LACK OF COOKING SKILLS FOR SOME WOMEN

Food and eating together is a huge part of the Filipino culture and it’s no surprise that preparing dishes played a big role in our community’s fellowship meetings. Those who are regulars at our weekly gatherings take turns in preparing the meals that we eat together.
When it was my turn to do the cooking, some of the women expressed their desire to gain more culinary skills. They wanted to be more creative in the kitchen and learn more recipes so that they can prepare better dishes for their respective families—especially during special events. So we came up with a plan to hold occasional cooking demos and invite resource persons in the area of culinary arts. As a start, we tried a few recipes with sayote and made kimchi. The women were delighted and many of them tried the recipes on their own right away.

CHILDREN’S SUMMER TUTORIALS AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The community in Barangay Holy Ghost, we conducted tutorial classes among children from 4 – 14 years old. With the help of the Friends of Jesus Ministry we were able to obtain instructional materials and school supplies to teach children about the basics—reading, writing, numbers, shapes, and color. Moreover, from the same instructional materials, we also taught the children lessons from the Bible.
We had two volunteers named Crisanta and Mary May who had been faithful in teaching the children. We ended the tutorial program with the talk entitled ‘How to Get Better Grades’ led by Dr. Tess and me.
We also had submitted to The Child of Jesus Ministry Philippines application for scholarships of 26 students from the four communities: 11 elementary, 11 high school and 4 college students. I have been informed through a call that our application is being considered for approval

NLTP PARTICIPANTS WENT TO GOLD RIVER COMMUNITY

Some staff of the Philippine Navigators and 40 participants of the National Leadership Training from universities all over the Philippines came to serve the people in Sitio Gold River, Itogon. Together with the community volunteers from Ongpin Farm, they worked in clearing the grass and in cleaning the barangay road.

A group of men hauled stones and gravels to patch up some holes along the road. Some students were assigned to help prepare the meals along with some of the community people, while others swept the road.

After the work, we gathered for a short fellowship that included having meals, testimonies, and observing how to make liquid dishwashing soap. Some students were very happy to have a firsthand knowledge on how to do it. The students also toured around to see the unique beauty of the place. We all enjoyed our time together. One of the staff told me that their group will come again and help with the cleaning. What a promise, Thank God!!!

Livelihood Projects in FOUR COMMUNITIES

Four of the communities that I’m currently involved with are identified as belonging to the low-income bracket. Most of the adult members of the four communities were scavengers, carpenters, laundry women, farmers, vegetable vendors and full-time housewives. Thus, we devised programs and livelihood projects to address their financial issues. Some of the activities were:
1) Savings Program to save up for the production and/or distribution of:
2) Dishwashing Liquid,
3) Clorox,
4) Powdered Soap, and
5)Kimchi.
This far, we have collected Php2,900 from each community as start-up capital with these projects.
We have submitted a feasibility study report and a livelihood project proposal on micro-finance to CHAI that can be used as part of the capital to give a boost to their current livelihood activities such as selling vegetables, dishwashing liquids, Clorox, powder soap, barbecue, fish-ball, kimchi and the like. This capital outlay to bolster small businesses will benefit at least 50 families from four communities.
We have also tendered a feasibility study for the expansion of our mushroom production which was pioneered by a very active family in Itogon. This project will serve as a showcase to the community and the neighboring villages. They have started with 2000 fruiting bags and we have seen the potential of this project as a source of additional income for most families who will engage in mushroom production later on. There’s huge demand of mushroom in the market, but the supply is lacking. It sells at P160.00/kilo. With 2,000 fruiting bags alone the families in the communities have harvested at least 15 kilos and it is sold at at least P100/kilo. For at least 3 – 4 months they were able to earn at least P1, 500 per day.
With this potential revenue, we have decided to expand this project. They not only earn by selling fresh mushrooms but also by distributing of fruiting bags at P30-35 per bag to the people in the community and neighboring villages. The project also has a potential for generating short-term employment later for the people who would take charge of the bagging. Moreover, people in the communities have already helped their neighbors with the services they have extended to this project possible. We are hoping that through the partnership with CHAI or other lending institutions, we can get a larger portion of the capital for the expansion of the project.

BIBLE DISTRIBUTION

I mentioned our communities’ need for Bibles to a friend who is working with World Vision. She then introduced me to her friend who used to work with Friends of Jesus Ministry. They responded to my request an now, almost every member of the Baguio Youth Group have Bibles in translations suited to the area’s linguistic characteristics. We have distributed at least 50 Bibles with different versions so that these days everyone is able to participate in our community Bible discussions.

DENTAL MISSIONS

Jackie and her team spearheaded a dental mission hosted by the Gold River community. Many people from neighboring Sitio Bacong came and were very grateful for the service extended to them. The team came not only to provide dental services but also to share food for all of us to share. A parent named Rosa from Sitio Bacong, who is a friend of Manang Sabina—an active member of the Gold River community, has invited me to start a small community in Sitio Bacong. We are thankful to God for the opportunity to serve not only people in the communities we belong to but also people in the neighboring areas.

GENDER CONFUSION SEMINARS

I felt the burden to reach out to students in Baguio City who display a kind of behavioral confusion. Last February, I was able to convince the PTA President of Baguio City National High School (BCNHS), Dr. Placido Abuan to organize a seminar on Gender Confusion among the students, parents and school guidance counselors of the high school. In coordination with His Servants Ministry, we conducted similar seminars on gender confusion at BCNHS, Barangay Honeymoon, Barangay Holy Ghost, Baguio Youth Group, and Tania’s group in La Trinidad. The seminar was given to address the needs of families with gender-confused members or potentially gender-confused children and to prevent further cases of gender-confusion and homosexuality.
In BCNHS, many selected students and student leaders attended the seminar. The students were very thankful that through the seminar, they became aware that homosexual behavior begins at home and that calling their classmates names such as “bakla” or “bading” will not help. Several students showed much interest of the topic and asked many questions. Some of the students were identified to have gender behavioral problems but were still in denial and even made jokes about gender confusion problems. A special session was also held for the Student Council and school guidance counselors from the school’s various annexes. The school provided us with meals and snacks, and later, through the PTA President, also gave us a financial gift.
We organized the same seminar in Barangay Honeymoon attended by barangay council members and some families. One of the Councilman, Rolando, who resides near the house I rented, showed much concern for his son who has been exhibiting some gender-confused behavior. Rolando is trying to find out how to help his son.
In Barangay Holy Ghost, the same seminar was attended by many members of our community who are parents as well as their children. The teachers, counselors and parents who have attended the seminars told me that they want another follow-up sessions on gender-confusion so that they will be better equip them to handle students with related problems and to educate the parents. Moreover, children in the community who used to be called names now feel safer because their friends who attended the seminars will no longer subject them to name-calling anymore.

EVANGELISTIC MEETINGS FOR BAGUIO YOUTHS CONTINUED

During summer, we usually conduct youth camps. But this time, due to abnormal summer weather, we opted to have evangelistic meeting for Baguio Youths. Jason, who was the eldest son of Johnson, gathered his barkadas and invited them to come to the house for our meeting with another Navigators staff, Ike Enriquez. As a result, they all prayed to accept Christ and all of them were present also during the Bible distribution.

A new community flows from powdered milk and rice

(SBC in Purok 4, barangay Holy Ghost)

When I took my owner-type jeep to the auto-mechanic shop for a maintenance job, my vehicle was not the only thing that got a tune-up. My ride was being worked on by the men when the owner of the shop and I got into a conversation. He and his wife who happen to be Christians started asking me questions about what occupies my time. I told them about my ministry work. The couple showed much interest in what I am doing for communities and, right then and there, they donated one sack of rice.

I divided the rice into plastic containers and distributed it to the people of Barangay Bengao, Sitio Gold River, Itogon, Barangay Holy Ghost and La Trinidad capitol site. On top of this, another donor from Manila provided three boxes of branded powdered milk for the people in these areas.

Because of news about the food distribution, I was able to meet a group of scavengers on Tuesday nights, which is the scheduled day for garbage collection in our area. I have learned that they were all ‘Igorots’—migrants from the Mountain Province. One of them, Mary, was abandoned by her husband and has their three kids to support by herself. So the day after the initial food distribution, seven of them came to my place to collect rice and powdered milk. We agreed that I would visit them in their homes and check on their situations from time to time. When I got to their place for the first visit, those whom I originally intended to meet were able to convince others to join in our meeting. Since then, we decided to have a community meeting every Saturday afternoon.

Please pray that the hearts of the people in this new community will genuinely hunger for the living Word of God and see their need for salvation. Pray that God will provide more opportunities for livelihood and provide capital for small business ventures. Pray also for God to sustain the group despite their difficult situation and will be faithful in attending our Bible discussions.

The scam that led to the Truth: the formation of the SBC in La Trinidad

Recently, some of us in the community became preys of a business scam. I met some people from La Trinidad who were also duped into the scam and I made a call for group prayers and encouragement. These prayer meetings went on until I was able to establish friendships with the attendees. Auntie Lulu, an elementary school teacher, invited me to come to her place and introduced me to her family. These visits went on until we felt led to meet often and came to a decision to come together regularly in prayer and studying the Word of God.

Auntie Lulu became bold in sharing her newfound faith to her co-teachers who were business scam victims like her. But they ostracized her because they still resented the fact that they have not yet recovered their investments. But this didn’t stop Auntie Lulu from continuing to tell others about her joy in the Lord and her being strengthened by what she derives from attending our Bible discussions. Auntie Lulu and the rest of her family are now actively participating in our weekly group meetings, which Tania and Tess have also joined.

Please pray that every member will grow in the grace and in the knowledge of God. Pray that we could recover the investments. Pray also that God will raise an SBC leader among the members of this community. Pray that God will protect them from the evil one and that God’s Word will transform their heart’s and minds.

From the bottle to the Bible: Channeling the flow of bitter beers to streams of repentant tears

SBC in Bengao)
Johnson is married and has four children with his wife. He was 36 years old when I first met him, when he used to come home late from drinking sprees. I remember always finding him drunk every time I visited his family. In one of my visits, he was in excruciating pain and his wife told me that Johnson has been in severe pain and has been vomiting for several days already. I saw that he needed medical attention and I convinced him to have his condition checked at the Baguio General Hospital. At the hospital, it was found that his blood pressure has skyrocketed way above the normal level. I realized then that had I not came to visit the family that day, Johnson might have suffered a stroke and would not have overcome the possible consequence of paralysis.

After Johnson had sufficient time to recover, I challenged him to join his family in our weekly small group meetings. His children happen to show a lot of enthusiasm in our discussions and they sing with angelic voices. One time, in the midst of a discussion and while we sang Josh Groban’s ‘He Raise Me Up’, Johnson unexpectedly burst into tears. It was that time when he came to realize that he was really blessed to be alive and well in spite of his former vices and all because of God’s intervention. These days Johnson reads the Bible, memorizes Scriptures, and initiates prayers and short Bible discussions with his children. The temptation to go back to the bottle was strong, but he didn’t give up on meeting with the rest of the community every week. In fact, he was able to join our SBC Conference held at Philrice, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija and has been encouraged lately to join the SBC leadership training with me. The community continues to meet in Johnson’s house on Saturday afternoons.

This family of new believers is still vulnerable to persecution from neighbors and friends because of their new-found faith in Christ. But it remains a privilege to see Christ at work in the hearts and souls of his followers. Please pray for the protection of this young follower of Christ and his family. Pray for God to sustain Johnson’s family through his work as a carpenter and provide other opportunities for income.

Our First Medical and Dental Mission in Itogon

Dear Friends,

It was a joy to see all the members of our Christian community team up to serve the people of Barangay Loakan, Itogon, Benguet during our January 23 mission trip.

It was interesting to note the way the team members' different gifts became evident as the team planned and prepared for the trip. Tess, Angel and Tania were good at planning, Maricar at cooking, Jackie at serving, Eric at photography, and Jenny at facilitating. Others were good at tapping resources. The Lord supplied our needs such that we were able, not only to provide medical and dental services, but also to distribute used clothes, toys, bags and shoes.

Our serving the people opened wide a door for the gospel. After the health services and a meal together with the families we served, we showed the "Jesus" film, beautifully dubbed in the Kankanaey dialect, and Jenny, one of our team members, shared her personal testimony. One of the fathers made a point of telling me how much he appreciated our showing a film in their own language, and how easily he understood it. Virtually everyone actively participated in our discussion of the Gospel, eagerly raising their hands one after the other to share how they understood the evangelistic movie.

"Do come again," they pleaded with us. So we are making plans to return this month to provide training in personal hygiene and dental care, and to follow up on their excitement about the Gospel.

Most exciting for me, however, was the response of the nursing students. Tania brought along with her several of the nursing students from the dorm in which she lives. They told us how much they enjoyed working with us to serve the needy. Our testimonies, in word and deed, did indeed spark their interest in the Gospel. In fact, six of those who volunteered have begun attending the small group Bible discussions Tania leads in their dormitory. And some of them have, in turn, brought friends along. What a thrill for me to see Tania, herself just two years old in the Lord, being used by God to reach out to others. She has been faithful in meeting with our team for spiritual nourishment and guidance, and now she is seeing the Lord use her to make the Gospel known, not only to her dorm mates, but also to her extended family.

I value your partnership in the Gospel. God bless you!

Joyfully serving, for the sake of the Gospel,


Weng

First Youth Camp in Honeymoon Road

Dearest Friends,

I’ve been delighted this summer to see my apartment full of young people who feel free to drop by and to bring friends along—with or without an invitation.

As I talked with Glen, a young man who had invited some of his friends to join him in hanging out at my place, I learned that their summers are boring. They have nowhere to go and nothing to do, said Glen. They do nothing but play computer games all day long, spending a lot of money just to kill time! So they are happy to spend time at my place instead. We play games, eat together, get to know new friends, go for walks, and discuss topics that are of interest to them—“how to spend a balanced summer vacation,” “how to study effectively,” and “how to relate to parents.” One afternoon it occurred to us that we could hold a “Mini-Youth Camp” right there in the Honeymoon Road compound where I live. The young people were excited, and their parents were happy, not only to give them permission to attend, but to partner with us in putting on the camp this past April 21-23, 2006.

Some of their parents donated cash or foodstuffs, and one of them volunteered to help cook for us. Students Diane and Jessica helped me choose a theme (“Nurturing relationships with God and with others”) and identify topics and issues affecting them as young people. Among the topics we decided on: becoming a member of God’s family, relating to parents, forgiveness versus bitterness, and making right choices when it comes to relating as brothers and sisters. We schedule timed too for “getting-to-know-you” activities, and for a film showing and discussion on “The Passion of the Christ.”

the “dorm.” Eric and Jenny Velasquez shared on "relating as brothers and sisters" and my Navstaff colleague Alma Villacarlos spoke on the importance of the Word of God. Jackie served as “chief cook,” while I oversaw the “camp” as a whole and delivered the messages on “how to become a member of God's family” and on “forgiveness versus bitterness.”

Ministering to teens is draining but exciting and challenging as well. These young men and women are hurting and need healing, but they are open…and spiritually hungry. Said Glen’s friend Dan during one of our sharing times, “ I realized that it is wrong to take advantage of girls; I have to respect them.” Another shared with tears that “I have wronged many people and I need to ask their forgiveness.” Glen himself indicated that he had become convinced the Bible reading is vital. And four of the guys and six of the girls indicated that they want to meet with me regularly to discuss the Scriptures.

This ministry to youth has become an opportunity to reach out, not only to teens, but to their parents and extended families. Joel’s grandmother had witnessed one of our youth meetings and was eager to see her grandson attend our camp. At the end of the camp, the young people attending gave flowers to their mothers and thank them for allowing them to join the camp. Diane and Stephanie’s parents were so intrigued that they began sending food to our meetings; their mother even joined our birthday fellowship. Parents text me to tell me that they are glad that their kids are happy and safe with the group. I am hopeful that these new friendships, not only with the youth, but with their parents, will enable me to organize a biblical community among families in the neighborhood before long. Please pray with me to that end!

I am grateful to the Lord who supplies ideas and energy, and to you faithful friends who back me with your prayers and gifts. God bless you!

Weng J. Amper 1 Honeymoon Road, 2600 Baguio City, Philippines Mobile: +63 9154347837 Home: 074 6379548

Email: wengarz@philnavs.org; wengartz@yahoo.com website: philnavs.org/wengamper

Disciplemaking - a Team Effort

”Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. Phil 2:22 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul's description of the way young Timothy became his partner in the gospel reminds me of what God has done in my ministry to young professionals.

I have, for some years, been meeting with Jackie, Maricar, Tess and Tania to encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Now each of these dear friends has--like Paul's protégé, Timothy--become a colaborer,"serving with me in the work of the gospel." It is a joy to see these young women teaming up with me to reach out to their families, friends and colleagues at work.

Tess has been meeting weekly with friends Tina and Delia to discuss a Bible study on "Getting to Know God." "Maricar teamed up with me to reach out to the staff at the South Drive Manor hotel where she worked before she emigrated to join her family in Australia. I have been meeting with those hotel employees, reaping where Maricar sowed and watered." Tania is reaching out her officemates and teaming up with me to minister to her relatives and other young people in Itogon. Many have come to Christ just this year. And Jackie has been encouraged to see her relatives at Cabinet Hill begin meeting on Sunday evenings to discuss "how to study effectively."

Please pray for Jackie, Tess, Maricar, and Tania, and for those they are helping:
1. that they will be rooted in the knowledge of God and bear fruit in every way.
2. that they will know God and love him more.
3. that they will be protected from the evil one and from persecution.
Thank you for serving with me and for your continued support.

Weng


Weng J. Amper ♣ 1 Honeymoon Road, 2600 Baguio City PHILIPPINES ♣
Visit: www.philnavs.org/wengamper ♣ 09154347837