Dear Balikatan members, fellow IVCF alumni and friends,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great time with family and friends during the past Christmas holidays.

On behalf of the Balikatan Board, I would like to thank you all for your prayers and generous donations to IVCF Philippines in 2011. I don’t have the numbers yet for the total 2011 donations; however, for December 2011, I’m humbled to inform you that you unselfishly gave $36,077 through Balikatan. This amount, which does not include donations made directly to IVCF or through MEANS, Kabalikat sa Ontario, or Ugnayan, is approximately 50% of total donations made in 2010. Praise God!

Most of the amount donated was for general operating funds and salaries, while the rest were for specific programs and projects. Here’s a breakdown of your donations:

general operations, including staff salaries – $15,812;
13th month pay – $8,645;
January Staff Conference – $5,500;
disaster relief – $4,520;
IVCF camp ministries – $900; and
alumni in missions – $700.

Let us thank God for answered prayers, for enabling us to be a blessing to others and for instilling in us the joy of giving.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” – 2 Cor. 9:8

Extremely amazed by His goodness,

Landy Ancheta
President, BALIKATAN

Reflections on the Journey

by Kalayaan Concepcion

After the exciting and challenging years as a single staff worker in the Philippines, I thought that God had already taught me many important lessons in relying on Him for everything. Faith replaced fear as I rode rickety small boats and dangerous big ones, island-hopping in the Visayas, or as I waded through the flood waters of the overflowed Pasig river to reach students in Manila campuses. I learned to trust that the (very) modest staff salary would always be enough. I learned that he could make me well as I got quite sick with typhoid and pneumonia and had to abandon responsibilities in Iloilo for a couple of months. When schools closed due to the declaration of martial law, I saw how He stirred our creativity in reaching students outside the campuses. All in all, those staff years were indescribably happy, fulfilling ones for me, and I often reminisce those spiritual mountain-top experiences. Seeing God produce fruit among students was intoxicating. I could be in the frontlines all my life, I thought.

But God had only began molding me as I started life as a new bride, then a new mother (of five!) in America. Staying at home to tend to kids for a good eighteen years, far away from the familiar world, family, ministry, and culture came as a shock. For a while there, I could not fully appreciate the joy and privilege of being able to stay home, not work, and being there to help usher every growth stage of our children. I sometimes felt trapped with hardly a window to the adult world, where I longed to be evangelizing or using what I have learned professionally during my working years and graduate school. Later, I saw that my laboratory was right at home. My tests consisted in being a loving and humble wife, a gracious mother, a hostess to visitors, and how to “bloom where I was planted”. When I cried because my mom was not beside me through my miscarriages and precarious pregnancies, or when all the kids had the flu and I could not get up because I had it too, God was there. Eventually, I realized that as parents, our main task during this phase of life was to raise kids who feared God by showing them how we lived with each other, the world, and most of all with Him. I often failed, but He raised me up to try again.

Just when I was gloating in some success in the domestic realm, God got me on my toes again, this time regarding my worst latent fears. While growing up, I had always known that two things were unimaginable for me: having a mentally retarded child, and having cancer. Looking back to that very sad moment when our youngest child was in the neonatal intensive care unit after he was born with Down’s syndrome, to years of surgeries, therapies, special education meetings, I can only remember that God saw us through. He sat waiting with us outside operating rooms and hospital wards, or when we faced all the uncertainties that continued to unfold. Those years of juggling the needs of all five kids, and holding on to dear faith started to become hazy memories. Anthony is such a blessing. I cannot imagine life without him in our family.

Then one day, when our oldest child was only in high school, I went for a well visit and came out being (providentially!) diagnosed with a large, potentially deadly tumor in my pancreas! As I lay there a few weeks later after a massive surgery wondering how in the world my family would thrive if He took me soon, God impressed in my heart a message: “I love your children more than you can ever love them because I am their Creator.” That was enough to give me the peace I still cling to today. After 10 years of CT scans and oncologist check-ups, I was declared cancer free—He made me one of the 1-2 % that survive this type of cancer.

I‘m still learning, and I still don’t take a single day of being alive for granted. I have since seen two of our children get married, and I had the chance to go to graduate school again, and to teach special education when I turned 50! Opportunities to praise Him abound at my work and everywhere. What’s next, Lord?

Reflections on a Life Well Lived: Leni Magalit-Lacsamana

Leni is a decade younger than me, but I witnessed the growth of her love for Christ during her teenage years at Diliman Bible Church (DBC), which was my home church before I migrated to Canada more than 20 years ago. I only had occasional communications with Leni until about three years ago, when my wife Annabelle and I found out she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although Leni was not in my age group, it was not difficult for me to relate with her in her desire to serve God well and to trust Him amidst her circumstances. She inspired us.

In the last few years, despite her illness, she went about her normal routine of singing in the choir and worship team, serving in the Church Council, and caring for her son Johann. She was an inspiration and encouragement to those who were either similarly afflicted with a serious illness like me, or those who were in good health because all along, she continued to praise God for His goodness. In one of her email updates on her condition, she expressed her desire for more time so she can continue serving God. But when I went to Manila last year to visit her, I sensed her growing acceptance of God’s sovereign plan for her life.

Leni has gone home to be with her Lord and Savior and we will miss her. She lived a meaningful life and her life encourages me to faithfully serve God in all circumstances, making the most of the opportunities and abilities that God has given me.

Praise and Prayer

We have so many things to praise the Lord for especially this start of the year 2012.

We praise God for the unwavering generosity of the donors and supporters of Balikatan and IVCF –Philippines. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Please pray for the Magalit and Lacsama family for strength and comfort as they mourn for Leni Magalit Lacsama. Leni is the daughter of Dr. Bel and Letty Magalit, a former General Secretary of IVCF-Philippines.

A group of psychiatrists will be handling a seminar on “Grief and Trauma” in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, among the victims of Typhoon Sendong. A lot of our IVCF staff and alumni were affected. Pray for Phebe Pendon as she leads this group.

Pray for the face to face meeting of the Balikatan Board on the second week of February 2012. Pray for wisdom as they plan for the year 2012. Also, the term of some board members will be ending. Please pray for individuals who are willing to serve and nominated to the board.

If you have any prayer request, personal or for your group, please don’t hesitate to email Lilette Cruz lettecruz2002@yahoo.com.

Please Pray for IVCF Alumnus Nida Tare

Nida Tare is an IVCF Alumnus from Cebu. She and her husband and family pastor a church in Vienna, Austria. They have a number of daughter churches in Austria and they have also expanded their ministry to Germany, Italy and Czech Republic. Nida writes in their newsletter “What the Lord is doing here in our part of the world is overwhelming! We’re so convinced that now is harvest time for Filipinos in Europe. It is time to have a regular worship service in Prague. Please pray with us as we search for a place to conduct Sunday Worship Service regularly”. To read more about the exciting work of the Lord through the Tares, please click here.

What We Encountered – Treasures and Troubles

Introduction

Dan Malabonga

We’ve encountered a blend of troubles and treasures, both in the Philippines and in the United States.  This is no surprise, because ours is a fallen world into which the Lord Jesus was incarnated to save us.

In this regard, our venue reminds me of the preface to the book The Dust of Death, by Os Guinness, which begins with the line:  “There were beggars in Berkeley.”  The book goes on to show that various human efforts at social betterment are undermined by the dust of death – the effects of sin.  But the author points out that there is a path to redemption to which the church can bear witness through Christian truth and love: truth that is practiced through constructive Christian radicalism; and love that is practiced with Christian compassion based on true understanding (of the dual nature of human beings as made in the image of God and fallen), outrage and identification (as exemplified by Christ’s incarnation).

In the Philippines

People Power

While we were in the Philippines, I tried to bear Christian witness under the Marcos regime by becoming a human rights lawyer.  That culminated in the EDSA “People Power” revolution, in which Valerie and I participated as newlyweds.  We had our first fight as a married couple over whether I would bring Valerie with me to the People Power gathering.  I told her I was going alone because it was dangerous at EDSA.  She asked:  “What if you get killed?”  I replied:  “Well, that’s exactly why I don’t want to take you with me – we could both get killed.”  Without missing a beat, she answered:  “At least, we’ll be together …”  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the corniness of it all, but we were dead serious then.  And she won the argument; I took her with me to EDSA.

I regretted that decision at one point when we thought the loyalist forces were about to attack as we stood in line in front of Camp Crame, with Valerie to my left and Danny Quita to my right.  Thankfully, there was no attack, as more soldiers defected.  Eventually, Marcos fled.  I view that outcome as miraculous, although the dust of death has also undercut the social reform efforts that followed EDSA 1986.

In the United States

Permanence

I started with one-year “Visiting Attorney” program and I was granted H-1B extensions from year to year for three years; when we thought we had to go back to the Philippines, a law firm sponsored me for a green card; and ultimately, we obtained our American citizenship after 12 years in the U.S.

Provision

I lost job my job at the end of 2003 when Philippine business became more difficult to obtain in the aftermath of the 1998 Asian currency crisis, and then the economic downturn after 9/11.  I was jobless for six months. I found it difficult to obtain a job because more than 9 out 10 employers required graduation from an American law school.  Later got a job when two lawyers for whom I had done most of my incipient work on energy law in my prior law firm unexpectedly left that firm, joined another firm, and recruited me. I am now a partner at another law firm.

Purpose

I was unexpectedly elected to our church’s vestry (this is equivalent to a board of elders) at a time when Bible-based Anglican churches in U.S. were considering whether to disaffiliate from the Episcopal church due to fundamental deviation from the authority of the Bible, resulting in unbiblical teachings on significant matters, including human sexuality.  It turned out that the Virginia diocese of the Episcopal church was represented by the law firm where I lost my job.  I finally understood that God took me out of that firm so I would not be conflicted in serving our church’s vestry with regard to the disaffiliation issue.

Ph.D.

Valerie received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from George Mason University in 1997 on a teaching assistantship.  She did not incur any debt and even received a small salary as a graduate assistant. She started her doctorate by faith in 1992 because we thought I would only stay in the U.S. for a year.

Parenthood

We adopted Julius from the Philippines in 2005, when he was two weeks shy of two years old.  Parenthood is both a joy and jolt. Julius has helped refine our character, by continually teaching us the fruits of the Spirit, especially love, gentleness, patience and self-control. We are adopting a second son that we hope to pick up from the Philippines by the summer of 2012.

IRS Waived Balikatan Tax Penalties

Dear Balikatan members and fellow IVCF alumni,

On behalf of the Balikatan Board, I am happy to inform you that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) waived the tax penalties that it previously assessed Balikatan early this year for the fiscal years ended 2002 and 2003. The Balikatan Board informed the Balikatan general membership about this tax matter during the Balikatan Conference in Berkeley, California, in July.

We thank God for His grace and we thank you for your prayers. Balikatan will continue to improve its processes, procedures, and documentation to ensure that it complies with the IRS and other government agencies, as it continues to partner with you in supporting IVCF Philippines.

I would also like to greet our Balikatan constituents in the United States a Happy Thanksgiving. May you find time this coming long weekend to re-connect with families and relatives and to remember and thank God for everything. Foremost, let’s thank God for our justification through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Thank you again for your continuing support of IVCF Philippines and Balikatan.

5% Administrative Fee on Donations

The Balikatan Board in its recent monthly meeting decided to deduct 5% of donations to IVCF Philippines, effective July 1, 2012, to augment Balikatan’s annual operating funds.  Any balance remaining in the operating funds at the end of every fiscal year will be remitted to IVCF Philippines.

Your generosity over the past years and your continuing support of IVCF Philippines and Balikatan is sincerely appreciated.  May God continue to bless you abundantly.

IVCF Philippines Alumni Group in Edmonton (Alberta) Organizes

The IVCF Philippines alumni group in Edmonton (Alberta) met last 15 October  to formally organize themselves. Joel Cavida was elected as their president, Joel Sotocinal as vice president, Leah Marquez-Curtis as secretary and Grace Licardo as treasurer.

The rest of this Alberta–based alumni group are Joie Clerigo, Beth Cavida, Rowena Laranjo, Eli Licardo, Primrose Sotocinal and  Jojo and Eleanor Supan, among others. They are currently drafting their constitution and bylaws with some assistance from the Balikatan Board.

Kindly remember them in prayer as they plan to meet again this coming  27 December 2011 and as they consider to attend Balikatan 2012 in Florida.

Our September newsletter presents the last two talks at our July 2011 conference at UC Berkeley. Dr. Leni Juarez shares her experiences on “What Do We Encounter?” and Atty. Eric Tadeo focuses on our personal action plan on “What Do We Render?”

In our forthcoming October issue, we will be focusing on the new Vision Statement adopted by Balikatan in our July conference. We also encourage you as our stakeholders to renew your membership with us for the next twelve months. To renew your membership online, simply click here.

Shalom!

Jojo Remigio
Board Member

Leni S. Juárez

by Leni S. Juárez, Ed.D

Acts 1:1-5

1. The acts of Jesus Christ and the acts of the Holy Spirit

• Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship is a movement of the Spirit.

2.  The reign of God/The Kingdom of God

• The central message of Jesus in the Gospels and the heart of the message of the Apostles
• Acts 1:6-11

3. Witnesses of the Kingdom

• We seek to relate what we read in the gospels and in the book of Acts with our own life and history.

4. Witnesses to the ends of the earth

• We are witnesses to our fellow Filipinos and to all peoples.

5. The coming of the Holy Spirit

• In the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit affirmed the importance of culture and language in the church.
• Acts 8:1-40

6. The Church scatters – What does it encounter?

• The Filipino Diaspora in the Middle East, in North America, and the ends of the earth

7. Encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch

• The Filipino Diaspora in the margins of society

Enrico Tadeo

By Enrico Tadeo, J.D.

To answer the news reporter’s questions on the above Scripture:

• When do we render? After we receive the Holy Spirit (thus, this is a command to all believers)
• How do we render? By being witnesses for Jesus, connecting with people and reflecting Jesus with our life and our words; evangelism and discipleship
• Where do we render? Remotest part of the earth; consider the United States as a remote part of the earth, in many ways it is; wherever we are is a remote part of the earth
• Who will render? You.
• Why do we render? God told us to do so.

Rendering needs at least TWO parties: The Renderer and the Renderee. And you need the ‘thing’ to be rendered, the thing that the Renderer have and the Renderee needs.

To find out what we render, we need to take a good look at ourselves, our current situation, our family, our job, what we have and who are the people around us we might have an impact on. Then commit to render.

So, what do we render? First, we look at what we have: Our gifts and experiences, the journey we have taken that had strengthened us, our Filipino-ness – the traits of the culture that contributes so much to the good of the greater number; most of all, Jesus in us. We also have the things that God had bestowed on us: our time, our passions, our energies, expertise and education, our material possession, our money; resources given to us that Renderees may need.

Who are the Renderees? Look at the people around you; not just those who are physically around you, but those with you have contact (even online), those you can touch both literally and figuratively – your spouse, your children, your parents, people in your church, your co-workers, your local Filipino-American community and organizations, people in the Philippines, Intervarsity Philippines, and Balikatan. Ask yourselves why God put these people within your reach, and why God gave you the ability to impact these people. God does not do things without a purpose.

So, given these inventories, how do you start figuring out what we render? First, pray to God that He makes these things clear to you; let God reveal the next step – be open to it, be prepared for it.
Then, commit to it. Write this letter to God:

Dear God – Thank you for _______________________ (inventory of the things you have, pick say the top 2 or 3). Thank you for bringing into my circle of impact _________________________ (inventory of people I am in touch with, pick say the top 2 or 3). I commit within this next year to __________________________ (make your commitment – make it specific, specifying what you have that you are rendering, and who you are rendering it to).
(Sign your Name)

(We will mail this commitment letter back to you in around 6 months to remind you of your commitment. Thanks to all those who turned in your commitment letter. You can still turn them in by putting it inside an envelope and sending it to: Enrico Tadeo 8006 NW 15th Ct, Vancouver, WA 98665).