SMMR 2008

This might be too long but please do read for those who was not able to read this one in the emails! :)

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NYMM Spitfire wrote:

Dear egroupmates & friends:

The NYMM has been invited to the Student Mission Movement Roundtable (SMMR) consultation in Seoul, S Korea this coming August to coincide with S Korea's 10th anniversary celebration (if I'm not mistaken) as a missionary-sending country.

I have officially recommended three young leaders from our three main islands: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to this historic gathering. They are Mikko Cabalfin from the, Vir Antonio Silva from Dumaguete and Candy Galagnara from Cagayan de Oro. I first sought their willingness before sending their names and email addresses to the organizers. Each will receive an official invitation and more information about the meeting. I will share with you more details next time.

The organizers of the Asian SMMR are from Indonesia, India, Korea and Malaysia. I met two of them at the Ethne conference in Indonesia last March 2006. A few months after, Joannie Sitoy as NYMM representative attended the first roundtable meeting in Singapore. We missed the next one set in Malaysia late last year (I think) but they have not given up on us. I count it a privilege that they want the NYMM inivolved in the Seoul event.

I have already urged Mikko, Vir and Candy to work on their passports and to recruit prayer partners. They will need all our prayers and support in any form or kind (as the Lord leads you) to help them make the trip together. Just to let you know, the three have not yet met each other, only learned about each other through emails I copy furnish each of them.

Take time each day to say a special prayer for them. Feel free to post your notes of encouragement and advice on the egroup, too.
Happy Resurrection Day, everyone!

For the Lord of the nations,
Joy

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

Email: Vir Silva

Hi Everyone!

Happy Easter!

Our God is awesome! AMEN!

Many of you might have read Ate Joy's announcement of Mikko, Candy (hi guys!) and Me going on for the SMMR in Seoul, Korea by August 2008. I consider it a privilege to take part in this historical event in advancing the work of the Kingdom in Asia and the world.

I was asking myself a few weeks back if this is an opportunity I should grab or perhaps I'm making a fool of myself. Imagine, I'm reading a book entitled "Finding God's Will..." by Ray Pitchard or Something just to satisfy my curiosity and perhaps find an answer but as the book says, I may never have a 100% confirmation that this is really God's will but that He will reveal it to me one step at a time. With prayer and much time in reflection, I made the first step - saying "yes" to the invitation.

Why YES?

Perhaps it is because of my passion to encourage my generation to take part in advancing God's Kingdom. I remember joining NYMC when it was held in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. I was one of the faithful few who responded to the call and went in front in the last night of the concert. After that life changing event, I got involved with InterVarsity-Dumaguete as one of the core leaders for the past 4 years. Through the years, my interest in missions grew stronger and got involve in any missions activity my church and InterVarsity has to offer.

In 2006,I asked the Lord to open up an opportunity to take part in NYMM again.This opportunity opened up when Ate Leah Aguirre became our missions speaker for LCDC2k6. It was through her that I believe God granted my request. After that fateful meeting in Camp Bato, I got involved in promoting NYMC2k6 in Bacolod to the different churches in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental. It was a great task but an experience of a lifetime. I learned promotional and marketing work I never did try before. I also had the opportunity to stand in big and small crowds to invite them for the event. After that time, I got involved in helping out to start a movement here in Dumaguete but it seems that it's not yet time for NYMM to be in bloom here. Nevertheless, my desire to see young people from here go to the nations to answer the call has become my passion!

On a personal note, I'm currently working in a call centre here as a sourcing strategy coordinator for the recruitment department. I try to balance work and life for a year now (and 3 months!) and kind of lied low in many christian opportunities. For this year, I decided to make some priorities and make one of my goal to join any event involving youth and missions. After weighing things down,I decided to get involved again with the church ministry by mentoring the new leaders arising in our youth and in leading the congregation in worship. I also accepted 2 opportunities lately to speak in a high school camp in Cebu and in a bible study in our church. My main priority this year is to get back into gear and spend most of my time with ministry opportunities. (I surely miss doing these things!)

So why fuzz about these things?

I see SMMR as an opportunity to invest my life for the kingdom. I have not gone out of the country for such an event but nevertheless, I believe this is an opportunity God has set before me. This is an avenue for both learning and inter-acting in strategizing missions work.

In one particular leadership conference co-sponsored by AGLOW Missionaries, I got the chance to look back and reflect on my answer for SMMR. The Lord seems to impress in my heart the question, "Where have all my generation gone through this season?" at that particular event. That question kept coming back into my mind when I realized that out of the 16 missionaries from AGLOW, only one of them was a teenager at 17.

God seems to be in the move of showing me (and my generation) the need to come out and take part, and I don't want to miss that chance this coming August 2008. With this in mind, I end this email with an encouragement to continue praying for us and in case you want to partner to any of us, kindly email Mikko,Candy and me for such an opportunity!

Thanks for reading....

Updates:2008!!!!

Hi everyone!

I've been trying to update the blog and doing some stuff that I believe could benefit the group. :)

First, I have created a group in www.emergenetwork.com and I do hope you all can join the group! :)

Second, after this blog message I'll be posting 3 emails from the group. ) It's all about the endorsement for the SMMR invitation this August 2008.

Third, anyone up for the challenge? Since it's summertime, I would like my fellow youth to use the camps, congress and any youth gathering to create a stir in the program by sharing NYMM to the group. Like what I will do this next week in our camp. Although I am not yet sure if I'm given the chance, but I know I can make something work out to get that chance. :)

For now, That's it!

Happy Summer!