A Meeting With Dondon Hontiveros

this is actually my article about Dondon Hontiveros
Published at Sun Star Daily on September 12, 2004

Dondon Hontiveros: Playing God’s Game

Being a basketball superstar does not prevent Dondon Hontiveros from looking after his spiritual life. In his almost seven years of playing professional basketball, Dondon has found out that fame and wealth do not make a person more blessed than others.

“God alone can fill the void that we have in our hearts,” he said.

The gospel touched him for the first time in October last year. Pastor Robert Gonzales, of Victory Christian Fellowship, visited one of San Miguel’s practice sessions to share the gospel to Danny Ildefonso. But instead of Danny, Dondon was the one touched by God’s message through Pastor Robert.

“Niingon ko, nindot lagi ni. Pero wala ko ni commit kay niingon ko religion na sad ni... unsa man ning mga religion (I said, ‘This is good’. But I didn’t commit myself to it since I was thinking it was just another one of those religions),” he said.

Also, his mother was a devout Catholic. He didn’t want to be a dishonor in the family.

But God knocked on Dondon’s heart once more between February and March this year, when he was experiencing a lot of problems. He sought counsel from his priest friend. He felt good for a while, but realized later that the hunger and thirst he was experiencing were not fully satisfied. He remembered Pastor Robert and the gradual transformation in his life started.

Dondon said he was only trying to taste God’s goodness. The next thing he knew, he was getting addicted to Him. Everyday his love for God grew as his knowledge of Him increased.

“Nitilaw ko ni Jesus ug karon addict na kaayo ko (niya),” he said.

Shifting from being a Catholic to being a Born Again Christian was not easy for his family. Everyone thought him weird. While they were in Manila, his sister complained to their mother that Dondon was acting odd. Their mother even cried. But when they saw the changes in Dondon’s life, they accepted God’s will for Him. Now, his mother and sister attend the Sunday services of Victory Christian Fellowship.

Although his father does not share the same faith with the rest of the family, he is happy seeing positive changes in his son’s life.

But the reaction of Dondon’s friends was different.

During this year’s Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Cup, Dondon suffered a sprain. Instead of reacting negatively about the situation, like he used to do whenever he got injured, Dondon told himself that God had already healed his injury. He was advised not to practice. But he told his coach he would only stop practicing if he’d feel pain. Surprisingly, he felt none.

Feeling it was perfect time for him to bring the Good News to his teammates, he gathered them and shared with them his experience of God’s salvation. He thought his teammates would accept the message. To his surprise, some rejected him.

“Rejection, persecution, I have already read that. Those who follow Christ will be persecuted,” Dondon said.

“I’m not thinking about basketball as work. For me, I’m not just working, I’m serving now.”

Dondon looks forward on serving the Lord everyday. His enthusiasm to Christian living was so intense that he actually thought of quitting basketball and becoming a Christian worker fulltime. His pastor advised him against it and told him he will stay longer in the PBA now that he has a “satisfied mind and a transformed heart,”

Still, Dondon is preparing for a future ministry. He now attends a leadership course in Victory and hopes to graduate after two years. Dondon plans to serve fulltime after his career.

“God knows when He wants me to stop playing,” he said. “I’m always willing anytime.”

From being an athlete driven by fame and fortune, Dondon Hontiveros has gradually transformed into a fulltime servant of God.