Dear Friend,

My eleven-month leave after serving as IVCF National Director is over. It was a good break, giving me enough time to rest and be refreshed. I spent most of the time in Pampanga with my Mom, attending to her needs and managing domestic affairs. My routines included marketing, cooking, gardening, bathing Mamang and walking with her to the nearby memorial garden where Papang was laid to rest. I thank the Lord for giving us our househelps Maritess and Aimee at the right time. Both are industrious, energetic, and cheerful. Two of my nieces, Elaine and Reachie, accompany them and manage the house whenever I am not around.

The Lord granted my desire for further equipping and for fruitful ministry during my leave. In early January I facilitated a two-day Spiritual Retreat for the staff of Medical Ambassadors of the Philippines. I enjoyed it tremendously. In mid-January I went through a training on Psychosocial Debriefing for Disaster Victims. Then, in February I joined a team to Bicol and conducted a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) with more than 50 direct and indirect victims of the typhoon Reming and the mudflow which followed. It was heart-breaking to hear their stories of loss and survival. We were thankful to God for giving us such opportunity to minister to them, to be channels of God�s comfort, love, and hope.

In March, I was privileged to join my best friend in a trip to Cambodia. I was glad to see Chitse, a former IVCF student in Bacolod, doing well as a missionary to the Khmers and involved in literacy and Bible translation. We met several Filipino IVCF alumni working in different NGOs there. Let us remember them in prayers, that the Lord will use them to bring many to Himself.

Though I was on leave from IVCF I was in Kawayan Camp (IVCF�s intensive leadership camp) for almost the whole of April. I loved the place, enjoying� the morning walks, the farm scene, the smell of the earth, the chirping of the birds, and the cool breeze. I was very much a part of the campers� lives. Apart from my teaching assignment, I joined a cell group, led a Bible study workshop, and joined my work group in dishwashing, serving, gardening and cleaning the camp grounds. I realized I can still stay for a whole month in a camp like this, despite my age. Once again I witnessed God�s active work in the lives of the students. I remain convinced camps like this are very effective in ushering students to the transforming power and love of God and in discipling them in all areas of life.

In June I was in ( country can not be disclosed for security reason )for two weeks. It was my second opportunity to teach two groups of women, mostly pastors� wives. It was extra challenging because I was the lone teacher and I motorbiked and stayed alone in the hotel for a few days. But God was my companion and source of strength and wisdom. I was inspired and affirmed to see the women learn from the training. I would not exchange this experience for anything.

After several months of listening and waiting on God for clear direction, I finally decided to come back to IVCF after my leave. My present assignment of coordinating our staff training and development is close to my heart and� I believe it fits very well with my training, experiences, and passion. I am also tasked to plan and coordinate training for our GT volunteers. This means I will travel to the regions to conduct training and help provide pastoral care to our regional staff and GT volunteers.

My time with SVCF (IVCF chapter in UP Diliman), especially with the executive committee, encourages me so much. I attend their weekly executive committee meetings and once in a while, their Friday large group fellowship. I held one teambuilding session with all the leaders and was surprised to see such a big group of leaders. There were 30 of them! God is very much at work among our students. My decision to handle a campus will definitely demand more of my time and energy. But it is something I like to do because I want to have fresh experiences with our students. I also believe it will help me to be more effective and authentic in training our younger staff. Above all, I truly care for them and I desire to come alongside them as they grow in the Lord.

The next few months will be quite heavy. Please remember me in your prayers�

* October 3-5� New Staff Training in NCR, I will have two sessions on Personal Holistic Growth
* October 15� Pastors� Conference sponsored by OMF Lit. Workshop on The Great Commission Today: Discipling Today�s Generation of Christians
* October 16-18 Staff Prayer Retreat
* October 23-27 NCR Leadership Discipleship Missions Camp and ISCF Counselors� Training (sessions on Counseling and Spiritual Disciplines)
* Oct. 31-Nov. 2 CEV IVPM Retreat (expositor)
* Nov. 5-9� CEV Regional Staff-GT Training
* Nov. 23-Dec 2 WV IV Day Speaker and Regional Staff-GT Training

In our recent staff conference my Cell Group agreed to memorize and take to heart these verses which I now leave with you and which I also take with me as I face the coming months:

�You open your hand
And satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And faithful in all He does.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.���� Psalm 145:16-19

Thank you for your friendship and partnership. I would love to hear from you too.

In His keeping,

ELSIE