volume 2 issue 4 | december 2014 awana organization...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 2 Issue 4 | December 2014 AWANA Organization Philippines, Inc.
AWANA Philippines wishes to greet you a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!
In the Philippines, Christmas is one ,if not the most ,celebrated occasion. At the start of September one can already hear Christmas songs played on the radio and different establishments. Christmas lights and various decorations are also put-upped as soon as the cal-endar begins the ―-ber‖ months. The celebration of Christmas in the
Philippines ends at around the sixth of January.
As part of Philippine Christmas, Filipinos do various activities such as ―Simbang gabi‖ also known as ―Misa de Gallo‖. It is a nine
day devotional mass observed by the Catholic Church starting from December 16 to 24 observed from 3 am to 5 am. Another tradition that is never missed in the Philippines during Christmas is family gather-ings. Christmas is a time where family come together to celebrate and be reminded of the reason for the season. Usually one of the highlights of family gatherings are the sumptuous food presented around dinner tables. There would be various viands, lechon (roasted pig), and delectable desserts. A popular dessert during the holiday is the ―Puto Bumbong‖. It is traditionally made from a special
variety of heirloom sticky or glutinous rice called Pirurutong which has a distinctly purple color, soaked in salted water and dried overnight and then poured into bumbong or bamboo tubes and then steamed until done or steam rises out of the bamboo tubes. It is served topped with butter or margarine and shredded coconut mixed with sugar.
These traditions hold dear to the heart of every Filipino. Tradi-tions are practiced and held on, but one must never forget the true heart of Christmas — Christ.
Maligayang Pasko!
What’s Inside?
AWANA Philippine’s 30th
Anniversary
2014 Ministry Highlights
Prayer Concerns
The Story of J
AWANA Philippines wishes to greet you aMerry Christmas and Blessed New Year!
A pearl is the product of an irritation which has been
transformed by a creature whose intelligence is too minuscule
to orchestrate such, but who by the grace of God, has been
hardwired to overcome that irritation by covering it with its
own self. Thus the irritation is transformed into a gem like ob-
ject of rare and distinguished beauty. Not a gem dug out of
the earth and requiring the polishing, cutting and shaping of a
skilled artisan, but a work of beauty already exquisite in its per-
fection, coming forth from the heart of a creature whose soul
has known pain in the deepest recesses of its being. It requires
not the embellishment of human hand, for it is the secret work
of grace wrought in hidden and dark places, away from hu-
man eyes forged in a furnace of friction, and covered with
layer after layer of the molluscs’ own inner beauty.
Looking back this was how the Lord worked through
AWANA Philippines. Through trials and testings, through office
transfers and health issues, through financial needs and diffi-
cult challenges. The Lord proved Himself faithful in midst of all
these, thus giving birth to a pearl. Yes, this ministry of reaching
boys and girls and the youth of the land is full of challenge,
but the lives transformed and given HOPE are pearls for dis-
play. The beauty of God’s grace and redemption. From here
on this 30th year PEARL anniversary our hope and prayer is
that the Lord will continue to give us MORE – children and
youth reached and transformed by the gospel of Christ.
Awana Philippines 30th (Pearl) Anniversary
―1 Corinthians 15:57-58 - But thanks be to God, who
gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor
is not in vain in the Lord.‖
To the pastors and club leaders, AWANA Philippines
board, our staff and missionaries, delegation from other
AWANA clubs International and from AWANA HQ in Chica-
go, - to everyone who have helped and sacrificed to make
AWANA Philippines 30th PEARL anniversary a success –
Thank you very much and blessings to each of you !
Awana Philippines 30th (Pearl) Anniversary
2020201114 4 4 MMMiniiniinissstry Htry Htry Hiiighghghllliiiggghtshtshts New churches trained in the AWANA – Leader
Base Curriculum in Palawan, Cebu, Aklan, Com-
postela Valley. We are thankful to the Lord for
the continued growth that He brings to this min-
istry.
Areas hit by the great Typhoon Haiyan
(Nov.2013) were revisited and additional help
were extended. Grateful to each of you who have
extended help in rebuilding the lives, homes and
churches of these affected areas.
The AWANA Philippines being partly featured in
the video production of AWANA Global.
(awana.org/more)
Successful Parenting conferences with Mr. Larry
Fowler in Ikthus Bacolod City and Christ Commis-
sion Fellowship in Manila.
New partnerships with VOICE Philippines, Gen-
eral Baptist Bible College – Davao City, Bible Bap-
tist College of Asia, Grace Christian College. The-
se partnerships will lead to the exponential
growth of this partner ministries and the goals of
AWANA Philippines.
Renewed passion for inactive churches and clubs
in Davao and Leyte. This brings hope of a greater
harvest of children to be reached in these areas.
In the last 10 years AWANA Philippines have
transferred office for the 4th time. We have
moved to a new location this year – thank God
for His provision of this new place.
Additional office staff and ministry workers –
AWANA Philippines is thankful to the Lord that
He has brought passionate individuals who have
the heart to serve Him in this children and youth
ministry.
WorldLead Philippines in partnership with Boca
Raton Community Church, Boca Raton Florida –
was launched this October 2014. Training 50
leaders from strategic locations of the country.
Partnership with Compassion Philippines in doing
a Parenting follow-up seminars at the Christ
Commission Fellowship – Ortigas.
Feeding and gift giving in some of our clubs – Bu-
lacan, Cebu and Manila.
Partnership with a public elementary school.
Possibility of Awana reaching into Thailand and
Cambodia. Consultations with churches and mis-
sion agencies were held last November and De-
cember in Thailand for the possibility of reaching
these countries with less than 1% of the popula-
tion as believers.
Celebration of the 30 years of God’s faithfulness
to Awana Philippines.
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18: 20
That the Lord will continue to cause this ministry to grow. Our 20/20 vi-sion is that we reach 200,000 children and youth by year 2020.We hope to reach 300 new locations for the year 2015, in connection to this we have planned 8 Leader Base Trainings in the different areas so far where we have missionaries.
Please be praying for Meira Lozanes our Western Visayas missionary
who fractured her left leg as she was hit by a motorcycle while doing her ministerial duty.
Healing and recovery as well for Mike Southworth our AWANA Pacific
Rim Director from a knee replacement surgery. We are praying for more missionaries to join this ministry that the other
areas of the Philippines would be reached. We covet your prayers for our 2015 activities – we have planned a na-
tional youth leader summit, children camps, community evangelistic feeding outreaches.
Pray for God’s protection. Spiritual growth of each missionary and staff. Please be praying for the financial needs of AWANA Philippines that the
Lord will raise financial supporters so that we can continue to keep this momentum of growth in the building of God’s kingdom.
The
Sto
ry o
f J
Knowing this boy’s situation, one could ask.
Is there hope for a child whose mother has passed away and whose dad is in prison? What kind of a life would he have living in one of those challenging communities? Will he ever experience being happy with other kids his age? Would he be fed with a decent meal? Where could he find the love of parents of which every child is craving for? Would he ever find the HOPE that Jesus gives? J have experienced being loved, being happy with other kids as one lady brought him to a church with AWANA every Sunday. There he came to know the Lord and have started memorizing verses from the Truth and Training Handbook. J always looks forward to these weekly meet-ings. For how many weeks that J has been coming to church, we never have known the deeper story. How many more J’s are out there whose waiting to be reached and waiting to be loved? Our Heavenly Father takes care of these little ones who seem to have no voice, no hope in this world. It is AWANA Philippines’ prayer and purpose that we reach even children just like J. Please help us by praying for J and all the Filipino children, that one day each child would hear about Christ’s love.
258-F Cortez Building, Sct. Fernandez St., Corner Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City
(02) 376-5688
0928-8531693
AWANA PHILIPPINES For more than 60 years, AWANA has been reaching children and youth around the world for Christ. We are looking for volunteers to be-come AWANA Advocates and help us share the story.
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