Victorious Mindanao peace mission catapults JMCIM to worldwide evangelism
Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry’s Talipao Peace Mission
Timeline history
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April 23, 2000
A group of heavily armed men stormed a world renowned Malaysian dive resort in Sipadan and took 21 people as captives. It was reported that the gunmen, also known as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), forced their hostages onto a boat headed for Jolo, Sulu. The captives consisted of 9 Malaysians, 3 Germans, 2 French, 2 Finns, 2 South Africans, 2 Filipinos, and 1 Lebanese. Although the terror group has had its share of kidnappings over the years, this Sipadan hostage crisis has definitely caught the attention of people all over the world – especially Evangelist Wilde Estrada Almeda of the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministy. -
April 2000
While the world was stunned with the atrocity of the hostage crisis and the government was focused on getting their best negotiators for the captives’ release, the Lord has his eyes set on one man to do one particularly dangerous and seemingly impossible mission – facilitate the release of the 21 Sipadan hostages and preach the gospel to those in need. That night, the Beloved Evangelist Almeda was awakened by the revelation about the Sipadan hostage peace mission. He knew of the danger that he and his group will be faced with and yet he wholeheartedly replied with a verse from the Bible, “Here I am, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8). -
June 24, 2000
After the news release about Evangelist Almeda and the prayer warriors’ offer to pray over the hostages for their safety and release, the first release of hostages has already started to take place. Zulkarnain Hashim, a Malaysian who was part of the 21 Sipadan hostages was freed. -
June 29, 2000
The Philippine Daily Inquirer released the news about Abu Sayyaf allowing the Evangelist and the 12 Prayer Warriors to enter into their territory for a fee. -
July 1, 2000
This marks the beginning of a 3-month long Peace Mission that has kept all the members of the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry on their knees and the rest of the world on the lookout.
Evangelist Wilde E. Almeda and the 12 Prayer Warriors left for Jolo, Sulu and were welcomed into the Kingdom of Allah. While the rest of the world thinks they just brought nothing but danger and trouble for themselves and the rest of the Filipino people, the group of the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry walked into the lion’s den knowing that if it is God’s will to have them share his love and mercy in the midst of terror, then it certainly will be His will to lead them out victoriously.
The very first crusade was held on this same day and both Commanders Robot and Susukan were prayed over by Evangelist Almeda. -
July 2, 2000
Following the entry of the group of the Jesus Miracle Crusade was the abduction of a German reporter Andreas Lorenz covering the event. He was also previously abducted and released a few months ago. Lorenz was kept captive for 25 days and was eventually released.
This same day, the JMCIM group was suspected as being government agents or spies because of some of their belongings that link them to the government and the military. As a result, the ASG plotted to end the lives of the Beloved Evangelist and the 12 prayer warriors – a plot that never transpired due to a strange twist of events. -
July 14, 2000
Malaysian Abdul Jawah Sulawat, the second of the 9 Malaysian captives was released. -
July 17, 2000
German hostage Renate Wallert was freed. He suffered from high blood pressure and was prayed over by Evangelist Almeda a week before the release. He was the first German hostage to be released. -
July 20, 2000
A Filipino hostage, Richard Sintos, abducted in early May was freed. -
July 21, 2000
While the JMCIM group were on their 20th day of prayer and fasting, 4 Malaysian hostages Vincent Kwong, Lee Hock Leong, Francis Masangkim and Balakrishnan Nair were freed together with two Filipina teachers that were previously abducted in Basilan.
On the other hand, Assistant Pastor Lina C. Almeda held a press conference with several journalists to clarify the false news about the JMCIM group’s demise. Assistant Pastor stood strong on her faith and bravely told the reporters that her husband, Beloved Evangelist and the prayer warriors are determined to complete their forty days of fasting until all the hostages are released. -
July 24, 2000
A press release signed by Commander Robot, Commander Susukan, and Beloved Evangelist was sent stating that the prayers and fasting of the JMCIM group has pacified the Abu Sayyaf which will lead to the release of the remaining hostages. -
July 27, 2000
The Beloved Evangelist decided to leave the ASG camp for two reasons. First, he was provoked by the slow progress of the hostages’ release. Second, his wife, Beloved Assistant Pastor Lina was celebrating her birthday on the 28th. The Beloved Evangelist was homesick and has never missed his wife’s birthday. Unfortunately, Commander Robot revealed of the other commanders of ASG’s plot against the JMCIM group and that he cannot allow that to happen. Commander Robot pleaded to have Beloved Evangelist and the group stay until he can arrange for their return back home. The attempt of the Beloved Evangelist to go home was unsuccessful. Their mission was not over.
On this same day, one of the Prayer Warriors, Brother Danny Cuarteros was allowed to leave the camp to send news to the Beloved Assistant Pastor and the rest of the world that Beloved Evangelist Almeda and all the Prayer Warriors were safe. A press conference was officially held announcing that the JMCIM group are not held captives but chose to stay in the ASG camp to fast and pray for the hostages; however, the news blackout prevented the release of this news to the public. -
July 28, 2000
After the news of Brother Danny leaving the ASG camp, three other Prayer Warriors were approved to travel in and out of the camp to communicate with Beloved Assistant Pastor and gather other supplies needed by the JMCIM group.
This day also marks the shooting of two undercover military agents who claimed to be affiliates of the Jesus Miracle Crusade. The two agents requested to meet with the commanders of the ASG but were later found that JMCIM group did not know them. They were shot to death by Mujib Susukan and another member of the ASG.
The final weeks of July have been brutally hard on Beloved Evangelist Almeda’s health. The man who was willing to risk his life for the word of God has almost lost his life on several occasions. Commander Robot worried about the Beloved Evangelist’s condition and has insisted on getting him to the hospital but his offer was always refused. This broke the Prayer Warriors’ hearts but they held firm on the teachings of the Miracle Man and cried out to God for help. It was all they could do. -
August 1 – 27, 2000
The health condition of the Beloved Evangelist has caused distress to the Beloved Assistant Pastor. Along with some members of her family and church, she travelled to Zamboanga and then to Jolo. Just like her husband, she was determined to risk her life to be with the ailing evangelist. During this time, Beloved Assistant Pastor Lina Almeda was able to communicate with the Beloved Evangelist through a satellite phone. The voice of the evangelist was enough to break her usually strong composure. She was devastated. And although she was willing to face the terrors of the camp, she knew she had to take her husband’s request – to go back home in Manila and take care of their children and the church. -
August 17, 2000
Filipina hostage Lucrecia Dablo, 35, who worked as a receptionist at the Sipadan Resort was released. -
August 18, 2000
Following the release of the Filipina hostage is the freedom of three other Malaysian hostages – Ken Yin Fong Ken (diving instructor), Kua Yu Loong (resort cook), and Jim Basilius (forest ranger). They were complete out of the jungle by the 20th of August. -
August 27, 2000
Despite complications on the negotiations between ASG and the government, Commander Robot released four more Sipadan hostages – German Werner Wallert, South African Monique Strydom, Lebanese Marie Moarbes, and French Sonia Wendling. -
August 28, 2000
South African Monique Strydom’s husband, Carel (Callie) Strydom was freed from captivity. The hostages released from August 27 to 28 were flown to Libya. -
September 9, 2000
Four more hostages were released and were flown out of the jungle by helicopter. Despite the delay of release due to gun fights among the ASG, Finns Seppo Franti and Risto Vehanen, German Marc Wallert, and French Stephane Loisy were finally freed. -
September 16, 2000
The Philippine government launched Task Force Trident which was a full-scale military assault against the notorious Abu Sayyaf. The military were ordered to annihilate the rebels using all technology they had. While the government was determined to bring an end to the hostage crisis, the danger increased for the Beloved Evangelist and the Prayer Warriors who were still in the camp. The military assault endangered them even more than the actual stay with the Abu Sayyaf. On the day of the invasion, a media blackout was ordered by the government. This stopped the broadcast of events during the assault, but not the prayers of every member of the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry. For Beloved Evangelist Almeda and the Prayer Warriors and the remaining hostages, this was the beginning of a long and painful journey to flee not from the Abu Sayyaf, but from the unrelenting assault of the military. -
September 17 – 20, 2000
The group of the Jesus Miracle Crusade started traversing through the dangerous territory of the jungle. With the Beloved Evangelist’s health and critical condition, the trek was not an easy one especially for the Prayer Warriors who were carrying the Evangelist on a make-shift chair. The group together with the ASG had to deal with the dangers of nature, lack of food and water, and the attack from the military. During these days, the JMCIM group has also received news that the rest of the Sipadan hostages were finally released. Their mission was successful. All they have to do is get out of the jungle – a task that sounds simple but is ultimately impossible to achieve considering all they have to go through. It was during this time that Commander Robot gave way for the guidance of Beloved Evangelist Almeda. The fleeing JMCIM group and ASG were in the mercy of the leadership of a seriously ill man. -
September 17, 2000
Several newspapers falsely reported the execution of the Beloved Evangelist and the Prayer Warriors. This has brought distress and devastation within the JMCIM church. Beloved Assistant Pastor Lina called for a prayer meeting encouraging every member of the church to stand strong in their faith. This was the greatest test of faith that the Jesus Miracle Crusade was faced with. -
September 18, 2000
On the third day of the assault, reports reached the Beloved Assistant Pastor that Beloved Evangelist and the Prayer Warriors were still alive. With her unwavering spirit, Beloved Assistant Pastor, together with her children and some three thousand members of the Jesus Miracle Crusade, rallied near the Malacanang Palace to show their disapproval of the military assault issued by the government. There were also a thousand more members who gathered before the Philippine Senate to plea for the assault to stop. The group’s petition and appeal to the President and the Senate fell on deaf ears. -
September 21 – 28, 2000
The Task Force Trident continued to pursue its mission to bring the Abu Sayyaf Group to extinction. The JMCIM group was still caught in the midst of grave danger. -
September 29 – 30, 2000
This marks the final three days of the JCMCIM’s Talipao Peace Mission. The Beloved Evangelist has prophesied that he and the rest of the Prayer Warriors will have to fast for three more days and then it will all be over. It was during this time that God has once again showed them the power of prayer and fasting. -
October 1, 2000
The world was astounded by the news of the group of the Jesus Miracle Crusade emerging from the dangerous jungles of Jolo. The survival of the Beloved Evangelist who has lost more than half of his original weight due to fasting together with the rest of the Prayer Warriors who also fasted throughout the entire mission was impossible. Their escape from the brutal killings and bombings from all sorts of weapons is unthinkable. The Beloved Evangelist and the 12 Prayer Warriors left Jolo, Sulu alive and completely unscathed. Only the one True GOD can do miracles such as this in the name of our Dearest JESUS CHRIST. -
November 19, 2000
Beloved Evangelist Wilde E. Almeda and the 12 Prayer Warriors (Brother Danilo Cuarteros, Brother Herminio Limpin, Brother Henry Faller, Brother Nilo Bomitivo, Brother Alvin Flores, Brother Jun Losa, Brother Dante Comon, Brother Ben Villanueva, Brother Jojo Salino, Brother Arturo Donoso, Brother Carlito Lape, and Brother Fernando Solon) stood in front of almost 40,000 members of the Jesus Miracle Crusade who gathered in Quirino Grandstand in Manila for the JMCIM Grand Thanksgiving Celebration and Crusade. The celebration highlighted the success of the Sipadan hostage crisis mission. Since then, thousands of members of the JMCIM group from all over the world gather every October in celebration of the greatest mission that tested the faith of many.
Many can talk, but to act who would dare? In a time when faith has slumbered within, the confines of empty theoretical discussions and books without number, this Peace Mission reveals Christianity in the real sense of the world. Here is active faith and perfect love displayed-altruistic, transcendent, fearless, uncomprimising, pure, and down-to-earth for the book of 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfecet love casteth out fear…”
In this book “Miracles in Moroland: The Inside Story Behind the Sipadan Hostage Crisis”, Sam Smith makes a historical account of the Sipadan hostage crisis of year 2000 and how the beloved Evangelist Wilde E. Almeda and his 12 Prayer Warriors stepped in to liberate the hostages from the enemies of the state, the Abu Sayyaf terrorists. The Bible says, no greater love can compare with laying down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13). And with love, even enemies are considered friends, because God said, “Love your enemies…” Matthew 5:14.
While others called it suicide, foolishnes, nothing but a grandstanding feat in a desperate desire for press mileage, a triffle move which only added more problems and complicated the hostage crisis, etc… the end result undeniably proved its worth-the fredom of all the hostages.
