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Dear Balikatan Family,

The rains fell hard early this month as two typhoons came one after the other. But unlike before, we in the IVCF Bldg. went merrily on with our work, undisturbed by water dripping from the ceiling, confidently walking about the rooms and offices without the danger of slipping on almost invisible puddles of water on the floor. The work on the ceiling replacement and electrical repairs, which you so promptly and generously funded, was finally finished last Oct.4, 2011.

We had a simple but joyous celebration that day after our regular Staff Meeting. Thank you very, very much. I think the accompanying pictures don’t convey enough the deep happiness we feel in our hearts in finally having a safe and dry workplace. The overall appearance of the IVCF building both inside and outside has vastly improved. The perimeter lighting has been restored so the place is also a lot safer and cheerful at night. So now, everywhere we turn our eyes – up to the ceiling, down to the floor, around each room, by day or by night, we remember you and whisper our thanks and gratitude to the Lord. Once again, by your generous and timely action, we are blessed.

May the Lord continue to be magnified and praised through you. He will keep watch over you and bless you. As for us, with grateful hearts we joyfully declare “Let the rains come, we are ready!”

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Ferdinand Juni

National Director, IVCF Phils

click here to view pictures

Three speakers presented during the Balikatan 2011 conference at UC Berkeley. Dugong IV was strong in our speakers, all of whom were either IVCF staff or student leaders. Miriam Adeney, Ph.D., spoke on “What Do We Bring?”. Leni Juarez, Ed.D., talked about our experiences on “What Do We Encounter?”. Eric Tadeo, JD, challenged us with an action plan on “What Do We Render?.” We will publish the talks of all our speakers in the monthly newsletters. For this month we will feature the talk of Miriam Adeney Ph.D. We hope that you will be encouraged, like those of us who were present at the conference, to live out your Christianity as Filipino Christians in a foreign land.

Lilia Salazar-Nigro
Balikatan 2011 Conference Director

WHAT DO WE BRING?

by Miriam Adeney, Ph.D.

A few years ago I went to Abu Dhabi. At the time, I was studying the book of Daniel. Like so many Filipinos, Daniel was a pawn of global forces. In 605 B.C., the Babylonian army swooped in. All at once, Daniel lost his family, his country and culture. He lost his career plans, his freedom and his rights—he could be thrown into a lions’ den at any moment. He even lost his name and was renamed for a pagan god. He spent the rest of his life working for megalomaniacs like Nebuchadnezzar.

WHERE WAS GOD? Up to now, God had been in the temple but now the temple was smashed. God had been in the land, but now the boundaries of the land were erased. God had been with the people, but now the people were scattered throughout an alien empire that spanned from North Africa to India. Where was God? In chapter seven, God sent Daniel a vision where the snow white “Ancient of Days” presided from a throne blazing like fire. A hundred thousand people vibrated around him. Court books were opened; a cruel, powerful beast was judged and executed, and its body was thrown into fire. Then the “Son of Man” entered. Clouds surrounded him as he approached the Ancient of Days. He became the focus of worship. “He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Dan 7:14).

In the years that followed, these words captured the imagination of Nebuchadnezzar, that great Babylonian emperor. Although he was a brilliant military strategist, architect, philosopher, and civic planner, Nebuchadnezzar had weaknesses. For example, he built a statue of himself and threw people in a hot furnace when they wouldn’t bow to it (Dan 3). Yet during the decades that Daniel served Nebuchadnezzar they must have talked about God, because Nebuchadnezzar progressively expressed a more complete understanding of who God is. The last time we see him, Nebuchadnezzar has issued a proclamation: “To the peoples, nations, and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation” (Dan 4:1-3).

At the end of his proclamation, Nebuchadnezzar repeated what so impressed him: “His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Dan 4:34). What poignant longing these words convey. Every great man wants to create something that will last. Nebuchadnezzar hoped that his empire would endure. But in fact it lasted only a few years after his death. Then it was overthrown by the Medes and Persians. Yet the Medo-Persian ruler Darius was impressed by the very same characteristic of Daniel’s God. Darius ordered Daniel thrown to the lions, then retrieved him from the den and issued a proclamation about “the God of Daniel…his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end” (Dan 6:26). Darius too longed for a rule that would last. However, the Medo-Persians were overthrown by the Greeks. Not long afterward, Alexander the Greek’s empire blew up and fragmented into four parts, as pictured in chapter 11. Only one person in this story lived in the everlasting kingdom: Daniel the slave. Because he was not totally captured by the systems of this world, he could make important contributions to this world. This he did in a long life of service under several emperors.

ALL THAT WAS IN MY MIND WHEN I WENT TO ABU DHABI. What an amazing place. Hundreds of gleaming skyscrapers thrust out of the sand, row after row. Men in spotless white robes and head cloths and women in elegant silky black designer robes and scarves swished from air-conditioned offices to air-conditioned cars. But out in the heat were Filipinos. In the richer Gulf countries, the basic work is done by foreigners. Without enough jobs at home, there is a push for Filipinos to work in richer countries, and send back foreign exchange. Many Filipino university graduates take jobs as maids or nannies if they are women, or as construction workers if they are men. In the homes where they work, they risk sexual abuse. On job sites they risk injuries. Legal protection is rare. Meanwhile, back in the Philippines they have left their parents, brothers, sisters, spouses and children.

Witness to local Muslims is illegal, and in countries like Saudi Arabia Christian worship is banned. Yet many Filipinos have grown in their faith in this hard setting. For some nominal Christians, it has been a wake-up call. They are stressed. They are spiritually starving. On the field, such laborers share their faith with officemates or housemates who show interest. And they sing. Whenever there is a lull, a Filipino sings. If he is a believer, Christian lyrics bubble up. Some have done time in jail and others have given their lives for this witness. Nevertheless, fruit grows. Where I traveled, it was legal to worship inside a church. I sought out a Filipino service where about 150 people gathered. The worshippers glowed. When they began to sing, the place rocked. One song focused on Jesus the king. Clerks and nannies, maids, and managers belted out—

The kingdom’s rule,
And the kingdom’s reign
And the kingdom’s power and authority
Is Jesus, God’s righteousness revealed.

As the decibels rose, I squirmed and muttered under my breath, “This is a little loud, don’t you think? Let’s keep it down. Don’t you all remember where you are? Don’t you know who’s in charge?” Then I realized they did know. That’s why they were so radiant and so uninhibited. They were singing to the same power and authority like Daniel. They were living and loving in the kingdom of everlasting dominion that will never be destroyed. Someday the Arab world may be different because Christian Filipinos and others–took lowly jobs and let the love of Christ flow through them.

“What do we bring?” One thing Filipinos offer is the massive experience of outmigration that has brought opportunities for service. But what more? In what ways are Filipino Christians God’s particular gifts to the church and the world? Our Creator delights in diversity. He creates in colors. He generates smells, from onion to rose. He shapes every fresh snowflake. He births billions of unique personalities. Is it any surprise that he programs us with the capacity to create an amazing kaleidoscope of cultures to enrich his world? God ordained culture. But customs that glorify God are not the only reality that we observe around us. Instead of loveliness, harmonious creativity, and admirable authority, we often see fragmentation, generation gaps, alienation, lust, hate, corruption, selfishness, injustice, laziness, disorder, and violence cultivated by our culture. We are not only created in God’s image. We are also sinners. Because we have cut ourselves off from God, the cultures we create reek with evil. We are called, then, not only to rejoice in the patterns of wisdom, beauty, and kindness in our culture, but also to confront and judge the patterns of idolatry and exploitation. Who is to judge? Indigenous leaders who are immersed in the Word and the Spirit. Outsiders work with and under them.

WHAT ARE THE PATTERNS OF BEAUTY IN PHILIPPINE CULTURE? When I lived in the Philippines, I saw strong families. Warm hospitality. Lots of time lavished on children. Enduring friendships. A heritage of economic freedom for women. The ability to live graciously on little money. Sauces that extended a small amount of meat to many people. A delight in sharing. Skill in the art of relaxation. Lithe, limber bodies. The ability to enjoy being with a large number of people continuously. Since every good gift is from above (James 1:17) and since all wisdom and knowledge come from Jesus Christ (Col. 2:3), such beautiful qualities in Filipino culture must be seen as gifts of God.

But one cultural pattern caught my attention. During an IVCF staff session on culture, someone asked me, “Why do we Filipinos adapt graciously to our conquerors? And how can we be proud of such a culture?” That led eventually to my Ph.D. dissertation. I studied “action models” in ten narratives, including the novels of Jose Rizal; Nick Joaquin—Portrait of the Artist as Filipino and The Woman Who Had Two Navels; N.V.M Gonzalez—The Bamboo Dancers and Season of Grace; and Carlos Bulosan—The Laughter of My Father and America is in The Heart.. In these stories, I found four recurring “action models” in the face of cultural invasion: the rebel, the victim, the “tuta”; and the balancer. I came to see the last model—DYNAMIC, RESILIENT BALANCING—AS A DISTINCTIVELY FILIPINO EMPHASIS, WITH POTENTIAL TO BLESS THE WORLD. From a historical perspective, given the Philippines’ location at the crossroads of powerful countries, resilient flexibility is an adaptive survival mechanism. It is not a weakness but a strategic response. Wave after wave have washed up on these shores. Successive torrents of Malay, Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Spanish, Americans, and Japanese have arrived. Generally Filipinos have allowed these new forms of life to take root and grow. Yet Philippine culture has not been drowned. Continuity in spite of massive change is evidenced by ongoing values like respect for elders, utang na loob, awareness of the supernatural, skillful speaking, and skillful flexible balancing.

Balancing is rooted in Filipinos’ bilateral kindreds, which contrast with Chinese, Arab, or Indian patrilineages, where sons are all important and daughters are married out. In the Philippines you have the opportunity to create new relatives through ninongs every time someone is married and every time a baby is born. But you already start out with 400 relatives because of all the kin and in laws on both sides. This trains you in dynamic, flexible balancing, dancing among relationships. Symbols in the literature are the kawayan, the tikling birds, the tinikling dance and the pandanggo sa ilaw dance. Yet Filipino virtues are not always gracious and polite. My dissertation is titled “Filipino Narrative: A Model for Ethnic Identity balancing Pakikisama and Protest.” Perhaps the most beautiful example of protest was the People’s Revolution of 1986 when Filipinos of all backgrounds called on God and put their bodies on the line to deliver their country.

Treasurer’s Report

With great Thanksgiving and Praise to Jehovah Jireh, our Almighty God, we are delighted to report on the following income numbers from the 2011 Balikatan Conference. We also thank you! You willingly served as His Channels, His Hands. May you find joy and fulfillment in knowing the magnanimity of His Blessings to others through you.

For inquiries or clarifications, please e-mail me at Eleanr@hotmail.com.

Edna Eleanor Bargan
Treasurer

Balikatan 2011 July 1-3, 2011 University of California, Berkeley

BABalikat Hosts 2011 Balikatan Conference

There were a hundred participants in the conference with several guests visiting on various days, about 20 total. Forty were first timers mainly from the West Coast, 30 attended one or two conferences in the past (again many from the West Coast) and another 30 faithful East and Midwest folks. Most had positive comments in their evaluation forms as shown by their statements below. Praise God for His wonderful work at Balikatan 2011 conference.

Comments from the Participants…..

BALIKATAN 2011: CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

It all started as a dream, That wasn’t too extreme, “Scattered and Shared” as our theme.
The seed was planted in LA Balikatan 2008, then blossomed at SF in Balikatan’s year 28.
Finding a venue was challenging; Access, distance, price needed converging
To UC Berkeley our minds were merging; Despite some cons, no more changing.
100 attendees was our target, Early November deadline let’s forget
By April, despite fears and worries, we’re all set. Come July our target was more than met.
Breakfast and picnic food was ordered, To Filipino palate we catered
Live band on fun night was offered; games, music, stories we prepared.

First day of the conference was hectic, BARTing and driving was chaotic, Limited parking was idiotic,
Picking-up who and where was hysteric, But it was worth all these for SF’s first historic.
Miriam was inspiring with stories of what each had to offer
Leni was challenging with Acts as our model of what we encounter
Eric was compelling with a letter to God on what we plan to render.
Each testimony, each life story; A witness of God’s glory
Home, work, friends, church, family tree; God has placed us in all kinds of ministry.

Small group discussions, Such powerful connections
Missionary presentations, Opportunities for intercessions.
The buzzword was “crisis”; IVCF ceiling, roof leaking, “crisis” it is
Job losses, sickness, other crises; For all of these, the answer Christ is.
Long business meetings needed intervention, After much discussion and long deliberation
Vision statement approved in unison, Membership fee increase reached a decision.
What a wonderful weekend of sharing, A majestic seven-fold Amen as the worship ending

To God we directed all glorifying and praising.
Now back to our respective homes, whatever we do, wherever we are, cheerfully, exceedingly
The Lord has blessed us, placed us, scattered us, so we can be shared abundantly.
Balikatan 2011, a witness of our “we-nesss”, lovingly, graciously
Florida 2012 and to future Balikatan conferences we look forward, hopefully, faithfully.

Lilia Salazar-Nigro
Balikatan 2011 Conference Director
On behalf of Bay Area Balikat

Bay Area Balikat (BA Balikat) is pleased to welcome those attending Balikatan’s 28th conference at UC Berkeley, July 1-3, 2011.  Please join us in praise and prayer on Balikatan’s Prayer Day on June 26.

(Standing L-R: Mark Buenafe, Alejandro Juarez, Joey Alcordo, Vincent Nigro, Rene Juarez; Sitting L-R: Norms Buenafe, Leni Juarez, Lilia Salazar-Nigro, Norma Andres, Luz Lacerna, Angel Ilan. BA Balikat members not in photo- Lynn Aguilar, Amy Javelosa-Rio, Melanie Juarez, Butch and Jenjen Kagawan, Dan and Isabel Quita)

PRAISE AND PRAYER

1. Praise God for the 99 registered attendees.  Two may register late and a few others are visiting for a day or so.  Pray for safe travel whether flying from as far as the Philippines or Singapore or driving from LA or Oregon.

2.  Praise God for many who are attending Balikatan for the first time, mainly from the West Coast.  Pray that they may feel welcome and that this will be the start of their future conferences.  Pray too for the Lord’s guidance on forming Balikatan West.

3. Praise God for the faithful founders and members of Balikatan, many of whom are flying from the East and Midwest.  Pray for happy reunions of “old” friends.

4.  Praise God for His faithfulness through the years, both to the individual members of Balikatan and the organization as a whole.  Pray for continuing good health, healing for the sick, and physical strength/ energy during the conference.

5. Praise God for our speakers: Miriam Adeney, Ph.D., Leni Juarez, Ed.D., and Eric Tadeo. J.D.  Pray for wisdom as they challenge us to be faithful disciples and witnesses of the Lord in the US and Canada while they expound on Acts 1:8 and talk about What Do We Offer, What Do We Encounter, and What Do We Render.  Pray for open hearts and minds for all.

6.  Praise God for our panel members who will be sharing their testimonies on  God’s work in their lives.  Pray for guidance as they speak.

7. Praise God for the Board members’ hard and faithful work on Balikatan’s business matters. Pray that the business meetings will be productive, that each member will participate actively, and that decisions be made in accordance with God’s will.

8.  Praise God for the presence of many pastors and missionaries at the conference. Pray for the missions presentation on Sunday morning attended by five agencies: Medical Ambassadors of the Philipines, MEANS, International Student Ministry, Asian School of Development and Cross-Cultural Studies, and OMF/ Bible School of the Philippines.

9. Praise God for the auction items donated by various individuals.  Pray for generous hearts that we may be able to raise funds through the auction for IVCF Philippines.

10. Praise God for the ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship of the Philippines and the participation of Dolores (Di) Fernandez of ISCF and IVCF Management and Phebe Pendon of NCF.  Praise God for Erickson Velardo, outgoing National Director and the confirmation of the incoming National Director, Pastor Ferdinand Juni,  as well as the leadership of the Board of Trustees.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BALIKATAN BOARD

Balilkatan Board 2011 (Left-Right – Jojo Remigio, Valerie Malabonga, Edna Bargan, Landy Ancheta, Tess Askowitz, Lilia Salazar-Nigro,and Lillette Cruz)

1) In order to ensure that our corporate name is consistent with what is in our US incorporation papers, please note that we should use our legal and official name “Balikatan ng mga Kristiano, Inc.” properly (with “Kristiano” rather than “Kristiyano” ).  Kindly observe this protocol in all our formal and informal communications with our alumni, friends, supporters and stakeholders.

2) In addition, please note that several business-related materials are available on our website (http://balikatan.org). These materials include the Balikatan Vision Statement, minutes of 2010 Balikatan annual corporate meeting, committee reports, and Balikatan membership form. These same materials will also be sent via email to the 2011 conference attendees. The Board requests that you review these materials and print them to bring with you to the conference for discussion. Your own printing is highly appreciated as it saves Balikatan money.

3) Finally, we have 3 positions open for nomination. Please submit your nominations to Lilette Cruz, Nominations Committee, at lettecruz2002@yahoo.com.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

Let us also praise God for the arrival of Kai Leiton Koontz on June 16.  He is 7.1 lbs and 19 ½ inches with lots of dark hair. Kai (rhymes with sky)  means sea in Hawaiian. Kai is the son of Lani Chinn-Koontz and Bryan Koontz. Lani is the eldest daughter of long-time Balikatan members Leiton and Lisa Chinn.

by Maggie Estes

I am not a mother; on the other hand I am a grandmother!

Maggie Estes

In Filipino culture if you have mga apo sa pamangkin you are called lola and since I have plenty of those I can be included in mother/grandmotherhood. Which reminds me of Nilda, a lady I pursued for Christ in the last city we planted a church in. A woman with lots of social, moral, family baggage who was wonderfully transformed by Christ, and continues to this day to be Christ’s disciple. Being a single lady missionary meant that I had lots of freedom to visit, evangelize, disciple and teach people like Nilda. It seemed to me that being female was an advantage in church planting ministries, especially in making initial contacts. We were not threatening in any way, were respected and often were invited freely into homes.

My mother became a real Christ follower later in her life so her influence on me towards missions was minimal. But God gave me a wonderful spiritual mother the very night I was saved. Mom D encouraged me all through Bible College and on to the mission field until both of us were up in years. So this is a challenge to all the ladies and mothers of Balikatan. Be on the lookout for young women you can take under your mother- hen wings to encourage in their growing in Christ.

One more challenge, this time to our Balikatan couples. As a single lady I have been so blessed by fellowship and friendship with couples. Countless many times I was rescued from despair in hard situations, confronted with changes I needed to make, and warmly accepted simply as a member of the family. If you have the opportunity to care for single brothers and sisters in your fellowship, particularly those whose family members are far from them, please take advantage and help provide them a community to belong.

By the way, Nilda, mentioned above, used to call me Mommy, a reference which at first I found hard to receive. However I realized it was really her way of endearing herself to me, solidifying our human relationship, and more importantly establishing and expressing our personal bond with each other in Christ.

Thank you to the “Ates” in IVCF Philippines

by Julie Rustia

“Many daughters have done well but you excel them all.” (Prov 31:29) This verse reminds me of the many wonderful “Ates” in Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) like Gwen Wong, who have obediently crossed another culture to pioneer the student movement of the IVCF in the Philippines. “Ate” is what Filipinos call an older sister, or an older woman and “Kuya” for an older brother and older man, to show respect for them. IVCF Philippines is surrounded with “Ates” and “Kuyas”.

Julie Rustia

I have been blessed by the testimonies and lives of many Kuyas and Ates ever since my student life. It dates back to my high school days with Inter School Christian Fellowship (ISCF). It started with a spark of curiosity that led me to meet Ate Ruth Wilson (wife of Rev. Alex Wilson) who was witnessing to students under a big mango tree at the schoolyard one sunny day. That encounter with her did not only lead me to attend her bible study group but also to attend the many evangelistic, discipleship and leadership conferences in my school days. I became a Christian and grew spiritually through the close-knit relationships of the members of ISCF in high school and Tamaraw Christian Fellowship (IVCF Chapter in Far Eastern University) during my college years. Christians became my circle of friends and that is how I met my husband Ellsworth who was an alumnus of the University of the Philippines, IVCF chapter. Ever since we migrated to Canada in 1982 we have been involved with fellow alumni of IVCF Philippines in Toronto and since 1997 we have been attending Balikatan conferences.

My family may not be serving in the mission field but we actively participate by being connected with the IVCF Alumni fellowship in Canada, USA and the Philippines. We have supported staff and missionaries through prayers, monetary giving, and by opening our home to them. The relationships that we have formed with IVCF Alumni, staff and missionaries have enriched the spiritual dimension of our lives. We are all called in the ministry to bear one another’s burden thereby we fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 5:10) And just like our beloved Ates who have blessed us, we can also share this blessing to others wherever we are called to serve whether it be in the home, office, hospital, business firm, university, high school, etc. We hope and pray that our Balikatan youth will capture the vision and mission of IVCF and pass it on to the future generation.

Celebrating the Women of Balikatan

by Edna Eleanor Bargan, M.Div.

There is one true standard by which the women of Balikatan measure our true character: the Word of God. We go to Proverbs 31:10-31 to remind us of the qualities of a Godly woman, and also when we commemorate our mothers and celebrate them on Mother’s Day (We love you, mothers of Balikatan!). And we contemplate on 1 Peter 3:3-4 to remind us of our life priorities in terms of Godly living.

Edna Eleanor Bargan

There is one verse however that I invite us to consider more closely, not only in terms of building and caring for our own households but also, and particularly, in building and nurturing the household of Balikatan: Proverbs 14:1. The verse affirms: “The wise woman builds her house. But the foolish [one] tears it down with her own hands.”

The verbs used here, “build” and “tear” in the original Hebrew are decisive action words that depict unbroken, on-going determination. A wise woman is continuously determined to build her household up – one block at a time – no matter the circumstances, no matter the cost. But the foolish one is the exact opposite. She is deviously determined to destroy the home, unconcerned about the relationships and bonds that exist within it. And she does this all with her very own hands…albeit slowly, cunningly.

You must be wondering, “What kind of a woman (or a mother) would do such a thing? It negates any fiber of our nurturing character.” Truthfully though, anything that we women think, say or do, which is not glorifying God, not edifying to one another (including the men and children of course), and not practically helpful in leading others to know Jesus Christ and love Him passionately is counterproductive; in fact dare I say destructive. And that in no way excludes indifference.

The Balikatan household is a body of believers who belong to God, and established by God for specific purposes. I do believe we ladies have been divinely appointed within our fellowship to use our unique experiences and gifts to accomplish His mission. We are strategic thinkers, speakers, and doers. We proactively build and not tear down. We intentionally pursue and not waste time. May the insights from God’s Word remind us to constantly pursue Wisdom, and to be in the front and center of what He is doing in our families, communities and ministries. We are not uninvolved or apathetic, and we certainly don’t stand on the sidelines. We are the women of Balikatan!

Edna is the Balikatan Board Treasurer and Missions Committee Co-Chair.

BREAKING NEWS: POWER IN NUMBER

BALIKATAN 2011 CONFERENCE
July 1-3, 2011, UC Berkeley

80 target minimum number of registrants reached
93 total participants as of 5/24/2011
Only 7 spots left guaranteed with board and lodging
Several first timers from the West Coast
5 representatives from the the Philippines,
1 from Singapore, and 1 from Vienna
6 pastors attending
5 missions agencies presenting
ONE GREAT GOD TO BE PRAISED!

Historic First Board to Board Video Conference Call

IVCF Board of Trustees via Skype

IVCF Board of Trustees via Skype

The Balikatan Board had its first-ever video conference call meeting with the IVCF Philippines Board of Trustees (BOT) on Saturday, February 19, 2011, during the former’s weekend of meetings at the Askowitz’s residence in Tampa, Florida. Several key issues were resolved or clarified during the two-hour conference call, which was also attended by the current National Director, Erickson Velardo, who excused himself later in the call. In spite of the short notice, five members of the Board of Trustees showed up for the late evening (Manila time) meeting, led by its Chairman Edwin Erni. The others who made it were Noel Querijero, Dionne Ang, Ferdinand Juni, and Atty. Gilbert Andres. All the Balikatan Board members, namely, Landy Ancheta, Lilette Cruz, Valerie Malabonga, Edna Bargan, Lilia Salazar-Nigro, Jojo Remigio, and Tessie Askowitz participated in the conference call.

The BOT updated the Balikatan Board of its recent significant activities and decisions, as follows:

The Inter-Varsity Graduates Council will have its first graduates’ conference in May 2011.

The Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) will become an autonomous affiliate of IVCF Philippines when it has completed its registration with the Philippines’ Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Metro Manila operation of IVCF has been moved to the University Belt, in front of University of the East, because the University Belt has the highest concentration of students in Metro Manila.

The Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) Literature Department has offered to develop IVCF Philippines’ discipleship and evangelism materials.

IVCF Philippines would like to develop its land in Bulacan as a camp site.

IVCF Philippines is planning to send a student delegate to the IFES World Assembly in Poland.

The BOT immensely commended outgoing National Director, Erickson Velardo, on his performance during his three year term. According to the BOT, Erickson introduced new technologies and stabilized the movement, including financial stability. During his term, the BOT recognized IVCF Philippines’ unprecedented growth, ‘moving several notches higher’. According to the BOT, Erickson was offered a second term, but declined.

The BOT also informed the Balikatan Board that there are about ten well-qualified candidates for the ND role, and the BOT is confident that a new ND will be appointed by the end of Erickson’s term on May 31, 2011.

Based on the success of the first video conference call, the two boards have started planning on the next Board to Board (B2B) conference call, most likely, before the start of the Balikatan Conference in July 2011. Please pray that the two boards will have the time and resources to continue to have these productive and meaningful meetings.

Balikatan Initiatives for 2011
The Balikatan Board in its series of meetings in February 2011 had identified the following initiatives for prioritization in 2011…. read more

The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and here comes Spring.  Our newsletter this month features our Youth, the “spring” to which Balikatan will pass its baton in the future.  Let us praise the Lord for our children and grandchildren who will carry on the vision of Balikatan.  Let us pray for protection as they live out their faith at school, with friends, at work, and with their family during these trying and difficult times for young people in many places.  On a different “spring-y” note, this month is Balikatan’s membership campaign.  We want current members to continue and we’re recruiting new and young ones (new to Balikatan and to the US/Canada, and young in age and at heart).  Edna Bargan, our treasurer, gave us a visual picture of where our membership fee goes.

Balikatan, on April 26 Prayer Day, let us continue to praise our living God and offer our prayers to the risen Lord.  He will hear us, for  Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 10:25)

Lilia Salazar-Nigro

Board Member, Prayer Committee Chairperson

Let’s Pray for our Youth and Young Adults

Andrea Interior

Praise: Thankful for the Lord’s provision over my position at work as I struggled with whether I should look to new places as I was becoming unhappy with where I was. But He not only fixed the problem areas, He gave me new opportunities to expand my role and be recognized positively by senior management.

Prayer: For renewed strength and persistence with school as I will be taking it on full-time in September as well as a (practically) full-time job at the same time.

Jed Sarmiento

Alma and Boyet Sarmiento of Seattle offer this praise and prayer about their son, Jed: “Thank you Lord for blessing us with a wonderful son. We praise you for how you have kept him safe and grounded in your will. May you continue to preserve and uphold him for your own glory!”  Let us join our other Balikatan parents who echo the same thing about their children.

Balikatan Membership Drive is On!!!

Balikatan’s mission of helping IVCF Philippines reach the student world for Christ is vast and great.  We need as many hands and hearts as possible to work with us. Come join us!  Click here to apply or renew membership online.Artwork by Maribel Mateo