Led by the Lord

Time flies so fast. It’s like in the blink of an eye and a year has passed since I started my journey as an OIC-Regional Director. Until now, I ask the same question to the Lord, ‘What do you want me to do’? Where are we going?” I can’t help but imagine Abram’s story in Genesis 12 when God called him and said ‘go to the land I will show you’.

Based on my readings, Abram travelled 640 km before God told Him in 12:7 “to your offspring, I will give this land”. That was quite a long travel, at least for me, before he found out that he already arrived. Like Abram, I will probably obey but I will also ask a lot of questions, and during the travel I will have bombarded God with questions of ‘where,

Lord’? To be honest, I wasn’t so sure on what am I doing and where are we going when I started last year, I was just responding to the needs of our region, one month at a time. I just followed the Lord one kilometer at a time, and with the help and wisdom of the people around me,

I arrived where I am now. We have arrived where we are now just like what the young generation would say “malayo pa, pero malayo na” . We still have a long way to go, but we’ve already come so far. One of the things I received from the Lord last year was to cast a vision.

Not a new vision but a fresh look at our vision. I remember when I visited North Cotabato area, I asked the Lord ‘What do you want me to tell to the graduates? How can I give a fresh look to our vision?’ God led me to the story of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9.

And I titled it “Who would have thought?”. Who would have thought that Paul would become a passionate follower of Christ and become an instrument of spreading the good news? Led by the Lord Kuya Ricky welcomed Me & other NorthEast Davao delegates, LCDC 2011 Some students, graduates & RC members prayed for me, led by kuya Ramon, as OIC-RD , Jan 30, 2024 Staff & RASI - SMRU Team 1 Gretchen G.

Dela Cruz (and her husband) Area Staff in Charge Even Ananias hesitated to reach Paul. Even the other disciples were skeptical about Paul’s conversion. It was very unlikely. Just like the life of Paul, who would have thought that I will become a staff worker or a Regional Director? It will be a surprise for those who knew me 10 years ago.

My ate’s and kuya’s were shocked when I applied for staff work. I myself, never thought any of these things, but praise be to our God who rescued me and transformed me into who I am right now. All glory to Him. Probably, most of you can relate to this story about God’s transforming grace in our lives. Students who were disobedient and difficult to deal with before are now pastors, parents, lawyers, engineers, doctors, teachers, etc, who are followers of Christ.

Who would have thought? Only God knows what he will do to the students we are journeying with right now. Our calling is just to obey and be faithful wherever the Lord leads us. “Greater things are yet to come; greater things are still to be done” (God of this City by Chris Tomlin) This song has been resonating with me for the past months as I ask the Lord for direction for our region.

It is an encouragement that God is brewing something. We may not know how long will it take but it will come. I pray that you will continue to partner with us in this ministry entrusted to us. May God continue to bless our partnership to widen our reach and deepen our impact for His Glory alone.

North East Davao Area The start of this year hasn’t gone as smoothly as I expected. Over the past two months, I’ve experienced highs and lows in my personal and ministry life, challenging and strengthening my faith. It seems God is teaching me the beauty of waiting and the process of pruning during this season. I am praying for the wisdom to discern what God is leading me to and teaching me this time, and for the strength to fully trust and obey Him.

-Abigail Calire Gabito, RASI - Kapalong 2 Care for Creation -Tree Planting Leaders’ Retreat UM Tagum Sower Chapter Pray for Abi Please pray for wisdom and strength in my work and ministry Please pray for God’s provision in every area of my life Pray for Gretchen Pray for healing for my papa and mother-in law. Davao City Area Abigail Calire Gabito RASI - Kapalong Praise God for the successful Tree Planting Activity in Northeast Davao area last March 7, 2025, with 35 attendees. Praise God for the ongoing small group meetings on the campuses in Northeast Davao.

Praise God for the lives of our ate’s and kuya’s in the area who have supported us through prayer and financial contributions. Please pray for the health of our ate’s and kuya’s in the area. Pray for financial provision as we send more delegates to DLTC and Sibol Camp this summer. Pray for spiritual growth and they will catch and live out the vision of every students we handle from 7 campus(SMC, TDC, KNHS, TNTS, USEP, UMTC & KCAST) chapters in NorthEast Davao area.

Pray for more donors and ministry partners for our IVHOME Lot in Tagum City to fully paid the remaining balance to the Seller. Thank you so much for your continued partnership in shaping and nurturing the lives of our future leaders! Mabuhay po kayo!

Cherie Gale Gujol Area Staff in Charge Another quarter has passed, and once again, I am humbled by the story of God's unwavering faithfulness and empowering presence, both in my ministry and personal life. God continuously reminds me to trust Him more and persevere in my calling.

Lately, I have found myself easily frustrated by the things I haven't accomplished or the outcomes of my efforts. But during this time, 1 Peter 5:7, my life verse, has really helped me feel His presence. Now, I realize that I need to release my worries and genuinely cast my cares upon Him.

I must trust Him with every challenge I face because there are times when I’m so overwhelmed with my tasks and other responsibilities that I tend to do things on my own and forget to surrender them to Christ.

This humbles me that God, as a loving Father, knows exactly how to deal with my problem, that He will care for me, and that I should keep my focus on His promises, goodness, and unconditional love. 3 Dawn Prayer - Kapalong We also acknowledge God’s amazing work over the years and His favor in our friendship with the International Student Ministry (ISM), specifically with Indian students, led by Kuya Ramon and Ate Jenny Tenson.

In January, we (Kuya Ramon, Ate Jenny, Kuya Charlie, Shaira, and I) had a meeting where they officially handed over the ISM responsibilities to us, as they will be taking their sabbatical leave. Lastly, I praise God for His continued work and favor in the ministry of IVCF here in Davao City, as students and graduates come together to pray, learn, and engage with the communities and campuses they are involved in.

I am hopeful and excited about what the Lord has in store for us. To God be all the Glory. Praise God, I am currently in my third and final semester for the Junior Staff certification at Asian Theological Seminary (ATS). We, the junior staff members are enrolled in a three semester course with various subjects, offered in partnership between ATS and IFES, as part of our training.

I also praise God for the help of Ate Russel Palomar, our new Finance Officer, who has been instrumental in refining and monitoring our financial activities and improving our reporting.

We meet once a month in person to work together and finalize our monthly financial reporting and recording. Finance work has been a heavy load for me, and her support has been invaluable. Graduates Prayer Gathering Young Pro Love Night wiht new invitees SPC Small Group Junior Staff Training 4 UM Matina Small Group Basic Bisaya Tutorial with Indian Students Pray for Cherie Gale and Davao City Area Pray for wisdom as I will be serving as part of the Executive Committee for SIBOL & KC, and I’m also preparing for my speaking engagements for SIBOL & DLTC.

Pray for strength and good health for the upcoming events. Pray for discipline and guidance in my current classes at ATS while I continue doing campus work. Pray that I may continue to experience joy and passion as I serve in the ministry.

Pray for the commitment and zeal of our students to follow and serve Christ. DMMA Small Group South Cotabato Area After what I went through last year, the emotional roller coaster struggles from the relationships I have and the surgery I had, I was still in shock and was processing during the first month of this year.

I made unwise decisions. But what I have appreciated was that as a person whose coping mechanism is self-isolation and who takes her time in processing things, the Lord taught me immediately what to do. He helped me to get up right away, rise again, and learn. He taught me to seek help. I embraced what I went through because of the grace of the Lord. I was able to appreciate it and learn from it. I got to know myself more, how I react to things, and my tendencies, and from there, learned how to respond rightly.

Now, I am trying to learn to see things through His lenses. It's not easy but He taught me to do so and I thank Him for always guiding me. The Lord also taught me more to focus my eyes on Him alone, seeing situations I faced and will face as my stepping stones for my growth and for a more intimate relationship with Him. Looking back, the Lord taught me to be strong and firm in my faith. Although still learning, and still be learning in this lifetime, I praise God for my progress.

Slowly, little by little every day, I became more appreciative of everything and learned to be steadfast knowing that God's love is unconditional. Most importantly, I found myself more dependent on the LORD. Soli Deo Gloria! Erica Astillero Regional Associate Staff Intern For the past three months, I've been feeling much more of the mentor-mentee relationship with the LORD.

GenSan City National School - ISCF outreach of IVCF MSU Chapter 5 Two Highlights Kuya Chang, our RD, visited the graduates and students in the area: Koronadal, Polomolok, and Gensan. Kuya Chang also conducted training for the student leaders in MSU, helping them gain confidence in leading a small group.

We visited one of our Church Partners, Malakas Evangelical Congregation with IVCF Alumni Gensan Graduates Fellowship Koronadal Graduates Fellowship How lead/facilitate workshop by Kuya Chang with Gensan Students & Some ISCF from Polomolok Pray for Erica and the South Cotabato Area Praise God for the continuing student-led campus at MSU Praise God for the student-counselors volunteers and students of ISCF in General Santos City National High School.

Praise God for the supportive graduates of the area. Pray for the students who understand the vision and mission of IVCF that they will do what God told them to.

Pray for the Ramon Gensan Fellowship, volunteers for the ISCF in Polomolok, and students from SEAIT Tupi - that the LORD will continue His work and use IVCF in building His Kingdom on those campuses.

Continue to pray for the active campuses in MSU Sycamore Chapter and ISCF GSCNHS. MSU Student-Leaders attending ARISE GENSAN last January 18 Love Month Activity ISCF in Polomolok with Kuya Tan 6 North Cotabato Area Ricky Patricio (and family) Area Staff in Charge Wendy Utay (and husband) Regional Associate Staff Intern If our compassion towards the students is authentic, discipleship becomes authentic and impactful.

I even made a conclusion from my contemplations that one of the major reasons why the ministry becomes dragging, draining, and disappointing is because the driving force is accomplishments, not the Christlike-compassion.

7 Lately, I have been contemplating if I have done enough in discipling the students. Why do both the personal and numerical growth of the students seem slow? Until now, why are the students whom we have been training not yet ready or seem uninterested in discipling others?

What more do we need to do? As I contemplated these questions, I realized that what was lacking in doing the ministry was not so much about the “how-tos” but the “whys”, the primary reason and motivation in doing the Lord’s ministry is the main issue. God has been teaching me lately through the narrative of the feeding of the crowd (Mark 6) and in the reinstatement of Apostle Peter (John 21) that I and the students must learn to constantly ask the Holy Spirit to develop a compassionate heart for the lost because the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ is not just purpose-driven but compassion-driven.

IVCF Kidapawan Discussion group IVCF Kabacan Evangelistic Workshop ISCF Sta. Maria HS Large group fellowship CMFCI Large Group Fellowship Pray for Ricky, Wendy, and North Cotabato Area Pray for the financial needs of IVCF North Cotabato.

We need to replace the roof of IVHome Kabacan and renovate the guest room. Also, we need the following equipment for our regular fellowship; sound system, and beatbox. Completion of IVHome Kabacan Concrete Fence Pray that the students will grow as followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and may they lead their fellow students to Christ.

Our 11 students at USM Kabacan are now starting to lead Bible studies as part of their preparation in handling their own Discussion Groups. Pray for the infilling work of the Holy Spirit among them. Pray for wisdom and strength as Ken and I are learning to disciple our 2 kids; Lucas and Olive.

Pray for our marriage life, that the Lord will protect and preserve us and that we will be a good example to other IV couples. Wendy’s wedding last March 28,2025 Pray for Wendy I am so amazed at what the Lord had just proven to me before, during, and after my wedding day. He answered all of my prayers for my wedding. He provided for our needs, especially the food.

Honestly, I was worried if it was enough, but God is indeed gracious; it was more than enough. I am also grateful to my Lord Jesus for the kind suppliers he directed me to approach. Most of them are Christians and have great work and ethics. I also thank the Lord for the people He provided to support us for our wedding needs.

I'm so overwhelmed by their kindness and generosity. FINANCIAL REPORT Praise God for His provision over the past months! This graph reflects how He continues to sustain us as we pursue our vision of reaching students.

By keeping our expenses lower than our support, we have been able to wisely steward the resources entrusted to us. As we move forward, let’s continue praying for more partners who will support this mission.

To fully fund our work—including student outreach, discipleship programs, and upcoming events—we need to raise around Php 200,000 per month. Every contribution brings us closer to transforming more students' lives.

Together, let’s invest in the next generation and make a lasting impact! 8 Pray for our Region Praise God, our Regional Council was able to meet face to face last January 29, 2025. Praise God! Our staff team and RASI were able to meet on March 18-19, 2025, for the annual REAP—Retreat, Evaluation, Affirmation, and Planning.

Praise God for the students and graduates who have committed to serve as part of the Executive Team for DLTC and Sibol Camp. Please pray for the preparation of our upcoming events. Kuya Ricky will lead Sibol, Ate Chen will lead DLTC, and Gale will serve as Treasurer for both DLTC and Sibol. She will also be part of the KC25 Exec as Treasurer. Pray for provision for the camp subsidy. We want to send more students, so we are subsidizing our camps.

We are currently raising almost Php 450,000 in total for the two camps. Pray for our Regional Assembly preparations—pray for more attendees and for our speaker. Pray for Me and My Wife Praise God for sustaining me and helping me lead the region for a year now.

Please continue to include me in your prayers as I discern God’s leading for the region for the next school year and beyond. Praise God for the fruitful visit im South Cotabato Area. Praise God for the growing works. Praise God for His surprised! Last January, Shaira’s OB restricted her from riding a motorcycle.

Just a week later, I was able to get a professional driver’s license, and then —someone gave us a car! We had been praying for this since last year, but we never expected that God would bless us with it for free. Please pray for my wife, Shaira.

She is now in her sixth month of pregnancy. She has been taking medication for occasional contractions, though the OB assured us that there is nothing to worry about. Pray for provision and wisdom as we step into this new journey of parenthood.

9 Spiritual Retreat led by Kuya Ricky at Crocodile Park Regional Council Meeting (Hybrid) Our first ride with God’s gift! Extended ministry of young professionals (home visit) UPCOMING EVENTS... April 26-27, 2025 Regional Assembly at UCCP Shalom Center, Davao City. Reg fee for Grads: 1,800 (stay in), 1,300 (Stay out). For Students: 700 May 23-27, 2025 Sibol Camp at Hope Mountain, Davao City. Reg fee ISCF delegates: 3,000, Non-ISCF: 4,000 June 9-13, 2025 Discipleship Leadership Training Camp at Hope Mountain, Davao City. Reg fee IVCF delegates: 3,500 Non-IVCF: 4,500 July 14 -Aug 3, 2025 Kawayan Camp at Camp Bato, Cebu City. Reg fee IVCF delegates: 15,000 Aug 7-11, 2025 East Asia Graduates Conference at CCT Tagaytay Reg fee: 11,200