This is the major principle behind Marco Lazatin's bread business. Marco is a faithful and major donor of the Asian Center for Missions (ACM). He is also one of the original and current board member of ACM's training center in Angeles, Pampanga.

Already having a successful supermarket business for 20 years back in 1985, Marco was challenged to enter the world of baking after seeing the influx of bread delivered all the way from Manila to Pampanga. Not knowing a thing about making bread, he and his wife took a two-week crash course in baking. Admittedly, that very short-term baking course wasn't enough but they learned more along the way.

Starting out with three ovens, eight bakers, and one delivery truck, they began producing and supplying the towns of San Fernando and Angeles with sandwich loaves, hamburger buns and pandesal. God was blessing their business so much so that 10 years and 8 delivery trucks later, they opened their first outlet in September 1, 1995. But a month afterwards, lahar hit San Fernando and the bakery went underwater. In the midst of what seemed to be a tragedy, God had a better plan.
Marco recalls, "I actually heard that some of our competitors rejoiced that we closed down. But God meant it for good what other people might think as something bad that happened to us. After almost six weeks, we managed to reopen our bakery in a bigger place and reopen our outlet. Within four months, we were able to open another outlet. Six months after the lahar, we had three outlets."

At about the same time that the Lazatins were opening their outlets, Marco attended a world mission course and was given the opportunity to go on a short-term mission trip to Vietnam. "As fast as the things that happened to the bakery, these things about missions also happened quickly," recounts Marco.

God used these events to open his eyes to missions and see his business from an all-new perspective. He says, "I learned how important missions was to the church. That the reason for the church is to bring the Gospel to the nations of the world…I really saw what the mission field was all about."

"The bakery is one of the tools that God has given me to bring the Gospel. In fact, our vision for the bakery is to bring bread to the nations. This means two things: to bake world class bread that would be accepted in other nations and the spiritual aspect is to bring The Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, to the nations," Marco adds. Also, the commissary is named "Bethlehem" which means "house of bread."

As it is with all businesses, there are low points or what Marco calls "valleys." He says God uses these valleys to prepare him for bigger things and to see things from a different point of view. There were times during the low points when they would ask, "Lord, where are you in this." But then later along the way, they see Him waiting for them and telling them, "I've been with you always."

One vivid example of this is how their latest business venture was born. "Because we did not have enough resources to open additional stores, God was teaching me to look at smaller investments that would be more effective. He wanted me to involve more people. God made me realize that the Philippines is rich in human resources…that gave the idea of the 'Pandecyclo'."

"The Pandecyclo is basically a cart that sells pandesal in subdivisions and barrios all over San Fernando and Angeles…it costs less to start up and more people would earn from this," explains Marco.
It was March when God gave the Lazatins the "Pandecyclo" concept. What they did not know was He had bigger plans in store. This July, Marco, together with the Department of Trade and Industry, in cooperation with San Miguel Purefoods, launched the Pinoy Pandesal-a government project aimed at bringing pandesal of the right-size and right-weight to more Filipino homes at only P1.00 per piece.

Starting with 10 pandecyclos, they plan to have about 50 within six weeks. This would mean hiring 50 people who would be earning more than the minimum wage.
God had provided the means to mass-produce the bread as well as the way to market it. Marco says, "He gave us wisdom to think of the "Pandecyclo" which was to sell low-cost pandesal to bless the masses and at the same time to be a blessing to the people who would sell it. It would employ more people."

The Lord has indeed been faithful to His part of Marco's covenant with Him-always faithful in taking care of Marco's business. The Lazatins continue to take care of God's business by giving a substantial portion of their business earnings to sending missionaries to other nations, thus fulfilling their vision of "bringing the Bread of Life to the nations of the world."

"But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." -- Deuteronomy 8:18