Nordy Loctugan JR
I was born on December 18, 1972 the eldest among the four in our family. My family lived a simple and a happy way of life. I was blessed to have a loving and responsible parents who would work very hard to provide for all our needs and a mother who is a devout Roman Catholic that would always remind us to do good things, respect people and make right choices in life. I am married to Sheila Tortosa on August 28, 2003. Sheila was my classmate since Elementary and High School days. I do believe that she is the woman who God has ordained to be my helpmate and co-worker in the Lord. We are now married for 7 years. I would say that we are not perfect couple but every day is a learning process for us to be the person that God wants us to be. God has blessed us with two beautiful daughters. The eldest is Hannah who is five and Abigail was born last January 12, 2011.
I took up a course in Computer Science at UNO-R (University of Negros Occidental Recoletos); unfortunately I was not able to finish my degree because of poverty. I went to Manila and took up a Seaman Certificate Course at PMI College. While studying I was also working to support my personal needs. It was my uncle who supported my education. I worked as a seaman for 8 years. My parents, relatives, friends and other people were used by God and I am very grateful for they served as an instrument to where I am now.
I have so many wonderful things to cherish from childhood until I started my job. But the most significant event happened when I came to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How I become a follower of Jesus Christ? It was during my high school days 1987. I was a sophmore student when my best friend Napoleon Cortez a member of WWCF La Carlota shared his personal encounter with Jesus Christ and how he became a Christian. The seed that was planted by my best friend took seven years to grow. It was August 1994 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and Lord. Whilst working as a seaman in a tanker vessel, a tragic experience happened to me that I will never forget as long as I live. We were heading to Singapore and we are preparing and checking the empty tanks, I lost my consciousness inside the tank. My body was almost half dead. I was fortunate to regain my consciousness after one hour of resuscitation. After that tragic experience, I came to realize how God loves me and from then on started a passion in my heart to share the WORD of God to my colleagues. Since then I was praying for a Church where I can grow with my spiritual journey and in knowing the Lord fully. My prayer has been answered last 1997 when I went back to my hometown where I attended WIN La Carlota. I met Pastor Edman Locsin and Pastor Norman Lim, a church deacon before whom God used to be the first mentor of my Christian life. It was Pastor Edman who helped me learn about missions. When I started about church missions it all begun and realised that I have also the calling to serve my King. My first mission was my family. It was very challenging because my family knows me very well. They noticed that there was a transformation in me and were encouraged. My mother came first to surrender her life also to Jesus Christ then followed by my brother and sisters and lastly my father before he died. This is the promise of God in Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
I came to United Kingdom on the 9th of November 2004 to be with my wife. Two days after my arrival, my father died of liver cirrhosis. Despite the sadness I felt, God has given me the peace and comfort as well as my family back home.
My family indeed are blessed to have WIN-UK as our family in Christ. It took years after arriving here in the United Kingdom to respond to the mandate of God to serve Him. At the moment I am assigned as a Worship Pastor and helping developing our Family Centres. My family believed that there are still lots of work to be done, but together side by side, by the grace and guidance of GOD, His will be done in our Lives. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD“ (Joshua 24:15).