Chronicles of a Staff Worker (Week 1-2 Jan 2014)

Dear Praying Friends,

The first two weeks of 2014 have come and gone. So many things are happening on campus that I can barely keep up, let alone update you of God's ministry in the dorms in UP Diliman. But God is faithful, and He has kept me able in my service to UP students.

The past 14 days are full of blessings and challenges. With the start of the new year, I am witnessing the beginning of a new generation in DCF. The once young and shy lower years are now taking leadership responsibilities in the different dorms.

Jasper (in red) celebrated his birthday with us. His father and relatives joined us.

This is especially true with the sophomore batch in charge of the freshmen fellowship. Just a year ago, they were the "babies" of DCF, but now, they are taking care of first years from the Kalayaan and Molave dorms. They are also slowly transitioning the freshmen ministry into the hands of the younger batch as they prepare to serve in the upperclassmen dorms.

Please pray for the sophomore batch so that God will preserve their testimony. May they also have a heart to reach out to their dormmates and classmates with the Gospel.

By the way, the changes in the dorm admission have blurred the dorm fellowship distinctions. We were used to having unique identities based on our dorm fellowships in DCF. Younger DCFers, however, are defined more by their batches now rather than their fellowships. This has been the case because most of the residents have been constantly changing dorms every year.

God has also blessed us with very active freshies. We have a mixed group of young men and ladies coming from both Christian and non-Christian backgrounds. I say they are active because it has been a while since I last witnessed freshies joining stranger evangelism in DCF. It is a joy to see even the young ones taking part in the expansion of God's Kingdom.

I don't remember joining evangelistic events when I was a freshman. I wasn't even active back then. But for this batch, I thank God for enabling them to boldly approach strangers to share Jesus. Of course I remind them that we are not after the numbers. Instead, we share because we want Jesus to be lifted high. We want people to meet the Jesus of the Bible, and prayerfully decide to trust Him as personal Lord and Savior.

In an age when most campus ministries go for the numbers, I encourage them to aim for faithfulness, instead. Pray that by God's grace, we can faithfully proclaim Him in words and deeds in the contexts of our lives.

Lads, DCF's chairperson, has spearheaded a weekly dorm and campus witnessing. We do it on a Monday from 10 am to 3 pm. We go around the dorms and at the Sunken Garden sharing about Jesus to everyone we meet. You can also join us if you're free. Your presence will be a great encouragement to the DCFers.

The upperclassmen fellowships in Yakal, Sampa-Kamia and Cente are also continuing. There's a noticeable decline in attendance compared to my time as student in DCF, but God is faithful and has continued to bring people to the fellowship.

On a positive note, discipleship through small-group Bible Studies were strengthened this academic year. We made a curriculum that covers topics about Jesus, Hermeneutics, Evangelism and Doctrines. It is now slowly being implemented, and a number of upperclassmen have started using it in their Bible Studies. Please pray that all DCFers will have a Bible Study group to help them deepen their faith and relationship with God.

(L-R: Elaine, Mylie, Jeanette)

Remember the Sampa and Kamia Fellowships in prayer. Ask God to send people who are willing to help in the ladies' dorm ministry. There are several Christians in these dorms but most are busy with their own endeavors. We praise God that we are given specific ministries, but we desire to be used as instruments in uniting these efforts to reach the dormers of the ladies fellowship.

If you have free time every Wednesday, 6:30-8:30 pm, I invite you to join their fellowship. You can also volunteer as a speaker or a Bible study leader. The ladies dorms need as much help from able and willing hearts as possible.

(L-R: Joseph, Jm, Shalom, Josiah, Soren, Warren and Bry)

The Cente Dorm needs to be more organized. Please pray for wisdom and sensitivity to God's direction for the leaders . I'm also praying that they can soon involve the younger members of the fellowship. I noticed that those who got involved were the ones who fully understood the ministry cause and cost. Most of the time, they grew in their faith faster than those who simply attended the gatherings.

I remember our church's thrust for Full Employment. I also pray for full employment for every DCFer, not just in Cente.

(L-R: Lads, Mark Neil, Chester)

Back in Yakal, Lads is working hard with Mark Neil, YCF's dorm core head. I can visit them more often now ever since Cente moved their fellowship on a Wednesday. Yakal is hosting a number of female Tacloban students until the end of the semester. Though the fellowship is still mostly males (Yakal was all-male until recently) we are praying for opportunity to reach out to the Taclobanons in Yakal. There are no specific plans yet, so pray for wisdom for Lads and YCF.

God also blessed Yakal with two freshmen attendees, though only one has consistently joined the meetings. Please pray that there will be urgency in the hearts of the YCFers to connect with their roommates. Ask God to open opportunities for Gospel conversation in Yakal.

This pretty much covers the happenings in the past two weeks. I hope to update you weekly so that you can partner with me in prayer.

On a personal note, please pray that I can offer 2014 as a year of prayer to God. Pray also that God will be gracious as I seek to walk in holiness and purity for His glory.

Thank you so much! God bless you all!

In Christ,

Pau T.