How one pastor found purpose on Pohnpei, Micronesia

Taylor Santos has spent most of his life on the tropical island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. In this story, he details the ways he’s seen his country change throughout his life—and similarly, the way his life has changed. From a dark past to a revival of faith, and hope for the future.

Below is a transcript of the video edited for readability.

Taylor Santos: Micronesia, it’s comprised of several islands in the Southern Pacific. Right after World War II, we were under the U.S. Government and they created Trust Territory of Micronesia.

In the 1980s, we moved away from Trust Territory to Federated States of Micronesia. I was a little boy during that time. My mom, she was very young. So my grandparents, they took me and raised me. 

My grandfather was a pastor but I was not really interested in going to church. It’s a mandatory thing. You didn’t go to church, you stay inside your house. You cannot go anywhere on that Sunday. What I learned from there, God is a God that dictates and you have to obey. 

I started moving away from attending church. Then I started going out with friends, experiencing things like that. When I got drunk, yeah, I got drunk, but I still have that fear of God within me.

Pohnpei is unlike mainland where you have all these like, night clubs and heavy drugs like that.  This is hard work, you’ve got to enjoy it. 

Kava—it slows down your system. You didn’t really lose your mind, it only slows down. Before, we used it only for traditional purposes, but nowadays everybody can buy, everybody can drink. It’s really affecting the health of the Pohnpeians nowadays.

One time I was with my friend and we were drinking and this huge man wanted to take the vehicle from us, but we were both drunk. And then he walked in front of the car and he said, “You’re not going anywhere. Give me the car.” And I told him, “Please get away from the front of the car. Otherwise I’m going to run over you.” 

I asked him twice or three times, but he didn’t. And you know, when you’re under the influence, man, you can pull the trigger at any time. So I bombed into him, drove over him on his legs. 

My friend and I took him to the hospital, put him on a stretcher, rolled him into the emergency room, and we left. That was one of the things that I really regretted during the dark days of my life.

Suddenly, I met my wife. She was a senior soldier in The Salvation Army. She started reintroducing Christ to me. 

When she started witnessing to me, the way I hear it is very different.  I heard about a God who loves me, in spite of my dark past. I believe in my heart that it’s God’s work through my wife that really touches me. God calls me through my wife.

I quit drinking, but I still hang with my friends. One of my friends, he filled his ice chest with beers. He started drinking and he gave me one. And I didn’t open mine. He threw away the empty can, and I threw away the one that he gave me, but I didn’t even open it.

Then he gave me another one. Three beers I threw away, I didn’t open. Then he said, “Okay, this is real. I have to drop you off.”

There was this officer who came and asked me if I want to become a soldier. And he started mentoring me until a day that he said, “You need to enroll as one.” I said, “No.” 

I knelt and prayed, and I said, “God, no. You don’t know about me.” I started giving out excuse after excuse, but this calling is stronger and stronger until I surrendered. I said, “Okay, you have all of Taylor Santos.”

Not even a year and then now, “you’re in charge of the ministry.”

At first it’s kind of difficult, but then I started putting myself into that. I tried to learn whatever I can get to build up my capacity in the ministry. There are some challenges until this day.

There is a huge gap between the prices of things and the minimum wage. Prices of everything is super high, and the minimum wage is $1.75. You have to work, as an average, three hours to buy a gallon of gasoline.

We’re taking children from different backgrounds, different denominations, and ministering to them. Won’t God protect his people, who are his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? – Won’t he be concerned for them?

We do believe in planting the seeds at a young age, and it’s my prayer every day for them to find this loving God.

Life is more meaningful. I have a purpose and I’m happy, and I will serve the Lord until my last breath. Yeah, I am super blessed.

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