Hopevale Martyrs: A Story of Faith and Sacrifice (1942-1943) PDF

**Module 1.1 The Hopevale Story** *Objectives:* At the end of the module, students shall have demonstrated their appreciation for the life and legacy of the Hopevale martyrs through creative works (poem, essay, painting, drawing, etc). **Hopevale Cross** **The Story of Hopevale** When the Japane...

**Module 1.1 The Hopevale Story** *Objectives:* At the end of the module, students shall have demonstrated their appreciation for the life and legacy of the Hopevale martyrs through creative works (poem, essay, painting, drawing, etc). **Hopevale Cross** **The Story of Hopevale** When the Japanese forces invaded the island of Panay on April, 1942, eleven American Baptist missionaries went into hiding in the mountains of Katipunan, Tapaz, Capiz. Some of these missionaries had been serving at Central Philippine College when the war broke out. They thought the war would not last long so they chose to escape rather than surrender. They called their hiding place Hopevale -- a small clearing near the top of the mountain "in the deep recesses of evergreen" reached only by a "winding and misleading trail." A chapel was built in "a beautiful deep, dry gorge with giant trees growing in it". Seats and an altar and pulpit and lectern were constructed from the rocks and the wood at hand. Worship was conducted every Sunday except when the Japanese were nearby. Several missionaries took turns in leading the worship services. Christians from the village in Katipunan would join their worship services and bring them food supplies, and also gave them updates from the outside world. The missionaries stayed in Hopevale for over twenty months. In the morning of December 19, 1943, however, the missionaries were discovered by Japanese troops. All eleven missionaries and the son of a missionary couple were beheaded by the Japanese soldiers. According to some account, before they were beheaded, the eleven missionaries requested the Japanese soldiers to give them one hour to worship and pray to God. After an hour, they were blindfolded, hands bound behind their backs, and forced to their knees as Japanese soldiers stood behind them with drawn sword, and during this final moment the missionaries were singing a hymn to the Lord. They kept on singing until each of them had been executed by the Japanese soldiers. Until their last breath, the eleven Baptist missionaries remained faithful and true to the Lord. Their legacy of faith had ignited the passion of Filipino Christians, especially those who belong to the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, to remain steadfast in their commitment to the Lord and to carry on the mission of preaching the Gospel to all people. **The Hopevale Martyrs** 1\. Francis Howard Rose 2\. Gertrude Coombs Rose 3\. James Howard Covell 4\. Charma Moore Covell 5\. Louise Cummings Rounds 6\. Earle Frederick Rounds 7\. Earle Douglas Rounds, son of Earle and Louise Rounds 8\. Frederick Willer Meyer 9\. Ruth Schacht Meyer 10\. Jenie Claire Adams 11\. Signe Amelia Erickson 12\. Dorothy Antoinette Dowell **Film Showing** The Story of Hopevale **Questions for Reflection:** 1\. What part of the story has deeply touched you? Why? 2\. What important lesson/insight have you gained from studying the story of the Hopevale martyrs? **Assignment:** Honoring the Hopevale Martyrs As a student of CPU, how are you going to honor their memory and legacy? Express it creatively through a poem, an essay, drawing or painting, song, or any other creative expressions. **References:** Book of Remembrance, Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches Golden Jubilee, 1900-1950.(1950). "The Hopevale martyrs." Iloilo City, Philippines. Taylor, W.R., Familiaran, E.D., Qualls, A. (2007). No greater love. Triumph and "The Martyrs of Hopevale" from the Hopevale Archives of Central Philippine University Libraries.