Jose Galleto, 54 years old, is a resident in the village of Alcala, which is in La Union,
Philippines.
Jose was the eldest of eight children, and at the age of 18 was diagnosed with typhus. It had been his ambition to attend a military academy, but the disease hindered him.
At the age of 20, he was diagnosed with glaucoma and a cataract, and he lost sight in his left eye. That was the beginning of his miserable life.
He developed many vices. He smoked and drank liquor. His life had no direction. It was as if there was no hope. He pitied himself.
His spirits dropped even lower when he lost sight in his right eye at the age of 40. His life seemed to have no meaning at all. Being completely blind he stayed with his parents.
One day he was listening to “Voice of Hope,” a radio program on station DZNL from San Fernando City, La Union. I host the program, which is sponsored by Gospel Outreach.
Jose enjoyed listening to the program. It encouraged him to hear that a better life is coming. One of the presentations he heard was about a new heaven and a new earth.
Every Sunday, for more than two years, Jose would tune in to hear the program.
One day I invited Marcelo Casem, an elder of the Luna Seventh-day Adventist Church, to speak on the radio program.
Jose was excited when he realized that Marcelo was his former classmate. He asked his brother and sister to find Marcelo’s house so he could become reacquainted with him and take Bible studies.
After a series of Bible studies, Jose decided to be baptized. In August, Pastor Erwin Agdeppa baptized Jose, and during the Sabbath afternoon program Jose testified to the church that he was very blessed—even though he was a blind man, he had seen the truth.