George B. Moscoso (1905-1977): Founding Member of the First Filipino-American SDA Church in North America

First Filipino SDA Church in North America - Wilmington, CA -  Sept 21, 1957

by Dorothy Moscoso Victorino

Daughter

Born on May 15, 1905 in  Nueva Viscaya, Philippines, Guardiano [later changed his name to George] Moscoso  emigrated to Kauai, Hawaii at age 13 aboard a ship to work in a sugar plantation.  However, upon learning the youth's true age, his boss (a certain Mr Luna) put him to work in the office instead.   

George worked diligently and learned fast.   Impressed with the lad's potential, his superiors let him finish high school and urged him to go  to college.  They also encouraged and helped him to open up his own business.  First, a photo studio which was one of its kind in Hawaii at that time.  Then a jewelry shop and a laundry mat.  Last but not least, the first movie theater on the island.  He began to save most of his earnings so he could go to college in America,  

In 1929, twenty-four year-old George met a young and stunningly beautiful Sofia de Antepuesto who had earlier migrated with her entire family - father, mother and seven siblings - from Iloilo, Philippines to Hawaii.  She had entered a Miss Hawaii pageant which she won.  Providentially, George happened to have been assigned as the official photographer for the event. They fell in love and married shortly.   

Guardiano, Jr. and Dorothy

By 1931, Mr and Mrs Guardiano Moscoso became Mom and Dad to a healthy newborn son named Guardiano, Jr.  Four years later, in 1935, a beautiful baby girl, Dorothy, joined the happy.  Life for the young Moscoso family was good and peaceful on the island.  But it was not all bliss.  One day, in 1936, tragedy struck. During one of those tropical storms that frequently visited the islands and the destruction that often resulted, a broken chicken wire fence and a damaged electric wire took the life of young Junior Moscoso.  Grief. Inexpressible sadness was overwhelming.  

Incidentally, around this time, in 1936, George and Sofia began receiving Bible studies from Elder Delafield. a Seventh-day Adventist pastor.  First was Sofia whose curiosity was aroused by a tent that was put up a short distance from their house.  She imagined a circus or some form of public entertainment.  She soon found it was an evangelistic tent effort, as they used to call it, by a Christian sect that worshiped on Saturday as the Bible Sabbath instead of Sunday that other Christian churches observed.  As her interest grew in what she was learning about the Bible truths being taught by the evangelist, it didn't take long for George to join her. Their faith in the soon coming Savior and hope in the resurrection deepened partly as a result of their son's death.  They wanted to see their son alive again.  As far as they were concerned, the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone by faith was real.  They accepted baptism by immersion, Elder Delafield officiating, and were received into the fellowship of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Kauai.   

Nov 4, 1942

Asian students at Pacific Union College, Angwin, CA

After enemy bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, George decided it was time for his young family, now counting three daughters minus a son who died age five, to leave the islands.  More than ever he was determined to pursue his longtime dream of higher education at Pacific Union College situated in Angwin, California.   He would study to become a minister and build as many churches for his beloved Filipino communities in America.   

Pacific Union College, Angwin, CA. - 1949

1949

After graduating from PUC in 1949, he moved his family to Los Angeles and began colporteuring for the local conference, selling books.  It was then that he met Benjamin Jordan, Sr. who bought all the books he sold.  They became very close friends.   Together with other like-minded friends such as Catalino Basconcillo, among others, Benjamin and George prayed and labored to put things in order to pave the way for the founding of a Filipino SDA congregation in North America.  With little cash in his pocket and some money saved in the bank, he began an earnest search for a place near the Filipino communities.  His efforts, as well as those who shared his dream, was rewarded with the founding of the first Filipino-American Seventh-day Adventist Church was built in Willmington, CA.   Pastor A. A. Alcaraz became pastor there.

http://docs.adventistarchives.org/docs/FEDO/FEDO19601001-V46-10__B.pdf#view=fit

FAR EASTERN DIVISION OUTLOOK, VOLUME FORTY-SIX OCTOBER, 1960 NUMBER TEN
pp 3, 4.

http://docs.adventistarchives.org/docs/RH/RH19601201-V137-48__B.pdf#view=fit

The Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 137, No. 48 December 1, 1960,  p 21

George wasn't satisfied at things as he waited so  long to preach in a church.. He prayed fervently for the Lord to help guide him in the right direction. That's when he met a kind old gentlemen in Real Estate.  Who guided him to  purchase raw land in Florida,.  Which he purchased nearly  75 acres raw land.  couple months later, Walt Disney wrote to my dad a letter saying he wanted to buy all the swamp land to build Disneyland as of today.  My father knelt down and prayed to thank the Lord. and he promised to give 1/10th of all monies to the Lord .  He was blessed in return ten fold.

1971

L: Miss Hawaii, 1929:  Sofia de Altopuesto
R:  Mr and Mrs Guardiano (George) Moscoso