Ethel Servanez-Ligero (SCA ’17) has repeated the same prayer since becoming a Christian at age 12: “Lord, let it be. Wherever you want me to go, I will go.”
In her position as a resource development coordinator for the Asian Center for Missions (ACM) Mindanao Region—Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Asia’s missionary training arm—she managed events, donor care, and fundraisers in support of the organization’s goal to send 7,000 cross-cultural missionaries into the field by 2030.
Spreading the Gospel Through the Heart Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia
It’s the same place where, after marrying Pastor John Ligero, she began her career and first witnessed the power of multimedia to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Ethel served for more than eight years in different capacities at ACM, where she helped mobilize churches as part of their cross-cultural mission. The vernacular media training of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) inspired the couple to embark on a mission to spread the Gospel to Mainland Southeast Asia’s oral people groups—those who neither read nor write—by using their skills in multimedia production.
With Wycliffe Bible Translation Philippines and Faith Comes By Hearing, an audio Bible recording ministry, they connected with the oral cultures of the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. In all, they recorded the New Testament audio Bible in 26 languages.
Ethel explained that “people speak to God in their mother tongue or heart language,” which is why audio versions of the Bible are so life-changing.
“Heart language is the language a person grew up with, and best understands. For example, my heart language is Tagalog, and if the Bible I am reading is in Cebuano, I can understand it, but it doesn’t have the same impact,” she said.
“With the audio Bible, people can hear the Word of God in their own language, and their faith will increase as Romans 10:17 says,” she said. “It is wonderful to see people listen to their audio Bible and grow their knowledge and understanding of God’s Word.”
In September 2020, after serving in various capacities in Vietnam and Thailand, the Lord led the couple back to the Philippines. John now works as the spiritual director of Tebow Cure Hospital (Cure Philippines). Ethel completed her ACM appointment on August 5, 2022, having come full circle after years in the mission field. What comes next, she said, is in God’s hands.
