Ronald writes

It is quite magnificent to experience life situations where God takes you out of your ordinary routine and lets you see His work, while at the same time not realizing that He is in fact working not only with the people you encounter but also with you.  This past weekend, I got to experience one of those as I went to a laid back and very welcoming place in Negros (an island west of Cebu).

I, along with three others, went to Negros to speak at an annual gathering of the Church of Christ youth.  After a long (about 8 hours drive and an hour on a boat) journey on Dec. 27th, we arrived at the humble but very accommodating home of one of the Cebu Bible College students whose family lives in the area.  They were very kind, offering us some very tasty meals (of course, “tasty” is a relative term) and giving us lodging throughout our entire stay.  In addition to the tasty meals, we also got to savor some of the stuff that only the province can provide—such as swimming and playing on a clean, fresh, and crystal clear creek, enjoying the fresh air, getting to see the moon and the stars clearly at night, and being able to hear again the sound of the crickets in the dark.

This marvelous experience was far from over as many of the youth gathered together at a resort on the 28^th.  Although the rural area may seem to be struggling financially, the hearts of those young ones were beaming with passion and desire to become better disciples.  One could easily see that God was preparing a very bright future for them, intending to make them a brilliant light on that island.  The theme for their gathering was “Walking in God’s Light.”  Ironically, I sort of felt that there was no need for me to speak to them about becoming a light because I could see that they already were a brilliant light.  Nevertheless, they seemed to be encouraged with what I delivered.  During the gathering, they played a lot of games, did a number of team building activities, sang together, prayed for everyone, and encouraged their fellow Christians.

Going back to Cebu, I was mesmerized with the experience.  Throughout my Christian upbringing, I saw a lot of bickering and fighting concerning the “true doctrine” of the church.  I saw a lot of negativity among many of those whom people looked up to for spiritual guidance.  However on the contrary, the youth at Negros had displayed what those staunch brethren in the past had failed to learn—that is, encouraging one another instead of putting others down.  They lived out the true essence of Christianity.  This reminded me of what Jesus showed to the staunch Jewish leaders of His day.

As I mentioned above, God seemed to be working more on me than He was with those folks I delivered my message to.  Primarily, He was giving me a glimpse that darkness has not conquered every corner of this world because there are those who have set their brilliant light on a hill in order to shine God to others.  The young people at Negros have displayed a kind of light that draws others to God.  Also, God was teaching me that the near future doesn’t look as bad.  There are plenty of young sprouts who are willing to be used for God’s glory… and they are on fire.

Community -- Caidy gets honest Part 2

A few months ago I wrote about how my transition to Cebu has been a rough one. You can read about that here.

With much joy I am please to announce God has been faithful and is daily bringing me to new communities! I guess I just needed to be honest with myself and with you all about how much I was truly struggling with it all. 

The power of confession is incredible. The power of genuine pray is even more incredible. 

I was down on my knees pleading with God, "If this is where you want me then you will have to send me a great community to be a part of because I am ready to leave!" 

Through this whole experience I have been reminded of how great our God is! He is faithful and will not give us more than we can bear. I gave it all to him; somehow I was able to let go of the pain and give it all to God ... and don't ask me how I did it because I haven't a clue. 

I somehow let God guide me to the community(s) He wanted me to be in. 

BEST DECISION EVER! 

Since then, and I'm talking literally a week after that prayer, God has abundently blessed me (and Ronald) with multiple communities. 

Once a week I get together with these gwapa ladies. We share a meal and talk about all the awesome things God is doing in our lives! These ladies constantly encourage me to keep serving our incredible King! 

Ronald and I also get to spend time with these smiling faces once a week. This is a diverse group of people and we LOVE them! We are challenged, encouraged and loved by these people. So blessed to be part of this community. 

One time a month we get together with some other young couple friends! We share a meal together, catch up and talk about what has been going on in each others ministries. God is good and is doing great things through these people! (note: these are old pictures .. but these are the faces I am talking about) 

And, of course, the community of kids at the Jesan Center is always a blessing! The kids are a constant reminder of how we should be in Christ... just like children. 

I certainly can't forget these other faces who brighten my weeks! 

I dont have pictures of all the people God is blessing my life with but He sure is active in making certain I am blessed by community. 

Thank you all for your prayers! 

Love and Peace.

-Caidy 

Change

Work at the Jesan Center has gotten increasingly difficult. 

But we know that it’s only because of the good work that God is doing there! 

In late October when the Center was on a one week break,  three of the four kids we tutor were taken to a local orphanage by nuns that do a Bible study with all the kids once a week. 

Although we were sad to not have the girls with us at the Center any longer we are happy that they are now away from that dangers of street living. 

At the orphanage the girls are fed three meals a day and have a safe place to sleep. They will be put in school in June but until then they enjoy helping the "Madres" prepare meals and take care of the facilities.  We visit the girls once a month and they seem content being there. It is our prayer that God would continue to provide for and protect them. 

Since the girls left,  their little brother is the only one in the tutor program at the center. He is a bright little boy who has a lot of spunk! He craves one on one attention and is loving that he doesn't have to share his time with Ronald and me. 

In January we will be adding two new kids to the tutor program in hopes to end the cycle of poverty in their lives. 

Please pray with us as we go through these changes at the Jesan Center and as we continue to learn about the ministry God has so richly blessed us with. 

Love and Peace. 

best part of last week  ... 

Jayson loves his Kuya Ronald! 

side note: please take note of the all jean up in front... also kinda made my day. hehe.

Joy of teaching college

Do you believe in Jesus because of the resurrection?

Do you believe in the resurrection because of Jesus?

Both statements above may seem similar to many; but to some, they carry a subtle nuance that used to distinguish scholars (or those who consider themselves scholarly) concerning their leftists or rightist theological standpoint.  I’m talking about the Conservative-Liberal polarity of the early 20th century church.  It blows my mind how 20th century followers of Christ strongly flank to either side, claiming to be in the right, and malign ex-brethren when the leader Himself (and His disciples—the first church, of course) never considered this as a ground for excommunication.  This past Friday, I, along with my students in Church History II class, briefly revisited the sore wound that had left theological scars to many divided churches.

Before the class began, I divided the class into two, expecting a toasty but friendly debate in the succeeding however many minutes.  I instructed everybody to take a side on the issue and try to convince the others to join their camp.  The first statement claims to believe in Jesus because of the irrefutable proof of the resurrection; hence, since the resurrection happened, one can believe that whatever Jesus said (such as, that He is the Son of God) is true.  On the flip side however, if the resurrection did not happen, Jesus had not been the Messiah that would save us from our sins.  This is the stance of the Conservatives/Fundamentalists who absolutely defend the authority of the Scriptures.

The other side of the argument (Liberals) claims that one can believe in the resurrection because Jesus performed it.  Whether the resurrection happened or not, the Liberals would continue to believe in Jesus; their faith doesn’t depend on the accuracy of the resurrection.  They have their conviction as such because Jesus said so.  Moreover, the center of their theology lies in the ethics and morality that Jesus taught instead of His atoning sacrifice.

 As expected, the class got into a heated debate, using arguments that resound that of many famous (or infamous) scholars.  At the end of the class, we, just as many theological warriors, are also stumped.  It all boils down to: “I believe this because I choose to believe.”  Nobody wins; but everybody loses due to the consequent division.

 Many of you perhaps know the debate more than me.  Maybe you are well-versed with arguments for and against such positions (perhaps you can enlighten me with a private message); but my goal as a teacher is to open the minds of my students.  And seeing my students struggle with their faith in order that they may form it into their own (as opposed to a spoon-fed faith) is one of the many reasons why I like my job.



--Ronald

Shout out to the grandparents!

Grandparents, Shan-ma's, Papa's, Lola's and Lolo's are on my mind today. 

I believe that my grandparents had just as big a part of raising me as their children did. I am thankful for the positive influence they have had on my 25 years!

Here is a shout out to some of the BEST grandparents a girl could have...

Grandpa and Grandma 'A' 

I am privileged to be part of their family! 

Some things I have learned in the last 25 years from my Amaral grandparents:

Grandma was a strong woman and she taught me that woman can do anything! 

Tapioca pudding is not really as delicious as they might say. 

Dessert after dinner is always a must.

Grandpa taught me how to remove splinters.

Grandpa also taught me how to be stern yet fun.

I have learned the importance of keeping to my commitments.

Hard work always pays off.

Big band music is FUN! 

Labor day = delicious food and fun parades. 

Wake up early or you waste away the day.

Love everyone. 

Shan-ma and Papa 

My Linehan family is funny! I am sure blessed to be part their family! 

Papa taught me to laugh.

Shan-ma taught me all about chocolate! 

St.Patricks day is all about how much green you can put on.

Fish and chips with loads of vinegar is always a good idea.

Hard work and commitment are important.

Animal crackers should always be in the house! 

Christmas is spent best with family.

A 'Caidy day' is a good day. hehe.

AFV, wheel of fortune and jeopardy are some great shows.

Hugs and kisses (even when people don't want to be touched) are essential 

Love everyone.  

At 25 years old I am blessed to still have my Grandpa 'A' and my Shan-ma supporting me and loving me as I travel on this journey known as life! They are some of my biggest fans ... encouraging and loving me through every decision.

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma, Shan-ma and Papa for being some pretty great grandparents. You set the bar pretty high for Grambee and Pepere, but so far they are doing just as great as you all. 

How do you teach young teens the dangers of huffing chemicals when the only reason they started huffing in the first place is because of hunger?

Over the last year and a half I have learned quite a bit about this huffing rugby issue with the street children here in Cebu, particularly with the children we work with.

What I do know:

Most of the kids we work with started huffing because they were hungry

Huffing takes away the pains of hunger

Huffing takes the 'edge' off allowing the person to be able to bare the street life i.e. -- begging and sleeping on the streets

Huffing is a way to fit in with peers 

Huffing induces asthma 

Huffing causes sever lung, vocal cord, liver, heart and brain damage

Huffing can kill a person at anytime

What I do not know:

Why the kids continue to huff after their friend died because of it

When it turns from doing it because of hunger pains to doing it out of habit

Why they do it even when they eat 2-3 meals a day plus all the snacks they want 

I do know know what is it like to live in survival mode 

I get discouraged when I see kids we have been working with for over a year huffing and making poor decisions. But then again, I don't know what it's like to be in their position ... to be in survival mode, struggling to live on a daily basis.

My only hope, my only prayer is that these kids would see something more in life worth living for...that they would see Jesus in the people who ministry to them daily. It's my prayer and hope that they would grasp at the opportunities God puts in their path for a healthier more fruitful life.

It is also my prayer that I would handle situations as a servant of Christ, nothing more and nothing less.



Although I get discouraged about the huffing situation... there is much to be encouraged by in this work. 

For one, the kids have learned that they can trust Ronald and I! We have also learned to trust them! Relationship building takes time and after a year I am just now seeing that trust has formed.

Second, teaching children bible stories with practical application is the best! Just a few days ago I was reading the story of the good Samaritan and the kids understood that God wants us to love all people. When I was finished reading one little girl looked at me and said "like you!" I was overjoyed and can not quite put into words my happiness with her statement.

Third, what is not to love about working with kids all the time!? No matter their age, life situation, addictions, etc. they are still kids and they are still a joy to be with.

818 Ministry/Jesan Center is truly blessed to be working with these children.