Summer Summary 2 – Pressing on through Radio (July 2012)

Our low-power FM Radio 18-watt transmitter and other accessories, including meters for our solar power back-up.

While working on the camps during the summer, another area of ministry that kept us busy was our ongoing radio ministry.

By God’s grace this ministry has continued to expand and improve and is now proving to be reaching a lot more households on our island than we originally thought.

Radio antenna mounted a bit over 70 feet up. Our weather station wind vain and aeromometer can also be seen attached to the bamboo tower.

For over a year now we have been broadcasting for 17 hours per day, hosting 4 daily teaching programs (each repeated once), news twice a day, an evening children’s program, and a ” Verse of the Day” airing each hour.  The Lord has also given some of our youth interns the creativity to produce a number of “spots” — short 30 second – 1 minute “commercials” where we share Bible verses or other important teaching in creative ways.  It’s been a great learning experience for us all.

Hanilyn & Babet editing program “spots.”

As the summer came to a close and the school year began, we took another step of faith to expand the radio ministry further.

Raul and Babet host “Lunchtime, our noon program for students at the local high school.

Challenging our youth interns to really step out, we began a new one-hour program each noontime called “Lunchtime.”  This program is co-DJ’ed by two of our youth interns and is aimed specifically at the high school population during their lunch break.  The program consists of top Christian songs, as well as other songs upon request, jokes, Bible verses explained, trivia, and a daily student tip that I work up to give advice on how to get better grades.

High schoolers playing games during their lunch break at our campsite.

The main focus of the program was to supplement a ministry at our campsite wherein we open the campsite at lunchtime for the students to come up and eat. While they eat, we sit down and get to know them a little, provide games for them to play, and let the radio program play in the background.  Students are given the chance to send greetings to one another over the radio or make song requests.

Campsite lunchtime Bible study

Each Wednesday it all culminates in a lunchtime Bible study which is usually attended by 40-50 students.

“Lunchtime” has proven a much bigger hit than we expected, and we are finding that even adults around the islands are tuning in to listen!

In addition to this, we have also begun a short program called “Karanungan Para sa Buhay” (Wisdom for life) in which I take a Proverb each day and do a short teaching from it.  We play this six times during the course of the day in-between our playlist of songs.  Of course this is in addition to our other four main teaching programs. My primary teaching is called “Parola,” or “Lighthouse,” which is a chapter-by-chapter study now through the book of Acts done in a question/answer format.  I continue as well to do an early morning devotion commentary called, “Simoy ng Pag-asa” or “Breeze of Hope.”

Our Home Weather Station, which helps us monitor and report the weather conditions of our islands.

It’s really a blessing to run the radio ministry. However trying to keep up with all that is quite a challenge. Besides the 4 other programs I have to prepare every day, I have also been recruited to be the radio station’s weather forecaster!

There is no specific or detailed local weather forecasting for our area in the Philippines, and since so much of life here on the islands depends upon the weather, getting accurate forecasts is quite important.  Thus, through a friend who loaned me a book on meteorology, some success in locating some informative websites, the chance to befriend a local weather enthusiast who is always willing to answer questions — and a lot of mistakes at the beginning! — little by little we are by God’s grace improving our accuracy.   In fact, in a couple instances we even shockingly preceded the forecasts aired on the main Manila TV stations by 1-3 days.  That was fun!

Besides being an encouragement to the brethren on the islands, we have found that the radio ministry seems also be opening more doors for sharing the gospel.  In our recent door-to-door visitation around San Miguel, we found a surprising number of people who listen to the station, and as a result it seem to be giving us a greater acceptance by the people than we used to experience. Not everyone we share with prays to receive Christ right away, but nearly everyone is willing to listen with interest when we share.  This is quite different than before.

Preparing the weather forecast using NOAA satellite photos along with our weather station data. What a challenge!

We really praise the Lord for the amazing tool of radio and for the guys in the US, who through prayers, support, technical advice, and donations of equipment have helped us so much in getting this going and keeping it running up to now.

So, please keep praying for Island Breeze Radio!  We need all the prayer we can get, for though it is a great ministry, it is also a very demanding in that it carries unending deadlines, requires constant monitoring, and consumes hours and hours of time putting programs together each day.  Yet by God’s grace we press on, believing that He granted us this ministry for a reason, and we want to be the very best stewards possible.

The Summer Summary (June 2012)

  

What a summer this was!!!

One of our motorized pump-boats heading across Tabaco Bay as a summer thunderstorm approaches.

Unlike the US summer that runs from June to August, the Philippine Summer runs two months earlier, from April – May. And what a summer this was!  Besides heat, heat and more heat, it was also filled with one activity after another.  In fact, so densely packed were the activities during those 2-plus months that few other things — including blog updates — had any chance of finding room in the schedule!

And yet in all the busyness of the Philippine Summer, it was really an amazing two months.  With youth activities, radio, agriculture, new building projects, and a Venus transit of the sun thrown in to boot, it would be impossible for me to summarize everything that happened in this one blog entry.  But here is the start, and I will continue over the next few weeks to keep adding bit by bit to the summary – hopefully before too many new things start happening!.

Here goes….

The front of our campsite, where a lot of the action happened this summer. Photo taken from across the channel on San Miguel Island.

Camps, Camps, ang More Camps!!!

Without question, one of the best places to start the summary is with one our our main activities during the summer months — camps!  All in all five camps took place at our Cagrarary Island Campsite during the past months. Three of these were our our own and two were led by other groups that also asked to use our facilities (although I spoke also in both).

Replacing campsite kitchen roof. Domingo and Cesar took charge of this problem.

The camping season began with a lot of  construction during the months of January to April.

During this time our construction workers put last touches on our newest guest house, multi-purpose conference center (not quite finished), landscaping, steps down to the boat dock, kitchen and small meeting cottage.

They also redesigned the interior of our old chapel/ministry center to become an office space, small group training room, and storage room for our agriculture and handmade greeting card supplies.

Campsite conference center. Just a few things inside that need to be finished, but fully functional. (Our radio room is in the room on the roof.)

The anahaw-leaf roof was replaced on our campsite kitchen, a new non-leak skylight designed and constructed on the conference-center roof, and our pathway railing painted as well.

Youth attacking the campsite cleanup.

To finish out the work, for two weeks the church youth attacked the campsite as well with rags, brooms, brushes and paint to do tidying up, cleaning of windows and walls, and repainting of the basketball court and galvanized roofs, and basically turn the camp from a construction project into a real center for ministry.

Edwin and “Hodlem” Joven attacking the stage wall on our basketball court.

What a huge blessing they were, and the campsite in the process truly got a facelift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really thank Jonathan and Sherell Volante as well for their amazing coordination of 40 youth on a multitude of simultaneous projects.  Jonathan and Sherell are longtime staff with me here at the campsite.

After the clean-up the camps started.

Kids camp was an explosion of fun from start to finish for the kids. And when they are having so much fun, it’s so easy to share Jesus!

First was our Kid’s Camp. Fifty-nine elementary kids full of energy descended upon our camp for 3 days, and what a joy they were to have around. What made this camp a little different than past camps, however, was that six of the kids came from a Tabaco City Church.

Good food too! Each family was asked to cover $1.20 of the 3-day camp costs, while the ministry covered the rest.

It was our first partnership with a nearby church in a summer camp, and it worked very well. During the Kids’ Camp the kids learned about the out-of-doors and the lessons it taught about God. They learned about being a good steward of God’s creation but most of all about the importance of a personal relationship with the Creator.

I had the chance to teach them about different cloud types and a bit about the hydrological cycle and spiritual lessons as well from that.

Teaching at Youth Camp. The head in the front belongs to Anthony Solis who was running the projector.

Our Youth Camp followed soon after that. This was our largest youth camp in many years, with 55 total campers, 41 from our churches and the others from outside.

Hoisted between two trees – one step in the “Adventure Island” obstacle course at the youth camp.

The theme of the camp was “Moving On In God’s Plan – the Greatest Adventure.” The camp truly was an adventure also. For our last day we were able to locate some caves right there on Cagraray Island, which the youth — and with me leading the pack! — had a great time exploring!

Exploring inside the Mataas Caves. Jonathan and Rowell look on with amazement.

The best part of the camp, however, was listening to the testimonies of how the youth were impacted. One after another of the youth broke down in tears sharing how God had convicted them of various sins in their lives from which they needed to repent, and commit themselves to following God’s path for their lives. It was pretty amazing.

Roda, Cyrene, and Hanilyn. Cyrene accepted Christ during the camp. Hanilyn is continuing as one of our youth interns.

Though most of the youth were Christians a few were not, and we know of two who made decisions to accept Christ. Please pray for Cyrene. She is the daughter of our former foreman in our campsite project, and her decision to allow Jesus to rule her life has been very badly received by her mother, and Cyrene continues to struggle with this. Thanks.

Kuya Al Velasco making a point during the 2012 Family Camp

Our final camp this summer was our Family Camp.  Held the first week of June, the camp featured Al and Dely Velasco, two board members of Faith in Action and long time friends, who came down from Manila to pour out their hearts to the people concerning how to build strong Christ-centered families.

Dely Velasco sharing her experiences as a wife and mother at our Santicon Campsite Family Camp.

The people here truly love this couple and never get tired of their visits. This love was evidenced by the fact that, despite a typhoon passing by at the time, which brought torrential rains most of the days they were here, over 70 adults and 30 kids still made the trek through the rain and sometimes mud and high waves in order to attend the two-day fellowship.

God is good, and I truly thank Him for the chance to run these camps. Camps are a lot of work to coordinate and implement, but at the end of each one there is always so much evidence that God has done a lot more work than us.

NEXT WEEK I will continue this update.  Please stay tuned in! 🙂

Pressing On In My Absence (November 2011)

Getting cooled off in the US during furlough

September – December are my furlough months – months of visiting friends and family, sharing in churches, rounding up materials for the ministries in the Philippines, and trying in-between it all to get a little rest (sometimes with moderate success only on the rest part!)

 

It’s also been a time for a few new old experiences, like wearing boots in the snow and sleeping with layers of blankets (both unheard of activities in the Philippines!)  During my months in the US, my furlough is taking me to six states, and so is a bit of a whirlwind of travel as well!

Churches left behind on the island (our last joint fellowship before I left)

 

However, while I am here in the US, the ministry in the Philippines presses on, and I am encouraged by the reports that are filtering in.

Rudy Bueno sharing

While I am gone there all of the ministries are continuing at full blast.  Rudy Bueno and Leo Bolante are heading up the three churches  on our two islands of San Miguel and Cagraray.  At last report all of the services are going well, and even new visitors are showing up.

Youth share a tract with one of the San Miguel Island men

All churches have also engaged upon a project to reach with the gospel every home on San Miguel and the three communities where we ministry on Cagraray while I am in the US.  They are doing this primarily with tract distributions as well as personal sharing the gospel to those who are interested.

 

It’s a big task to reach 10,000 people over 3 months, when the only transportation around the islands is walking, but they seem to be wholehearted about the task.  Meanwhile we are using the radio ministry to help follow-up those contacts who are interested in learning more.

Watching a film as part of the youth outreach, "A Journey Home."

 

Youth ministry is being headed by Jonathan and Sherell Volante as well as Emmylou Hallig, a friend who is working with Tiwala Ministries in Legaspi City, but who also gives her time each weekend to assist with the Sunday youth group in one of the churches.

 

 

On November 1 the youth held an outreach fellowship called “A Journey Home,” which drew 65 youth from the islands, almost half of them youth who had never heard the gospel.  The youth have also been very active in outreach in other ways around the islands in my absence.

Our latest campsite project - a guest house to hold 36 campers. Now workers are focusing on smaller "finishing" projects.

Campsite construction continues under the guidance of Jonathan Volante and in late November the campsite was used by two outside groups. We hare hoping that by next year, when we finally start to make it known to outside groups that we have a campsite, use from other churches will increase.  At present we have beds for 90 campers and floorspace for a lot more! God has been amazing in the way He has provided for the construction of this campsite!

Bebet on the roof tending the Pechay harvest - part of our agricultural test project.

Moms making handmade cards as part of our livelihood initiative.

Agri and livelihood development also presses on.  Not only is planting continuing on both San Miguel and Cagararay, but Christmas card sales this year, estimated to hit near 2000 cards, have kept six people on the islands fully employed for the last two months. This has been a huge help financially to five families as well as a boost to helping support other ministries on the islands.

And finally the radio ministry continues strong, with Hanilyn Boneo, one  of our youth interns continuing to DJ as well as oversee programming, backed up by a group of others.  From the US I continue daily to record and send my programming to the Philippines as well.

 

It’s a great thing to watch the local leaders and Christians pick up the mantel in my absence.  Since the day that I set foot on San Miguel Island some 15 years ago, the clear goal from the Lord was always to see the ministry eventually turned over to local leaders, and this period of my absence is a test to see how close we may be to seeing that goal realized.  So far the results are hopeful.

 

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for this ministry and for God’s work on the islands.  You play a big role in seeing His Kingdom come a little bit more to a group of people desperately in need of the hope that only Jesus can bring!

Camps Away! (June 2011)

Rachel Mae & Cyrene - two of the cuties who joined the island Kids' Camp this year at our Santicon campsite

Well, the summer is over, but in our minds live the memories of one more year of camps at our Santicon campsite.  I remember when we first started on the islands and when we wanted to hold our camps, we had to settle for tiny one-room beat-up beach cottages at pseudo resort areas along the mainland coast.  At night we would go to bed listening to drunken neighbors lullaby us to sleep with their blasting karaoke sing-a-longs until 2 in the morning!  Clearly it was not the best atmosphere for helping the island youth focus on the Lord and get their lives right with Him!

Our campsite conference / all-purpose center (our largest project) and main building now for all camps.

It is for this reason that I so often thank the Lord for the campsite that He, through the help so many people and churches, has allowed us to construct in Santicon, Cagraray Island.  After a decade of construction, God has amazingly helped us transform a hillside sloped jungle into a very functional center for group activities.  In addition to serving as a place for camps, though, the facility also now functions as our mission base for the two islands.  Every time I think back to what the place looked like when we arrived, I can’t help but worship the Lord afresh for His faithfulness.

 This summer the campsite got a good workout.  Besides two church family days (Valentines and Easter) earlier in the year, as well as the monthly joint services for the churches here, in May we were able to host two camps – one for our elementary-aged kids and one for our youth.

KIDS’ CAMP

Nene demonstrating a project to the kids

Kids singing at our 2011 Kids Camp

The Kid’s camp, held at the beginning of May came only days after we were hit by Typhoon Bebeng.  The campsite was littered with debris as a result of the typhoon, and we were out of power for almost one week, but with the help of our army of youth, the place was cleaned up in just a couple days to accommodate 63 kids from our church, and power was restored on the 2^nd day of the camp.

Chow time!

Kids learning some dance steps 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The theme of the camp was “The Armor of God,”  and the camp focused on helping the kids learn how to win over temptation, live a life of faith in Jesus, stand in God’s Word, and live in obedience .  Of course it was also full of games, projects, songs, and other fun activities for the kids.

Sharing at Kids Camp graduation

Kids listening during graduation

On the last day of the camp we held a graduation in which parents were invited to attend. Not only did this give them a chance to affirm their children in following the Lord, but also gave us the chance to share God’s Word with them as well.  This year I

Some of the campers performing at the graduation ceremonies

encouraged the parents to believe that the Lord could do amazing things through their children, if they simple released them to the Lord.  Lives of children like Samuel, David, and the boy who gave the bread and fish to Jesus were three examples of children in the Bible released to God, and who became parts of amazing miracles as a result.  God loves to use the weak things of the world to shame the wise.  It’s good if we who are “wise and strong” understand that enough to let Him do it!

 

 

YOUTH CAMP

Camp staff this year -- Gladys, John, Me, Than, Rowell, Shie, and Emmylou (a great team to run with!)

Just four days after the Kids’ Camp, we blasted off with the Youth Camp. This was our fifth youth camp to hold at our campsite (though others preceded this in other places), and it was clearly blessed by the Lord.

Rowell teaching an outside session on disciplining oneself for the race

John teaching on the obstacles of a good race

 

 

 

 

 

All in all 36 youth attended, many of them for the first time. This was a big encouragement to us, since we lost a lot of our youth last year due to schooling or work off of the islands, and so this group represented a replenishing of our youth ministry.

Going all out in the eating contest!

Focused on Hebrews 12:1-2 and titled, “Running the Race . . . To Win,”  this camp focused on the fact that each one of us has been given a race to run by the Lord, and it is critical that we understand what that race is, focus our hearts on the Lord and His plan, and run that race with all of our might all the way to the end.

The Blindfold Boat race - one of the unique - and rather hilarious - races in our camp Island Olympics

Besides eight teaching sessions and one workshop, there were also a lot of activities, plus one fieldtrip to Legazpi City (many of the youth never get much of a chance to get off the islands, and so we always include a trip).

Our last session in Legazpi -- running the race to bring people to Christ

 

 

 

 

During the camp we also emphasized small group discussions.  This gave that the campers a chance to openly express what God was doing in their own lives and encourage them to support one another.  A bonfire on the last night concluded the camp, at which time the youth were given the chance to share how God had changed their lives during the week.

Last night sharing around the campfire - what better way to end a camp?

It was a great experience, not only to see the youth further encouraged to run for Jesus, but also to be personally encouraged in the race that God has set before me here on the islands.  I realized that a race is never meant to be easy.  It is, after all, a race, and a race requires energy, stamina, and perseverance.  Thus, it shouldn’t surprise me that the work that God has set before me here on the islands also requires good daily doses of all three of those ingredients!  Yet, since it is a race God has set before me, I can also trust Him to be faithful to supply all that I need to run it well.

Campsite Continues (March 2010)

March 2010

God is amazing as He continues to show His hand on the development of our Santicon campsite, both in the groups He

Nearly completed conference center

brings to use it and in the supply to complete it.

Lord willing there will be at least four camps within the next three months, the first being a group of 200 kids from Compassion Internation, and the others from our churches. Just in time, through a couple unexpected gifts at the beginning of the year, we have been able to commence on the

Walls going up for first of hopefully two guest houses

finishing touches of our main conference center and well as groundbreaking on development of the land just recently annexed to our campsite (which we hope will be the last of our major projects – though there is always more that could be done of course!)

Carding working on a rock wall in preparation to terrace the new land

…The main projects on this new land involve, Lord willing, two guest houses for campers, one community restroom, a garden area, and an open recreational area. It is exciting to see the projects hopefully coming near completion!

Camp in Santicon, and Open Doors at Bicol University

December 2009

Campers in our new 95%-completed campsite ministry center

In October we were privileged to loan our campsite to the Bicol region Campus Crusade for Christ group for their annual  5-day leadership camp.  Attended by 40 university students, the camp gave us a chance to put into use our latest additions to the campsite, all which worked well.  It was really a joy to see the months and years of construction bear fruit again not only for our churches but now in a small way to the whole Bicol region!

P.J. sharing to one of the Santicon high school classes

Besides just using our campsite, however, the group networked with us in other ways.  First, God allowed us to get them into the local highschool, where they were able to do classroom teaching on how to get better grades followed by an evangelistic presentation.  I was able to contribute too, sharing sharing twice to the delegates, many who were engineering students and so could easily relate to my testimony of following Christ

Sharing the gospel with students on school grounds after formal class teaching

in college.  After this the contact with Campus Crusade led to an additional opportunity for me to share with about 150 engineering students at Bicol University in Daraga (next to Legaspi City about 1 hours south of Tabaco).

Posing with campers after the camp

This recent invitation is somewhat significant to me.  For many years I have felt a burden to see a church planted near the university that could reach out to students with systematic teaching of the Scriptures.  However, because God’s call for me has been these islands, I could not entertain any such burden at the time.  However, after starting to pray I watched as God brought two good friends from Manila to Legaspi, one of whom is actually working now as a professor at BU!  Both of these friends also have  strong burdens to reach out to university students.  Then, at the very time the churches here on the islands are being turned over bit by bit to the local leaders, I begin to get invitations to speak to university students, some of whom are now texting me regularly for advice.

     Is it a leading from the Lord?  I don’t really know.   Now both Irosin and Daraga stand as potentials for extending our work past San Miguel.  Yet there is still enough to do on these islands to keep me busy maybe for the rest of my life!  So, I will just continue to wait on the Lord.

Santicon Campsite On the Move Again!

July 20, 2009 

Campsite workers in front of latest conference/multi-purpose building

Since May when all the camps and summer activities began, our campsite construction project has been temporarily on hold.  However, at last by God’s grace we have been able to start it up again in late July and continue to press on with the vision of seeing a campsite/training center developed that can be of use not only to our three churches on the islands but to others from the mainland.

Conference/Multi-purpose building – almost finished!

God continues to confirm this vision in the way He has so amazingly provided over the years for a project we could hardly have imagined when we started.  One recent blessing is that by His grace a couple months ago we were able to finally secure about 1 acre of land on the side of our present campsite, so that we will have room for expansion.  The papers are still not totally in order, but we decided to go for the purchase anyway while the owner was still open to selling.  (He almost changed his mind, but after 2 months of prayers he decided to sell again).  God has also brought us some skilled workers to continue the present projects.

See the hole? That’s what those little people at the bottom have to try to close before the wall-eating typhoon season starts again!

During August and into September our main focus is finishing up the conference center at the top of the campsite, putting in a rock ocean wall to protect our land from collapsing into the sea, as it does on a shockingly regular basis, as well as planning for the development of the annexed land.

In future months, as God wills, we hope to develop the annexed land, putting in a couple cottages for sleeping quarters for campers as well a clear it up as a recreation area.

Morning devotion with workers

Of course one of the main objectives of the campsite project is not just to build a campsite but to build into the spiritual lives of the workers. To this end we hold devotions each morning for the workers, covering one book study (Mark) each week, a discipleship study, and several topical devotions.

Thanks so much for your prayers for this, and please fell free to visit us anytime to see it for yourselves!