2005-Onwards FOCUS

2005-Onwards FOCUS: VOLUNTEERISM AND GIVING

The Blessed to be a Blessing Student Center (B2bSC) will be celebrating its 2nd year anniversary this August! Yet, our involvement with the youths/students in Maydolong actually began in 1998 with the Y2k Student Center. B2bSC evolved into what it is now as a result of our previous experiences and learnings. We used to target high school students of Maydolong National High School (MNAS) which later on was outnumbered by young children because older brothers and sisters brought them along. Such a diverse mix of ages was not easy to handle and manage! That’s why we decided in 2003 that with B2bSC, the focus will be college students. We targeted the freshmen students of Eastern Samar State College who used to join us when they were still in their Elementary or High School level.

Thus, the focus of B2bSC during its 1st two years of existence was to “help BRING college students closer to God by LINKING them with believers and EQUIPping them to lovingly SHARE their talents and joyfully SURRENDER their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” We have acronymed it as BLESS because our target is for them to be blessed by God so that they would also be a blessing to others. B2bSC will continue to help students in Eastern Samar become followers of Jesus Christ who will make a positive contribution to their family, school and community in the coming years.

In the past few years we held youth gatherings in Maydolong and weekend retreats in Borongan. A few youths and young professionals were also able to participate in national and regional youth gatherings in Cebu, Cagayan De Oro and Bataan. Funding for participation in such activities came from the generous support of family and friends as well as from income derived from sales of various items like school supplies, books, gift items, and computer services. This year, B2bSC will change approach in fund raising for attendance to major events like retreats and regional/national youth gatherings. There will no longer be solicitation letters. Instead students will be encouraged to plan and implement several entrepreneurial fund raising activities.

Thus, B2bSC’s focus starting this year is volunteerism and giving. We aim to teach them to be active participants and givers, not just passive receivers. If we are to become real blessings to others then we must experience how to be blessed. And how could we become blessed? The Bible tells us clearly in Deuteronomy 28:11-13 (NLV) “The Lord will open for you His good store-house, the heavens. He will give rain to your land at the right time. He will bring good to all the work you do. You will give to many nations. But you will not use anything that belongs to them. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. If you listen to the Laws of the Lord your God which I tell you today and be careful to obey them, you will only be above and not below.” The Lord promised to bless those who obey Him by providing for whatever is needed in the work that he/she is doing, by making him/her work successful, by making him/her a giver instead of a receiver, and by making him/her a leader instead of just a follower of other people.

This shift in approach is not going to be an easy task, yet we believe that this is the right time to start doing it. We observe more and more Estehanon youths who are either out-of-school or may be pretending to be in school in big cities of the country but only wasting time and money in vices, while their parents way back home are struggling to make ends meet and to support their children. Maybe this is the result of the dole-out mentality that is common in many rural areas and the dependence upon local leaders, politicians and relatives abroad who gives financial support. However, we do believe that ingrained in the Estehanon is the value of hard work, resilience and community self-help or sharing. In the past, people worked hard to eat, live and study due to the fact that it was located in a remote area that was usually battered by natural calamities and typhoons in the past. B2bSC therefore hopes to reclaim back those values to our present generation of students by teaching and helping them raise their own funds to support their participation in major events, by working and not by asking financial support from their parents and other people. Hopefully, through this activity they will also learn and develop skills for their future livelihood activities.

St. Paul commands us that the proper way to live is to earn our own living. He himself showed that example by working as a tent maker. In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (NLT) he stated: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work we gave you. For you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. It wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever does not work should not eat." Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people--no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.”

B2bSC will not only teach and encourage its youth contacts to work hard but also to share and give to others. In the coming months, several options will be provided for them to share their talents, skills and financial resources. Whereas in the past few years, young professionals have been leading and facilitating in group activities. This time, students will be encouraged to facilitate and lead in certain activities. We shall also search out and offer opportunities for outreach activities and volunteer work either within the community or outside. In Acts 20:35 (CEV) St. Paul said that, “By everything I did, I showed how you should work to help everyone who is weak. Remember that our Lord Jesus said, ‘More blessings come from giving than from receiving’.”

Therefore, starting this year, we will choose to be givers instead of receivers. We will choose to be channels of blessings instead of being burdens to our family & community...

Willingly with his heart?

Finally, Moses learned how God wants to be worshipped! While in Mount Sinai, God gave the order and He specified the offerings that are acceptable to Him...

Exodus 25:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering..."

Is that a request? Or a command from God? It does not seem like a request. Then, it must be an order! So, is that a requirement or an obligation that must be followed?

Let's see... God tells Moses to accept the offering that is given willingly with the heart. Opps, that means not all offerings will be accepted? Hmmm... how could Moses tell if the offering is given willingly or not? Can he see the people's heart? Maybe he looks at their facial expression or their body language or at the quality of their gifts.

Makes me wonder about the offerings I have given in the past... well, the church accepted it! So far, I have not yet met a church or a church worker who would not accept a gift or a donation from me. But did God accept it?

Lord, forgive me for the offerings that were unwillingly given! Teach me to give willingly with my heart, without grumbling or murmurings. Make me a cheerful giver who would give to you and to my neighbors only the best gift (not of poor quality or second-hand or unwanted). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

no shortcut...

If there is a shorter way, people would prefer going that way. And sometimes if there is no way, people would create a short cut to get to their destination.

I remember when I was an undergraduate student, going to the market from our dormitory was a very long walk because we have to go around if we follow the road. So, to get there fast and in less than half the time spent if you walk in the right road, we would take the "short cut" by walking along the rice field, then into the canal and go under the fence. Not an easy task though, during rainy seasons and in the evening. But, we did not mind getting wet or getting dirty!

However, Exodus 13:17 tells that "...God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near" and in v. 18 "God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea".

I guess if I was there, I would have complained! Why go to around by way of the wilderness when there is a shorter way? Of course, God has a reason for that as recorded in v. 17.

In this age of "instant" everything, it can be frustrating to wait or take time going round and round. Yet, that's how God seems to lead me. Just when I think I know where He wants me to go, suddenly there are distractions, detours and wanderings in the wilderness. The long way is oftentimes confusing and difficult but it's where I learn more to trust in His leading and not in my own. It's during those times that I experience more of His grace, mercy and provision.

Thank you Lord for keeping me away from the short cuts!

Do not know with what..

While reading through Exodus 10 today, my attention was grabbed by Moses words in v. 26 "... and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there."

God tells us to GO... Serve and Worship Him! But sometimes He does not give us all the details. It can be frustrating sometimes when somebody tells us to do something or go somewhere but without explaining clearly the instructions, isn't it?

Now why would God do that? Why does He sometimes show us blurred pictures or unclear instructions?

Maybe that is just His way of teaching me how to trust Him moment by moment and step by step. Maybe if He tells me all the specific things I should do, I would no longer call upon Him and ask Him because I already know.

Or for someone with a short term memory loss, such information overload would be dissastrous! It's easy to forget but difficult to admit that I forgot to remember everything as instructed.

So, I'd better be just READY all the time, with whatever I have to serve and worship the Lord, wherever He may lead me...