Dear Egroupmates and friends:

I returned from Mindanao the night of the barangay elections last Oct
29. I considered my trip both too short and just right. Too short
because the time spent in travel kept me from visiting more people,
and just right because my pocket couldn't have sustained me for
another day! But the Lord provided gracious, generous hosts and
companions who made the whole time enjoyable and enriching.

My time at the bcer (biennial consultation on ethnic religions) was
well-spent. I met the missionaries (including the mbbs) I wanted to
see and savored precious minutes chatting with each one. I was even
able to meet the widow of one of the martyrs featured in the book,
"God's Foot Soldiers" and gave her a copy of it. [For those of you who
do not know what "God's Foot Soldiers" is all about, please visit
www.csm-publishing.org and go to the video section] I asked one field
worker who is now in a "shadowing" role if cpm is already happening in
the upg and he nodded. I have also listened to presentations on how to
share the gospel to ms and what strategies they use to keep their
ministry going. Some organizations use business as mission locally.
Verrrryy interesting for mobilizers like me.

God blessed me with a much willing traveling companion after bcer, my
fellow delegate Ruby Pabalate from PMA. She traveled with me to
General Santos and back to Davao City to meet and talk to people set
up for me by another mobilizer named Dory Magabulo. I had the pleasure
of speaking to the young professionals fellowship of General Santos
Alliance Church, the Metro Davao Alliance Young People's prayer
fellowship activity in Calinan, Davao City, an MSU-Gensan university
professor who disciples her students to the mission field, the
Southern Mindanao student leaders of IVCF in their LCDC, the pastor of
Mangub Alliance Church who knows the elders of the city and the
national youth director of CAMACOP. (Guess what denomination dominates
the cities we traveled in.)

I will never forget the two young pastors who approached me after I
led the prayer time for the 13 upgs in the country at the young
people's prayer fellowship. The first to approach me was the church's
associate pastor. He introduced himself to me then told me how much he
identified with the prayer item on field workers because he used to be
one. But the work was so hard that he had to settle for a
re-assignment to the church where he is presently serving. But after
the prayer time, he said that he wants to go back! Then he introduced
me to the senior pastor who didn't look that much older than him and
teased him about going back to their former assignment. The senior
pastor also admitted that he used to minister among the ms. During
that brief moment of koinonia (because we had to rush off to travel to
our host before nightfall), I thanked them for telling me their desire
and encouraged them to study less offensive ways in ministering to ms.
I hope that wasn't a judgmental remark. I had been told that
well-meaninged pastors in their denomination do not know the role of
contextualization in ministering cross-culturally. Some have paid the
high price with their lives. But the Lord of the harvest will keep
sending workers when His people keep praying...

Our hosts in both cities were both field workers and swinging singles
just like Ruby and me. Both were longer-time friends of Ruby than me,
so the bonding continued for Ruby and deepened for me. We got to see
where and how they live. It was quite humbling to be ministered to by
such special people. We got a glimpse of the many people who support
them and who would be interested in the NYMM. Even the elderly Ptr
Bert's questions over Sunday lunch educated me a lot in how a local
church pastor thinks about cross-cultural missions. They (the pastors)
won't remain a upg for very long when mobilizers like me take the time
to relate to them in a non-threatening way. He wanted me to stay until
Friday so that he could have me speak at the ministerial fellowship
meeting! Of course, I couldn't, but I'm taking note of that
opportunity.

If there's anything my Mindanao trip did to me, it is gaining a fresh
resolve to promote the movement among "men and women of peace" in the
Body of Christ. It made me dream again of how we can raise generations
(plural po) of cross-culturally missions-minded young people willing
to go to the ends of the earth for the Lord before He returns. Many
have already gone unrecorded. I suspect a lot from Mindanao. But many
more can still go. The paradigm is already shifting. But we must keep
doing our part -- pray, give and mobilize.

My devotion this morning from Henry and Richard Blackaby's
Experiencing God Day-by-Day was based on the feeding of the 5,000. The
message was amply titled "Don't Avoid the Impossible." What are the
NYMM's five loaves and two fishes? What is the Lord telling us to do
with them? When we obey His word, we will witness the miracle.

The journey continues,
(Ate) Joy

P.S. Please log on to our new blog put up by Vir,
http://www.nymm.blogspot.com, and post some comments of encouragement
and suggestions, too. If you feel led to help set up a website for
NYMM, let us know. A website is really more appropriate.

~~~ We are the NYMM Young People at your service ~~~