Making Summer 2023 Worthwhile

Making Summer 2023 Worthwhile

Aside from the regular annual vacation to rest and recuperate from the daily routine work that we do some of us MEANS volunteers, including our MEANS ministry partners have made our summer productive by attending leadership, youth camps and conferences to discover, develop, or sharpen the gifts God has given us. This summer 2023, here is a list of trainings/conferences/camps that we and our ministry partners attended or organized. 

1) MEANS volunteers – Global Leadership Summit hosted by Global Leadership Network in Chicago, Illinois from August 3-4, 2023.   Four of us from MEANS attended: Edwin and Jerelyn del Carmen, Lina Padilla, and Carmena Cruz.  Running for 25 years now, GLS has impacted 445,000 participants across the globe, providing vision, inspiration and countless practical skills for church and NGO leaders.

Ramon Rocha – Attended the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students World Assembly (August 2-10, 2023) in Indonesia in addition to consultation meetings with some Media Associate International people in Laos and Vietnam and visiting MEANS ministry partners, the Taylors in Thailand. At the World Assembly, Ramon Rocha co-led a seminar on Christian Literature’s Impact on Missions.

2) IVCF Kawayan Camp July 18-August 2 (Davao City): MEANS helped support four (4) students from Bohol; 2 students from Bago New Life Church from Bago City, Negros Occidental.  This is an intensive training for IVCF student leaders on leadership, discipleship, and missions.

3) Arise ASIA 2023, July 25-29, 2023, Bangkok, Thailand – MEANS Scholar from Philippine Normal University-Visayas Bonnie Sayo  – With the theme, One Life. One Challenge. ,  the main purpose is to facilitate a church and mission movement from Asia to impact the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

4) Read To Grow (RTG) Himaya Daily Vacation Bible Camp – 5 RTG groups under Himaya Maranatha Baptist Church –on July 22-23, with 77 children and 35 RTG volunteers ate

nding.  The kids had fun with skits presentation, games, songs, and listening to gospel stories from the Bible.

5) RTG Escalante 3 – day Reading Camp from July 22-25, 2023. This is a training in Reading Camp with activities to include Reading Contest, Presentation, Peer Helping in Reading.  Attended by 33 children from ages 3-11 years old and 8 volunteers including women volunteers who helped in marketing, cooking and serving.