Reverse Carolling 2013 report

  2013 Reverse Carolling by icpe mission

Part 3 of our updates: Medical Assistance and Retreat Giving

Lending a helping hand medically

Karen and Philip Gacias together with their mother

We are still providing ongoing support for Karen and Philip Gacias, siblings with Nephrotic Syndrome. This long-term disease requires regular medical attention and Karen receives regular chemotherapy as part of her treatment. We pray for God’s healing for them and thank our supporters of the medical assistance program.

... and after!

Before the operation...

     Last year, a generous sponsor from Singapore assisted Mary Grace Limbaga in her cleft lip operation. After a full recovery, we are now looking into a second operation for her cleft palate.

Retreat from life toward God

From May till July, we have been providing individual retreats for various members of our Balikatan and Seeds of Faith ministries. Four adults and three youth took turns to come to our centre in Tagaytay for days of prayer, rest and renewal in the Lord.

Riza Naldo on retreat

Riza Naldo, 24, said, “God drew me to this place so that I could face all my fears. Through this retreat, I realised that He is the more powerful than all of this scary stuff. He kept reminding me that I am precious to Him and that He loves me very much.”

Part 2 of our updates: Empowerment in Montalban

Since March 2013, we have begun to reduce the frequency of our visits to Montalban in order to respond to the growing ministries in Tagaytay. The meetings in Montalban are still held once a week and are coordinated by the leaders of each ministry there. Thus, we are gradually empowering and forming more leaders from each ministry to continue the outreaches there.

Balikatan Ministry says yes to wedding vows...

March was a significant milestone in the journey of our Balikatan Ministry as three members solemnised their marriage and received the Sacrament of Matrimony. We were generously supported by members of the Woman to Woman Ministry in Singapore who provided funds for the church wedding and a simple reception thereafter.

 

The beautiful brides!

 It was a joy to see these women receiving the Sacrament, enabling them now to be able to fully participate in receiving the Eucharist at Mass. One of them expressed deep happiness at having her dream of getting married in Church fulfilled.

...and commitment

In May, our Balikatan prayer group members renewed their commitment to support each other in their faith and prayer life through the prayer group. Seven Balikatan Community members renewed their commitment and two new members were added to the community. It was a powerful proclamation of faith and commitment to help each other live out their baptismal promises through the community.

Balikatan community members and their commitment certificates

signing their commitment

The Balikatan community members continue to coordinate weekly prayer groups, even when we are not there, and it is heartening to see their commitment in sharing their faith with others despite their hectic schedules. One member shared, “The Balikatan prayer group has helped me grow closer to God and I have experienced that nothing is impossible with God!”

Growing in faith - Seeds of Faith Youth Group

Since March 2013, our Seeds of Faith youth have been meeting amongst themselves for Bible sharing and reflection. Our monthly meetings with them resumed in July but they continue to meet weekly to share and support each other in their faith.

Seeds of Faith members and their multivitamins

Group activity- who is a Catholic?

In August, 11 of the senior members came to Tagaytay for their annual retreat. Here, they were challenged to recognise their identity as forgiven sinners who are greatly loved by God. With that, they were encouraged to walk the talk as Christ’s disciples and to renew their commitment to know and to follow Him.

We choose to stand for Christ

Seeds of Faith retreatants

We were blessed to see each of them taking another step forward to stand for Christ and His values. At present, the group is studying the letter of Saint James and striving to live out what they have learned from their Bible study sessions.

Part 1 of our updates - Reaching out in and around Tagaytay

We continue reaching out to our Barangay (village) with our monthly home visits and Eucharistic Celebrations.

The celebration of the Holy Eucharist in our centre

 











Our Barangay children have been receiving monthly catechesis and faith formation through our Children Ministry in Tagaytay. Commencing in September, the meetings have increased to once a fortnight.

Who knows the answer?

Working hard on our project

Love God and Love our neighbour

This Pentecost past, our Barangay youth joined us to celebrate the joy of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. Together with some youth from Montalban, they gathered for a day of prayer, fun and rejoicing!

Praying for each youth

 

A gift-giving day in Magallanes

Thanks to a generous donor from Singapore, we have been able to share and distribute clothes and books to children and their families in the rural area of Magallanes in Cavite Province.

Located an hour’s drive from Tagaytay, these families subsist from hand to mouth as they till the land, planting vegetables and fruits. Thank you Aunty T for blessing these families and helping us by sending over the donation of books and clothes!

 Bearing fruit

In June 2012, Riza Ymas, a Seeds of Faith member from Montalban, began her first year of high school education at the SHIM International School in Tagaytay. She won a scholarship that covers part of her tuition fees but she stays with us in the community as we continue to support her other educational needs.

Through her hard work, Riza was awarded top student in her class at the end of her first year in the school. Apart from her educational needs, we also assist Riza in her faith formation and personal development - this includes helping to prepare her to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, English tuition and computer lessons. Riza just started her 2^nd year of high school this June. 

My time with the ICPE Mission Philippines

In April, Riza Naldo, one of our Balikatan members from Montalban, spent 3 weeks in our mission centre. It was Riza's vacation cum retreat as the pre-school where she works as a teacher closed for the summer break. During her stay with us, Riza had the opportunity to experience life in community. She shares with us her testimony of her time here:-

Riza enjoying some quiet time in our garden

God is so good all the time…I am very blessed because the ICPE Mission has given me an opportunity to spend my vacation in their house. I did not expect that this would be also a magnificent holiday with our almighty God. During this time, I really felt the presence of the Lord, with His eternal, uninfluenced and sovereign love for me.

       

        My Lord has special plans for me and He desires to call me to dwell in this place for three weeks. Throughout these days, He invited me to go to church everyday, receiving the Holy Eucharist as my daily seed of strength and protection. I had times of praying, sharing, fellowship, baking, cooking, etc. Most of all, I had the chance to attend different events about choosing my vocation. Through this, God wants me to ponder my deepest desire in life, to be generous to Him, and discern my lifetime vocation. He is challenging me and inviting me to act upon His will.

Riza, with one of our neighbours at our regular home visit

          I am glad because I also met numerous disciples of God in this place. I have joyful memories with priest and nuns from different congregations. I also visited astonishing churches and chapels.

         Our Father in heaven is really amazing because He drew me to this place where I could face all of my fears in life. He wants me to trust Him and to overcome what I am afraid of. I realized that He is the more powerful than all of these scary stuff and I should renounce all of these evil things in my life.

         “You are most precious to me. I love you very much”,…This is what God is repeatedly saying to me. He never misses the opportunity to make me aware that it is He who is doing all of these marvels to me. Even if I failed him, He still loves me. That’s why He brought me in Tagaytay, for me to feel His presence and His great love. I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life.