Dear Friend,

You must be wondering why I’ve been silent the past few months. There are no very good reasons, except that I’ve allowed work and other activities to crowd my schedule. I hope I’ve kept you excited to hear from me.

HOMECOMINGS

Homecoming is the dominant theme of my life the past few months. No, I am not yet coming home to my Creator God and I hope and pray I will not do so sooner. I turned 56 only last September and I think my mission in life is not yet fully accomplished. I still feel strong and healthy.  I have no medical concern except my high cholesterol.  There are still many things I want to do. But of course I do not forget that my life is in God? hand.  He can choose to take me anytime He wants. May I be ready to come home to Him anytime.

High School Alumni Homecoming
After 40 years, I came home to my high school alma mater, Pampanga High School. Together with 23 of my IV-I classmates (7 are balikbayans), we attended the Centennial Grand Alumni Homecoming last February 12. Wearing golden T-shirts with Batch 68 written on it, we proudly joined thousands of alumni from the past 10 decades. William, now a well-accomplished doctor, treated us with overflowing food and drinks at his farm. As expected, we reminisced, talked, ate, and laughed endlessly. I am awed by the closeness and affection I sensed among us, even if some of us have not seen each other for 40 years! It is a joy to see how we have grown in wisdom and character and have succeeded in our respective careers and family life. It is amusing to see how we have changed physically.

Our class published a book, From Our Hearts To Yours: Letters to a Young Student. Sixteen of us wrote letters to the graduating class, sharing our experiences and wisdom gained beyond high school. The book will be given to all the graduating students of Pampanga High School come April. Our class reunion culminated with a 3-day trip to Bohol. I am so happy I decided to join them even if it meant a big slash from my budget. It was worth it!

Dear Heart, Come Home

This is the title of a book by Joyce Rupp which I used as a resource material in facilitating a 3-day Spiritual Retreat for 12 ladies in their midlife. I was the oldest in the group and the only unmarried. At first I was a bit anxious because the group was new to me. Except for one, it was my first time to meet them all. But thank God the group welcomed me warmly. I felt very comfortable with them. I enjoyed their stories, learning a lot from their midlife journey with all its challenges, struggles, grief, joys and triumphs. Joyce Rupp describes the midlife journey as coming home to one? true self. In this retreat, I felt I was well on my way to coming home to my true self as I have come to terms with many realities of my midlife journey as a single person. I don? feel ashamed of my grey hair anymore. I have accepted the fact that I can no longer have my own child. I am more comfortable with my “rounder” body. I am getting used to being addressed Nanay and Mrs. by strangers, Tita by some colleagues, and “Mommy” by my students. Thankfully, no one has yet asked for my senior citizen card! I have embraced gladly the gift of singleness. May I continue to live fully and joyfully as I approach the evening of my life.

Please pray with and for me.

* Thank God for giving me wisdom, strength, and protection in my regional visits and training of staff and volunteers in the Visayas last November and December 2007.
* Praise God for a fruitful and refreshing Staff Conference in early January 2008. Thank Him for providing for our needs.
* Thank God for the committed and hardworking leaders of SVCF (UP Diliman chapter). All of the executive committee members are graduating. Thank  the Lord for sustaining them during these hectic months. Please pray for the right persons to take their place.
* Thank God for keeping safe and healthy  Mamang, Reachie and Elaine (my two nieces) and Maritess and Aimee (our ?asambahay? in Pampanga . Please pray that Aimee will decide to stay longer with us.
* Pray for me as I prepare for the following: New Staff Training on March 5-8; Staff Prayer Retreat on March 18-19; Sessions on Kingdom of God in Kawayan Camp on the second week of April, Sessions on Personhood and Inner Healing in the ISCF Camp on April 23; a 3-day Spiritual Retreat for singles on April 24-26 and a one-week training on Dialogical Approach to Adult Learning in mid May.
* Pray for discernment on staff recruitment and deployment for school year 2008-2009. Pray for us in the IVCF staff team as we work with our new National Director.

I truly appreciate your friendship and partnership. I pray that you may enjoy good health, and all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.?3John 1:2

In His grace,

Elsie

Dear family & friends,

As the year 2008 unfolded we looked upon God as the One who makes all things new. He is the God who brings new hope!
Fond Memories

Our six-month sabbatical leave is over. We thank God for giving us rest and for renewing us during that time. We have fond memories of our time in South Korea and the new friends we made there. We are thankful, too, for the new things we learned while we were there.

Di and Yana with some our Korean friends

Aldwin and the members of the Cornerstone Fellowship Church share their stories during Thanksgiving Sunday

Rejoining IVCF

In our last upate we asked that you pray with us about our future directions. For now, we have decided to stay with InterVarsity.

We joined our fellow staff for our semi-annual Staff Conference last January 6-12. We had a great time reconnecting with our fellow staff especially with our friends working in the regions. We also participated in a training on Dialogical Approach to Adult Learning and Results-based Management. During the conference we also took time to listen to one another as we corporately discern God? leading for us this year. We thank God for the sense of hope and renewal that He instilled in us. There is excitement for the new things unfolding in the movement!

For now our work consists mainly of the summer camps and the National Conference (NC) to be held on December 26-30. Aldwin (together with Jeff) is NC Associate Director for Administration. They have been busy securing a venue for the Conference. It has been a bit difficult to find a venue that fits the requirements of the conference and is also affordable enough for our students and graduates. What makes it more difficult is that by this time most venues are already booked for December. Di (together with Millie) is NC Associate Director for Program. We are concentrating on the preparations for NC because we have less than a year a left.

We are also busy preparing for the summer camps. Di is the expositor for the ISCF-NCR Sibol Camp. She is quite excited about this assignment because Sibol (an evangelistic camp for high schoolers) is her favorite camp! She is energized when retelling the Gospel to students. She enjoys seeing students come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. After Sibol Camp, she and Yana will be joining Aldwin in the month-long Kawayan Camp (KC). (Kawayan Camp is IVCF’s annual national intensive leadership training camp for college students.) Aldwin is Assistant Director for Curriculum in this year’s KC. This year is special because KC is celebrating its golden anniversary.

Seeking God’s direction

Our assignment for next school year is still undecided. IVCF Management Team has asked us to consider a regional assignment and we are still praying over it. Please help us pray about this.

Thank you for your support and prayers. May our God fill your life with the assurance of His love and with the hope of the good things He will do in and through you.

With much love,

Aldwin, Di & Yana

PRAISE & PRAYER

Praise God for His provisions. We thank God for enabling us to purchase an educational plan for Yana.

Praise God for good health. Praise God also for Christian brethren who provide us free medical care like Yana’s pediatrician and Di’s endocrinologist.

Please pray with us and the IVCF Management Team regarding our next assignment. We will be deciding on this by the end of February.

Please pray for us as we prepare for the National Conference. Please pray for wisdom and creativity in decision-making and God? provisions for the Conference as well.

Please pray for our assignments in the summer camps:

* Aldwin as he oversees the Kawayan Camp curriculum together with Mizpah
* Di as she prepares a 3-part evangelistic exposition for ISCF-NCR Sibol Camp
* Di as she prepares the Kawayan Camp Spiritual Retreat Guide
* Di as she prepares for her Personhood teaching sessions in Kawayan Camp
* Our teaching sessions in Kawayan Camp on Spirituality & Sexualityand Love, Courtship & Marriage