MISSION-MINDED WOMAN

by Maggie Estes

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

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.

Ate Maggie is a retired missionary who worked with OMF International in the Philippines.

 

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”.

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.

Julie is married to Ellsworth Rustia and they have two daughters, Karen and Hamille. Hamille is married to John Paul Chou.

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.

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

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