For the month of October, we

wanted to come up with an activity that

would help students appreciate fellowship.
We want to show how vital fellowship is to
ones spiritual growth. So for this month,
we came up with a BBQ night!

I praise the Lord for the hospitality
of the Montero family for letting us hold
the event in their humble abode. They
did not just open their house for us, but
also provided a transport service for the
students. They have provided almost
everything we needed. Preparing the
place was all the work we needed to do.

Evangelism Is Not
A Choice

In my home church, GCF North, October is missions month. Our youth ministry
usually invites missionaries to talk about their
ministry. This time, I was invited to speak in
our youth service. I was asked to give emphasis on preaching the gospel through Acts 10:
42-43. And of course, the introvert person in
me was shaken. To take away my fear, I just
thought of how God will use me to bless other
people.

And he commanded us to preach to the

people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living
and the dead. To him all the prophets bear
witness that everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his
name.
Acts 10: 42-43

Aside from BBQ, there were also
pancit, menudo, grilled bangus, and
steamed shrimp. Scrummy!

What is BBQ Night without games
and karaoke? We played our current
favorite, Spy Fall! There was a non-stop
concert as well. Some of us were not
blessed to have a good singing voice
but that didnt stop us from grabbing
the microphone. We also got to know
each other better through our late-night
conversations. Its my joy to see everyone
having a good time.

Oftentimes, Christians brush off the
idea of evangelizing and proclaiming Gods
word. They just leave the work to missionaries, pastors, preachers, disciplers, etc.
Evangelism is not my spiritual gift is also
used as an excuse to not proclaim the gospel.
Evangelism is not a gift to a particular group
of people, it is a call to all believers.

Acts 10: 42-43 clearly tells us that we

are commanded to preach to the people.

The passage says he commanded, not he
suggested. The command is directed to us,
which includes you and me. This is a command given by God which is expected to be
obeyed by anyone who claims Jesus as their
Lord. As Christians, it is only right that we take
part in fulfilling the great commission. But of
course, let us also remember that evangelism
is an outflow of our relationship with God. We
wont be able to fully share Gods abundance
love without experiencing it.

The great commission tells us to go
and make disciples. People often put emphasis on going when the objective is to make
disciples. We do not need to go out of where
we are because God can use us in that place
to expand His kingdom. We are exactly where
we are needed.

The Struggle Is Real

I have seen people struggle because of
temptation. Sometimes, people choose to do
the wrong thing because its comfortable. And
battling against temptation is not comfortable.
Some fought but gave up eventually. Indeed,
the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). But there were victors. Choosing
the right thing left them scarred, but something
beautiful came out of it. Their testimonies will
surely bless other people.

Struggling, for the most part, is obviously
painful. I believe that suffering is designed to
develop a Christ-like character in me. But before reaching that point, I have to go through a
painful trial. I have to force myself against the
negativities. I have to drown my selfishness in
my own tears. I have to stand up even when my
knees are already faltering from falling several
times. Suffering will surely make me but it has to
break me first.

Still, I will praise the Lord because I have
seen beautiful things in sorrow that I have never

seen in happiness. It is when I struggle that I

feel Gods abounding grace. It is when Im in
pain that I admit how helpless I am without God.
It is through the storm that I see His magnificent power. It is in misery that I learn nothing
will satisfy me but God. It is in distress that we
appreciate Gods presence the most. The real
struggle is not when were suffering but when
were happy. Do we call on to God the same
way we call on to Him when we are happy?

Orphanage Outreach

During the APEC week, I left a piece of my heart to the children of New Faith Family Childrens Home.
New Faith Family is an orphanage under Kids International Ministries. Its located at Valley Golf, Cainta. It is
their duty to serve the abandoned, neglected, surrendered, and dependent children. Their ultimate goal is for
the children to love God and impact the world for Christ. Its encouraging and inspiring to meet people who are
willing to spend their life to love people without expecting anything in return. Thank You Lord for these people!
Paul Saises:

I am always a kidperson. I have gone to

area insertions, senior
year
immersion,
community
building
activities - all were graced by the presence of
many children, with their bright smiles and their
adorable faces filled with hope and a glitter of
innocence. But the best so far, as far as my heart
knows, is my visit to the Kids International
Ministries. The children were truly eager to be
carried by their kuyas or ates. As I reflect on the
experience, I had many epiphanies. First, I was
able to understand - even a tiny bit - the lives of
these children. Behind their laughter are their
respective stories to tell - some stories are even
too heart wrenching and difficult to bear. They
need our utmost patience and understanding.
Second, knowing the journey they have travelled,
one is compelled and challenged to give back to
them, even at the minutest way possible. These
kids were deprived of many things - education,
love and attention. Even in the limited time one
can spend with them, the heart to serve is what
really matters. Finally, I was able to reflect on the
significance of a family. It is in the family that we
are molded to be the individuals we are now,
much more the persons we want to become in

the future. Inside the family, love permeates the

four corners of the home, care and peace
surround the members, and judicious giving is
the way of family life. We are called to become
their brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one
Christian family, and we ought to look after one
another. Let our faith be inclusive of the children
and the poor so they too can witness and feel the
joy of being in a holy family.
Irene Dagami:
The experience when
going to the Kids
International Center can
be summarized into one
statement: Exhausting
but life changing. It was really exhausting trying
to match the level of energy output of the children
there, especially for those in the nursery. If you
wanted to make them happy you had to give it
your all. But their happiness was simple and
innocent. Before I went there I thought I had to
run, role play, and do whatever I could to amuse
them. I still did a few exhausting things like twirl
them around and carry them, but what they really
wanted was just to be embraced. And it touched
my heart to know that they lacked that one act of
love that other children extravagantly had. If I
could I would want to go there again just to
experience again that kind of simple happiness.

Last Tuesday Nights Together

Wow, I cant believe first semester is
almost over and this means that students will
be busy over their final exams. Before everyone
gets busy, we decided to hold our last fellowship.
We spent the night with games, pizza, laughter,
discussion, and prayer.

What havent you accomplished yet this
semester? This is where our group discussion
revolved. Each person in the group was given a
chance to answer the question. Some answered
academic-related matters. Some answered
personal issues. That night, I learned that each
person has different sources of self-fulfillment. I
remember one student saying, I dont get any
sense of fulfillment in what I do. After all the
requirements, whats next? Its really hard to
find meaning in what we do when we know well
all die in the end. This is why we should invest in
eternity. How do we do that? By doing everything
for Gods glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). If we do
things for God, even if we die, our efforts will still
be counted.

I cant answer everyones question. I
cant give a concrete solution to their problem. I
can only pray for them. I can only pray that they
patiently seek God despite all the challenges
theyre facing.

Thank You So Much

Thank you so much for journeying with me. I am grateful that God has blessed me to take
this journey with you. Your presence and words of encouragement motivated me to keep going.
There were bumps along the road and I know that there is more to come but I still praise God
because I know that I am not alone. I know that there are people who are praying for me and for the
ministry. I hope that you will continually pray for me. I hope that Ill never rely on my own strength
and wisdom. Please pray for the spiritual growth of the students who will soon become leaders.

If you may have prayer requests, please do not hesitate to contact me. Ill gladly serve you
through prayer. God bless you!