Chrisley Jade C. Saromines

The Friendship Camp or FCAMP is a spiritual activity initiated by the committed leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  The recently conducted FCAMP last April 15-21, 2012 held at Mariano’s River View Resort, Brgy. Sto. Tomas, Loreto, Agusan del Sur which was participated by the youths of the districts of Loreto, Lapaz and Talacogon was one of the most memorable and amazing moments in my life.

It was such a great honor for me to be one among the selected facilitators to the said activity.  At first, I was hesitant to accept the responsibility being a facilitator, because of fear that I cannot perform the task being entrusted to me.  But with God’s guidance I was able to share my talents in singing and bringing spiritual message.

Being a facilitator was not an easy job.  Sometimes you have to act like a teacher to your teammates; do Bible studies and lectures; give lessons and sharing of ideas regarding their understanding of the given texts from the Bible.  Latest action songs and short choruses were being introduced to the members of the team.  Different exciting and challenging activities were all participated well.

Despite of the sleepless nights and restless days, I still enjoy the company of the campers, co-facilitators, pastors and our camp director the whole period of camping.  I felt enlightened with the Holy Spirit when the time I gave lectures to the group and they also listened attentively.  I gained self-satisfaction upon seeing the smiling faces of my group members for every accomplishment we achieved.  Although there were minor problems we encountered during the FCAMP but we were able to manage and solve them accordingly.

Our efforts as facilitators were not wasted and our prayers were heard and granted when all of the non-Adventist participants decided to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and be a member of our church-The Seventh-day Adventist.  I had been emotionally touched when one of the members of my group had thanked me for helping her realized the importance of salvation.  I considered it as my great success being an effective leader to the group.  That FCAMP changed me a lot.  I developed my skills being an Adventist Youth Leader.  It helped me improve my communication skills. It also tightened my relationship with God.  I’ll miss all the people I’ve met there.

Now, it is my new challenge to take care of the new members of our church.  I promise to do the best that I can as an AY Leader.  I will end my impression by saying. “Never get tired of serving God because it is only HIM that you can feel the greatest happiness in your life” Live life to the fullest with Him!

God bless us all!

Clinton M Dumangcas

Last year Northeastern Mindanao Mission trained young people for FCAMP Facilitators.    Many of them successfully completed the training.    One of them is Clinton M. Dumangcas, a first year student in Caraga State University, taking BS Math.  While he is in our own Academy he is active in leading Master Guide activities.  He is also the battalion commander of the school, pathfinder club in Northeastern Mindanao Academy.

Last year he was assigned in Punot, Salug Esperanza Agusan del Sur and Bonbon, Butuan City FCAMP facilitator.  Jonald Serrano, the FCAMP consultant, perceived that he can be a good Camp Director for another camping.  That’s why last April 15-21, 2012 he was assigned in Loreto District as Camp Director.

At first he wanted to decline because he felt that he is not capable of the responsibility, being young and doesn’t have any experience in handling such activities.  He is contented of being a facilitator only.   Mainly his fears were he doesn’t know the district pastors, the church elders and also the facilitators who will go with him since it involves for 3 districts.   The facilitators came from different churches how could he manage the program.  But before the FCAMP started, he was chosen to attend the Youth Alive program by the SSD in Central Philippine Adventist College last April 2-7, 2012.    The training that

he attended helped him in revising their scheduled activities and applies such knowledge in the camping.

When the camping started he felt excited because there were more non-sda young people who attended even though they don’t have complete bonding with the facilitators. He was scared at first when one of the campers was disturbed by the devil during Wednesday until Saturday morning.  Marathon prayers, Bible reading was done by the facilitators.  But it was an unforgettable experience when he saw the power of God, when the devil was driven out through the power of prayer.  Through that experience he longed to become a pastor.

The same approach was used. They invite non-sda to join the camping.  Mr. Samson H. Andrade, NeMM Publishing Director is the guest speaker. Morning and evening presentation were focused doctrinal messages and the facilitators were the one who conducted direct Bible Study.

Pr. Nimrod V. Saramosing, NeMM Health Director, gave lectures about human sexuality pertaining to avoid irresponsible sex, Drugs and Narcotics focused on Alcohol and Tobacco.

Master Guide activities like the, bandaging, songs and yells, community services, treasurer hunting and many more were incorporated in the camp activities.

We have 210 registered delegates including the SDA young people attended the camp.   Last Wednesday evening until Saturday, we have thrilling experience because there was one lady who was disturbed by an evil spirit.  Because of that experience the facilitators’ team doubled their effort to have marathon prayers including personnel in the kitchen.  During evening presentation we experienced brown out because the devil did not like that the people will know the truth.   Since we have standby generator our program just continued in spite of the interruptions.  There were 3 young people who surrendered their “anting-anting”, or lucky charm.  They gave these to Pr. German B. Ramos for they wanted to accept Christ as their personal Savior.  As a result during Saturday non-sda participants, all of them were baptized.  The total baptism resulted to 148 precious souls.  The young people witnessed how the power of God has driven-out evil spirit.   Thru that experience many young people trust the Lord more.

This FCAMP is another way of spreading the gospel through youth activities. For them to be strengthened spiritually we will be providing Bible and Great Hope Book.  Thanks for our donors who have the heart in spreading the gospel.   Thank you so much!  God bless you more.

Pr. S.V. Mongaya, Michele Generales, Saturnino Generales

The  Family of Mr. & Mrs.  Saturnino Generales, in Bonbon, Butuan City,  happened to hear broadcast of HOPE Radio DXHR some time in February, 2012.  He was so curious of the religious presentations.  The music, family and youth guidance, health, sukdanan sa kamatuoran and many more attracted and inspired them so much.  After listening to different programs especially the Sukdanan sa Kamatuoran he tried to text Pr. Jerson Arellano, the host of the program, and asked many questions.  He was so inspired  because every questions  he inquired from the host  were provided immediate answers.  From then on his favorite station is DXHR.

According to him when he was in General Santos City working as fisherman his companions were Seventh-day Adventists.  He was so curious why they will not go on fishing every Saturdays.  But since he is a leader in their church, as assistant pastor in Foursquare denomination, he did not mind asking questions to his friends.  That’s why when he hears the Radio broadcast he was challenged to ask some questions because he thought that he knows everything from the Bible.  “But sad to say I am not  in the right path,” he said.  He prayed earnestly and asked guidance from the Lord regarding Sabbath keeping.  This is his main problem that hinders him to accept the truth in the Bible.  He even listed every Bible text mentioned by the broadcasters.  Through question and answer portion his shallow thinking about the truth was answered.  He now felt satisfied and fulfilled of the truth he had newly acquired.

He started attending Sabbath services in Butuan City Church and later on joined in Bonbon, Butuan City since it is nearer to their residence.

Last March 11, 2012 he was baptized together with his son Elmer Generales and his daughter Michelle by Pr. Jose Conrado Hermoso.  He is praying that his wife and other children will be baptized too sooner.

They are now attending Sabbath services faithfully in Bonbon Church, Bonbon, Butuan City.

Devine Daguro with Pastor JA Arellano, Station Manager and Hope Radio Personnel

Devine Daguro is 31 years old, single,  lives in Brgy 15, Montilla St., Butuan City.  She works as home service massage therapist since she is blind.

Most of her time if there is no call she is in their house listening to different radio station. Last  January, 2012 during one month test broadcast of DXHR HOPE Radio Philippines, she was able to listen HOPE Radio with its religious music.   From then on she becomes an avid listener from sign in to sign off of the program.  With fervor desire to share what she heard, she invited her neighbors to tune in  to HOPE Radio Station.  She is so curious of the varied broadcasts from Family, Youth, Children and Health guidance and above all the spiritual

Devine Daguro with Cirilo Baal, Treasurer, NEMM

upliftment which is based on the Bible alone.  According to her she cannot find it in other radio stations.  Besides, she is convinced that the rest day is Sabbath.  In fact when Saturday comes, she never accept home service massage and she set aside her household chores.  She practices also not to eat pork.

Last March 9, 2012 with eagerness she visits HOPE Radio Station and met the announcers and lecturers,  She even hugged  Ma’am Nilda Caberte expressing of her happiness that she was able to meet the  personnel

Devine Daguro with Pr. Cubelo, Production Manager, Hope Radio

from HOPE Radio Philippines.  Praise the Lord for using HOPE Radio Station in reaching the unreached people through this medium.

Thanks to the lectures on Family brought to us on air by our renounced speaker, Pr. Wendell Serrano, that added so much interest and excitement to the listeners.

They didn’t look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and
it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him.

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands but he had just thrown it away!”

It’s like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn’t look like much from the outside. It isn’t always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. It may have sharp edges that cut us or rub us the wrong way

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy but we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have with you.
Thanks for looking past the clay ball that I am…

by:  Rojason N. Delfin
Church Pastor
Butuan SDA Central Church
Guingona, Butuan City.

1:00 o’clock in the afternoon, last January 11, 2012 Hope Radio Philippines DXHR Station was formally inaugurated and dedicated.  The Function Hall of NeMM were filled with many people from neighboring churches to witness the celebration.

Guest from Southern-Asia Pacific Division, Communication Director, Dr. Jonathan Catolico, gave an inspiring message to the brethren.  Another guests were from South Philippine Union Conference, Pastor Leonardo Asoy, the president, Pr. Nelson Paulo, Communication Director, Pr. Edwin C. Gulfan, Executive Secretary and Nuelen Sanes, HOPE Channel Manager.   Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Mayor of Butuan City, sent his representative  Mr. Egmedio Tidalgo, Executive Assistant 1.

All Missions/Conferences Administrators were invited but only Davao and North Central Mindanao Conference responded by sending their administrators and some directors.  Mr. Jimmy Solis from Mountain View College (MVC) was also present and even made a seminar on radio broadcasting a day before opening the radio station.

After the program a motorcade from NeMM Headquarters in Baan to Butuan City going to Bancasi was made to announce the public that we have now our on going HOPE Radio Broadcast.   Those who participated the motorcade were in uniform of black t-shirt with HOPE Radio logo riding on different kinds of vehicles. They take delights on handing out handbills and stickers to those on lookers standing nearby on the highway.

Excitement rose up in the hearts of the brethren that at last our own
Seventh-day Adventist can have religious programs and music on air at 10,000 watts on 1323 KHZ on AM Band.

With gratefulness in our hearts, we thanked the Lord above all for the accomplishment thus far and for the kind assistance extended to us by Congresswoman Daryl Grace Abayon, who helped us a lot to make this project come to reality.

For the operation and continued production of HOPE Radio now in our territory we join ourselves to have a HOPE that all of us will financially support this Radio program till Jesus comes.

New Production Staff

Station Manager

• Pr. Jerson P. Arellano

Production Manager

• Pr. Eugenio E. Cubelo, Jr.

News Buereau Editor

• Jardynne D. Robantes

Announcers:

• Jerry  Laig
• Emmanuel Granada

Reporters

• Michael Claros
• Clyde Hikilan

Chief Technician

• Israel R. Cubelo

Technician

• Ian Alfred Ba-al
• Fermin Legaspi

ECE

• Federico Lasta
• AL Potot

Last October 27-November 2, 2011,  Loreto District, Agusan del Sur hosted a Friendship-CAMP for young people coming from:  the Lapaz district, headed by the district Pastor Jaman B. Bacleran, Talacogon district with Pastor Rene Inato and Loreto District with  Pastor  German B. Ramos.  Each district was required to contribute P20,000 for the food and the Mission office gave its counterpart of P20,000.00 every district with a total of P 120,000 for 3 district.

The scheme of this  activity is very unique and challenging.  Every young people will have to invite at least 2 non-sda in order for them to qualify to  attend the camping.  The activities of the young people were like that of Pathfindering; hiking, swimming, treasure hunting, songs and yells and many more.   They were divided into small groups with a minimum of 18 members.  They have unit captain, scribes, counselors, guidon in every group.  After  morning and evening devotionals they have Bible studies.  They are free to ask questions regarding  our doctrine. A government school principal in that place commented that it’s a unique program for morale recovery of the youth.

For the  three districts we have a total  registered delagates of 459,  non-sda 226 and sda 233.  As a result we have  baptized  139 precious souls.

Northeastern Mindanao Mission Youth Department held several venues of Friendship Camp in the Mission territory during semestral break this year and ours is just only one of them.

Thanks to Pr. Solomon V. Mongaya, NeMM president and Pr. Dante B.Obbus, NeMM Youth Director for having an F-CAMP in Loreto District, many young people were spiritualized.  We are hoping to have another kind of activity next year.

Solomon V. Mongaya, NeMM President

For the first time in Northeastern Mindanao Mission , a program intended to express thanks and gratitude to mayors has come to reality. The special activity is called “Salamat Mayor” Recognition Program.

Northeastern Mindanao Mission PARL hosted  the program at the mission  Function Hall at the 3^rd floor of the building. It happened last August 24, 2011. At 4:00 P.M.  Fifteen Municipality mayors with the city Mayor of Butuan were cordially invited. Due to conflict of schedules of the mayors, some did not arrive. Some were sending representatives only  on their behalf.  However some were there to witness how Adventist welcome them in a program.

Dr. Jonathan C.Catolico, PARL Director, SSD

The program was really a unique one having part 1 for the welcome speech by the NEMM President Solomon V. Mongaya who made mention that the organization of Seventh-Day Adventist set-up is like that of the government because it is composed of many departments in which one of its departments, the PARL is responsible of the program of Salamat Mayor.  It was reinforced by  Pr. Nelson Paulo, SPUC PARL Director who gave  the reason why the mayors were invited . Pr. Donald E. Zabala, the HOPE Channel Director of Visayas  introduced  the speaker  Dr. Jonathan C. Catolico, PARL Director of Southern Asia – Pacific Division who  gave an inspirational message. Dr. Catolico  was the one who proposed this program to the Union and  mission counterparts through-out the Philippines and it is Butuan who responded  first under the leadership of Pr. MaxDante B. Obbus, the mission PARL Director.  After Dr. Catolico’s  inspirational message a  dedicatory prayer  was offered by him together with  Pr. Solomon Mongaya.

In part 2 all mayors present were given recognition and appreciation . A very nice trophy was handed to each of the mayors .  Butuan City Mayor Amante then gave his response.  He cited a Bible text that “ If my people shall humble themselves…then he is worthy to be recognized and thanked for.” He further said that Seventh- Day Adventists is the first religious  group who gave honors to government officials like mayors.  He has high regards on SDA’s for being partner in moral recovery.

“There was a similar program like this in our place.” Mayor Monton of Jabonga said. “But this program is a special one coming from a religious group.” , he added.  He gratefully acknowledged the SDA’s for being so quick in responding to the their needs on our welfare program  during the calamity in his municipality.

Indeed the program is very successful with the presence of “ Motivators”  singers that entertain the visitors . The musical instruments rendition of Pr Saramosing and Pr. Cena, and Alfed  Ba-al on their Saxophone and Liz Dawis on her Violin impressed them as they applauded loudly .

All guests including the staff of each mayor  were served with the palatable foods catered by the MAKUNO’s catering services.  It was a great success!

Butuan City Government, DSWD CARAGA and Northeastern Mindanao Mission jointly sponsored a moral recovery seminar “ Positive Peer Prevention Program” last September 9, 2011 at the Function Hall on the 3^rd floor of Northeastern Mindanao Mission.

Almost 200 Fourth Year Students and some teachers  from Butuan City School of Arts and Trade (BCSAT) were privileged to listen to the lectures on moral recovery. Mr. Cirilo S. Ba-al, NeMM treasurer welcome them and Pastor Solomon V. Mongaya , NeMM  President gave a short talk before lectures were presented.

Topics in the morning were very exciting and interesting about pre marital sex. Pastor Nimrod Saramosing, NeMM Health Director presented it  very lively and  with much enthusiasm that students were giggling when they agree to some points. Question and answer portion followed that made the students become more aware of its danger. Richard Pandeleng a Roman Catholic working student exclaimed with thumbs up “ This seminar is great!  At least I know how to evade from temptations linking to pre marital sex.”, he said. “I should have marriage first before sex.”, he added.

During group dynamics the students were very much excited but somewhat afraid when they were led by the seminar facilitators to the stairs going down on blindfold. “ I felt how hard it is to walk in the dark but I was confident and determined to follow for I trust my leader to lead me to the right path down” said Christine Mae Uygioco, an honor student. “ It is a great lesson for me “ she added.

In the afternoon, Pastor Charlie Prior, Butuan City Moral Recovery Program officer gave his lecture of “what is moral recovery ?” Then Pastor Lonie Cena had his lecture on Drugs alcohol and Tobacco in lively presentation who is  knowledgeable on this area being Master in Health.

“The seminar is very substantial. Lecturers are very good and very convincing that prepares students to do better and be morally upright.”said Wendy Poquita, another honor student.

At the end of the sessions, Mrs. Marilou Crisante, one of the teachers expressed her gratitude to the sponsors of the seminar for the wonderful opportunity afforded to the students of BCSAT in relation to their moral recovery  that can help lessen their problems in school and in the society.