Global Youth Ministry Network - Asia

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A GYMN Level 1 Youth Strategy Training was held last May 28-30, 2010 at the Child Evangelism Fellowship Center in Antipolo City. This was hosted by YouthRED of the Lord Jesus Our Redeemer (LJOR) Church. Twenty-three participants from different parts of greater Manila area attended the training. This was the first GYMN training after the trending of a new Filipino youth culture popularized by the Jejemons- a group of young Filipinos who has a different and often difficult to understand system of writing text messages. Like the Jologs before, Jejemons have also widened their identity with the jejecap and other accessories. When the youth leaders were asked to describe the Filipino youth of today, the Jejemon was a highlight among the common descriptions.

The three-day seminar started with the discussion of the need for youth ministry. The participants devised purpose statements that will lead the young people in their local churches to know more about God and live a Christian life worthy of imitation by the younger generation. The participants agreed, as seen in their goal setting sessions, that it is good to create an atmosphere of love and acceptance in their youth ministry. A youth group that would make Jejemons and the rest of the Filipino young people feel loved and accepted for who they are.

This seminar was very special to me because: First, this was my first time to handle four sessions in a training, I usually handle two sessions only. Second, the participants gave us a warm welcome and the camaraderie among the youth leaders was very heart-warming. Third, the venue was in sunny Antipolo but I felt one of the first rainfalls of Amihan on the first day. Fourth, this was the first partnership of LJOR with GYMN Asia and I hope this will be the first of the many more trainings to come. Lastly, some participants were just so sweet- aside from writing good comments and testimonies in the evaluation sheet, they wrote letters for the trainers. Some participants suggested ways in how we can improve our teaching, some made notes of appreciation and some just made funny remarks like I looked like one of the characters from the TV series “Heroes”.

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Here are some highlights of the training:

A jejemon’s point of view on what is a disciple

Kris, one of the participants, attached an origami along with his letters for us.

The Young leaders of LJOR YouthRED

The last leg of our trip. Airplane floats down into the dusty tarmac. And we arrive into the hottest summer the country was having in recent history. It was supposed to be rainy season already but not a drop spilled from the sky.

But I did enjoy most of the time there.

It was the people. Their gentle manner and smiles of greeting concealed a fire for the Lord.

This time we had three trainings, our youth ministry strategy seminar (Level 1),

a follow-up training (Level 2) for those who already took the Level 1,

and a trainer’s training were we taught others to teach the material.

All these taking place in a span of six days: May 11-15, 2010.

This was the first time for me to work with translators in a training since many here were not fluent in English and the words I could speak in their language could be counted with my fingers. Often times the idea I wanted to give was not the one the students got and I would only realize this later in their responses.

Despite this, their love to learn and to grow was made evident in their diligence toward the entire seminar. With the level 2 group I handled, we had finished all the lessons and were going toward graduation. I left them for a while to check on the preparations for the graduation ceremony.  When I returned to call them, they were still writing down the goals and programs they were going to do for the year ahead.

In the heat of summer, it was their fire for serving the King that blessed me a lot.

The Bangkok seminar, in pictures and phrases:

The Lecture Place

Ghie expounds a point

Active Learning

Rey illustrates

Going through a lesson

Discussions

Graduation Rites

Greetings from sunny Thailand!

A good friend told me this would be a totally different experience. But for me it almost looks like the Philippines (my native land). There are buses and taxis,

jeepneys songtheaw,

and even unfinished train stations.

The climate though is a few degrees higher. Which means air conditioning here is more a necessity than a luxury.

Okay, the food is indeed different. Spicy delicious stuff unique to this culture. And English speakers have a harder time here than they would in the Philippines.

That being said, it’s been a great few days, five days in and we are done with the Thailand leg of our GYMN training. One of our volunteers, Wakka, has done a great job live-blogging it over on Facebook (click the Facebook link on the right side of our website to see his posts and some pictures).

A couple more training to go and that would be in another land. Right now, we are taking a pause to meet up with old and new friends, observe the culture and sample the cuisine.

Time to look for some Thai food.

This is an interview with Lia Marie, who is 27 years young and a missionary to Thailand. She hails from Digos City, in the Philippines and is currently on furlough.

Describe how you got involved with missions.

It was most probably due to being involved in the Community Resource Center [or CRC, an organization working amongst tribal groups in Mindanao], I became interested in their work of community development when I was 13 or 14 years old, whenever they would hold a VBS I would attend and teach there. I also have a close friend doing ministry there, and I took up a course in Marine Biology in college because I wanted to get involved in community development.

How did you get involved in missions in Thailand?

Every Saturday I would work at the local CRC mission point. A missionary couple were praying for a worker for Thailand, at first they were hoping for my sister to be involved in their work, but in the course of their praying it was I who was invited. I thought they would want for me to work with the local community but then they asked if I wanted to work in Thailand. Still, due to visa processing I stayed one year with the CRC missions work near my home before entering Thailand.

Describe the typical workday in the mission field.

In the morning I would wake up at 7.30 to 8:00, I would eat breakfast and then spend the time with Ate Phylla praying for the church, Each day there would be one group we would pray for: The Local Church, Missionaries, etc.  Next would be to practice the Thai language or visit friends 7 contacts. And then preparations for teaching in the afternoon which would be at 4:00-8:00 pm [teaching English being the main strategy employed by our team]. Saturday and Sunday would be involvement with the local church. This could be anything from leading praise & worship , teaching the English language, street evangelism or holding Bible studies.

What are the most challenging aspects of your work?

Personally for me, it would be the discouragement of exerting so much effort and not seeing the result. After four years of ministry, there would be one convert and then after another four years, another one. If I didn’t know it was the  Lord’s will why I am doing this I would really be discouraged. I know that way back , 13 years ago, the percentage of believers was less than 1%,  today it is still less than 1%, and this includes all the sects and cults.

What are the differences in being an Asian missionary rather than American or European?

For me, an Asian can relate better with the Thais since culture is almost similar with regards to elders, ways, etc.  They can also relate better to us because we have the same skin color. One contact said she found me less threatening. Also accent – we have more or less the same intonations.

Still we both need each other, one reason is that Americans tend to attract people especially with the strategy we use.

Do you think young people have a role in missions?

Yes they play a big part. For one, on the practical side, you need to be healthy on the field. Second, there is a need for fresh ideas, and it is easier to adjust in the field. In the Thai culture, it is also easier to relate to the young and children if you are young yourself. And it is most effective to reach out to the youth in Thailand and for me they are also the most needed to be reached.

What is your advice to those who want to go into missions?

My first advice would be to be really sure of the direction you are going into. A desire to travel, to feel good, to know the culture, would not sustain the things you would go through when you are in the front line.

Also you must strengthen your theology– with the people we work amongst they really question you on what you believe.

Being involved in fellowship, Bible studies in the church is already the start of your training for the field. That is also where I was honed. When you go there you must be maturing already and be the one to lead Bible studies and minister rather than needing to be ministered to.

Also, if you have a boss, be humble and transparent. If you are in a group, you have to know how to adjust, especially if like us, you live in the same house.

Thank you very much Lia for sharing with us.

So, the other big summer event aside from a youth camp is the mission trip.  Here are a couple of resources you should check out:

The Why’s:

Missions and Your Youth Group – this is the first youth connection article I wrote.

Change the World, Change your Kids – making mission trip a process rather than an event.

The How’s:

A Big Mission – A section of an entire website that has Asian perspectives on mission by Asian missionaries.

Making the Most of Mission Trips – Insightful tips for the trip.

Responsibility Ideas to Assign To Teenagers on a Mission Trip