Pilgrim's Progress (February 2012)

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Partners in Life and MinistryByGods graciousprovidence and after manymonthsofplanning andpreparation(mostlyon Kerens part!)Jamesand Kerenwere happilyunited inthecovenantofmarriagelastNovember12atBacolodTrinityChristianChurch.Itwasajoyoustimeof warm celebration and reunion as many friends and family members traveledfromdifferentplacesaroundthe countryand the globein orderto join in on thecelebrationsandtoextendtheirwellwishes.Notlongafter,thenewlywedsspentaweek away in Malaysia and Singapore for some uninterrupted time of rest andrecreation.

Beingamarriedcoupleinministryhasitsperks.NowKerenandJamescanworkmore closely together in reaching the Loyola Heights community with thegospelof JesusChrist. CurrentlyJames isstillleading allof theBibleStudiesand Prayer Meetings, but weare hoping thatKeren too may soonstartandleadherowngroupofladieswhowishtostudytheBibletogether.

Open House, Open HeartsOnDecember12,exactly one monthafterthewedding,we hosted an Open Housefor thePilgrimCommunProjectwherestudents,friends,andministrysupportershadthechancetojustvisitwithusandtotalktousabotheministryandmissionthatwearedoinghereinKatipunan.Alittlemorethantwentypeoplecamethatdayanwe had great conversations over coffee and other refreshments.Becausewehadacoupleofchildrenw

visited as well, James decided to hold an informal dumpling-makingsessionwiththemanda l l h a d our fill o f our dimsum creations. One visitor thathad notexpected butwas veryhap

to see was James longtime friefrom high school. It must habeen a bout a de ca de sintheyveseeneachotherandswas a great reunion for thboth when Philip decidedcomeuponJamesinvitation.

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Ph ili p i s a n I ns ur an ceBroker who, togetherwith some of his friendsfrom college and highs c h o o l , s t a r t e d a

businessaimedathelpings m a l l t i me o r g a n i c

farmers in Tarlac have asteady and fairdistribution channel for their

produce. Their group is called The Good Foodompany (GFC) and they provide weekly baskets of

easonal vegetables and fruits to customerswho pay afixed monthlyorquarterly

ubscription rate. We are veryappy that Philip came and

lt ho ug h h e d ec li ne d o urnvitation to join us for Bibletudy, yet we are glad toave reconnected withim and pray that weould continue to reachutto himwith thelovefJesus.

Chinese

Studies, ChinesePainting and Chinese FoodWiththestartoftheNewYear,JamesandKerendecidedo eachenrollinashortcourseattheConfuciusInstitutettheAteneodeManilaUniversity(ChineseLanguagefor

James and Chinese Painting for Keren).This school is just a short ten-minute

walk from the apartment and it isrecognized as one of the top

u n iv e rs it ie s i n t he c o un tr y.Moreover, mostof thestudentsthat are currentlymeetingupwith James for Bible Study

are also enrolled in thisschool. Therefore the

decision to enroll wasreally prompted by athreefold aim: [1] toreally actually learn

what istaught, [2]to get to know newfriendsandbuild relationships with them, and [3] to have accinto the ADMU campus and to have a first-haexperienceofhowstudentlifeintheuniversityislike

Sofarwearefourweeksintotheclassesalreadyandarebothstartingtogettoknowsomeofourclassmabetter as well. Kerens Chinese painting skillsimprovingandJamesChinesetooseemstobemakgood progress. These classes are held everySaturmorningfrom9amto12nnforacycleoftenweeks.

Due to the relative success of last ye

Open House, and also in keepwith the theme of Chin

New Year, we decidedhol d another i nformDumpling-Making a

Eating event lastJanuary. We hadpeoplewhocametw e h a d o r i gi na

expected but we wverythankfulbecause o

of Kerens schoolmafromhighschoolwh

n o w w o r k i n g i n M a nha pp en ed to l i ve relatively near our place adecided to drop by. Keren is hoping to start meetwith her for BibleStudy soon.Another surprise guwastheladywhodistributedourorganicveggiesattpick-uppoint(yes,wedecidedtosubscribetoGFChave been eating organic veggies for about a monow!). We met her at the pick-up point and

invitedhertotheevent. We were very

happy to

know thats he w asupforit.

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C ha rl en e i s a n e th ic alvegetarian and so we alsohad no-meat dumplings thatday.Sheiscurrentlyworkingfull-time with GFC but

s h e s a l s o d o i n gf ur th er s tu di es i nphilosophyatADMUon the side. We arehopingto witnesstoher someday but for themeantimewearegladtohavemetanewfriendinher.Shes very thoughtful, even lending Keren a book onChinese Painting and James some philosophy bookswhen shefound out that hemajored in the subject inuniversity.

Bible, Prayer and Discipleship:Our Core MinistriesByGodsgrace,theSaturdayPrayerFellowshiphasnowgrown alittlemorefromlast year.Westarted outwithustonelawstudentfromUP.Thisonestudentbrought

along two more of his friends last year, and just thisyear theyinvited two more making up a total of fiveattendees. This group has really been encouragingbecause although they are just starting to getacquainted with the gospel, yet they are eager aboutearning and also bringing more people to come and

pray and study the Bible together with us. Jamesstudies theWestminsterShorter Catechism with thesestudentsbeforespendingtimeprayingforoneanother.

Two of the students that James had bmeeting with last semester are gradua

seniors and are thus extra busyp re oc cu pi ed w it h s ch oo l

practicum responsibilities. A

result, they have both beggedfrommeeting altogether.Thisl i tt le d i sh e ar t en in g f o ralthough it is also a remindehow campus ministry could

verytransient.Allthesame,theLisfaithfulandhasagainbroughtnewpeopleundercare.Jamesisnowmeetingwithatotalofsevenstudentsonaweeklybasis(stillwithdifferenttimeslotssinceuniversity students scheduleshardly ever seem to have anyc o m mo n a l i t y w i t h o t h erstudents) for Bible Study. Thesedo not include thesix whocome for the SaturdayP r a y er F e l lo w s h ip smentioned above.J am es h as b ee nu s in g M a tt h ia sMediasJustforStarters and C h r i s t i a nL iv in g J us t f orStarterswiththesestudents.Inadditiontomeetingstudents,ourfortnightlyFrBibleStudygrouphascontinuedandwearenowsemeet every first and third Friday of the month. Tgroup,consistingofmostlycouplesintheirlatethirtoearlyfortieshasbeenmeetingwithJamesonandfor thelast year and ahalfor so. Theyare mostlychurched and de-churchedpeople who haveChrisbackgrounds (i.e. used to go to church or attenChristian school). However, since they have bmeeting up for Bible study, James has noticed t

some of the members are starting to think mBiblically now and are identifying themselvesbelievers.Thisgroup isalsogrowingaswe getfriends invited to join from time to time.attendancehoweverisnotasconsistent.Onagday we have about thirteen to fifteen peoattending.Wearecurrentlystudyingthrough


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Redeemer City to Citys Gospel in Life BibleStudyandVideoseries.

Afewweeksago,Jamesalsochallengedasecondyearuniversity student to meet with him one-to-one ford is ci pl es hi p a nd m en to rs hi p. T he y a recurrently reading through the WestminsterConfession of Faith and studying thebookofJonah together. James hopes to grow thisyoung man in his love for Jesus, hisconformitytoJesus,andhisservicetoJesusandHispeople.Prayer Points

1. Praise God for He has caused thePr aye r Fe llo wsh ip t o g ro w i nnumberandforproviding chairstotheministrytomeetthisneed.

2. P r a i s e G o d f o r H i s w i s eprovidenceinfinallybringingJamesandKerentogetherinmarriage.

3. PleasepraythatasJamesandKerencontinuetoadjust as a couple, they will learn to be goodstewardsof whatGod has provided. Pray thatthey will both exercise Biblical headship andsubmissionintheirmarriageforGodsglory.

4. Please pray that James and Keren willcontinue to build relationships with theirc la ss ma te s a t t he A DM U C on fu ci usInstituteas they share their lives tothem.Praythattheymayonedayinvitethemto

BibleStudy and share to themgood news of Gods grace

mercyinJesus.

5.P l e a s e p r a y t h a t t h e t

prospectiveBibleStudiestobeledKeren will push through.Two groof ladies have shown interestlearningtheScriptures,oneisagrofyoung professionalsandtheotisagroupofyoungmothers.

6.Please pray that the Bible Stmembers would grow in graceknowledgeoftheLordJesus.

7. Please pray thatJamesand Keren will beato reach out to residents of neighbo

subdivisions.

PilgrimCommunityPilgrimComm

Wedlovetohearfromyou!Address:No.6,UnitH,Park9Alley,LoyolaHeights,QuezonCity,Philippines1108Telefax:(02)990-1571Landline:(02)502-8589Mobile:(0917)898-1689-James/(0917)300-0544-Keren

Website:www.pilgrimcommunity.phEmail:[email protected]

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Pilgrim's Progress (February 2012)