Pray For Eman

Hi Egroupmates!
Before I get swamped by the urgent and deadly (deadlines, in other words), I would like to ask your prayers for our wonderful friend, Eman, who is trusting God to send him to an important upg conference in LA before the year ends. Due to security concerns (sanay naman kayo di ba?), I can't tell you more. But I can tell you that he needs $2800 asap and has $500 pledged so far.

For me, he is the best person to represent NYMM in that conference. He is not only a mobilizer but also a practitioner now! The exposure and the experience will further stretch his faith and enrich his experience in carrying out his part of the Great Commission. He wrote a loooong email about the witness opportunities he's had and he is where the action is (grabe, todo nato!)!

Please add him to your daily prayer list. God bless you really good!

Mobilizingly yours,

Joy
--
http://nymm.blogspot.com/
http://timetogetrealwithgod.blogspot.com/
~~~~ We are the NYMM at your service ~~~

Email Updates: Encouraging You

Hi Egroup-mates!

Longtime no message/news/

update! I confess my sin of busybody-ness! I have fallen into the all-pervading trap of tyrannical urgency! It's time I renew ties with you and let you in on the latest thing God is doing in the NYMM (aka National Youth Missions Movement).

I should have posted a sweet, quick note two months ago when I reluctantly represented the movement at the 2nd PM3 summit in Gems Hotel, Antipolo. I say "reluctantly" because I had been inactive in coordinating the movement for over a year. I admit that I lost momentum when I handled a gruelling tour conference for my company early last year. But the Lord was true to His Word in Romans 8:28. All things (including our shortcomings) work together for good to those who love Him...

Inspite of my decision to bow out of the PM3 National Facilitation Team at that significant gathering, I knew God wasn't through with me yet. I met Roselle (did I get your name spelled right, dear?) and Julius of 180 Degrees--the two people who replaced our hardworking and dependable core group member now OFW tentmaker Eman! Frankly, I was so encouraged to see much younger faces among the participants because I believe the youth ought to earn a voice and strain an ear in history-making consultations like the PM3. (Na-nosebleed ba kayo, R & J? Masanay na kayo. Ganyan talaga kapag ang balitaktakan ay tipong God-sized in scope) I wasn't surprised either that the PM3 goal by 2020 is now 1M deployed Pinoy global field workers. [I don't doubt God's ability to bring that to reality. I just don't know if we could keep track! But, I leave that to our adult leaders to work out.]

My immediate concern now is reviving the movement by recruiting a core team (upon the strong prodding of the new PMA National Director Dr. Rey Taniajura) that can meet with the core team of the PCEC-Youth Commission. After all, the NYMC (National Youth Missions Congress) was started by PCEC National Director Bishop Ef Tendero and Ptr Rey Corpuz, the PMA National Director at the time. It's time to join forces.

After an initial chat with Ptrs Ronnie, Ronald and Efren of the PCEC-YC about two weeks ago, I attended their regular breakfast fellowship at Starbucks, Podium this morning. For some reason, I turned out to be the only woman in the group of 18 young (and not-so-young) men that gathered. I hadn't socialized with that many (male) youth ministers for a long while. Some came all the way from Pampanga, Laguna and Cavite, which included Ptr Roman Guevarra of Rise Up Philippines (recently arrived from a concert-seminar tour in the Middle East). Ptr Joseph Bonifacio from VCF (aka Every Nation) also came but left before the meeting winded down to sharing ministries one by one.

I took the cue to share about NYMM when Ptr Ronnie mentioned the need to coordinate major events among youth ministries so that we wouldn't compete for churches' attention where to send their young people. I shared that the last NYMC was back in 2006 (Bacolod) and I broke the 2-year interval "tradition" of organizing the next NYMC. We didn't have an NYMC last year (2008) [which was providential because the global recession hit us that year]. The "extra" year actually made me reflect more on my role in the movement and how to proceed when the right time comes. If ever an NYMC is organized in the future, I would prefer that much effort were put into bonding with other youth ministry networks who would lend a lot of support to the movement before, during and after the event. There's so much that can be done when the various parts of the Body of Christ (in youth ministry) work together and not compete with each other.

Talk is cheap, so I'm holding myself accountable to you by committing to update you on the next steps God leads me to make. And THE next step I'm making (and this is what Ptr Ronnie & co. has advised me to do) is recruiting a new core team that will represent the movement (the missions perspective) in youth network consultations and serve as the team to contact when groups and churches need training or help in missions. Dr. Rey Taniajura has pledged support to this team as part of PMA's mobilization efforts. It sounds not unlike the support K Bob Lopez extended to me when he was PMA National Director. [Eeek! Here we go again!]

My good friend, Derek Ross of True Love Waits, already shared with me the idea of sending youth leaders to other countries (such as Indonesia) that request for help regarding sexual purity issues, especially the TLW message. That would be a great ministry platform for a cross-cultural worker in student/campus work, don't you think? Someone from the Global Youth Ministry Network (GYMN) also approached me after this morning's meeting to ask how his org can work with us. Their focus is on empowering local youth leaders in Asia. Now, isn't that encouraging?

If you've read this far, I salute you! I'm just making up for the long silence :D

Back to the rush job on my desk,
Joy

Let's Pray for Pakistani Believers

I received this email from a missionaray in Pakistan and I would like to share this to people who are reading this blog.

Greetings in His most precious name. We have one very BAD news for all of us. May be you heard or not about what is happening with the Christians here in Gojara near Lahore. Muslims burned more than 200 Christian’s homes and couple of churches as well. There are more than 10 Christians dead so for in that incident and their families are not taking their dead bodies back until Government does not take action against the people who done this. One of the Muslim’s
organization attacked on Christian Locality and burn their homes and churches and done misbehave with the young girls and other women. The police got failed to control those people to stop them, doing this persecution then Army was called to control these people.

We just finished our Sunday service in which we prayed for the people are persecuted and still under huge danger. We are now going to visit that place which is not far from our place, this is about 35 to 45 minutes drive from our place. Please keep praying for the persecuted people and their families and also for those families who lose their family members in the persecution. I will write you again about what is happening now.

May God bless you richly,
Yours in Him,
Ps. M. P.

10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:10-15

Pray that the believers will be rescued by the Lord from all their persecutions as they continue in what they have learned and become convinced of in Christ Jesus. Pray that they entrust themselves to their faithful Creator who is working all things out for His glory and for their good in the end. Pray that His peace that passes all understanding may keep their hearts and minds quiet and at rest in Christ Jesus, as they fully cast all their cares upon Him, knowing that He cares for them.

8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Pray that the life of Jesus may be revealed in their bodies, as they entrust themselves to Him, knowing that He is the righteous Judge of all the earth. Pray that they overcome evil with good, praying for their enemies and those that persecute them.

9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:9-12

Pray that the believers will truly be peacemakers, that their lives will radiate the presence of the Prince of Peace as they truly find His ability to rejoice and be glad knowing their reward in heaven in great. Pray that they experience the manifest Presence of Jesus in their midst as they wait on Him and trust Him to guide them in all they say and do. Pray He is their shelter and strong tower, a very present help in trouble.

The New and Better Look

Hi Everyone,

I just finished uploading a new template for the site!

I was so busy lately with a lot of things that I seldom go online in Blogger and update some of the blogs' templates. The theme basically is made by a Filipino blogger (or so I think...) and it's way cool as being blue and easy to update and edit from time to time. :)

Before I forget, is anyone interested to be a moderator of the blog? (I think it's also known as a co-author) aside from Ate Joy's access and mine, I'll add you up so you'll have the time of your life to edit the posts and update it with me.

For everyone's information, I am currently looking for pictures from previous NYMM activities we can post online. This way, we have something to share to the world wide web what we have been doing as an organization. Please feel free to email me at vir_antonio@hotmail.com for the links.

I also made a forum for the group and it's located on the upper-right tab after the "home". This can be an avenue to share anything about the group as well as an opportunity for growth and encouragement.

Thanks,
Vir
http://melankoliko.co.nr