Hello

This is to check if this blog is still working.

Warm Welcome

We arrived in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (Elena’s hometown) last April 28 after more than 12 hours of travel by land and sea. We were greeted with warm welcome (including the weather!) by the people in her church. The last time I (Ef) had my vacation in San Jose was in 2006. That was 7 long years ago! The church building is now beautifully furnished. 

It was also a privileged for us to meet Rev. Arsenio Eneigo, former pastor of Bethany Mindoro. He is now a minister in the U.S. but he came in San Jose to officiate a wedding. We are blessed to have this time of reunion with Bethany San Jose family.

Family Retreat

Time for a break from our normal daily activities and withdraw to a beautiful island off the coast of San Jose. Elena’s sister (Glo) planned for this short relaxation last May 9-10. We have fun swimming in clear white sand beach filled with beautiful sea creatures. It was one of the best days of our vacation in San Jose. Ian Carlo enjoyed collecting orange starfish and swimming with his cousins.

Tribal Youth Camp

One of the ministries of Bethany Mindoro (Elena’s homechurch) is reaching the Mangyans, a tribal group living in the highlands. They have already sent some of them in San Jose town to study. This is their strategy in training leaders especially in the ministry. 

Last May 15-17 we had the opportunity to train them in evangelism together with some of the youth from San Jose town. During the three-day camp, campers learned to present the gospel in different ways. One of the ways they liked was the presentation of Biblical events and stories in chronological order. After our short training, the campers went out to share the story with their neighbors. It was a new experience for most of them. To help the campers, we went out with them and provided some coaching. It was a great experience to see the younger generation learn to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission. A church building is under construction in this village.

Children of Bayotbot, San Jose

These are the children of Bayotbot, a farming village in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. Most of the families here are tobacco planters. Last May 25-26 we held a two-day VBS together with Elena’s sister and brother-in-law who is serving as outreach pastor of Bethany Evangelical Mission Church, San Jose. It was attended by more than 50 children. During the two-day VBS, the children learned songs, heard Bible stories, had fun games and singing presentations. The ministry here in Bayotbot is not easy. Many workers came and left without much success. It is our prayer to see a thriving church in this place in the near future.                                                                                               

Graduation Day

March 8, 2013 - PBTS Ground

We praise and thank the Lord that we are finally done with our seminary training. Our graduation day was mixed with overwhelming joy and exhaustion. Masaya pero pagod din at the same time –physical and mental stress. We can both say that it’s all by the grace of God that we made it through. The seminary blessed us with awards (a total of 4 awards) during our graduation day.We are also grateful that some members of the family were able to attend our graduation. Elena’s sister and her family and Ef’s sister from Mindanao joined the celebration. Ptr. Rey and Ate Grace Flores (Elena’s pastor in Mindoro) were also present to attend their daughter’s graduation (Phoebe Flores, BCM). It was a wonderful time – so blessed and happy!   Thank you for all your prayers and support. To God be the glory!

Next step. We will go down to Manila on the last week of March for an extended rest. We are still waiting for Ian Carlo's (Grade 2) Recognition Day on March 20. While in Manila, we will start processing our application for volunteer staff of YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Thailand. Please continue to pray for God’s guidance and provision for our next endeavor. 

Pastor Rey and Grace Flores.

Together with our family.

As We Look Back

Students at the home of former PBTS President.

Happy new year! 

We praise and thank God for the year that has passed. It seems so fast and we are now on our last few months of study. As we look back, the Lord has been so faithful in providing for us. One of the many gifts that we are so grateful last 2012 was our summer internship in Thailand and Myanmar. It was a great privilege for us as a family to travel abroad and serve in various ways. After the internship, we were also given the opportunity to visit churches in Baguio City, La Trinidad, Pangasinan and La Union  for ministry report and promotion. As of December, we have visited more than a dozen of churches. This year, we are looking forward again to what God has prepared for us, especially that we are graduating this March.

 Some of the highlights of 2012

Students bound for Short-Term Missions last  April.

Ministry report and promotion in Baguio City church. 

Faith Community Church's youth camp in Bokod, Benguet.

Teachers seminar in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

Ministry with children at the seminary.

Prayer Request:

1) Please pray for wisdom and God's guidance for the last stretch of our study. Enrollment will be on January 14 and classes will start on the 15th.

2) Please pray that we will be able to complete our requirements, especially Ef's research paper. In addition, our only laptop already shows some problem, probably with its video card. Please help us pray for a new unit.

3) We will serve as teachers/disciplers for Korean students' camp (high school and elementary) on January 7-11.
4) We are praying for ministry opportunity after graduation. Our initial plan is to serve as staff of YWAM Phitsanulok, Thailand in 2014 for their Discipleship Training School. The link below is a short video about YWAM Phitsanulok.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMyR40M-cF4

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Just Finished Second Term

Students from Visayas-Mindanao during the Spiritual Emphasis Week

Thanks God! We just finished another term. We are now in a short rest after 8 weeks of seemingly unending reading and writing. By God's grace we finished all our requirements before deadline :).

Thank you for your prayers!

There were two special events that took place here in the seminary last term. First, the annual Spiritual Emphasis Week held last September 18-21. This year's theme was "God's Servant and His Calling." Rev. Ted Ribo, a pastor of a church in Marikina City helped us a lot to reflect in our calling as servants of God. We were grateful for the time of reflection, teaching and strengthening in our relationship with Him and his direction for us, especially when we graduate this March.

Together with the 8th president of the seminary (4th from left).

The second event was the installation of the new and 9th president of Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary. Students and staff were asked to wear ethnic dress to show diversity of culture in the seminary. It was a colorful and happy inauguration day.  

Prayer Requests:

1. We continue to visit different churches every Sunday for missions report and promotion. Please pray for our team (under PBTS-Asia Vision Short-Term Mission).

2. I (Ef) am leading the Seminary Student Council for this school year. Please pray for God's wisdom.

3. Elena is now in their homechurch in San Jose, Mindoro Occidental for a short ministry until October 14. Pray for a fruitful ministry and safe travel.

In His grip,

Efraem, Elena and Ian Carlo

Only Three Terms Left

Praise God! We just finish first term* of this school year and we are now on a short break. Elena and I are already counting our remaining terms here at the seminary. There are only three terms left and we'll reach our goal of finishing "the race marked out for us!" Again, we would like to thank you for all your prayers and support. You are all our living "cloud of witnesses" that encourage us. Each day we are blessed with strength to run the race with perseverance.

This term was a great ministry opportunity for us to work with PBTS-AVSTM (Asia-Vision Short Term Mission). The Lord has wonderfully blessed us with a team of fellow students with the same passion for missions. In the last two months we have visited 6 churches - doing ministry report, sharing our stories from the field and preaching the word of God. It is our prayer that out of these churches God will raise up missionaries. 

*a TERM is equivalent to 8 weeks of classes. 

Please pray for Filipino churches to send out more laborers into His harvest field (Matthew 9:38).

PBTS Chapel Service

Short-Term Missionaries 2012 singing Grace Alone. 
click picture for bigger size

      
      Last July 10 was a momentous event for students and faculty of the seminary as STM 2012 was officially closed and STM 2013 was inaugurated. Dressed in different Asian costume, we sang our ministry theme song Grace Alone (by Scott Wesley Brown and Jeff Nelson). The song reminds us that it was through His grace that we were able to minister to at least 7 countries in Southeast Asia last April and May. Everyone of us has his/her own memorable experience of His grace while in the field. During the service, five students shared their ministry experience in Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos and Thailand. 
      We ended the chapel service with a challenge for another batch of short-term missionaries next summer. Many said that they were blessed and challenged after hearing our different stories.

with Inae Lee and Dadai Dela Paz (Thailand & Myanmar Team)
click picture for bigger size

      Though most of the time Thailand was our country of ministry, here, we are wearing the traditional dress of Myanmar.

Here is the chorus of the song Grace Alone: Grace alone which God supplies. Strength unknown He will provide. Christ in us, our cornerstone. We will go forth in grace alone.


With much joy and thanksgiving,
Ef and Elena

Back in PBTS, Baguio City

Together with students from Bangladesh
during the PBTS acquaintance party.

We are now back again in seminary life after two months of short-term ministry. First week was a difficult adjustment. It was like our minds were not ready yet to engage in study. Thanks God we are now quite okay. Thanks God also for what had happened in the last four weeks since we arrived here in Baguio City. We were given opportunities to share our report and testimonies about our internship in Thailand and Myanmar. We are now part of a team (PBTS-Asia Vision Short-Term Mission) that visits different churches here in Benguet to give report and share our ministry stories. This is a new and challenging ministry for us because in a way we are mobilizing the churches for missions. Many churches are still yet to be involved in missions and we are glad that our stories can be used by God to a spark that desire on them. 

Prayer Requests:

1) Please pray for our team. We will be in the ministry of missions mobilization for the whole school year of 2012-2013.

2) Please pray for opportunities to conduct missions education in churches especially among pastors and leaders.

3) Please pray for God's guidance each time Ef preaches in churches.

Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers. Kop kun kha/krap (Thank you in Thai).

Ministry in Phitsanulok

Pilgrims all over Thailand come and visit this temple in Phitsanulok.

Phitsanulok is the capital city of Phitsanulok Province located between Bangkok and Chiangmai. It is one of the oldest cities in Thailand founded over 600 years ago. According to our host the population of the city is more or less 1 million people. We stayed in Phitsanulok from May 23-31 in the house of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) staff. Taa (pronounced as Ta), our Thai host introduced as to the city through prayer walk. Four of us including IC, beat the heat of the day as we walked around the city, visiting major religious places. Phitsanulok is noted for the presence of the second most important Buddha image all over Thailand. While inside the temple, we can really feel the spiritual blindness of Thai people - "they need to hear the good news," we cried in our hearts.

This is Taa, he started YWAM's ministry in Phitsanulok among breakdancers and skateborders two years ago. He wants to see a new generation of discipled believers starting new churches in Phitsanulok and the surrounding provinces.





During our stay, Taa involved us in discipleship/mentoring of new believers, home visitation, prayer gatherings, church service and jail ministry.

Jail Ministry

  
< We went out from this jail overwhelmed with joy that God opened a door for us to proclaim the gospel among teenage prisoners.

Prayerwalking in Myanmar

Female monks on the street of Tachileik.

We went back to Myanmar last May 18-20 for visa purposes (just the three of us). We need extra days in Thailand so we have to cross the border and go back again to obtain another 15 days of stay. While in Myanmar, God prompted us to explore the town and pray for the people. So we went to some of the key places of Tachileik, like temples and pagodas. There are two areas that we felt God want us to focus during our prayerwalk. We have to pray for the people - those who are yet to hear the good news and for the Body of Jesus to be the light and salt of this town. As we walked one early morning we were greeted by the sight of young female monks lining up the streets of the town. It was notable and heartbreaking at the same time.

It was also an opportunity to encouraged IC to pray for the children. Even at his age we want to teach him that children need to know and worship God.

                                                                             




This is the Tachileik Shwedagon Pagoda located on top of a hill overlooking the whole town. We went inside the premises and spent time in prayer as our eyes observed how people revere the place.

Stopover in Chiangmai

With Pastor Steve Knudtsen

After our ministry (May 21) in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai we went to Chiangmai for a couple of days of visit with the Knudtsens, Bethany International m's. Steve and Alberta are long time friends and mentors of Elena since youth at Bethany San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

For many years we just communicated through e-mail while they were still in the U.S. but finally we had the opportunity to meet and chat with them. In many ways, the Knudtsens serve as our encouragers, model in the ministry (specially in the area of missions) and partners as well.

With Manang Alberta

They brought us for a day of trip to a beautiful safari in Chiangmai. The place is so nice and relaxing and most of the animals we saw for the first time. We enjoyed feeding the giraffes and touching the deers that just roam around.

We learned in our journey that there are times in our service to God that we go through difficult situations but  there are also times that God would shower us with wonderful gifts such as our stopover in Chiangmai. We never expect of receiving gifts like this one. After our time with the Knudtsens in Chiangmai we cannot helped ourselves but offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for his generous gifts through them.

Out of I.C.'s gladness, he drew pictures of our time in the safari.

A Short Visit at Karen Refugee Camp

On our way to Mae La Camp (click picture for bigger size).

Last April 4, the day after we arrived in Bangkok we traveled to Mae Sot for 10 hours by bus. It was a memorable experience for Ian Carlo because it was his first time to ride a double deck bus. In Mae Sot, we had the opportunity to minister to Karen (Myanmar tribe) believers living in Thailand. We also visited Mae La Camp, a large refugee camp for Karen. "The camp is very wide. I think thousands of people living there. We sang our outreach theme song in one of their high school class. While we were singing the song 'Grace Alone,' I cannot control my tears. It is because by God's grace that we were there singing in front of the refugees - face to face." - journal entry of Elena, April 4, 2012. 

The result of civil war.

We also visited the Karen Handicap Welfare Association which house the victims of the Civil War. Again, we sang the song "Grace Alone" and they also sang to us a Karen Christian song which really moved our hearts. Their physical condition is very sad as a result of war. Most were blind and amputated, either of hands or feet but they were an encouragement to us because despite of their condition they still manage to make handicrafts which they sell to visitors. We left the camp sad about the plight of the refugees but also blessed that Karen Christians are strong in their faith to the Lord. 

Children's Home

This is where we spend most of our two months in Thailand. This is the children's home run by our kababayan M. As of now, they have six boys and six girls from the Wa tribe of Myanmar. The oldest is grade three while the youngest is in kindergarten. Not all of them are orphans, some have parents but are too poor or have already many children to take care. Originally, they came from other children's home. Right now they are enrolled in Thai school. They speak Thai and are learning to write and speak English. 

We would like you to meet them even only in pictures.

English Camp Beyond the Border

Our time at Tachileik, Myanmar is unforgettable. It was our first time to step in Myanmar soil and feel the great need of the place. It is very different from Mae Sai though it is only separated by a river. Economically, it is very low and dependent on Thailand in many things.

We had the opportunity to teach for 5 days in one of the children's home that was attended by almost 50 children and youth. They come from different places and are house in two separate homes. Most of them have families but their families cannot afford to send them to school. That is why they were brought to the homes.

Praise our Father who has not abandoned these precious children and youth in the midst of difficult struggles in life. 

Baptism of MK's

Ef was given the privilege to baptized the three children of our kababayan worker here in Mae Sai. It was a memorable moment for us and for the children who have stayed here in Thailand for six years. The oldest is Jared and is returning to Philippines to pursue college education. Their father assisted me in the baptism which took place in a cool mountainside lake. It was also attended by our other kababayan workers.

The children at the orphanage
were also taught about baptism.

Please pray that they will grow deeper in their relationship with God and pray also for the provision of their studies, especially for Jared.

English Camp at Immanuel Church

This is our second English Camp in another church in Mae Sai. The camp was only three days but was very helpful to the church. We learned that this church has no ministry for the children like Sunday school. After our camp the pastor told Elena that he thinks the church also need teachers for children. We observed that majority of the attenders on a regular Sunday service are old people and very few children and youth. We thank God that through the camp the pastor saw the importance of Christian education for the children and youth.

Ef and the pastor of Immanuel Church.

click the picture for bigger size

Please pray that the leaders and members of this church will seek wisdom from God on how to reach out to the children and youth of the community.

English Camp at Pantamit Mae Sai Church

click the picture for bigger size

This is our first 5-day English Camp at Mae Sai church. It is like the typical Vacation Bible School but the difference is English lessons are incorporated each day. It was attended by both Burmese and Thai children. Elena teach the children while Ef teach the youth. It was quite a bit challenging to teach children that speak little English but with God's help we learned to handle it. Also in the process, we gain insight to their culture and begin to like them for who they are. We know that this is one of the important aspects in cross-cultural ministry. We have to rise above the challenges of ministry and people's culture and learn to love them as God loves them.

We are also grateful for our mini-TESOL training and Christian Education class at the seminary that helped us greatly and most especially for your prayers to us each day.