Thanksgiving Greetings from the Balikatan President
I would like to greet our Balikatan members and IVCF alumni in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving! As you spend time with families and friends over the long weekend, may you find time to count your blessings and thank God for His faithfulness and goodness to you and your families over the past year.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your continued prayers and financial support for the ministries of IVCF Philippines and our alumni in missions.
Landy Ancheta
President
2011 Conference: A Test for Balikatan West
The Berkeley conference next year is turning out to be a test of faith, hope, and love for Balikatan West. It is a test to trust God in His faithfulness to provide for all our needs, in the hope of having our own regular regional conference in the West Coast in the future, with the spirit of love for God and each other as our driving force.
September was a month of meetings between Bay Area Balikat (BA Balikat), LA Alumni Committed to Serve (ACTS), Seattle and Vancouver groups. On Labor Day weekend, the Juarezes (Alejandro, Leni, Rene, and Melanie) along with Lilia Salazar-Nigro and Norma Andres fellowshipped with 7 ACTS members: James Odango, Jane Galazo, Jennie Kizito, Lilette Cruz, Susanne Santos, and Hermin & Norma Briones. It was held at the home of the Brioneses to also celebrate Norma’s 25th anniversary of immigrating to the US. Two former staff workers were present (Leni Juarez and Norma Briones) along with representatives of three generations of Kawayan camp:1958 (Norma),1968 (Leni) and 1977 (Lilia). ACTS expressed their support to BA Balikat as they can relate to its needs after hosting the 2008 conference at California State University in Northridge. Praise God!
The last weekend of September was also a productive time with both Vancouver and Seattle groups. On September 24, Lilia met with Jojo Remigio (another Board member) and Vic & Ruby Perez over Chinese buffet dinner in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Ruby Ilustre-Perez, originally from Bacolod, was a Graduate Team (GT) member in Baguio where she and Vic met, one of those IVCF love stories that ended happily in marriage! Ruby and Lilia exchanged warm memories of their old, cold Baguio days, where Lilia was also a GT member.
Many of their members were not able to make it to this meeting for various reasons. Apparently their group was very active and they met regularly when they hosted the Balikatan conference in 2005 at University of British Columbia.
Alma and Boyet Sarmiento were the generous hosts of the Seattle meeting on September 26. Alma is the sister of Amor Rivera-Hallowell (an IVCF staff married to another staff worker, Jay Hallowell) and was involved with NCF. Boyet used to attend Baguio IVCF. The dinner meeting at their place was graced by the presence of two speakers in next year’s conference: Eric Tadeo, a lawyer/mediator now based in Vancouver, Washington and Miriam Adeney, a missionary and anthropologist now living and working in Seattle. Eric came with his wife, Vivian. Miriam who used to be an IVCF staff worker knew Eric and Vivian from their active student involvement with SVCF Diliman. The two speakers along with Lilia were able to clarify, discuss, and firm up the conference topic of being Filipino Christian witnesses in the US and Canada.
Balikatan West will pass God’s test. By His grace, we will be faithful, hopeful, and full of love. Please pray for our preparations for Balikatan conference next year. See you in UC Berkeley on July 1-3, 2011!!
Lilia Salazar-Nigro, Balikatan Board Member and Conference 2011 Director, vn6003ls@att.net
NOVEMBER 25 – PRAYER DAY OF PRAISE AND THANKS
Today as Balikatan’s monthly Prayer Day and America’s Thanksgiving Day, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2). Let us praise God and thank Him for the following:
1. For faithful and cheerful donors: For the first time in many years, IVCF Philippines has been able to pay their staff workers on time this year and there was even a surplus from last year’s budget. All these are from the generosity of alumni and friends from the US, Canada, and the Philippines who gave despite our ongoing economic crisis.
2. For fellowship among Balikatan members and friends: The various groups and chapters have been involved in several activities to provide social and spiritual support to each other as they have shared in our newsletters. Their IVCF bond has stayed strong through the years.
3. For prayerful support to IVCF Alumni in Missions: Some alumni in missions have recently been featured in our newsletters. They are God’s witnesses in many parts of the world and their IVCF training has been instrumental in their equipping for God’s work.
4. For the ministry of IVCF Philippines: About 40 staff workers under the leadership of Erickson Velardo and the Board of Trustees have been faithfully serving God in student work. Per Erickson, IVCF Philippines is one with IFES in making Prayer as one of their core commitments. For details of their ministry, please refer to www.ivcfphil.org.
5. For wisdom and guidance to Balikatan Board: Decisions have been made that had great impact on Balikatan due to their unity and commitment to God’s work.
6. For ALCS and Etapestry: Alumni Liaison Communication Specialist in the person of Mila Pascual (in her inspiring hard work) and our internet program Etapestry are a perfect combination that have enabled Balikatan to regularly communicate with each other.
7. For healing of the sick: Many of our members have been healed from serious illnesses. Some have shared their struggles on our newsletters, others were more open to their local groups, and all have experienced God’s grace and love.
“Let us come before Him with thanksgiving¡ For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Psalm 95:2-3).