Missionary's Corner
KFL Thailand Champion’s League Mini-Conference
I was amazed to see the status on Facebook of one of the mothers of our CFC KFL (CFC Kids for Family and Life) participants 3days after the KFL conference. It staid: "We were in a mall and my elder daughter kept on asking me to buy her so many stuff, when my 6 yr. old son gave his older sister a look and said, ‘You WANT it but you don't NEED it!’. It made my day! My youngest son learned so much from the recently concluded KFL conference! Praise God ".
It was a great affirmation that the kids truly learned so much during the Champion’s League Conference. Among the many lessons learned by our children during the conference, they were empowered to be wise and firm in their convictions.
The Champion’s League Mini-conference of KFL Thailand took place last November 28 at the St. Gabriel Foundation, It was a gathering of 35 KFL participants, and 25 YFL and 5 SFL who served as the service team for the event. It was a whole day activity echoing what took place during the World Kids Congress (WKC) in the Philippines this year. The whole morning focused on activities that included much singing and dancing using several kid’s praise songs, including learning the conference theme song, “Sing, sing, sing”. The children were divided into groups for the games and presentations. There was also a Kid’s Praise where the purpose of the ministry was explained - H.E.A.R.T. (Honor, Empower, Act, Relate and Testify). The afternoon was spent on workshops that focused on the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as generosity, patience and self-control.
The main segment of the event featured the “Champions’ League Play”, reliving the same spirit of the characters Kuya Jess, Kiko, Tere, Pio, Agnes and Pedro from the original play presented during the WKC in the Philippines. The famous “Champions’ dance” kept the kids enthusiastic and involved. The kids were given the chance to showcase the kid’s praise dances to their parents. The day ended with high energy as the kids were made to experience a dance concert with impersonations of their favorite stars Hannah Montana and those from High School Musical.
The conference was indeed a breakthrough for CFC FFL Thailand. It allowed the children to experience a higher level of honoring God, empowerment and fellowship. Young as they are, they learned to open their hearts to God’s is call to live a life of a champion by growing in their love for Him, obeying their parents and making them proud. They also learned the call to be instruments of His love to one another.
This conference was also a good venue for the YFL members to bring out their talents, and to give their all in serving the Lord. It was their privilege to be “kuyas” and “ates” to the little ones. The SFL members whose secular work is in the field of education, found a deeper purpose to their calling by using their skills and passion for the community.
Indeed, the KFL Champions League Conference moved the hearts of many.
Contributed by
Giella Garcia Sanchez
CFC FFL Young Ministries Missionary for Indochina
Women After God’s Own Heart
A recent pastoral teaching given to CFC FFL Bangkok, Thailand, became a milestone for the community. It was an opportunity for deepening at a personal level for the servants and members, this time, for women exclusively. The recent pastoral visit of Mimi David, together with Oland David, the CFC FFL Thailand Country Servants, paved the way for such an opportunity. On November 23, around 25 of us women from CFC, HFL and SFL, came together with Mimi David to learn more about our special call from God as women and our unique role in the family, the community, and the whole plan of God for the country and the world.
One of the things that I have always appreciated in my 11 years of being in the community, are these kinds of teachings that focus on molding women to live out such beautiful purpose. This recent teaching once again reminded me that I am indeed truly created after God’s own heart.
This was affirmed through the example of three holy women, who fully lived out God’s plans in their lives. These three were St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Mama Mary herself. It was truly a moment of inspiration and humility realizing that it is God’s desires for us women to follow the footsteps of these three beautiful women.
Among the many lessons I learned that night, I would like to sum it up with the three P’s that convicted me the most: perseverance in prayer, patience and presence. The first one, perseverance in prayer was very evident in all three women. All of them were called by God for special purpose and the very key to its fulfillment depended greatly on their untiring commitment to communicate with God every moment they can each day. St. Monica tirelessly prayed for the conversion of her husband and three sons. St. Anne inspired me to pray consistently. As women, I learned that it is our privilege to be the heart of God’s mission in the family and the community. Being women of prayer calls us to deepen our prayer life and our communication with God. Forming intercessory groups to pray and intercede for people, events and concerns of the community, and learning to listen to the Lord speak and recording them in our personal prayer journals will definitely deepen our prayer life. Mother Mary’s “fiat” and her complete submission to God’s will even to the death of her Son, was drawn from her decision of constant communication with the Father through prayer...
The second one, patience, deepens the first. It serves as a constant reminder that things won’t happen right away because God has a plan and a purpose for everything. To persevere in prayer, means to also be patient to wait on the Lord and hope in Him – all according to His plan and purpose. St. Monica demonstrated her patience for her loved ones’ conversion. Even when St. Augustine became a pagan, she still rooted herself on God’s promises, and later on, witnessed her son returning back to God. Her patience and perseverance in prayer gave her a saint.
The last one, presence, talked about women’s call to simply be there, to be the source of strength for the men as they lead their family and the community. Like Mary, they serve as the quiet strength in the family and the community. They support, encourage, and step back to listen to God’s direction. The presence of Mother Mary is best described as simple, silent, pure, and consistent. Mother Mary was always silently present at the wedding feast in Cana, with the apostles at Pentecost, and at the foot of the Cross.
The whole night of teaching truly touched the hearts of us women in Bangkok. It reminded us of our special call and purpose. It also reminded us that we have each other to lean on, especially during those moments we experience difficulties in living out this call. We were molded to be better women to the men of community, and men of the home. It was truly a time to simply feel God’s embrace among the company of sisters who share the same passion and experiences. Definitely, we will all be looking forward to more moments like this, to sit down, learn and listen, and spend time with each other as sisters in the community. We truly feel grateful to the Lord for the privilege of being women after God’s own heart!
Contributed by
Giella Garcia Sanchez
CFC FFL Young Ministries Missionary for Indochina