Ignited in Isabela

Last week til weekend, my wife and I together with the XA Luzon Team this time composed of Ate Khit, Jed and Jhang went to Isabela for Chi Alpha. It was my first time to visit Isabela and had some wonderful memories during my visit. Here are some photos of that trip.

For the complete photo album, please visit our Chi Alpha page in Facebook look for "Chi Alpha Philippines".

We arrived in Santiago City in the morning and stayed at FAME Church. After a few hours of rest we set for Cauayan City, an hour trip from Santiago to visit Isabela State University--Cauayan campus, where our Chi Alpha members are waiting. It was a great time of fellowship and sharing encouragement to them. Praise God because the group is really growing.

The guy in black kneeling in front is Ptr. Jomer de Isidro, the coordinator for XA-ISU-Cauayan. He is also a local AG pastor in the city. Got a passionate heart for young people and students. He is sort of a legend in the campus because almost everyone knows him.

Another group photo at the campus field. Ptr Jomer says 70% of the students that make up Chi Alpha came to know Christ in the campus.

The weather was hot and humid, so after ISU they took us to a small canteen on the side of the highway. But don't let looks fool you. They serve the best Pancit Cabagan in Cauayan! We tried Batil Patong, a version of Cabagan with egg. From the left there's Ate Khit, Nette, me, Ptr. Jomer, Ptr. Joses of Santiago, and Ptr. Christian of Bacnor, both leading their own Chi Alpha groups in their locale.

Friday, we visited Sefton, the district bible school where we met Ptr Glenn, Ate Dayang's husband. We would later go to Roxas to visit them as well. The couple on the right is Ptr. Lawrence and Ptra. Joy. Turns out they were former members in ICS and Ate Joy was Nette's Sunday School teacher. Small world .. They gave us a short tour around the compound. The building at the back is the Fire Center, the main gathering/fellowship hall.

It was an unexpectedly long trip to Roxas. Actually it only took 1.5 hours by van, but since the route was new it felt longer. We visited Kuya Glenn and Ate Dayang's place in Roxas. Ate Dayang is the former youth pastor of ICS, and has moved to Roxas after getting married. She is soon to give birth to baby Zurielle. It was a great dinner fellowship in the evening.

After dinner they took us around the town center via tricycle. Ate Dayang sits more comfortably at the back of the motorcycle than inside the cab.

Saturday was the main event. The Chi Alpha District Kick of Rally was held in FAME Church with youth groups from different churches around Isabela, Ifugao and Quirino joining us. Ptr. Joses the youth pastor leads the Chi Alpha group in Northeastern Colleges, just a few walks from the church. Though they have just started this semester, the group is vibrant and growing.

Sharing the vision of movements of multiplying disciples is always a personal joy of mine. Students listen attentively as I share about our Student: Missionary campaign.

It is only in this chapter that we saw XA blocks like this. It's a great idea and a great photo opp piece. Thanks XA Luzon and our local XA leaders for making this trip memorable.

True Contentment

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through [Christ] who gives me strength. - Phil 4:12-13 

Google dictionary defines contentment as "a state of happiness and satisfaction". It is too easy to be content when we have abundance, but how can you be content in times of lack?

Contrary to what we might think, contentment is not a passive acceptance of one's fate or an excuse to dream and excel. But true contentment is an intentional shift of focus from temporal to eternal, adopting a heavenly mindset instead of an earthly one. Paul's contentment is founded not on earthly circumstances, for truly these temporal situations aim to mold us and to make us draw closer to God. His source of happiness and satisfaction is in knowing Christ. "I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord ..." Phil 3:8. And in this Solid Rock he draws his strength. May you find yourself standing on the Solid Rock and in Him experience true happiness and satisfaction.

My birthday celebration at the student center

This year I had the opportunity to celebrate my birthday with the students of Chi Alpha UBelt. As I was looking through the pictures, I am reminded by the verse "Remember Your Creator in the days of your youth" (Ecc 12:1). It pays for a young person to know Christ early in their life.

Blessed abundance!

Our DGroup that meets every Friday near CEU.

Students from PUP ...

Our DGroup that meets every Friday at the Student Center.

More photos here ...

Focusing yourself on that one thing

One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Phil 3:13-14

Reflection:

What God has done:

1. Christ has taken hold of you .. v. 12 - Isn't it amazing how much love Christ had in doing everything to take hold of you?
   
2. Because of what Christ has done, God calls you heavenward - v. 14 - God doesn't see us in contempt for our sins, but in the shadow of what Christ has done. God calls us to live a life that is pleasing to Him. 

Paul's response:

1. He was focused on doing this one thing. - Are all your efforts lead to the one thing (your life mission)?
   
2. He chooses to move on from the past - Do you "forget" what is behind, or choose to hold on to a destructive or painful past/identity? Paul "strains" or puts on great effort to focus his future in Christ.
   
3. His eyes are locked towards the goal - Paul's goal was Christ himself. He presses on and keeps himself from being disqualified from the prize. If all of us are running the race of life, what are you running after? Where are you heading? What prize is waiting for you in following Christ?

Bourne Legacy

So finally after a month, we finally saw Bourne Legacy. The week it came out I was busy so wasn't able to watch it. Then the reviews came, and the reviews says it's average. Now I'm a fan of the Bourne franchise. Love Matt Damon's portrayal of the introverted, calculated Jason Bourne. So hearing the reviews was bit of a let down. But still I have to see the Manila scenes in the movie, which have disrupted our metro for just a few weeks because of the shooting. I didn't expect it to show until now, but it's still in Robinson's Place Manila. Overall the movie is promising and a potentially good franchise of Bourne. Here are some more thoughts about the movie.

• First half of the movie was a slow drag, I was like where's the action?
• Love the Manila scenes especially the chase scenes. Manila is depicted as a cramped, chaotic, rustic/vibrant place, and I love it. Sometimes the motorcycle acrobatics was a bit overdone but I can let go of it.
• The Thai assassin's death was obviously CG.
• Joan Allen top bills the cast as Pamela Landy, appears at the end of the movie, with just a few lines?
• Aaron Cross' personality is far from Jason Bourne. The more you let go of Jason Bourne, the more you appreciate Aaron Cross.

Thank you Lord for Today

Thank you Lord for a wonderful day today:

• Thank you for the privilege of sharing your word to United Bethel Church and the great things you are doing through Chi Alpha. Thank you for allowing me to share the unspoken lives of the young people that were touched by You.
  
• Thank you for a wonderful time spent with my family. We celebrated my birthday celebration today. I thought of celebrating it today with them rather than Tuesday so we could spend more time together. Thank you for a sumptuous meal which was worth the wait, and for a good movie (Bourne Legacy ... I'm proud of my country).
  
• Thank you for my loving and supportive wife. Loving family and friends.

"By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News." - Eph 3:7

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." - Eph 3:16-19

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." -  Eph 3:20

Late lunch at Banana Leaf, Robinson's Place Manila. Food was superb!

Same pose, much clearer, but my eyes are closed!

At the movie house waiting for our time to see Bourne Legacy. 

The Hobbit

I remember having the book after the first LOTR movie came out. Read through the LOTR trilogy, but The Hobbit fell short of my interest that time. But this time, with the movie arriving on December, my interest grew, the trailer helped my imagination, and was able to find an eBook. Just finished reading tonight. It was a great reading journey. The end was a tear-jerker. I'll save you the spoiler. I just hope that the movie will just stick with the story. I hope the trailers just a way of drawing lovers of LOTR movie to watch this.

The Book

The Movie Poster

Is it worth it?

Each day is a gift of grace. His mercies are new every morning. Just like the metro, no matter how much we pollute it in a day, tomorrow is a fresh clean air. Thank you, Lord for your gift of today.

Yesterday, I went home quite tired and sweating. The latter because somehow the evening's climate gone high? But it rained hard in the afternoon. The former, before I went to university belt, I went to LTO office to have my licensed duplicated. Last Tuesday, I lost my wallet. Either that or I was a victim of pick-pocketing. So I lost all my IDs, ATMs, a Credit Card and who knows what will bite me later when I remember it.

I had to leave the LTO office before I can pick-up my license because I have a DGroup appointment at 2PM. I arrived a few minutes before. Eliza, my co-worker is already waiting for me to open the gate. It was a good DGroup with Mia, Chester and Pauly. Today I taught about developing your TAWG-Time Alone with God. I think TAWG that is prayer and reading the Word of God daily, is a non-negotiable habit of a Christ-follower.

My 5PM DGroup was postponed because most were not available. So I stayed for a while at the center,  hang out with students until it was time to go home. Took an FX going to Megamall. It was the usual going-home routine when I'm by myself. FX, get off at Samat St., take a Bus to Guadalupe, walk over an overpass, take a jeep home.

In the FX, I dozed off a few times which was rare, that was because I was so tired. The moments of aloneness and solitude allowed me to think about the day that has been. I need times like these, once in a while. Reflecting on the exhaustion, which also can be attributed to my jog the day before, which was first after a while; reflecting on my exhaustion, I thought to myself, "Is it worth it?" Is what I'm doing (student ministry) worth it? When giving out seem to overcast the taking in? Thank God I am able to put things in perspective, it was a unique day altogether, and physical exhaustion can take toll on your emotional as well. I told myself, "yes, it's worth it." I remember the story of the boy who were "saving" starfishes by throwing them into the ocean one starfish at a time. Every soul counts, and I've said it to myself before, whatever I can offer to God in my power to give, for the cause of students' salvations, I'd give it. This is one of them.

When I arrived home, I posted in FB: "When the question "Is it worth it?" rears its ugly head, remember, Jesus 2000 years ago thought you're worth it." It was a quick dash to the secret place to recharge and replenish my soul.

In my TAWG, I found Paul's prayer to the Ephesian church which I adopted as my prayer to the students who are with me this semester: "I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God." - Eph 1:16-17

I Wonder

One of my favorite recent worship songs by Leeland called I Wonder.

DGroups at PUP

Photos are from one of our leaders meeting in PUP.

Update on me

It's a sunny Friday morning, but we still haven't risen up from bed yet. Well, I have risen up from bed to catch up on my blog. It's been a while since I've written on this blog, first switching from one blog app to another, then totally not writing at all because of busyness. Well, I'm back, just for now. I realize I've lost this intimate time with myself to write about what I think. Being a not so talkative person, this is my way of "processing" the information and the experiences I go through everyday.

Anyway, so what's up with me? What's keeping me busy? Well, after summer 2012, my wife and I have committed to a local Chi Alpha chapter in Manila University Belt. Before this, we've been praying for some local involvement. Personally I feel that I need some fresh credibility, after stopping from hands-on local campus ministry four years ago. To make the story short, by the end of the summer, God opened up some opportunities and we took hold of it.

Today we're sort of leading the campus ministry in the university belt. "Sort of" I was tasked as lead campus worker though we're only present twice a week in the campus because of work. Though God hasn't allowed this sliver of time to go wasted. Currently I'm personally handling four small groups or discipleship groups with students from PUP, UE, CEU, UM, TUP, FEU, UST and NU.

At work, I was just recently permitted to go to office twice a week. This is to give me more time in the campus. This was truly a favor we've been praying to God. Thank God because He never fails his children.

To tell you honestly, I'm currently struggling with managing my time lately. Having my hands on a lot of things: two ministries: University Belt and National Chi Alpha, work, and my freelance work, to put on top of that, nurturing my family (Nette and I) and my Time Alone with God. I believe this can be time-managed because I've been through more commitments in the past. I just have to sit this one down and put things in detail and schedule. Pray for me will you?

Thank God his grace always abounds. Had a time of refreshing yesterday with God. Spent time in prayer. Then went out for a quick jog at The Fort. My legs sore but it's a good sore.

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. - Ephesians 1:11