The kids of Joshua Generation took on the “Missionary for a Day” challenge and went out today to spread the Gospel and give out hygiene kits and snacks to the other children in the community!
Following our lessons on the example of Paul, our children were eager to explain what they learned from their Sunday School classes. Using their ABC prayer handouts, they were able to share the Gospel to around 87 children in the communities of Piela.
We’re blessed that our Joshua Generation has the courage, enthusiasm, and joy to reach out to others and lead them to the Lord. Thank you to our workers, sponsors for this project, and those who prayed with us! We had full stomachs, clear skies, and renewed vigor in serving the Lord 😊
The Ministry Team was overwhelmed by the support of friends from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry partners, relatives, church members and friends. Because of the generosity of donors during the fundraising concert, the Faith Family Foundation was able to host another Christmas party on December 20, 2021 for the children of Pulong Saging Silang, Cavite. In partnership with Faith Family Church’s Kids Ministry, around 120 children attended the mobile Christmas Party where many of them heard about the gospel for the first time.
Photography By: Jena Manabat
Much like the Christmas party held last December 17, this Christmas party had games, prizes, and (the kids’ favorite) Jollibee. The Message of Salvation was shared through the use of a candy cane which upside down shows the letter J, representing Jesus who is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. It was not only simple enough for the children to understand but it also allowed the Foundation to reach out to the parents and guardians, who were more attentive during the sharing. With all the games, prizes and gift-giving, the place was filled with screams of joy, laughter, singing and dancing–one can really say that these kids had the best Christmas party ever after those 2 years of lockdown.
For 6 consecutive years, these children have been enjoying a Jollibee meal sponsored by our ministry partners Ms. Gibb Alfafara and Lalaine Perez-Ortega. We were amazed by their positive responses when we requested for 300 meals! And surely just as the Lord promised for provision, we were able to feed all including the parents, guardians and the toddlers they brought with them. It was as if the “feeding of the 5,000” unfolded right before our very eyes!
Photography By: Jena Manabat
The event was a blessing to the children, no doubt. But the event, brought tears to the eyes of the workers, seeing their previous students from Sunday School participating now as fellow workers in the vineyard and as they witness God’s faithfulness to the ministry. The greatest joy belongs to the giver! And we want to express our sincerest gratitude to all who have participated in bring joy and hope to these children. Indeed you are blessed to become a blessing!
“Sana po palaging pasko! (I wish it was always Christmas!)” said a 7-year old boy from the Manalo community during Faith Family Foundation’s annual Christmas party/gift-giving for the children of Sampaloc 3, Dasmariñas, Cavite. Held on 17 December 2021, the Faith Family Foundation, in partnership with the Kids Ministry of Faith Family Church, hosted a Christmas party with 270 attendees, reinforcing health protocols throughout the 2-hour program.
During the party, the children were taught about the real meaning of Christmas with the hosts placing an emphasis on the reason for the season—Jesus. The theme of this year’s Christmas party was Celebrate Jesus, which was also the name of the Kids Ministry’s online fundraising concert. The children were excited as their performances during the concert were broadcast during the Christmas party. The halls of Faith Family Church were filled with the chorus of children’s voices singing along to Christmas carols.
Photography By: Jena Manabat
Before the actual event, children were also encouraged by the Faith Family Church to create hand-crafted Christmas cards which friends from the Department of Foreign Affairs, UP, ADMU, PUP and Nordlich Pharmaceutical readily purchased. Proceeds from the sale of the cards became the seed money to buy the children gifts of toys, school supplies, and health-related items, such as masks and alcohol.
2021 marks the 6th year of the Foundation’s partnership with donors Ms. Lalaine Perez-Ortega and Ms. Gibb Alfafara. God’s favor and love for the children is especially emphasized by this partnership as the children continue to be cared for through Jollibee food packs. Every year, it is always a treat to hear the children’s ecstatic screams when they learn about their Jollibee lunches.
Photography By: Jena Manabat
This Christmas party marks the community’s slow return to “normal” life. Last year’s Christmas celebration was a distribution of gifts and food packs to the different communities. The children were noticeably brighter and happier this year as they were able to see other children and play games together for the first time in a long while. What may seem like a simple party to other people is an unforgettable moment in these children’s lives—one that we are so blessed to help come true.
Faith Family Church’s Kids Ministry, in partnership with the Faith Family Foundation, recently held its first ever satellite Vacation Bible School (VBS) from May 19-21 2021. Operating within IATF guidelines, the Kids Ministry set up satellite VBS classrooms in 6 different communities, Ligaya, Martinez, Manalo, Fatima, Lote, and Silang. A total of 101 children attended the 3-day VBS under the theme Shield Squad, learning about both stories in the Bible and disaster risk reduction and management.
Similar to last year’s theme, Shield Squad 2021 sought to teach children about how to protect themselves from disaster by teaching children about how to stay safe during calamities. This year’s VBS incorporated relevant lessons about COVID-19 to ensure that students were well-informed about the new normal. The lessons were connected with stories in the Bible—the story of Noah and the ark was used in teaching the students about floods and typhoons. The relation of Bible stories and practical knowledge about natural disasters worked together to remind children that they were capable of becoming more than just victims. Throughout the 3-day VBS, the children displayed remarkable knowledge and absorbed the practical advice that was taught to them.
During the graduation ceremonies conducted on 22 May 2021, some students were selected to share some of their experiences during the VBS. The students shared heartfelt stories about what the lessons personally meant to them.
Valerie, age 12 from Ligaya, said, “Masaya po ako na nakasama ko yung mga kaibigan ko na makilala si Jesus at saba-sabay kaming humingi ng tawad sa Diyos.” (I’m happy that I was able to learn about Jesus with my friends and we asked for forgiveness from the Lord.)Another student, Samantha, from the Fatima community shared, “Alam niyo po, masaya ako kapag andito ako kasi lagi akong may natututunang bago.” (You know, I’m always happy to be here because I learn something new every time.)Joshua, age 9 from Manalo, talked about the preventive measures he learned and said, “Salamat po kay Jesus dahil meron kaming VBS at marami akong natutunan.” (Thank you, Jesus, because we were able to have VBS and learn a lot.)
Despite the limitations of the current pandemic, Faith Family Foundation and FFC’s Kids Ministry endeavored to hold the Vacation Bible School so that these children could have access to information about disaster risk reduction and management, helping them face the world with confidence in both practical and spiritual knowledge.
Despite the dark clouds and cold rain on 19 December 2020, the children of various communities in Dasmariñas, Cavite were still filled with Christmas cheer because of Faith Family Foundation’s annual Christmas gift-giving. In partnership with Faith Family Church’s Children Ministry, and through generosity of Ms. Lalaine Ortega and Ms. Gibb Alfafara, the Foundation distributed school supplies and Jollibee food packs to approximately 220 children.
Every December, the Children Ministry, under the leadership of Ms. Jena Manabat, usually hosts a Christmas Party for children in the surrounding areas of Sampaloc 3. In view of renewed health protocols, the Foundation opted for a gift-giving event instead—volunteers from the Children Ministry went to their respective communities and gave out Jollibee food packages and school supplies. The Foundation has been blessed with donations from generous sponsors—the Jollibee food packages were donated by Ms. Lalaine Ortega and Ms. Gibb Alfafara while various other donations helped in the purchase of school supplies and face masks for the children. The children were enthusiastic about receiving the school supplies which would help in their school modules, and were overjoyed receiving the classic Jollibee lunch. Digging into their food with fervor, children from different barangays in Sampaloc 3 still felt the Christmas spirit even with the gloomy weather.
The pandemic has changed life as we know it; this goes for the activities of the Church and the Foundation. Grand Christmas parties may not be held for a long time but the spirit of Christmas and Jesus’ birth are enough cause for celebration. This year’s Christmas may not be the same as it used to be but for these children, who are no strangers to hardships, these little moments of respite and expressions of God’s love for them will be imprinted in their hearts forever.
In collaboration with the Faith Family Church’s Kids Ministry, Faith Family Foundation launched the beginning of its Module Help Project on 25 November 2020. This project is aimed to help struggling students, whose parents are unable to give them assistance in their school work, cope with the challenges of online education. A total of 80 students have currently enlisted in Module Help with the number expected to grow as the project flourishes.
With the suspension of face-to-face classes by the Department of Education, the modules are the only mode of learning students can access, especially in low-income areas with poor internet connection. These modules, however, may be difficult to answer as students lack the proper resources and focus on passing requirements instead of learning.
Faith Family Foundation’s Module Help program takes volunteer teachers from communities to gather in small groups and teach students the material they encounter in their modules. Following proper IATF guidelines, these small groups are designed to help students with their modules and give them an opportunity to be in a learning environment. Presently, fifteen qualified volunteer teachers spend around four hours teaching students in various communities once a week to help them prepare for the submission of their modules.
The government has been forced to issue orders of lockdown across the country to help control its contamination. The lockdown has been eased since then, however, schools and many establishments still remain closed. As a result, many students and workers have been left in a limbo. Not all students have internet access or the technology to help them cope with the new normal of the academe, which is why the Faith Family Foundation seeks to fill in this gap.
Faith Family Foundation seeks to reach out to these people by launching a project to distribute workbooks for students to work on while schools are closed. The project needs to collect funds to help 175 students benefit from this program. The funds will be used for the printing of all the workbooks for students of all levels.
It was a cool morning of December 7; some men and women of Brgy. Piela Dasmarinas Cavite scurried to the covered court of Piela Elementary School. Their purpose: to join a zumba fitness party. Some of them were already attending a zumba class on a regular basis, while some others were not really into physical fitness but were nonetheless ready to groove that morning.
The zumba event was a fundraising gesture of the Intercessory Ministry of Faith Family Church for its welfare arm, the Faith Family Foundation. The money raised from this event was intended to serve as an initial seed fund of the planned Faith Family Christian School.
The participants danced energetically from 7 am to 9 am via the millennial sound and the dance hits of the 80s and 90s. Some would rest after a few songs , only to come back recharged, while some others stayed dancing the entire run. Zumba coaches Dr. Ana Marie Afuang and Willex Abanez led the activity. Hot pandesal and mineral water greeted them all when they finally retired from dancing to a series of music that literally made them soaking wet.
The event was also FFC’s way to reach out to the community as part of its mission.
From May 6 to May 10, Faith Family Church’s Kids Ministry, in partnership with the Faith Family Foundation, held its annual flagship event, the Vacation Bible School. With the theme Shield Squad, this year’s Vacation Bible School had a double purpose: to educate children on stories in the Bible while teaching them disaster risk reduction and management. Throughout the week, over 150 children attended the Vacation Bible School, participating in various activities, such as games, storytelling, and arts and crafts.
Guardians (aged 7-9) creating their own fireman hats after the lesson on Lot and his family escaping from fire.
This year saw an increase of participants with over 150 attendees. Children were separated into three levels: Keepers, Guardians, and Protectors. The Keepers were the youngest of the bunch, aged 4-6, but nonetheless as enthusiastic as the older children. The Guardians, aged 7-9, were the most eager in answering their teachers’ questions. Aged 10-12, the Protectors were the oldest group, taking care of the younger ones but still absorbing their lessons. Shield Squad: Secure in God’s Protection sought to remind children that they were not just victims, but heroes in their own right because of God’s protection.
To accomplish this, volunteers and teachers connected various disasters to stories in the Bible, such as Noah and what to do during a flood, to let children know how God’s people can overcome disasters and even help other people during it. To further ensure that the children would be prepared in the face of disasters, NDRRMC-Dasma held a seminar to orient children and their parents on what to do in certain disasters. The topics they discussed ranged from first aid to methods of evacuation during earthquakes. The children eagerly listened and were even able to demonstrate the knowledge they gained.
VBS participants demonstrating how to aid someone who is injured during NDRRMC-Dasma’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Seminar.
The Vacation Bible School is considered as the Kids Ministry’s flagship event because of how it touches the lives of children in the community. Head of the Kids Ministry, Jena Manabat, says that the Vacation Bible School “helps shape the moral values of the children that are based on the Word of God”. Throughout the week, the children were cared for, fed nutritiously by the gracious volunteers, and taught the Word of God by the teachers. During the graduation ceremony, certain children, such as 10 year-old Tristan Luciano, were handpicked to share their experience with all of them expressing how God’s presence in their lives has impacted them positively. While this year’s Vacation Bible School is finished, the work of making sure that children in the community are able to feel God’s love is far from over. The Faith Family Church and its charity arm are determined to follow up on the gains of this VBS by continuing their work with the kids and the community.
Days before the actual event , the DFA needed encoders so Eunice Tabitha Trinidad, a member if the FFC and an employee of the Department , volunteered to conduct a seminar for people who were interested to become encoders. She trained the encoders how to process applications, what requirements or documents were needed, how to help applicants produce these documents, etc.
The venue provided by the Barangay was set up in Anchors 8 , Seaman’s village m Sampaloc 3, Dasmarinas, Cavite, which was fully airconditioned. The application process began at 9am on a first -come, first served basis. A systematic way of processing, data capturing, counseling, etc was set up to save time for the aplicants. At the the end of the long day , a total of 374 people had their applications approved and processed.
The team of the Passport on Wheels from the DFA, as well as volunteer youth from the Faith Family Church who helped manage the queue were also happy because everything went smoothly. The POW is part of the FFC Foundation’s service to the community that it serves. It is also part of the Department of Foreign Affairs ‘ program to reach out to the people and decongest the main office of hundreds of thousands of passport applicants.
