Five Loaves and Two Fish

As we celebrate our 25th year as a ministry, we stand in awe—not of what we have built, but of what God has faithfully carried. This milestone is not simply a celebration of longevity; it is a testimony of surrender, obedience, and a God who multiplies what is placed in His hands.

Our story mirrors the familiar account of the five loaves and two fish.

When Jesus faced a vast, hungry crowd, the disciples saw only limitation. Too many people. Too little food. What they had seemed almost laughable in comparison to the need. “What is that among so many?” they asked. Yet Jesus did not dismiss what was small. He asked for it.

Living Waters has often found itself in that very place.

Over the past 25 years, there were many seasons when our hands felt tied—not because the vision was unclear, but because resources were limited. There were moments when we looked at our bank account and wondered how the work of God could continue. There were times when the numbers did not add up, when funds were insufficient, and when logic said, “Wait. Pause. Scale back.”

Yet in those very moments, God was teaching us something deeper: not to limit His work based on what we saw in the bank.

Again and again, the Lord gently corrected our thinking. His kingdom was never meant to operate on visible supply alone, but on trust and obedience. He reminded us that provision does not begin in accounts, but in surrender. And so, even when our hands were tied financially, our hearts learned to remain open.

This truth became deeply personal to us as a family.

Last Christmas, as we gathered to give thanks to God, each of our children shared what they were grateful for. One by one, they said the same thing—that we never lacked food or anything we needed. As I listened, I found myself in tears. They did not know that there was a month when we received only about 25% of our salary because the ministry had no funds. That month, what came to us was barely over ten thousand pesos—humanly speaking, not enough.

And yet, we were never without.

God provided—not through the ministry, but through other people, unexpected help, and quiet miracles. What our bank account could not explain, God’s faithfulness did.

Like the boy who offered his lunch, we learned that God does not ask us to produce abundance—He asks us to offer what we have.

There were seasons when ministry plans required faith-filled decisions, and when giving felt costly. There were moments when the Lord asked us to bless others—at times when the money we had felt like all we had. Obedience felt risky. Letting go felt frightening.

Yet, each time we chose to trust and continue doing His will—to keep serving, to keep giving, to keep saying yes—something extraordinary happened.

Provision came—supernaturally and beyond our imagination.

Not always immediately. Not always in predictable ways. But always on time.

There were moments when help came from unexpected people, unexpected places, and unexpected timing. Support arrived without being solicited. Needs were met before they became crises. Doors opened that we did not even know existed. What could not be explained by budgeting or planning could only be explained by a faithful God responding to trust.

Even this past Christmas, the Lord invited us once again into this posture of surrender. I sensed Him prompting us to bless those who quietly serve—the guards in our condo, the people who faithfully show up day after day. It was not about how much we could give, but about obedience and seeing others through His eyes. And as we obeyed, joy followed. Once again, God reminded us that generosity flows not from abundance, but from trust.

Through these experiences, the Lord taught us that His work is never limited by human calculation. He is not restrained by scarcity, nor governed by lack. When we continued to obey—despite what we could see—He released provision that far exceeded what we could have planned or imagined.

Jesus, in the miracle of the loaves and fish, did something deeply instructive. Before multiplication came thanksgiving. He took what was offered, gave thanks, and broke it. Gratitude preceded abundance. Surrender came before overflow.

So too with Living Waters.

There were seasons when resources were limited, when our hands felt tied, and when logic told us to hold back. Yet in one of those very seasons, the Lord spoke clearly to our leadership. Our Director was given a word from the Lord that Living Waters was to give tithes from the gross to our coordinators nationwide.

From a natural perspective, it did not make sense. Funds were already tight, and giving from the gross felt risky. But we chose to obey—not because it was comfortable, but because it was faithful.

And once again, God proved Himself true.

As Living Waters honored the Lord first, we witnessed a powerful reality: we never outgave God. Even as we gave, provision came. Support was released. Needs were met. What seemed impossible on paper became possible in practice—not through human strategy, but through divine faithfulness.

The seasons of “not enough” became sacred classrooms where God shaped us as a ministry. They stripped away anxiety and trained us in dependence. They taught us to trust the Giver more than the gift, and the Provider more than the provision. Slowly, we learned that obedience is safer than security, and trust is stronger than control.

When we continued to obey—despite what we could see—God released provision that far exceeded what we could have planned or imagined.

Lives were healed. Shame was exchanged for dignity. Leaders were restored. Families were reconciled. Churches were renewed. These stories are our baskets of leftovers—tangible reminders that when Jesus multiplies, nothing is wasted.

Now, as we step into our 25th Anniversary year, the invitation remains the same.

We are once again called to bring our five loaves and two fish—not because they are impressive, but because they are surrendered. We do not come boasting of capacity, resources, or certainty. We come offering availability. We bring what we have—our faith, our obedience, our yes—and we trust Jesus to do what only He can do.

This anniversary is not about celebrating how far we have come; it is about declaring who has carried us. The same Jesus who multiplied bread in the wilderness has multiplied grace, provision, and healing in our midst for 25 years. And we believe He is not done.

As we look ahead, we do so without fear. We choose to trust rather than measure, to obey rather than hesitate, and to give rather than grasp. We refuse to limit God’s work by what we can see, because history has taught us that His supply always exceeds our imagination.

May this 25th year be another holy moment where Jesus takes what seems small, blesses it, breaks it, and feeds many.

And may we forever remember:

In the hands of God, surrendered obedience is never insufficient.