reuben

July 2021

For a year, we have been praying for the day when we can gather the young people in person to worship God and grow in the knowledge of the Lord.  Indeed, we have a God who listens to our prayers, especially those who trust and have faith in Him.

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We held our first Amplified Live Youth service. Twenty-five worshipers attended, and twelve accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Due to the restrictions implemented in the city, we were only allowed to have students fifteen years old and above at the service. Out of this group, we split into six smaller groups.

The order of service was the message, then small groups to discuss the questions prepared by the preacher. The small group leaders were the members of my discipleship group. They are young professionals at our church. I challenged them to step up and be obedient to the call of the great commission. Their leadership was the result of the past year of praying and training them to be leaders. I praise the Lord for these leaders.

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This year, we decided to have our youth service in person every first Sunday of the month from two to four. The online youth service happens on Fridays via our social media page. We are praying that by next January, we will have a regular weekly face-to-face youth service.

With connections through the small groups from this youth service, it will be easier to access the campuses when the universities and schools open. I am excited about what God will do with our ministry, especially in the lives of our young people.

• Pray for God to work in the lives of these young people through the small groups.
• Pray for the small group leaders.
• Pray for the leadership to be intentional in reaching out and following up with the teens.

June 2021

Amplified: Youth on the MOVE is a youth organization aiming to make Jesus Christ known on every campus and university here in Cebu by developing outstanding students through values transformation and excellence. Since the pandemic first began a year ago, God has been actively working as we continue to serve Him with this ministry. After a year of prayer and supplication, we have launched our first in-person Amplified Youth Service. It will be held at the Golden Peak Hotel at two in the afternoon.

Amplified LIVE is the name of our youth service. We will be meeting live every first Sunday of the month; the following weeks, the service will be online. In this way, we can save up finances until next year for a permanent place to have a regular worship service.

The goal of the service is to gather young teens and students. We share the gospel with them and then do follow-up for discipleship. After the message, we have breakout sessions. In this method, we can develop personal relationships with the students and start discipleship groups with them. I now have connections with the students, and it will be easier to reach their respective schools.

• Pray for Amplified small groups to meet inside the campuses or universities. We desire to transform the lives of the students. I am so excited to see how God will work in the lives of the young people in this ministry.

• Pray for the hearts of the young people and for God to work in their lives, for them to be receptive to the gospel.

• Pray for the leaders – Eunice, Makin, Jan Marie, and Jon – that God will give them wisdom and courage to share the gospel with boldness.
• Pray that they will be intentional in making disciples.
• Pray for God to use me as His mouthpiece as I deliver His message at our first in-person youth service.

May 2021

Amplified Life’s new series this month is titled “World Changers: Helpless. Hopeless. Hurting.” These are the common emotions that have plagued many in these past few months.

As the future continues to be uncertain because of the pandemic and circumstances in our society, it can be easy for us to feel like we can not do anything about our problems anymore. Many young people today fall into isolation, depression, and various coping mechanisms that do not solve the issues.

We can try on our own to solve the various problems we face in our personal lives, within our families, and throughout society. But what will change the world is the gospel because it addresses the root cause of all the issues – man’s sinfulness and our need for a Savior who will transform us to be like Him. In this series, we want to empower the young people to be the change this world needs, salt and light toward the people they engage with every day.

There are four main objectives in the series. To know that God is both just and loving: He despises sin but extends love to us sinners, to remember that we have eternal hope and security in Jesus. To train young people to go to the Bible as their ultimate authority in how to respond. To realize the things we need to change about ourselves so that God can use us to change the world.

We are praying for a place to gather as a culmination for the series. This gathering will be the beginning of a youth service. The team is praying and aiming for the last Sunday of the month to start the Youth Service.

• Pray for a place where we can gather regularly.
• Pray for a HUB or Center for the young people to gather weekly.

Jep-Jep is a high school student who wanted to learn the keyboard. He was one of the young people serving in the WF church in Tayud, Consolacion. We are on our fourth lesson, and he is improving his piano skills. He can now play the keyboard with both hands; in the past weeks, he was having a hard time playing both hands at the same time on the assigned exercises. I am confident that in the coming weeks, he will be a good keyboardist.

• Pray for Jep-Jep to continue to serve God with his musical skills.
• Pray for God to work in his life and for his spiritual growth.

Hazel is also in high school and a member of the church in Tayud. She is struggling to play with both hands and just had her second lesson with me. I am optimistic that she will grow to be a good keyboardist with her passion and willingness to learn.

• Pray for God to work in the life of Hazel as she continues to grow in the Lord.
• Pray for her to use this musical skill for God’s glory.
• Pray for Hazel to have the disciple to practice so that her skills will improve.

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April 2021

God has blessed us with another set of leaders committed to the vision of Amplified Youth on the Move ministries. They are still college students attending the University of San Carlos. This school is one of the more prominent universities here in Cebu and officially closed to the gospel. These two leaders are personally responsible for many of the “likes” and “followers” of our Livestream every Friday because they share it with their classmates and friends.

• Pray for these two leaders are they are getting trained in our ministry. They will become excellent leaders when the campuses reopen, and we connect in person with the students.
• Pray for God to protect them from the attacks of the devil.
• Pray for God to continue working in their lives as they journey with us.

The Minefield is our new series. Every generation has its own unique struggles. However, despite the similarities between them, it can sometimes be tough for one generation to relate to another. Understanding the anxieties and concerns of young people in 2021 is a minefield like no other. Social media, vanity, peer pressure, and the list goes on. In this series, we will cross the minefield and identify each landmine that lurks beneath with the main of destroying us. We will use the Word of God as the detector for the landmines.

This study aims to increase the awareness of how young people will carry their lives and live a life that is pleasing to God. Also, to be aware of the distractions and dangers of what the world is teaching, primarily through the internet. And to draw near to Jesus and start a relationship with Him.

Ejay, our social media page manager, is hosting our online stream already. It was her first time doing such a task, but it surely will not be her last. The leaders will be the future hosts of this online ministry. We expect new faces on the stream in the coming weeks. This set-up period is part of our improvements in our online ministry and to train our leaders to be hosts.

• Pray with us for a place to rent so that Amplified Live will not just be an online ministry but will soon be a gathering of young people that worship God.
• Pray for more young people to be reached with our online ministry.

March 2021

Amplified Live online ministry is happening every Friday in the late afternoon. This month our series focused on our fears. The Amplified core group met to discuss topics and decided this theme would be relevant to the situation of our current society, especially as many people are fearful of the covid crisis.

Fear not! Three hundred and sixty-five times in the Bible, God repeatedly reminds us not to be afraid. We aimed to help the students hear these words. We differentiated between fear and faith. Then we focused on what to do when faced with rejection or encountering the fear of rejection. Lastly, our series discussed the anxieties of “what if?” What should we do when these fears creep into our lives? Our response should be to turn our eyes on Jesus! We shared this message with the students who listened to our online stream.

We held our first official online meeting for the Amplified team. Our main reason was to cast the vision and mission of this campus ministry, “Amplified Youth on the Move.” I am blessed and honored to lead this team. I am amazed at how God wove our lives together for His glory and grace.  We brainstormed and discussed future topics. We plan to meet once a month for evaluation and to strategize how to reach more young people.

• Pray for the lives of these youth.
• Pray that God will sustain and protect them from any attacks of the enemy.
• Pray for God to use them mightily in the campus ministry.
• Pray for my life to be a worthy example as I lead the young people.
• Pray for wisdom for our core group as we make decisions for the improvement of our online ministry. We plan to start an online youth worship service.

I am helped Pastor Lito in training their music team. He asked me to focus on teaching a keyboardist as their church has none. Of the students learning the keyboard, one is exceptional. Her name is Faith. When we first started, she had no idea how to play the keyboard; but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she is a fast learner. Faith has what musicians call “piano touch” and is a natural; she was shy at first but became more animated as the lesson went along. The excellent part of Pastor Lito’s ministry is the pairing of musical training with spiritual mentoring. The students have the opportunity to learn music and be discipled by the members of the church. I am blessed to be a part of their journey.

February 2021

For the past months, I have been praying that God will send more people to help reach the students here in Cebu. Last month, I shared about one lady who believes in our social media page’s vision – Amplified: youth on the move. She has joined me in proclaiming the gospel. This month, I am so excited to inform you that God has sent three more people committed to this ministry.

I am excited about what God is doing in our ministry of Amplified live. We are reaching more youth online. As people share the stream in their timeline, even more people hear the gospel.

• Pray for these outstanding youth who share my vision of reaching the students of Cebu.
• Pray that I will be an example in their lives as we impart on the journey of discipling and mentoring them.
• Pray for wisdom and protection.
• Pray that we will strengthen our relationship to Christ and each other through our fellowship and Bible study.

January 2021

Teaching music is a tool to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Due to the covid crisis this past year, with the campuses closed and no sign of face-to-face classes returning soon, I changed my approach to reaching the students. I am teaching students who desire to learn music. Music is an expression we can use to glorify God. Music is a gift from God that we offer back to Him as praise.

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Pastor Jonet asked me to train their youth in music so their church could start a praise and worship team. He informed me that the majority of the young people I would be teaching are not yet believers. It is an excellent opportunity for Pastor Jonet and me to disciple and nurture the youth in the Word of God. I will be providing instructions in playing the keyboard, acoustic guitar, and drums. The goal is to train them to be worshippers of God and not just instrumentalists.

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I am reminded of the verse in Revelations, “what He opens, no one can close; and what He closes, no one can open.” Covid may be why campuses are closed, but that does not stop us from ministering to them. Music is the method to reach them right now with the gospel.

More pastors are asking for my help in training their young people to be musicians. I am thrilled for more opportunities to reach the youth. I thank God for wisdom and for preparing the ground and hearts. I pray that when the campuses do open, these teens will be the point person for their school, and through them, I can press forward with the good news of Jesus Christ.

On Amplified, our online ministry, last month’s series was “Is this Pag-igib?” –(Is this love?) We looked at God’s perspective on relationships to help the youth tell whether their relationships are potentially going somewhere or if they are bound to sink and fail. Our main text was from Proverbs 4:23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Many of the teens start relationships without hesitating because they feel it is the right thing. They want to follow their hearts. This session of five lessons focused on tackling purity while waiting for God’s best plan for their lives.

• Pray for our series to help the teens understand that they can only find true love in Jesus.

I have been praying for months, asking God to provide a person to work with me in ministry with a passion for helping the students. Last month my cousin approached me and shared her burden to help in my online ministry – Amplified. Eunice is leading a discipleship group meeting online. I am blessed and amazed by God on how He weaves our lives together to enlarge His territory. Eunice manages our social media page by creating and posting content that will draw more young people to our page. Then they will have the chance to hear the gospel that is preached regularly every Friday during our live stream.

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• Pray for my search for a place of worship for the teens to gather.
• Pray for God to give Eunice wisdom and creativity as she plans the content to post daily.
• Pray for the teens’ lives at The Young People of the Capital site and Caritas as they learn music for God’s glory.
• Pray for the youth at my place in Labangon, Cebu.
• Pray for opportunities to spread God to the young people.
• Pray for protection and safety as I drive my motorcycle.
• Pray that God will give me wisdom and presence of mind as I travel.
• Pray for our online youth ministry that more teens will watch and have the chance to listen and understand the gospel.
• Pray for mother; she is currently taking medications for leukemia.
• Pray for God to strengthen her immune system and for protection as she juggles doctor appointments.
• Pray for me and that I will always choose to obey God in everything that I do.

December 2020

This season is the season of giving. The church where I serve God held a campaign called “Love Aid.” Members of the church who had extra supplies gave the members who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic or were severely affected by the work closure. God used the givers to fulfill the needs of their brethren.

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We were able to give to the community as well by blessing the families of the students. These youth gather every Saturday afternoon for Bible study and discipleship. Their ages range from grade seven to senior high school. The connections made with these students will be necessary for reaching out to their schools and universities when the campuses open again. Six students came and received their goodies and rice. We distributed the remainder of the rice to more families in the neighborhood. As we made deliveries, we prayed with the families. The ministries had multiple purposes beyond providing immediate food, but to reach out and share the gospel with the families and get to know the youth’s families.

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One teen that I am earnestly praying for is Wendell. We have been friends for over a year. Wendell attended the Daily Vacation Bible School that was held before the pandemic. The other youth also participated in this group. Wendell has a good sense of humor and loves to join me each Sunday at church. His mom is currently in prison with drug charges, and his father has died. Wendell is living with relatives near our place. He wants to learn the drums and come for drum lessons with us every Saturday.

• Pray for me as I set a Christian example for this young fellow.
• Pray that the seeds planted in his heart grow.
• Pray for the drum lessons to be a method of discipleship and point Wendell to Christ.

God blessed me with the skill of music. I am thrilled that the students who were blessed through “Love Aid” want to learn music. Four want to learn how to play the piano, one the guitar, and the last one to play the drums. So lessons will be held on Mondays for piano, Tuesday for guitar, and Saturday for drums. These music lessons will be an excellent way to reach the students’ souls for Christ and build relationships with them.

Thank you for your support and partnership. The result of your generosity is that these teens may come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

• Pray for the six students to thrive in music and to come to proclaim Christ as their Savior.
• Pray as I train them in music and to become future leaders in the ministry.

November 2020

Cebu City has been under “modified general community quarantine” for more than a month now. There are fewer restrictions, borders in the cities are open for travel, and businesses have begun to operate again. Campuses are still closed, but we can move around and gather in groups with strict compliance to health protocols.

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I have been working with the young people at MCCC, Mambaling Christian Community Center, with Pastor Cris. I am training their youth to play musical instruments for the worship service. Many of them are students who live close to the church. The students are just beginning their musical training in piano, guitar, drums, and bass guitar. I love teaching them as they are eager and willing to learn. They have teachable hearts.

By connecting with these young people and building relationships now, I will have easier access to their respective schools and their fellow students when the campuses reopen. I am thankful to God for the wisdom of Pastor Cris and the opportunity to teach. Andrew is the youth leader at MCCC; he helps me meet and connect with the students.

• Pray for the youth who are learning to be musicians.
• Pray for diligence in music practice.
• Pray for genuine love and desire to serve God with their music and for their walk with God.
• Pray for opportunities to build relationships and reach more youth with the gospel.

It was an honor to preach the gospel at the first youth service at MCCC just a month ago. I shared the gospel with students from ten to seventeen years old. Friends gathered around the original group of fifteen to twenty students who have heard the gospel.

• Pray for the online ministry: Amplified-Youth on the Move.
• Pray for the three-hundred people who liked and followed the page to hear the gospel and come to salvation. We are slowly moving forward.
• Pray for our weekly stream. We are not only reaching Cebu City but the whole island of Cebu and some parts of Mindanao.

October 2020

I have been praying for an open-door to the University of Visayas for the past few months. Last month, I invited Ms. Camielle, a teacher at UV, to speak on our Amplified Live page. After the live stream, I had the opportunity to share my goals and plans as a campus missionary to UV. Ms. Camielle is willing to help, especially in the psychology department where she is teaching. As soon as the campuses open next school year, we can reach out in person to the students enrolled at UV. 

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God opened the door to another university in Cebu, Southwestern. I met with the dean and one of the professors in the school of business at SWU. Currently, the campuses are still closed, and classes are online. God has given me the downtime during the pandemic to prepare emotionally and spiritually to minister to the students and set the future groundwork. By the next school year, when campuses are open again, we will have a campus ministry on SWU. 

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• Pray for the University of Visayas and Southwestern University.
• Pray for open doors for the gospel message; praise the Lord for the current progress.
• Pray for more and deeper connections to the professors and students. 

This month our series is titled When God says No: Dealing with Disappointments. The current situation for students here in the Philippines is online coursework. Some students are not coping well with the online classes and modules; often, this results in disappointments. Our series teaches how to deal with disappointments Biblically. The topic is essential to this generation, especially with the number of suicide cases rising in the past years. Depression is increasing among this age group. The messages will help the students understand the importance of Jesus in their lives; without Him, life is impossible to live. 

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• Pray for more viewers to watch online streaming.
• Pray for relationships beyond the likes and online comments.
• Pray for the students to have a genuine understanding of salvation. 

September 2020

Last month our series was Lifegoals, focusing on what the Bible teaches about true success. The series’s central theme is that a life found in Jesus is the most important thing or decision a student can make, and then everything else will follow. During our live sessions, I invited some friends to help me reach out to more students in Cebu and some parts of Mindanao.

God is using this series to reach the students and remind me of the most pertinent things to focus on in my life. My research has reminded me to balance my physical health and spiritual health in addition to valuing the relationships with my family. I also consider the legacy I will leave when our Maker calls me home. I believe the invited speakers blessed the listeners. I pray for more people to join and hear the gospel. We always end each topic by sharing the incredible love of God in our lives. Our lifegoals should always start with Jesus.

• Pray for wisdom that I may reach more students.
• Pray for God to prepare their hearts and minds.
• Pray for the seed planted in their hearts to grow.

As a result of the Lifegoals series, a student sent a message asking to learn more about Jesus Christ. He is nineteen and lives in Pamutan, Cebu City. His name is Chary, and we have been communicating via phone. We have a regular discipleship meeting each week on Mondays. It is online right now, but we hope to have face to face discipleship in the future. Chary has a friend that wants to join us.

• Pray for my example as I disciple this young man.
• Pray for Chary to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our next month series is titled Waiting Well, focusing on the right attitude during a series of waiting. This topic is critical for students, especially for gen-z, as they live in an era where everything is instant. We have two-hundred and ninety-four followers on the page.

• Pray for God to prepare their hearts and minds for the gospel.
• Pray for God to use the guests to help the students understand the importance of waiting for God’s timing.

August 2020

Just a few months ago, we launched the social media page Amplified. Then we added the online live stream to engage the teens who liked the page. The topic for these few months is #LifeGoals-to succeed at what truly matters. We have covered several issues, including “success, redefined” and “succeeding in school or at work.” We will discuss six topics total that focus on what matters in life rather than merely racing along. I believe these discussions can help the students understand that there is more to life than
just good grades in school or having a good-paying job in the future. The main principle I share is that life is impossible without Jesus Christ. Thus, I present the gospel and salvation to the students. This live stream is a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel online.

The challenge I currently face is to have more people clicking on and liking the page. At first, my skills involved just managing the page and doing some posts. But now I am doing the online streaming as this is also how most churches are using online worship to reach people during the pandemic. More clicks and likes equal more people who hear the gospel and engage with its information.

• Pray for wisdom and God’s guidance as I create the content for the page.
• Pray for the social media platform and that God will prepare the students as they hear the gospel each Friday night.
• Pray for more people to find the page and hear the gospel.
• Continue to pray for the four students I mentioned in previous reports.

I am using videos to start conversations concerning the gospel. Two of the students responded to the video and are communicating with me, sharing their prayer requests.

• Pray for these four students, for God to continue drawing them to faith.
• Pray for the students to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
• Pray for more opportunities to share the gospel online.

July 2020

We have a total of one-hundred and twenty-six likes and followers, a month after launching our Facebook page to reach young people using the internet. They are located not only in Cebu city but all over the island of Cebu. Last month our topic was “guarding your heart,” specifically against anything that could hinder our devotion to God. The goal is to use these posts to create opportunities for conversations with the students.

Next month, our theme is “life goals.” The content of the posts will focus on defining the true meaning of success. We are explaining success as a holistic approach to life and emphasizing that only Jesus can satisfy, only through Jesus will the gaps and holes in our hearts be filled.

Reaching the students is quite tricky and challenging, heightened by the current situation where no face-to-face meeting is allowed. The Philippines president clearly stated that he would not allow any face-to-face meetings on campus until a vaccine is available. Digital outreach will be the best option for me to connect with students.

Pray for the strength to face this new challenge of reaching the students online. Pray that I will not waste energy worrying about the current situation, but instead that I will focus on what God is doing and what He is about to do. Pray that I will be faithful, serving God during the quiet and chaotic moments.

Pray for the one-hundred and twenty-six students who have liked and are following the page. Pray that God will use the posts and videos to speak to them.  Pray that God will give me wisdom in reaching more students using the internet.

• Pray for the four students who I have had more connected with this past month. Their names are Crizel, Rosewell, Ralph, and Elizxar.
• Pray that God will prepare their hearts as I intentionally share the gospel with them.

June 2020

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5. God will not rebuke us for asking Him for wisdom. God is true to His Word. We launched the Amplified page last month, and at the time of this report, we have had over a hundred and fourteen likes, mostly from college students.

The last post reached twenty-two thousand and seven-hundred young people with a total of two-thousand and one hundred engagements. We asked, “What can I pray for you?” I was amazed at the students’ responses. Four teens have been in contact with me, and I am intentionally keeping in touch to teach them about Christ. Our main goal of the page is to reach the youth for Christ. MOVE means make Jesus Christ known by developing outstanding students through values transformation and excellence.

In July, our central theme for the month is Guarding Our Hearts. Amplified will focus on topics and posts that remind the students that it is not wise to follow our hearts but that the Bible teaches us to guard our hearts because our hearts can be deceitful. We have a monthly theme for the page. I invited speakers to discuss the topic using Facebook Live.

• Pray for the four youth, Rosewell, Ralph, Elizar, and Ann.
• Pray also for the one-hundred and fourteen students who liked the page and for the opportunity to follow up with them individually.

I thank God for He keeps His promises, and when we ask for wisdom, He freely gives it.

• Pray for this ministry and for our ability to reach the students via the internet. This online platform is a new terrain that we are venturing into, and I need your prayers.

Thank you, and to God be the glory.

May 2020

I have been in constant communication with my mentor on the best method of approaching school campuses with social distancing regulations. My mentor is a full-time staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, assigned here in Cebu. Even though he and his wife have been in the ministry for quite some time now, they still feel that the use of technology is new terrain. Reaching students online is our new strategy since physical contact and group gatherings are prohibited.

I have read in the news that the public schools plan to open in a couple of months, and some private schools have the option of opening next month, but all meetings will be online. With the current restrictions, one of the ways I can connect with the students is through Facebook.

The next question is how to engage the students without violating their privacy? Facebook pages are the answer! I am excited to connect with students using this method and plan to name our page “Amplified” because the definition of this word is to increase or to make louder. The goal for this page is to make the message of the gospel louder and to improve the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ.

We plan to launch next month. I am currently working on a logo and will be using the Pray, Care, and Share strategy to engage the students. I have used this strategy before, and it is useful in connecting with students. I am studying how to manage Facebook pages, and I acknowledge boosting the page will require some payments, but I believe the investment is worth the students who will come to know our Lord Jesus Christ. I see this strategy as a steppingstone and that when the time comes for the campuses to reopen, students connected through this page will be easier to reach in person.

Expect our page to launch this next month!

This new terrain is partially uncharted, and sometimes the fear of the unknown can knock us down and discourage us. But as I study the life of Abram, God reminds me that faith in Him requires my complete obedience to Him, and often our faith will be tested.

I also consider Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” This verse is my comfort. It reminds me to stop striving and to allow the Lord of Lords to do his work as I continue to obey Him.

• Pray for the students’ hearts that they will be reached by the page “Amplified,” that God will peak into their hearts, and that God will prepare their hearts for the gospel.
• Pray as I am sharing the gospel to a much broader and larger group using the internet.
• Pray that I will get ready spiritually and emotionally to reach the students online.
• Pray for wisdom as I create content for the page.
• Pray that I will always choose to obey God.

April 2020

COVID-19 has caused drastic changes in our daily lives. Some say this will be the new normal for the remainder of the year. Online classes and meetings are the current methods of communication and connection. So, my question now is, how will I conduct campus ministry if the campuses are closed? This dilemma occupies my thoughts. But I remembered Paul in his letter to Timothy, “Preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2) The Lord reminded me to be prepared to share the gospel in all times of life.

Cebu City is still under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), which began over a month ago. Transportation is non-existent. Universities are closed. Work has stopped, and everyone is encouraged to stay at home to flatten the curve. As I evaluated this situation, I realized that there are some benefits. I am doing planning, researching, and training through Zoom. I have completed over five weeks in Campus Ministry Training with Bro. Rainheart, a local leader of Campus Crusade for Christ. For an entire month, we focused on campus planning. God has used the wisdom and experience of Bro. Rainheart to equip me in my ministry.

Through my training, I have learned about more than arriving and sharing the gospel but have seen the importance of planning strategies to enter the universities and form relationships. I need to know the courses that have the highest number of students. I need to pray for connection with someone who will escort me around the various campuses. I need to study the campus culture and every detail of its layout. It is necessary to pray for specific groups of students or a particular department to focus on first as it is difficult to reach every individual in these universities of over a thousand students. I learned to think big but start small—one step and one person at a time.

Goal casting has been a part of my training. To set a vision and goals is essential to serve as the guide for my ministry. My mentor has encouraged me to plan the details, including the number of students I desire to reach with the gospel each week, and the number of leaders to train per year for the next five years. I plan to teach three student leaders or disciple-makers each year in my target universities of Cebu Normal University, University of Cebu, and the University of Visayas.

• Pray for me that God will guide me as I determine where to focus my initial efforts and if it is a specific course, department, or group of students.
• Pray for my preparations and training.
• Pray for the people with whom I will be sharing the gospel and for leaders in these targeted universities.
• Pray that I will have wisdom, boldness, and discernment as I share the gospel with the students and that God will give me eyes to see the lost and the heart of love to care for them.

I asked my mentor my earlier question about how we will reach the students if the campuses are closed and if the current situation of ECQ extends to the end of the year. God answered our dilemma. We are using technology, specifically the internet, to share the gospel. Last month I participated in an online workshop discussing Digital Outreach. The seminar aimed to teach us the foundational steps and methods of how to start a conversation using social media sites to share the gospel. We learned how to use videos to prompt interactions and connections online. I was thankful for the training and for our practice in using its methods.

I am praying for God to give me new ideas on how to connect with initially and further train students using the internet.

• Pray for my college churchmates to be my point people in reaching their classmates online.

March 2020

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38. Cebu City has five to seven Universities with an average of a thousand students each. Most of these students are from a Catholic background, and many are devoted to this religion. The harvest is plentiful and ready. For a few weeks, I have been doing prayer walks around three of the target universities of Cebu Normal University, University of Cebu, and the University of Visayas.

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Last month, I visited CNU and spoke with Mam. Jennifer Pano, who is a teacher there. Our goal is for me to meet believers, including teachers and students, on campus to make connections and infiltrate the community. We met in Dr. Pano’s office, which she offered for use for gatherings. Another option is to apply for a part-time teaching position in the music department to create another opportunity for connections within the school community.

• Pray for God’s guidance and wisdom in my strategies as I pursue these options.
• Pray for God’s will and desire to reach these students with the gospel.
• Pray for their hearts and minds to be receptive.

The University of Cebu is the largest in the city. It has four campuses with over sixty-thousand students combined. God led me to the central location. Multiple churches work here, but the harvest is plentiful, and there are many people to hear about God’s love. I have been praying for this campus every Tuesday afternoons since the beginning of the year in prayer for this outreach. Cebu City is known for Catholicism, and though the school is not Catholic-owned, Catholicism is still the majority religion of the students. However, nothing is impossible for God.

• Pray for my conversations and opportunities to share the gospel with the students intentionally.
• Pray for boldness and courage to speak with anyone.
• Pray for the students to be sensitive to God’s Word.

The University of Visayas is a five-minute walk from the White Fields Office. It is also a large university for this region with satellite campuses. I am targeting the main campus with thirty-five thousand students. I am in communication with a teacher, and as soon as virus restrictions are removed, we plan to launch our mission on campus. Areas are on lockdown due to COVID-19, and no outsiders are allowed to enter the premises.

• Pray for the threat of COVID-19 to be lifted so we can start our ministry.
• Pray for wisdom to effectively share the gospel.
• Pray for our meetings with Ms. Camille, the teacher who is a believer, and for God’s guidance on our plans.

Due to COVID-19, Cebu City is on community-quarantine, and schools have been closed since mid-March. Students have been advised to stay home due to the risk of the virus. I have been praying during this time of waiting for further training and equipping myself. God used Pastor Henry to lead me to Bro. Rainheart who is a leader of Campus Crusade for Christ. His training program typically includes lectures and fieldwork, but due to the executive order of the government, we are doing the training through online video. For the remainder of the month, there are daily studies online. As soon as the situation resolves, we will conduct these on the target campuses.

• Pray for guidance and mentorship from Bro. Rainheart and for his ministry to grow.
• Pray that I will have a humble and teachable heart.
• Pray for God to protect us against the attacks of the enemy.