The Great Commission #Feature Story

By: Symphony Griffith

“There were times I wanted to give up and just go home.”

These were the honest words of a missionary to Barbados on assignment from The Philippines, Donwayne Cogay, otherwise known as “Wayne,” who dared to venture out into deeper waters to strengthen his spiritual faith and do the will of God.

DonWayne Cogay

It was four years ago when Wayne was accepted into The United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries Youth programme, after applying for a position in missionary service. This programme matches young adults between the ages of 20 to 30, to a place of assignment according to their skills and interests and Wayne’s gifts in the areas of music, teaching and accounting, all in which he learned back home, made him the perfect candidate for the assignment offered in Barbados. 

This then took him half way around the world in mid-March of 2017, to an unfamiliar territory. “Unfortunately, I had not heard of Barbados,” he said. This was the reality for him, as he solely relied on movie series like Pirates of the Caribbean, to visualize what the region was like and became best friends with google, which of course, introduced him to Barbados with crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and Rihanna. 

One major adjustment for him was grasping the size of the island compared to where he is from. “The size of our registered voters in my hometown, is already the population of the whole of Barbados,” said Wayne.

City in the Philippines

He came from a large country surrounded by seven thousand plus Islands, no wonder he said that there’s a lot of regionalism in his country. The diverse cultural and religious heritage, some of which include a large population of Muslims, a few Jews, Christians, Protestants and Roman Catholics which is the strongest, “thanks to Spain” he said, came about mainly due to the colonization by several countries such as, Japan, America and Spain.

The land is filled with numerous valleys and rivers, a vast mountainous landscape with lush vegetation and a wide variety of agricultural products flourish. Generous amounts of produce are taken to markets that sprawl all over the cities and towns. Wayne is used to large industrial cities where Mega Malls are as far as the eyes can see, whereas in Barbados, you can count them on one hand.

He also found that Barbados is very quiet on a Sunday, as if everyone stays at home. This was like a culture shock to him, because on Sundays in the Philippines, there is always that hustle and bustle of people whose senses are heightened, as they scout for massive bargains and sales throughout the malls.

These are some of the things that Wayne took for granted back home. He had to adjust to not having access to various things he was accustomed to. He became aware that it was a great sacrifice for him and a spiritual trial, as if he was being tested so he could exercise his faith. He was humbled by this experience, but was able to see how God allowed this to happen, so he could help others in the future who might face the same situation.

 He was placed at the James Street Methodist Church where he took on many rolls. He was elected youth leader, Sunday School teacher, Music Director, worked in Radio Ministry, Primary School Religious Ministry and lastly, became a Youth Pastor.   

Not knowing what to expect, when he interacted with Barbadian people, Wayne soon came to realize that the people of this land were not much different from his own as far as desires, needs and goals were concerned.

Sunday School and camp duties were a challenge as he discovered that some of these children came with many difficulties and struggles that others all over the world faced. His goal at camp meetings was to help the youth understand how to incorporate a spiritual walk with God in their daily lives. From a spiritual standpoint, he helps them to understand how to cope with various emotional stresses, domestic issues, anger management and pressures they go through.

As youth leader he was responsible for creating programs and activities that incorporated and upheld Christian education and values such as love, peace, hope, joy, justice, and courage, but at the same time, hold the interest and attention of the young people. This was done through mediums such as songs, games, sports, hikes and more.

He mentioned that although the Methodist Church had the same founder, John Wesley, they were different branches such as The United Methodist Church, of which he is a member and the (MCCA) Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas. The Churches share common traditions and doctrines such as communion, however when it comes to attire, his church back home is ok with casual wear to services, while in Barbados, the churches take a different view on this, they prefer the traditional standard of dress like a three-piece suit.

Having to conform to many different rules and regulations of the organization was quite frustrating for Wayne, “There were times I wanted to give up and just go home” he said. However, he was determined to focus on his goal of being a missionary and the purpose in which he was there and that was, to fulfill the great commission, to go out into the world to reach people by being the hands and feet of Jesus, to make a difference and finish the journey to the end.