JULY 2008
Soldiers
Brave the Battle
By Paolo Manuel
A new battle began on July 7, 2008. Sol-
diers of God numbering to more than 180
gathered in the San Bernardino Mountains
to enlist in a new army. These brave souls
assembled for Soul Anchor 2008, Word In-
ternational Ministries’ annual five-day sum-
mer retreat hosted by the Pyros Youth Min-
istry of WIN Los Angeles. For the next five
days, Oak Glen Christian Conference Center
in Yucaipa, California became the training
ground for the young army, where victims
were turned into victors and the conquered
to more than conquerors.
Titled “Braving the Battle: A Call to
Arms,” this year’s camp focused on Ephe-
sians 6:10-12, which declares, “Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can
take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.” For the five pre-
ceding years, Soul Anchor has had powerful
themes centered on Bible verses that each
camp focused on. This year however, the
God-inspired theme and verse really proved
to be mighty and moving as it directly com-
manded each individual to take arms. It
was a call to fight the oppressor and take
back whatever was taken away. The theme
was fitting, as the season was right to en-
gage in warfare.
Every year, a growing number of camp-
ers attend Soul Anchor. Beginning in 2004,
Soul Anchor only had 54 attendees under
the new leadership of WIN U.S. National
Youth Coordinator, Pastor Mark Briones from
WIN LA, and Pastor Noel Villarivera, now the
Senior Pastor of WIN Tacoma. This year,
Soul Anchor saw its largest attendance yet
with 180 people. Of this number, a surpris-
ing 70 were newcomers. The staff at Oak
Glen Christian Conference Center at first
had a required minimum of
130 campers and a maximum
of 150. As the camp neared,
more and more campers
signed up, pushing the maxi-
mum limit. The planning com-
mittee then had to renegoti-
ate with Oak Glen, who raised
the minimum requirement to
160. Gathering this many
people became a challenge
for the planning committee,
but Pastor Mark, backed by
the Pyros youth leaders, took
a step of faith and believed
that the Lord would see them
through. Truly, the Lord pro-
vided because two weeks before camp, an
influx of campers registered and exceeded
the raised minimum requirement.
When the campers from the entire
stretch of California, Hawaii, Nevada, Texas,
and Washington all entered the main chapel
that Monday afternoon, the leaders were in
shock to see many new faces. The campers
all came in the chapel and the leaders won-
dered when the last ones would come in.
What seemed to be a spacious chapel all
of a sudden became full—so full that all the
chairs had to be removed to make room.
After meeting their respective cell
groups, which are purposed to foster a more
intimate setting for the campers, dynamic
praise and worship kicked off the opening
session. Even then, one could sense that
the Lord was already manifesting His pres-
ence. Matthew 18:20 says that when two or
three are gathered in His Name, there He
will be in their midst. With 180 lives crying
out to the Living God, the Holy Spirit made
sure that every person in the room felt His
presence. On that first Monday night, God
was already moving. Following the liber-
ating worship was an invitation to enlist in
God’s army. That night, nine people ap-
ISSUE VIII
proached the altar and invited Jesus Christ
to be their personal Lord and Savior, the
Commander in Chief of their lives.
Kevin Lam of WIN Seattle commented,
“God was always a part of my life, but on
that night I wanted to fully surrender to
Him. On Monday night, I wanted God to
enter my life and move in it permanently.”
The second day started off with a word
from Pastor Tony Ibarra, who pastors a
church in Frankfurt, Germany. He talked
about the true meaning of “Lord” and re-
minded everyone that those who call Jesus
Christ by that name must acknowledge that
He is the owner of their lives, and that they
belong in His Kingdom. In the afternoon,
workshops carefully tailored for youth and
college levels were headed by members
of the WIN Los Angeles congregation. For
the youth, Sis. Rachel Briones and Bro.
Sean McFadyen taught about following Je-
sus and self-image respectively. For the
college group, Bro. Jessie Romero spoke
about maximizing talents, while Sis. Sylvia
Sajo gave the financially challenged college
students both biblical and practical advice
on tithing and finances.
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Experienced in working with the youth,
Pastor Carlos Gamez, an assistant pastor
in Lake Elsinore, challenged the youth to
answer God’s call without hesitation later
that night. After the powerful message, he
headed a special altar call, which had no-
table moments. Firstly, Pastor Carlos asked
the campers to pray for someone in their
hearts and symbolically wash their feet as
Jesus did to His discipleship by laying hands
on this person’s feet. Then, Pastor Carlos
asked those who desired to be a leader to
stand up and literally take a step of faith
declaring their desire for leadership. Fi-
nally, youth groups were given the oppor-
tunity to forgive each other of past hurts as
they gathered and encouraged each other
through prayer.
By the second night, campers were
already answering the call of God. In the
words of Pastor Carlos, if things continue to
move this powerfully in the spirit, then the
last day of camp will be “ridiculous.”
And so it was. The third day only
brought more of what God wanted to show
His army. God continued to surprise every
life in camp, meeting with them individu-
ally.
On Wednesday morning, Pastor Erwin
Tanquaquio of WIN San Francisco/Bridge-
point Community Curch shared about the
importance of aligning the life of a follower
with the call of God. At the end of his ser-
mon, Pastor Erwin asked everyone to form
a circle. In the middle of all the campers,
he presented a mallet and three seven-inch
nails, reminiscing of the sacrifice that Jesus
Christ made on Calvary. Again, the camp-
ers responded by worshipping their Savior.
Later that day, an overwhelming 28
souls decided to be baptized in water, pub-
licly declaring their faith in Christ.
Rachel Apura of WIN Southwest Hous-
ton, one of the people who were baptized,
Baptism. Twenty-eight people publically declared their faith in Christ as they chose to be baptized in
water. Worshippers surround the pool in support of their brothers and sisters being baptized.
said, “When I walked into the water, it
didn’t feel like ordinary pool water. It felt
like water that cleansed you from the inside
out. After being baptized, I felt so renewed
{
and ready to face what God has in store
for me.”
“...I felt so renewed
and ready to face
what God has
in store for me.”
Following the baptism were workshops
by Sis. Tess Cordero of WIN LA on the power
of prayer for the college group, and Pastor
Perry Escalera of WIN Silicon Valley on the
power of the tongue for the youth level.
Later that night, each of the 14 cell
groups presented a skit during the Special
Event Night, in which they had to perform a
previously assigned Bible story in a specific
performance genre, enabling campers to
showcase their creativity and talents. For
example, the story of David and Goliath
had to be performed as a martial arts film.
Another memorable performance was the
story of Noah’s Ark portrayed as an animal
documentary.
Following the performances was ener-
getic praise and passionate worship, which
preceded another very important event that
transpired. Parents who were present at
camp took the microphones, and with re-
pentant hearts, asked for the forgiveness
of the children. Symbolically representing
each camper’s respective parent, they took
turns apologizing for their shortcomings as
parents, while asking God to bridge back
together the two generations. Truly, there
was a release for both generations as God
heard the cries of His children and recon-
ciled the two once more.
Thursday, July 10th, was the last full day
of camp. Everyone was encouraged to be
expectant to see an even mightier move of
God than what came to pass the past three
days. On Thursday morning, Pastor Noel
Villarivera of WIN Tacoma shared a practical
message about battling hesitancy and the
“blahs” of life by committing to God’s call.
He also stressed the importance of daily de-
votional time and the battle that comes with
it—“the battle of the blanket,” where people
put aside devotions for the comfort of their
beds. Later in the afternoon, members of
the Pyros Youth Ministry performed a skit to
Lifehouse’s “Everything,” displaying Christ’s
love and His promise of never forsaking His
children.
Proceeding the skit, Sis. Lyn Rapinan of
WIN LA and Pastor Alex Cabansagan of Je-
sus Christ My Lord and Savior Ministry gave
the tactics in fighting a difficult battle for
teenagers that is sexual purity. For the pre-
teens, Sis. Rachel Briones, Pastor Perry Es-
calera, and Pastor Erwin Tanquaquio shared
on the same topic. At the beginning of the
workshops, young men and women were
given the opportunity to anonymously ex-
press their sentiments towards the opposite
sex, giving both an insight to each other’s
minds. After their respective sexual puri-
ty workshops, the men and women faced
each other, asked forgiveness for being a
stumbling block, and then lifted each other
in prayer.
Jonathan Dizon of WIN LA was one of
many who thought that this year’s sexual
purity workshop was compelling. He com-
mented, “Sexual purity showed the percep-
tion that both guys and girls have about sex.
We got to assess God’s standard versus the
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world’s standard about what’s acceptable.”
The workshops were so powerful that a
spontaneous altar call followed, where
people were prayed over by their respective
youth pastors. Campers rededicated their
purity and committed a particular area in
their life back to God.
That night, WIN Los Angeles Senior
Pastor, Rev. Chito Cordero, shared the final
sermon. His powerful message reminded
everyone to have a vision and a plan in line
with God’s purpose to triumphantly brave
the battle. Following the sermon, campers
were anointed with oil, while leaders went
in front of the altar to lay hands and pray
over every individual. With open hearts,
Building Bridges: LA SF
By Tiffany Francisco
M
embers of the Pyros Youth Ministry
traveled to the San Francisco Bay
Area again for another successful
mission trip from February 15 to 17 to lead
worship and fellowship with the youth at
WIN San Francisco/Bridgepoint Community
Church.
The group who traveled up north in-
cluded Pastor Mark Briones, singers Sandra
Cordero and Tiffany Francisco, and musi-
cians Shadrach Aldaba, Joseph Cortes, Paul
Guiuan, and Ivan Manuel. The travelers
were greeted by the Hydros Youth Ministry
from WIN Silicon Valley after their long trip
up and were warmly welcomed by the Pons
campers accepted the move of the Holy
Spirit in their lives.
Lorenzo Artadi of Family Worship Center
said, “Braving the Battle was about being a
soldier for Christ in the spiritual warfare. In
order to fight like a soldier, one must stop
praying like a victim. This year, I grabbed
my bible—my sword—and shouted a cry for
victory; I prayed the prayer of a conqueror
in Christ.”
Soul Anchor 2008 was a step of faith for
everyone who went. It was a step closer
to strength, a step closer to victory, and a
step closer to God. Soldiers of God’s army
made a stand to fight a battle, knowing that
they are victors because of who they are in
Jesus Christ.
from
to
and Macaraeg family to their homes.
Angelica Pons, Froilan Vicente, who
added a unique sound during praise and
worship by playing the saxophone, and Nor-
Cal-based Pyros, Marielle de Pasion, Pauline
Guiuan, and Paolo Manuel, also reunited
with the team as they led the youth and
congregation through the Crosspoint youth
rally and the Sunday service at WIN San
Francisco/Bridgepoint Community Church.
During Crosspoint, Pastor Mark gave a com-
pelling sermon about “Becoming God’s War-
rior.” The church members provided food
after the event while the team was given a
chance to fellowship with the San Francisco
Soul Anchor Attendance Growth
youth.
On Sunday, after a passionate and
heartfelt praise and worship service led by
Pauline Guiuan, Pastor Mark preached an-
other powerful sermon entitled “Be Careful
How We Build.” A number of people stepped
forward for the altar call after the sermon,
seeking prayer and restoration. After the
service, the team and San Francisco youth
were able to fellowship by touring different
parts of the city.
Being one of the most moving and re-
ceptive mission trips to date, the mission
trip was a success. Once again, God has
moved in the hearts of many. Pyros has
conquered yet another battle in San Fran-
cisco. The team also greatly appreciates
San Francisco’s hospitality and welcoming
hearts.
Fresh from the Soul Anchor youth camp
this July, Pyros is already planning to go on
another mission trip to the San Francisco
Bay Area on August 15-17 to visit and min-
ister to both WIN Silicon Valley and WIN
San Francisco/Bridgepoint. The Pyros team
aims not only to share the word of God to
newcomers, but also to impart fresh fire in
the hearts of the youth in the Bay. The Py-
ros Youth Ministry are always encouraged
to see lives grow in Christ every time they
return to minister.
God’s Glory Revealed at
WIN Gobal Gathering
By Joanna Cordero
Parade of Nations at the G7 opening ceremonies. Each flag represents a WIN church respective
to its country, declaring God’s glory throughout the nations.
After more than a year of planning, re-
hearsing, promoting, and fundraising, thou-
sands of Word International members took
tremendous steps of faith to gather from
December 27 to 30 to celebrate Word In-
ternational Ministries’ tenth anniversary,
entitled WIN Global Gathering 2007, G7 for
short, and aptly themed “One Family, One
Vision.”
Members from North America, Europe,
the Middle East, Asia, and various regions
throughout the Philippines congregated in
the mornings and afternoons for sessions
and workshops, taught by pastors and lead-
ers from all over the world at the Philippine
International Convention Center (PICC).
Geared towards unity and growth, the pas-
tors shared inspiring stories of God’s faith-
fulness throughout Word International’s
journey and imparted the vision for the
future of the ministry. Various churches
worldwide, including WIN LA, led the com-
bined congregation into dynamic praise and
worship.
Organizers of the conference carefully
planned special events for each night of the
conference. As a pre-convergence fellow-
ship, the members of the Singles/Young
Adults/Young Professionals ministries gath-
ered on the 26th at Palacio de Manila for
WIN Friends’ Night. Carefully and cre-
atively planned, each person in attendance
registered into a WIN international contact
database, which paved the way for Winster
(winster.winimus.com), Word Internation-
al’s very own social networking website.
Friends’ night facilitated mingling with
other young adults from different churches
through various activity booths, ranging
from Twister and origami, to face painting
and a photo booth. Different young adult
groups presented special musical numbers
before Pastor Chito Cordero shared the
word.
The convergence officially began the
night of the 27th for the Global Gathering
Opening Ceremony. The celebration began
with the Parade of Nations, in which the del-
egates of each country marched through-
out The Forum at PICC, waving their flags,
proudly wearing their respective hats and
costumes, and performing cultural dances.
The youth and the children presented a
beautiful performance incorporating several
Philippine cultural dances, tambourines,
and flags, setting the tone for extravagant
praise and worship.
The next night was Pastors’ Apprecia-
tion Night, where all the pastors and their
wives had the opportunity to dress up and
be recognized for their outstanding service.
Planned by WIN Singapore, pastors were
able to relax, dance, and have a good time
as they were presented with awards of ap-
preciation.
During all of the festivities, a new minis-
try was launched as a product of extensive
planning and brainstorming for the pastor’s
kids of Word International, a group never
previously reached within the organization.
While their parents gathered in formal cel-
ebration, the pastors’ youth congregated in
a restaurant at Harbor Square where they
were able to meet each other, share tal-
ents, and establish common ground to dis-
cuss the benefits and struggles that come
with following their parents’ ministry as a
pastor’s kid. The new ministry enabled the
youth speak to others who specifically re-
late to their situation, as God moved and
reminded them of their personal calling. It
was truly a time of refreshment and resto-
ration for the pastors’ kids.
The Youth Concert was held the next
night; youth from WIN churches all over
the world exhibited their God-given talents
through song, live music, hip hop dancing,
interpretative dancing, breakdancing, beat-
boxing, rapping, skits, blacklight presenta-
tions, and visual arts presentations, turning
the event into an evangelistic rally. God
rewarded the long and strenuous hours of
planning and practicing as many came to
the front to the altar to dedicate their lives
to Christ for the first time. To view these
performances, search “G7 Youth concert”
on YouTube.com.
At the Sunday convergence, held on
the last day of the conference at the ULTRA
Arena, thousands gathered to praise and
worship God, led by music ministers from
Europe, the Middle East, and the Mediter-
ranean. In accordance with WIN’s vision
of preparing the younger generation as the
future of the church, there was a passing of
the torch from the older generation to the
younger generation, as a symbolic imparta-
tion of anointing.
The culmination of the conference ush-
ered the first ever Winsongs Concert, which
showcased original praise and worship
compositions selected among countless
entries from members worldwide. Sing-
ers, musicians, composers, and dancers, in
addition to a hundred-voice choir, came to-
gether after months of extensive rehearsal
and preparation to present songs that tell
the unique story of God’s faithfulness to the
WIN family.
The Global Gathering was a life-chang-
ing experience for those who participated
and attended. Being able to learn from
each other, meet new people, and passion-
ately worship God corporately was a glori-
ous blessing. The WIN family indeed of-
fered God a true sacrifice of praise, giving
Him the best, and in turn, He rewarded His
people in ways unimaginable.
Worshippers at G7 in PICC. Regardless of
where they are from, God enabled them to all
worship in unity, in spirit and in truth.
the
Fireside
The year 2008 has been prophesied as
a year of advancement, acceleration and
victory. This is the year when we should
set the bar of our expectations higher for
God’s glory; the bar will go as high or as
far as we set our expectations. I believe as
we set our expectations higher, God in His
faithfulness will meet us there. When we
settle for the good things that we experi-
ence from God, we stop striving for the best
things He wants to give us, and we become
“That which is good is enemy of what is best.”
satisfied and end up not expecting the best
things that our Abba Father wants to give
His children.
We have seen this at our recent youth
camp, Soul Anchor 2008. This has been our
best, biggest, and most powerful camp ever.
We raised the bar of having a minimum of
160 campers and exceeded it with a total
of 174 attendees! In the spiritual aspect, it
was truly a joy to see young people letting
go of everything and giving themselves to-
tally to God to brave the battle. They have
moved higher to a new level of faith in the
Lord.
Bob Jones
I believe that the Lord has His best in
store for us. Let us move forward with great
expectancy. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to
Him who is able to do exceedingly abun-
dantly above all that we can ask or think…
dream or imagine, according to the power
that works within us.”
Remember: God Almighty wants to give
us the best, so don’t only settle for what is
good!
- Pastor Mark

A Fresh Start for the
Young
Adults
By Stephanie Bautista
For Pastor Mark Briones and
Fedelyn Rapinan, building a Young
Adults (YA) ministry from the
ground up has always been in the
back of their minds. Since almost
half of the Pyros youth ministry
are young adults who either work
or attend college, and the exist-
ing youth are only getting older,
the leaders recognized that there
was a need for a ministry catering
to this group and to other young
adults who are not yet involved in
a ministry.
The main goal of the Young
Adults ministry is to encourage
young people ages 18 to the mid-
20s to consistently keep the God-
given fire burning in their hearts
and to learn how to apply it into
their respective jobs and colleges.
Whether the members are going
through financial, work-related, or
college-related struggles, the YA
ministry is meant to meet those
areas in life and overcome them
through the Word of God.
“I have grown up and matured
through the Pyros youth ministry,
but now that I am in my new
stage of life, the college group is
preparing me for new endeavors,”
said Julian Quinzon, a member of
Pyros and YA.
The YA ministry is also meant
to play a unique role in the WIN-LA
church. It is a bridged ministry be-
tween the youth and the adults. It
is basically taking the next level of
faith in the next stage of life. The
ministry also caters to the older
youth leaders so that they too have
a source of spiritual refreshing for
themselves.
“It’s a great outlet for young
adults who work and/or attend
college to have fellowship with one
another. As a group, we are able
to connect better with our daily
situations,” said member Benjo
Balcobero.
For a new ministry, the young
adults know that consistency from
the beginning is key. They have
been meeting every Tuesday for
the past couple of months.
“The young adults meet con-
sistently because they want to
show that the YA ministry is active.
It’s there. It exists,” said Fedelyn
Rapinan.
They usually meet at Starbucks
Coffee located in Eagle Rock, as
well as in members’ residences.
“YA ministry can help you be-
come the salt and light in your
campus, in your workplace, in the
bigger world,” she said.
An
s c r i b a b l e
e
In d t Nigh
By Rizza Aldaba
On March 28, 2008, Pyros launched its very first
movie night at the WIN Artesia church. It was not only
WIN LA youth and young adults from Cerritos, Glen-
dale and Los Angeles who turned out for the event;
youth and young adults from the Artesia church also
came in attendance. It was the perfect time for the
movie night, especially since most of the youth from
universities, colleges and high schools were on spring
break. Everyone came with expectant hearts, know-
ing that that night had something special in store for
everybody.
The night began with a few praise and worship
songs led by Pauline Guiuan, setting an attitude of
worship and openness among those who attended.
The forty-three minute film entitled “Indescrib-
able,” is part of a DVD series put forth by Louie Gi-
glio, which illustrates the splendor and mystery of the
heavenly bodies and the wonders of creation and how
all these things reveal God’s glory, who He is and who
we are in Him. We get a glimpse of God’s wondrous
work through the images from telescopes and satel-
lites, and in the midst of the magnificence, Pastor Lou-
ie addresses a powerful message: as tiny as we may
seem compared to the vast expanse of the universe,
God knows us by name and even sent His Only Son to
rescue us from the depths of death and reconnect us
to Him and life everlasting.
After the film, Pastor Mark called for an altar call,
praying over each person while the worship team
sang “God of Wonders.” Pastor Mark then asked ev-
eryone to think of someone they can pray for. Hearts
and spiritual blinders were opened, tears flowed, and
lives were restored as individuals interceded for each
other’s hurts and burdens.
God truly worked amidst the cries of His people as
He used the short film to recognize God’s love for us,
despite our physical “smallness and insignificance.”
Truly, those who experienced God’s refreshing during
that night were never the same again.
Different Points,
One Destination
All Roads Lead To The Lone Star State By Maya de Pasion

On May 2 to 4, 2008, a fresh pan-Cali- faced, God’s grace flowed over them
fornian team traveled to Houston, Texas as His powerful presence was felt by all
once again, encountering an uplifting move who were present at the rally.
of God at the Southwest Houston Youth Through the viewing of Louie Giglio’s Moved
Rally and Youth Sunday Service. “Indescribable” video, shared by Pastor by the mes- sage,
The team, assembled by Pastor Mark Mark, mindsets were renewed and lives many an- swered the
Briones, included WIN Los Angeles’ Fedelyn were placed back into perspective as all altar call, com- mitting and
Rapinan, Rizza Aldaba, and Sandra Corde- were reminded of God’s magnitude. Pic- r e c o m m i t t i n g their lives as
ro, with WIN San Diego’s Nathan Estanislao tures of ever enlarging stars and mesmer- the praise team led everyone in sing-
and first-timers Zuriel Crisotomo from WIN izing galaxies were shown, displaying the ing “From The Inside Out.”
Artesia and Gene Castro from WIN Inland elaborate and intricate splendor of the uni- Saturday provided the team to fellow-
Empire, along with fellow Pyro Marielle de verse that God created. The short film also ship with youth from both the Northwest
Pasion, who is currently situated at WIN reveals how small our planet is compared to and Southwest churches as majority of
Silicon Valley, making this the first team the great expanse that surrounds it; we are both youth groups gathered to tour the
composed of youth team around Hous-
from the differ- ton. From morning
ent WIN churches until night, they were
across California. driven to multiple
Unbridled hos- destinations such as
pitality was shown the Woodlands Mall,
as the homes of the Market Street, Ruby’s
Southwest Hous- Barbeque, and the
ton church mem- Downtown Houston
bers were opened Galleria. The day
and vehicles and ended with a late
drivers were made barbeque at the Alva-
ready to transport rez residence, allow-
the eight-member ing everyone to form
team around the closer friendships in
city. The girls were a familial setting.
housed by the Al- The Sunday ser-
varez family, the vice was held at
boys housed by the the WIN Southwest
Divina family, and Houston Church
Pastor Mark Briones Pyros and A.R.M.Y. Youth from Pyros, along with other WIN youth from California pose in front of where Pastor Mark
WIN South West Houston’s church and its youth.
was housed by Pas- shared the Word and
tor Gordon Apura’s family. simply a blue speck among the far reaches the Pyros praise team headed the youth-
The Crosspoint Youth Rally took place at of space, and yet God’s eyes watch over us filled congregation in singing of the favor
the Southwest Houston worship center as with grace and love. The video concludes and faithfulness of God. To promote the
youth from both Southwest and Northwest with the X-galaxy, in which the cross was upcoming Soul Anchor Youth Camp, “Brav-
Houston churches, friends, and family gath- clearly seen as evidence of God’s handiwork ing the Battle: A Call to Arms,” a video was
ered for a mighty message and outpouring in all things. shown documenting the mighty move of
of God’s greatness. The night began with a Not knowing what could be more mag- God in the lives of the youth at the previous
hip-hop dance choreographed by a member nificent than the X-galaxy, God’s greatest camp, building excitement and anticipation
of the Southwest Houston church and was work of all was revealed. A graphic pic- within the youth present at the service. Af-
performed by their youth group, Actively ture of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was ter enjoying a hearty lunch at the church,
Reaching and Ministering Youth—A.R.M.Y. displayed across the screen as Louie Giglio the Pyros team enjoyed an afternoon of
for short—as a form of praise to our Lord. described the sacrifice of God’s only Son. tapioca and a game of Taboo with the
Following the dance was a time of praise Awestruck, a moment of silence followed Southwest Houston youth before departing
and worship led by the California praise as all absorbed the indescribable wonder, back home to California.
team, joined by A.R.M.Y’s Ron Apura as a beauty, and glory of God. Blessed by Houston’s hospitality and
back-up singer and Shaider Divina on lead As the video came to an end, Pastor Mark warmth, the team witnessed God’s work in
guitar. Although the team only practiced challenged the youth to further reflect upon the lives of this generation as hearts were
together for the first time prior to the rally, how tiny and insignificant their lives and refreshed and set aflame once more with an
and despite a few technical problems they problems were compared to God’s majesty. even greater passion for the Lord.
Summer Love That Lasts
By Sandra Cordero
“Summer lovin’, had me a blast! Sum-
mer lovin’, happened so fast!” These lyrics
from Grease’s “Summer Nights” describe all
too well the bittersweet qualities of sum-
mer love and its tendency to end quickly.
However, in the born-again context, sum-
mer love can last as seen through the life
of Pyros member Bruce Mao, who found a
summer love that is eternal.
During the summer of 2005, Bruce
stumbled onto a “Soul Anchor – Transform-
ers” summer camp recap video posted on
the online journal of high school classmate
and Pyros member Sandra Cordero. The
video showcased the amazing things God
had done during the course of the camp.
He instant messaged Sandra later that
day with questions regarding the power-
ful events that were documented, and ex-
pressed his interest in experiencing God in
a way similar to the youth in the video.
In the year that followed, Bruce was in-
troduced to the Pyros Youth Ministry through
invitations to events such as Crosspoint
youth rallies and Friday night Glendale bible
studies. Unfortunately, due to scheduling
issues he was unable attend these events.
However, when registration invitations for
“Soul Anchor 2006 – Breaking Free” were
sent out, Bruce decided he wasn’t going to
miss this opportunity. He signed up without
Pyros Youth Pastor
Mark Briones
hesitation, cleared his schedule and packed
his bags. Bruce was expectant for some-
thing new, something different.
During that first week of July, Bruce
joined youth from various WIN and guest
churches in partaking what the Holy Spirit
had in store. On July 3, 2006, during the
retreat’s first evening session, God revealed
Himself to Bruce in the new and different
way he was searching for. Bruce recalls,
“During the altar call, I fell on my knees. I
couldn’t move. I had the sense that that
moment God showed me what Jesus had
done for me on the cross by dying for my
sins.” Bruce realized the extent of God’s
true love and accepted Jesus as his Lord
{ }
and Savior. After that night, he was never
the same. God’s love changed his life.
“[Bruce is]
a person who seeks
after God’s heart.”
Pastor Mark Briones
Bruce returned from camp on fire for
the things of God. He soon became a per-
manent member of the Pyros Youth Min-
istry and began consistently attending the
Glendale bible studies and WIN LA’s Sunday
Services. He took various steps to live in
the love of Christ such as making himself
available to be involved in ministry. Even-
tually, Bruce began training to be a part of
the Pyros Youth Band and the WIN LA Music
Ministry.
When that summer ended, Bruce en-
tered his first year of college at the Univer-
sity of California, Irvine as a Political Sci-
ence major, aspiring to attend law school to
become a lawyer. Bruce continued to build
and strengthen his relationship with Jesus
by joining UCI’s Crossroads College Ministry
(CCM).
The year that followed was a year of
tremendous growth for Bruce. The trans-
formation that had taken place in his life
was a blessing for all to see. The Lord
began sharpening his leadership skills and
gave him a new sense of boldness in both
his words and actions. Bruce became an
official Pyros Youth Band singer and began
helping out with the Glendale bible study.
In the summer of 2007, Bruce was
asked to be a college group cell leader for
“Soul Anchor – Pressing On.” “It was defi-
nitely nerve-wracking for me since it was
Editor-In-Chief Layout & Design Editor
Rizza Aldaba Paolo Manuel
my first time in a leadership position, but
leaning and depending on God made the
transition from a camper to a cell leader
easier,” Bruce said. The experience chal-
lenged him to step out of his comfort zone
and step into God’s will and purpose for his
life.
After that camp, Bruce joined the Py-
ros Leadership Team. He became a Pyros
Youth Leader and began to teach bible stud-
ies in Glendale. This year he was involved
in planning “Soul Anchor 2008 – Braving
the Battle: A Call to Arms” and was again
a college group cell leader. Pastor Mark
Briones cites Bruce as “a person who seeks
after God’s heart. He is a very kind and
humble person who can be depended on.
His desire to serve and grow in the Lord is
tremendous. It is such a blessing to see his
spiritual growth.” Today, Bruce continues
to press on towards his destiny and reach
souls for the furtherance of God’s kingdom
Bruce is a living testimony of someone
who sought God’s love and found it. He was
hungry for more of God’s presence in his life
and asked for a revelation of His glory. He
took to heart how God changed him from
the inside out and used it as a catalyst to
grow. Bruce made himself available to be
used and God honored his commitment by
opening doors in ministry. That summer in
2005, Bruce found lasting love: God’s per-
fect love.
“For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten son that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have
eternal life.” – John 3:16 NIV
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