Global Youth Ministry Network - Asia

The last stop of the Palawan journey.

This almost didn’t make it. Before the trainings had even begun, we actually placed down “cancelled” for the event as the key person coordinating the training in Puerto Princesa had a conflicting schedule the week before we flew into Palawan. So it was not even included in the plans going there.

And then as we were into our second training, Ptr. Bobot Almasco, of the Acts Family Church, who also just flew in from Palawan, learned it was cancelled and called up our contacts while we were doing the second training and he wanted to grab the opportunity to host. He was even willing to buy me a new plane ticket home as my flight could not be cancelled or re-booked. At that point the decision was in my hand, should I go home as scheduled or extend one more day? I wanted to go home but their eagerness to have me come and the thought that we never had a training yet in this area made me decide to stay.

So here I am in Puerto Princesa at 9:00 in the morning on the 23rd day of September.

This is where 3 days of youth ministry training will take place. It’s the Acts Family Church Youth Center, whose members have decide to make the event possible. And so by this time I am eager to meet the participants.

Although the invitations went out, with a few days notice and the seminar falling on class days, few other churches could send their youth workers. Most of the participants were from the hosting church (with two persons representing other churches). These were around 30 young leaders, the ministry they handled also known as Gangs for God, mainly because many of them were redeemed from the dregs of society, most being reformed gang leaders and members. I would later find out that they are also one of the most active and possibly biggest youth ministry in Palawan.

The center’s interior was a pleasant surprise:

They already had a purposeful youth ministry running! And as we were discussing goals and plans I learned they also had a clear goal to have a thousand active youth members by the year 2010. My role was mainly to help them make clearer the vision that God had already placed in their hearts.

Here they are going through the GYMN Sessions:

Chris called this a marathon training and by this time I am a runner on my second wind, running on automatic pilot. And it was great! A very satisfying and enjoyable time.

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