UPDATE from WCG PHILIPPINES

The WCG brethren in Dubai, United Arab Emirates were blessed with the visit of National Director Eugene Guzon and wife Lulu, last May 22-26. The visit marked the official transfer of overseership of the WCG Dubai to the WCG Philippines & North Asia, after being under the supervision of the United Kingdom Regional Office for the past fifteen years.

Mr. Guzon arrived in the evening of May 22 and for two days, visited with the family of Cesar and Johanna Dela Paz in Fujairah, and also met with members Loy Lotero and Dave Dawal. Fujairah is one of the seven emirates of UAE, and is about 150 kms from Dubai.

Mrs. Guzon arrived in the evening of May 24. The next day, the Guzons met with the Dubai brethren for worship services. Majority of the brethren are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with their families and relatives, and the family of Joseph and Latha Cherian from India and Andre John, a newcomer from South Africa.

During the services, Mr. Guzon encouraged the brethren and lauded the OFWs as world-class workers as they are now employed in the UAE. He also gave a short message on Jesus letting the little children come to Him (Mk 10:13-16), and led the congregation in a prayer for baby Erin Francesca as she was blessed and dedicated to the Lord. Erin Francesca was born on April 15 in Dubai and is the second child of Bong and Loma Mortola. After a special music rendered by sisters Abby and Eva Ortiguero, Mr Guzon delivered the Pentecost message by expounding on what the Church means to a Christian.

May 26 was a hectic day for the Guzons as they visited the Dubai Evangelical Church Centre in Jebel Ali, 30 km away from the heart of Dubai, an area appropriated by the UAE government for Christian groups. After a city tour during the day, they spent the evening in a meeting organized by Ptr. Nitz Malaga for some Filipino Christian leaders in Dubai. The group discussed on fostering unity of Christian churches in Dubai, to help and encourage one another, recognizing each other as brothers and sisters in Christ while accepting and respecting some differences in doctrines. Attending the meeting were pastors and representatives of the Day by Day Ministry, Family Covenant Church, Filipino Christian Church in Dubai, and Jesus Reigns Forever Int’l.

After the meeting, late into the night at 10:00 p.m., the Guzons, Ptr Nitz Malaga, Cesar Dela Paz and RG Cruz headed to the Jumeirah Beach for the baptism of three new souls: spouses Levi and Janice Isip, and Aileen de Leon. They responded to the call of the Lord after attending bible studies conducted by Kuya RG.

The Guzons left Dubai for Bangkok on May 27 at 10pm, after a fruitful trip to the UAE. Mr. Guzon stopped over in Bangkok to confer with missionaries while Mrs. Guzon headed home to Manila. --Pastor Nitz Malaga

SEP 2007 Lemery – All Fired Up

More intense than the summer heat was the excitement and enthusiasm in the air at the opening of SEP 2007, Luzon. With the theme “Acquire the Fire”, the camp brought together 155 campers, and 55 staff from Metro Manila and several other provinces including Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro. Adding to the camp’s uniqueness and diversity was the presence of 4 young people and a staff member from Malaysia, and another staff member from Canada. We all gathered at the CBCF Bayside Bible Camp in Lemery, Batangas from May 13-20, for 8 awesome days of building friendships, making memories, and experiencing God.

Each morning began on a high note with a camp-wide devotional. Staff and campers took turns in leading everyone in inspiring praise and worship, ministering to us and preparing us to receive God’s Word for the day. Messages helping us know Jesus more were delivered by National Director Eugene Guzon, Camp Director Rex dela Pena, Ministerial Trainee Aron Tolentino, National Board Chairman Ezra Raduban, Missionary Teody Silva, and Pastors Audie Santibanez, Gil Llaneza, and Andrew Teng.

For the rest of the day, campers took on an array of activities which included archery, badminton, basketball, volleyball, ballroom dance, modern dance, and community service. They likewise had Christian Living classes, which were divided into Evangelism and Discipleship classes, to better meet the campers’ needs. Heightened interest was also brought about by the introduction of a new activity, the SEP Race, during which brother-sister dorms put their wits and strength together to decipher clues and accomplish tasks around the campsite. All these activities were tackled with bursts of youthful energy, with rest stops during meals when everyone eagerly sat down to the delicious food prepared by our very own kitchen staff.

The campers thrived in dorm life, with dorm devotionals, prayer time, chats, and teambuilding activities providing additional opportunities for sharing insights and learning with each other. The camp atmosphere was punctuated with dorm cheers, chants and fun exchanges, with trademark lines that will not be easily forgotten. The presentation night was definitely one of the camp’s highlights, featuring different song, dance, mime and cheer numbers from each dorm in an unforgettable display of teamwork and ingenuity. Another highlight was the much anticipated and ever-memorable dance night.

Through all the events, God was truly faithful in working in the lives of both campers and staff at camp. One of the most powerful testimonies of this was the baptism of 35 individuals who accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior at SEP. Countless others have expressed how they came to know God better, grew closer to Him, and re-committed their lives to Him as a result of experiencing His love and power at camp this year. At the close of SEP 2007, many were teary eyed, but there was joy in the send-off because we were bringing with us a wealth of life-changing experiences, and best of all, the fire of knowing and loving Jesus Christ ablaze in our hearts. --Joyce Guzon

Note: More photos can be viewed at the photo gallery of our WCG Philippines website.

Teacher's Retreat and Joshua Generation Youth Leaders Training in Antique

Pastor Rex dela Pena, conducted a 2 ½-day teachers’ retreat and a Joshua Generation youth leaders’ training at Danilo’s Beach Resort in San Jose, Antique. Fifty-four (54) Sibalom teachers and youth leaders participated in the event. Pastor Rex presented materials on various concerns and interests relevant to the teachers like the purpose of life; factors that control one’s life; three kinds of people; understanding family dynamics toward healthier family system; and five languages of love. The retreat was organized and staffed by the pastoral team of Antique headed by Miss Lorna Huera; who is also the DepED district supervisor of Antique. --Jerry Ortiguero, asst. area superintendent for Panay Island

Iloilo Church Springs Back to Life

Out of a life of retirement, Pastor Jerry & wife Lal Ortiguero were called back to active service by the National Director, Eugene Guzon and were asked to go to Iloilo City as senior pastor as well as pastoral team chairman of the church there. He is also the assistant area superintendent of the Panay Island to Mr. Guzon. (In the years April 1988 thru April 1994, Pastor Jerry and family first came to pastor Panay Island and Palawan). Many of the Iloilo church members left because of the doctrinal changes and joined other splintered groups. Some who were confused and still hurts stopped altogether attending services.

Upon setting foot at Iloilo on May 7, one of the primary things Pastor Jerry did was to organize the church by setting up a pastoral team and assigned responsibilities to them according to their interests, talents and abilities. Also he and his wife started an active and all-out mission of reaching out to the “floating” and “missing-in-action” members. On the first service of May 13, twenty-eight (28) came and attended the first meeting. On the combined worship service of May 20 in Iloilo, there was seventy-eight (78) in attendance of which twenty-two (22) came from Aklan and four (4) members came from Antique. On June 3, there was thirty-five (35) in attendance and after the worship service with a communion service (a first-time ever event for the Iloilo church); five (5) persons were baptized in the calm and pleasant waters of Panay Gulf at Trapiche, Oton, Iloilo. Pastor Jerry and wife still have lots of work to do for the Iloilo church and in Panay Island. He plans with God’s help to make the Panay churches truly G.S.I.S. churches where members are fired up in Going, Spending, Involving, and Sacrificing in the areas of evangelism, edification (or discipleship), and in benevolence to the poor and needy inside and outside of the church. Praise Jesus that after a long lull, Iloilo Church came back to life! To God be the Glory! Hallelujah! --Dario Mortola, Elder-In-Charge Iloilo Church

The Sunday Bible study in Calamba, held its first anniversary last May 27, 2007 with 41 attendees, at Villa La Prinza Subdivision, Prinza, Calamba City. Adoration and thankfulness to God were expressed through Bible verses recitation, poem, singing and dancing. Parents and loved ones along with their neighbors were their audiences.

It is rained every afternoon but the children who prayed that there will be no rain at the time of the program was answered it was indeed a visible manifestation of God’s power. Manila South Pastoral Chairman Nomer Venus gave his message focusing on what we should do as a Christian and what we will be our state in the afterlife, the place where we are going to live.

Snacks were served after the program, everybody is looking forward for a unified and more meaningful Bible Study. --Ardel Magararu

"Thank for sending me the update. It is so wonderful to hear what God is doing in Cebu and in the rest of Philippines. We are happy to know that the SEP went well. And we rejoice in the baptism of so many youths who have committed themselves to the Lord. O there is so much to praise God. Keep up all the good work that you all are doing! Hope to visit you sometime! God bless you all." --From Malaysia

"Hello! I'm just very blessed with the latest WCG Update of SEP camps and the DVBS updates. It is very clear that God is doing a mighty work among the children and young people in our fellowship! May our elder brothers and sisters in Christ within WCG be spurred, inspired and strengthened to disciple and nurture all of them! The younger generation are also looking to you as they look unto Christ on how to walk the Journey with God. God bless you po!" --From a WCG church member in Luzon

For comments, suggestions, to submit and share an article, to subscribe or unsubscribe, write to Len.Joson@wcg.org. These updates can also be accessed and viewed at www.wcg.org/ph. WCG - Philippines: National Office Address: #60 Matahimik St., Teachers Village, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines. Telephone No. (632) 426-22-94. When sending articles, please send preferably in text format only and photos as attached files in jpg format.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you." (2 Thessalonians 3:1)