand.
Homes that didn’t feel safe.
Families that were present… but disconnected.
Josiah would listen.
Pray.
Walk with them.
But something didn’t sit right.
He began asking God honestly:
“Hanggang dito lang ba? Hanggang students lang ba yung kaya kong samahan?”
Because the deeper he went, the clearer it became:
“Their real problem is nasa family nila.”
And that realization stayed with him.
It didn’t go away.
The Moment He Saw the Bigger Picture
The turning point came during an Operation Jabez outreach organized within the context of FamilyLife, a ministry of Cru.
This time, it wasn’t just students.
Families were invited.
Parents. Children.
Entire households.
And in the middle of that outreach, Josiah saw something that stopped him.
Not dramatic. Not staged.
Just… real.
A family walking together.
Talking. Smiling. Sharing the gospel side by side.
“I saw a family… walking together, sharing the gospel together.”
It wasn’t just what they were doing.
It was how they were doing it.
Together.
And in that moment, something clicked.
“This is supposed to be the picture of a family.”
Not divided.
Not distant.
Not surviving… but aligned.
That image stayed with him long after the event ended.
And quietly… it began to shape his direction – not just toward ministry, but specifically toward FamilyLife.
But Before He Could Help Families… God Healed His Own
What Josiah didn’t expect was this:
Before God would use him to reach families…
He would start with his.
It began with something simple…
a family altar, initiated by his parents after stepping into their mission calling.
Gathering in the living room.
Reading Scripture.
Praying together.
At first, Josiah joined out of respect.
Not necessarily desire.
He was used to keeping things to himself.
Avoiding anything too personal.
But one night, something shifted.
The conversation turned toward forgiveness.
And suddenly… the walls came down.
“Hindi ko akalain na ganun pala ako kagalit sa papa ko.”
It surprised even him.
Memories he thought were gone…
resentments he thought he had already moved past…
They surfaced.
One by one.
“Lahat ng pains ko… nailabas ko lahat.”
He spoke.
Honestly. Fully. Without filtering.
And his father?
Didn’t interrupt.
Didn’t defend.
He just listened.
For the first time, Josiah felt heard.
And something broke… but in the right way.
“After nun… naging very close kami.”
Conversations changed.
The distance softened.
What used to be avoided… became safe.
And in that space, Josiah experienced something deeply personal:
Restoration.
Not theoretical.
Not preached.
Lived.
From Passion… to Direction
By 2024, Josiah knew he couldn’t go back to “normal.”
He applied for full-time ministry with FamilyLife under Cru Philippines, sensing clearly that this was where God was leading him.
But instead of immediately stepping in, he was guided into a season of internship… first in FamilyLife in Tuguegarao, then in campus ministry in Davao City through the Student-Led Movement.
And it was there, in Davao, that something clicked.
At first, it felt unclear.
Even frustrating.
He had the desire.
He had the burden.
But something was missing.
“I have the heart for the mission… but I don’t have the direction.”
And that’s where the real formation began.
In the day-to-day.
In leadership roles he didn’t expect…
As he was given opportunities to help lead – especially in events and trainings – he began to realize he wasn’t just meant to support… he was called to lead.
In responsibilities that stretched him…
He learned to face challenges head-on, becoming more aware of the areas where he still needed to grow.
He began to see what it really meant to serve… not just with passion, but with structure, accountability, and growth.
And along the way, he found himself deeply grateful for a team that didn’t rush to correct him, but chose to walk with him as he learned.
When Pain Became His Platform
Then came a different kind of test.
Personal.
Quiet.
Painful.
Josiah found himself carrying a quiet weight in his heart… feelings he could not act on, but could not ignore.
It affected him more than he expected.
Self-doubt crept in.
Comparison.
Insecurity.
And for a moment, it threatened to distract him from ministry.
But instead of pushing it away, he brought it to God… honestly.
“I don’t want this burden to be a stumbling block… use it to ignite my passion.”
And in that place of honesty, he sensed God responding… not with explanation, but with perspective.
“Your pain is very real… but have you ever thought that I am experiencing it too?”
That question stayed with him.
Because suddenly, it wasn’t just about his pain anymore.
It was about God’s.
Loving people who choose other things.
Pursuing hearts that don’t respond.
And for the first time, the gospel felt… deeper.
More personal.
So when he shared it, he stopped relying on structure.
He spoke from experience.
“I want to be authentic in sharing the gospel.”
What once felt like a personal burden became a bridge… helping others see and understand God’s love in a way that felt real, not distant.
And people noticed.
One student, after hearing him, said something he wouldn’t forget:
“I have never thought that God is still pursuing me.”
In those moments, his story became more than his own… it became a way for others to encounter God personally.
That moment confirmed something for him.
God can use even the parts we don’t understand yet.
A Vision Bigger Than Himself
Today, Josiah continues to serve as an intern with Cru, being trained, stretched, and prepared… while moving toward his long-term role in FamilyLife ministry.
Because for him, ministry is no longer just about individuals.
It’s about households.
Generations.
Legacy.
“God’s call for me is to unite the body of Christ in sharing the gospel.”
“Make sure the next generation will know the goodness of God.”
He carries a growing vision… not just for individuals to come to faith, but for families to become places where faith is lived, shared, and passed on.
He sees families walking together in faith.
Parents leading.
Children following.
Homes becoming places of discipleship.
Even within his own family, he sees this unfolding… his parents reaching couples, his brother serving in the marketplace, and each of them playing a role in sharing the gospel.
Not perfect… but aligned.
And in his heart is a deeper prayer… that one day, his church would become a mission-sending church, and that families like his would go together, reaching others as one.
The Message He Wants to Leave Behind
If you ask Josiah how he wants to be remembered, he won’t give you a long answer.
Just a simple truth he has come to live by:
“Immanuel. God is with us.”
It’s a truth he didn’t just learn… but experienced, in silence, in struggle, and in restoration.
And maybe that’s what makes his story powerful.
Because once, he sat at a table where words were few…
and connection felt distant.
Now, he’s helping build homes where faith is lived, shared, and passed on.
From one generation to the next.
And Maybe That’s Where It Begins
Not in big stages.
Not in perfect families.
But in conversations that finally go deeper.
In honesty that leads to healing.
In one home… at a time.
Josiah Iriñgan is a 30-year-old BS Accountancy graduate and missionary intern with Cru Philippines. Raised in Tuguegarao as a pastor’s son, his story is marked by both hidden struggles and a deep experience of restoration within his own family. Now serving in Davao City under the Student-Led Movement, he is being prepared for full-time ministry with FamilyLife, where he hopes to help families rediscover faith, rebuild relationships, and pass on the goodness of God to future generations.
