Harvest

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

-Habakkuk 3:17-19

posted from Bloggeroid

Team Go Forth La Union goes forth

JCF commissioned the Go Forth La Union team recently, sending them out with prayers and blessings. At the moment, half the team is already on-location, conducting Vacation Bible School to the children of Community Touch Christian Fellowship (CTCF).

In the next few days, the team will be moving to two new missions locations, namely Amlang and Carunoan, both in the town of Rosario. The team will be helping CTCF in their aim to establish a sustained ministry in these areas.

CTCF started work in these places only recently, and they are intent on doing what they can to make the work grow, subject to the Lord's will. Our role in this effort is to help keep the work going and growing, as well as to train workers who will pick up the reins once the team leaves for home.

Continue to pray with us for strength and safety of our volunteers, for the hearts of the listeners, and for the CTCF family. Pray also for the rest of the GFLU team who will be joining the others in the coming days.

posted from Bloggeroid

The Road to La Union

(From left) Rhea, Amor, and Cat prepare props for the VBS to be held in La Union for the next two weeks. Photo property of Go Forth Missions

Our volunteers are presently caught up in the preparations for the trip to La Union this Sunday, May 10. There's a ton of props to be readied to ensure the kids experience this year's Vacation Bible School theme Celebrate!; of course, the teachers are also readying themselves to make sure the kids understand the lessons presented from the Bible. And then there's a myriad of small and large details that need to be checked and double-checked to make sure the team gets in and out of the missions area safely.

This is the second of JCF's three-year commitment with Community Touch Christian Fellowship (CTCF), our partner church in Agoo, La Union. What makes this year even more exciting is the addition of two more areas where CTCF is breaking new ground for a church plant. These include the barrios of Carunoan and Amlang, with the latter being significant because it is the hometown of Sister Puri Santos, mother of our very own kuya Mon.

On top of VBS is the overnight Youth Camp for CTCF youth, where the church's youth leaders will be learning essential lessons concerning missions, discipleship, and ministry. The camp also involves youth who may be hearing the Gospel for the first time, so do pray for our speakers who will be bringing God's word to the youth of La Union.

Even as our workers are preparing the things they need to bring, do pray for each one of them as they also strive to prepare their hearts and minds. The struggle is real, and it is so easy to get sidetracked or overwhelmed with the task and everything it entails. Also pray for the safety of our volunteers, as the country braces for an approaching typhoon. As the La Union team prepares to be sent out into the deep, we will need you to hold the ropes in prayer, so that God may be honored in all these.

Celebrating God's goodness

Kids having the time of their lives during the recent VBS at JCF. Photo by Mon

The 2015 Vacation Bible School (VBS) season is in full swing, with Joy Christian Fellowship (JCF) concluding its VBS ministry for the Intramuros community last April 25. Currently, JCF is holding VBS for kids coming from the church families through the JoyKids Sunday School department, so that they, too, can experience this special summer event.

More than 100 children from the Intramuros community were exposed to the message of this year's VBS, the aptly-themed Celebrate!, which incorporates elements of Filipino culture with instances of celebration in the Bible. At the center of each lesson is a story of Jesus and a festive event, such as the wedding at Cana or the Feast of Pentecost. The challenge to the teachers and the volunteers was to draw the connection between these instances of feasting to the overall theme of celebrating God's love and goodness.

VBS will soon be "exported" outside JCF's walls as the 2015 Go Forth team is currently in the thick of preparations for missions in La Union. This ministry has been very helpful in creating the preliminary bridges between the local church and the community that are essential for long-term work. With this year's VBS theme, the Go Forth team is excited to bring the festivities to the barrios of La Union so that they, too, may be part of the celebration of God's enduring greatness.

The VBS graduation is always a time to celebrate a student's participation in the year's Vacation Bible School, as well as an opportunity to connect with their quietly-proud parents. Photo by Mon