Frontlines Asia Volume 14, Issue 3

H
er smile exudes warmth and affection.
No wonder an air of cheer follow
Terry Meeuwsen wherever she goes, casting
out the gloom of the dreary weather when
she recently visited the Philippines.
Untiringly, the co-host of The 700 Club
in the United States and former Miss
America hugs children after children.
In those brief yet intimate moments,
even without words exchanged, she
made them feel genuinely loved.
This has been Terry’s mission when
she toured the country with Operation
Blessing Foundation Philippines (OB)—
to touch lives of disadvantaged young
Filipinos and witness for herself how
they are continually transformed
through OB and Orphan’s Promise,
her special ministry for orphans and
Stories Inside:
vulnerable children around
• A New Family
• Trust and Obey
• Orphan’s Promise
• A Different Course for TJ
• Voices in the Wilderness
the world. continued on page 2
Witnesses To The World
by John Tan, CBN Asia Executive Vice President
& Chief Operating Officer
Abused when he was younger, Raymond now has more reasons to smile.
T
he night Mary gave birth to Jesus, it was
the beginning of God’s magnificent plan
to redeem mankind. The same way He has
chosen His Son for a huge calling, He has
chosen Filipinos to be Christ’s witnesses to
the world. That’s why we at CBN Asia push
forward to fulfilling this great destiny.
The 700 Club Asia TV program
and The 700 Club Counseling Center are
strengthening Filipino families here and
abroad, and helping them understand their
role in God’s plan, so they can be effective
witnesses. If they are good testimonies of
God’s grace and goodness, then the world
will pay attention.
Our humanitarian ministry, Operation
Day 1: Davao
erry’s first stop was Davao City, where
she visited a local halfway house for
young victims of abuse, trafficking, and
child labor. Among them was Maria (not
her real name), who has found a new life at
the shelter.
After listening to Maria’s plight, Terry
was glad to learn that Operation Blessing has
committed to support her college education.
OB also plans to bring in its skills training
program at the halfway house to open
livelihood opportunities for its
young residents.
Orphan’s Promise, where Terry serves
as director, will also provide for the shelter’s
various needs for one year, including
hygiene and nutrition supplies, through its
partnership with OB.
T
Blessing, not only ministers to our
impoverished kababayans. They also go
to outreaches in poorer countries so that
God’s love can be tangible for those who
are in deep need.
Asian Center for Missions is training
Filipinos to be a light to the nations that
doesn’t recognize Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior. These missionaries are modern-day
heroes of the Gospel in places where it is
prohibited from even being discussed.
I want to encourage you, as our
partner, that your participation in CBN
Terry (left) offers a listening ear to “Maria.”
Asia has a wider, global impact. For the
Philippines to be the head and not the tail
in God’s plan, we must cooperate with His
spirit and desire, and this involves your
faithful giving.
By The Numbers
From January to September
of this year…
This Christmas season, may He find
our hearts’ collective desire is to please
Him, and together let us expect His grace,
generosity, and love to mightily overflow in
your life, your family, and our country.
Happy Holidays to all of you!
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10,811,000
cumulative viewers from Mega Manila
(NCR and neighboring provinces)
watched The 700 Club Asia on Q
Day 2: Cebu
t the Nehemiah Home for Boys and
Girls and School of Opportunities,
Terry was deeply moved hearing Raymond’s
tragic past. The physical abuse he suffered
when he was a child left his face disfigured.
OB assessed the teenager’s condition for
possible medical treatment.
During her visit, Terry brought
blessings of food and toys to over 50 of
Raymond’s schoolmates, as well as new
beddings and supplies for Nehemiah’s home
for former street children.
A
Day 3: Montalban
uring an OB medical mission at the
foothills of Sierra Madre, Terry met
Joy and marveled at her sweet smile despite
her cleft lip. She paid the young girl’s home
a visit, and was surprised to discover that she
has 15 siblings!
“It’s an amazing thing that this family
survives and there is still joy in their faces.
Joy is one very special girl with a very special
place in this family,” said Terry.
Joy is a beneficiary of Feeding the
Children, a 120-day hunger relief and
nutrition program in Barangay Macabud.
OB will also sponsor her surgery to correct
her cleft lip.
D
Day 4: Payatas
erry was greeted by mothers who are
extremely thankful to OB for feeding
their children and sending them to preschool.
T
They were also provided with microenterprise
projects to support their families.
One of them, Sara, shared her difficult
time as an OFW and her present struggles as
a poor widower and single mom. Without
Operation Blessing, she had no one else to
turn to.
Terry hugged Sara and said: “You’re a
brave woman. Lots of women would have
given up.”
Terry congratulates Sara for her new peanut butter business.
Later in the day, she saw “jumper boys”
in action—young scavengers climbing fastmoving garbage trucks to salvage recyclables.
OB is looking at alternative ways to stop them
from this dangerous trade.
Day 5: Antipolo
astly, Terry was invited at Manny and
Sherry Asprec’s backyard organic farm.
She also graced the groundbreaking of the
missionary couple’s dream orphanage, which
will be supported by Orphan’s Promise.
Much like Terry, Jesus has a soft spot for
kids, too! He tells us, “Let the children come to
me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God
belongs to those who are like these children.”
(Luke 18:16)
Your fervent partnership with Operation
Blessing and CBN Asia helps us do exactly
that! By meeting their needs and showering
them with love, we have pointed young lives
to Jesus and made them God’s own children!
L
ORPHAN’S PROMISE
An Angel for the Abandoned
Operation Blessing is supporting Terry’s cause
for the parentless.
O
rphan’s Promise was born out of Terry
Meeuwsen’s compassion for orphaned
and vulnerable children. This special
ministry of the Christian Broadcasting
Network is committed to uplifting
disadvantaged kids through loving care,
training for future independence, and the
hope of the Gospel.
“We really believe that each child has a
promise,” says Nataliya Khomyak, Director
of Operations for Orphan’s Promise. “We
want them to know that God created these
children for a purpose. We want to help
them develop their gifts and
talents so they can fulfill
their purpose.”
Here in the
Philippines, Orphan’s
Promise is glad to have
Operation Blessing as its
partner in helping out
local orphanages and
institutions with
their various
needs: food
items, hygiene
supplies,
beddings,
and even
skills
53,056
individuals prayed with the counselors
of The 700 Club Counseling Center to
receive Jesus Christ as their personal
Lord and Savior
12,771
were referred by the Counseling Center
to more than 2,000 partner churches for
spiritual nurturing, like City Bible Church
in Biñan, Laguna (right)
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training for the children they serve.
This partnership is already making
a significant impact among orphans
like Benjie of Samal Island. He feels
immensely blessed to be living at Jireh
Children’s Home, one of Orphan’s
Promise beneficiaries.
Benjie says, “Even though I don’t
have my parents with me, a lot of people
are still mindful of us!”
Be an angel to orphans when you
partner with Operation Blessing! Call
(02) 813-2163 now to learn how you
can support their various children’s
outreaches.
Nataliya of Orphan’s Promise brings cheer to
Jireh Children’s Home.
OVERSEAS FILIPINO WITNESS
A New Family
A Filipina abroad discovers the joy of community among fellow believers.
J
ane works hard in the Middle East so her
two kids back home in the Philippines
can have the best in life. But as a single mom
separated from her family, she easily succumbs
to homesickness and depression.
Like an oasis in the desert, The 700 Club Asia’s
broadcast on GMA Life TV relieved the weariness
in Jane’s soul. The show led her to openheartedly
receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.
Through Yahoo! Messenger , she
chats and prays with a counselor from The
700 Club Counseling Center. Thanks to
technology, Jane felt her burdens whisked
away. “I feel much confident knowing that
there’s someone who cares,” she said.
Committed to helping Jane in her
spiritual journey, the Center referred her to
®
GIVING HEART
an OFW church. “I’ve always wanted
something more personal, where you can
talk with people and even the pastor. It’s
what I really want in a church,” she shares.
Last May, her work contract ended,
so she came home to Pasig to finally catch
up with her children. The Center helped
her once more by referring her to a local
partner church near her home.
Today, Jane is fulfilled being a mother
to her kids and serving at church, her new
intimate family who helps her passionately
worship God and love others.
Wanting to belong? A church can be
your loving family. Call The 700 Club
Counseling Center now to find a Christian
church near you.
Trust and Obey
Be amazed by this mother and son’s story of faith and miracles!
C
hi Medalla feels devastated whenever
she hears her son Jeremiah cry in
anguish. He has osteosarcoma, a rare bone
cancer. Chi saw how the small tumor on his
left knee swelled profusely in a few months,
causing terrible pain.
They were even more devastated when
Jeremiah’s leg had to be amputated, or else
the cancer would spread. The doctor advised
him to undergo a costly chemotherapy
before his surgery, but Chi hesitated. Where
will they get the money?
One day, as Chi was watching The 700
Club Asia, God impressed in her heart to give.
“God’s words were clear: trust and obey,” says
the faithful partner of CBN Asia. “I gave my
monthly pledge as part of my commitment
to God, even if I couldn’t see how things are
going to work out.”
All Chi knows is they have a big God.
Chi held on to God’s promises. He will
heal Jeremiah even without the expensive
chemotherapy.
Jeremiah pushed through with the
surgery. He recovered amazingly fast,
and blessings continued to flow. After his
amputation, one lady donated money to
purchase his high-end prosthetic leg, while
they also received a prosthetic leg donation
from PGH.
Miraculously, tests revealed that the
cancer did not spread, and no cancer
nodules were found where the huge tumor
used to be.
“We knew it was God who healed my
son. Because we obeyed God’s voice, He
was faithful to keep His promises to us,”
says Chi. She proved that God is indeed
their Provider and Healer. In their time
of great need, they learned all the more to
obey God and just give.
Experience God’s goodness when you
decide to give! Partner with us by sending
your filled-out pledge form today!
14,970
availed of Operation Blessing’s free medical,
dental, optical, and surgical services on 109
different outreaches
130
individuals, including those from
Mindanao (right), were trained by the Asian
Center for Missions to be effective crosscultural missionaries to Asia and the world
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ASIAN CENTER FOR MISSIONS
ACM Enlarges
Its Tent on
15th Year
The Boat, symbolizing the boatloads of Filipinos
who will go into the mission fields, was presented to
Gordon Robertson during the ACM Anniversary.
A
Global Bayanihan fiesta. A reunion.
A homecoming. These words describe
Asian Center for Missions’ 15th anniversary
last October.
A colorful parade started the twoday event as flags of different nations were
carried by missionaries wearing national
costumes of the countries they represent.
Eighteen ACM graduates, most of them
from the first batch of trainees, came home
to promote their cross-cultural ministries.
The celebration reunited ACM’s former
trainees and friends.
One of the event’s highlights was the
launching of Voices in the Wilderness, ACM’s
first book of missionary stories. Present were
the ACM graduates featured in the book.
The anniversary theme, iMultiply,
reflects ACM’s efforts to “expand and
enlarge its tent” as said in Isaiah 54:2. ACM
founding Chairman and President Gordon
Robertson graced the occasion to encourage
missions mobilizers, senders, and goers.
All in all, the event was a time of
revival for everyone with a heart in fulfilling
the Great Commission. It was a time of
celebrating God’s faithfulness for the past 15
years and in years to come.
ERRATUM
In the last issue of Frontlines Asia, we
erroneously indicated that Chi Medalla
agreed to her son’s chemotherapy in the
story, “My God is Big”. The corrected
story can be found in this issue,
“Trust and Obey,” on page 4.
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MISSIONARY TRAINEE
A Different Course for TJ
A young man’s surrender to God’s will
became his most important life decision.
TJ
was adopted when he was young.
Blessedly, his foster family
showered him with love and acceptance,
sent him to good schools, and soon
he became
a certified
chemical
engineer. His
ideal life is
within reach.
What more can
he ask for?
But when
he became
a Christian,
TJ realized
something was
lacking, and he
began searching
for answers.
It came during his mission trip in India,
where he felt burdened seeing so many
souls who didn’t know Jesus.
Over and over, God’s prodding was clear:
“I have appointed you since birth. I have called
you to be a missionary.” Finally, TJ gave in:
“Okay, God, I surrender. I will follow You. I’m
all Yours.”
TJ enrolled at Asian Center for
Missions. Towards completing his six-month
training, he flew to Nepal, a nation that
God placed in his heart. Upon witnessing
the hunger for
the Gospel in that
place, his burden
became heavier.
“It was difficult
because I had
to surrender my
plans, my dreams,
even my family’s
expectations. But
God reminded me
that what I’ve given
up is nothing to
what He has given
up for me,”
shared TJ.
“I thank God for using ACM in
equipping me. Now that I’m released in the
mission field, I know I am ready.”
Ready to reap the harvest? If God is
leading you to the same calling as TJ’s,
ACM can help you fulfill it. Call them at
(02) 813-5381 today or visit our website at
www.acmnet.org.
NEW BOOK
ACM Launches Its First-Ever Book
Voices in the Wilderness tells of missionaries’ journeys of faith.
A
s part of its 15th
anniversary, Asian
Center for Missions
launched its first book
of missionary stories
titled Voices in the
Wilderness.
The book features
five testimonies of
Filipino missionaries
who devoted their
lives ministering to
the world’s most
forbidding Gospel
frontiers. These
missionaries all belong
to the first batch of
ACM graduates.
The book was
written for ACM by
Nena Benigno, a writer of missionary profiles
and scriptwriter of
The 700 Club Asia for 16 years.
It recounts the adventures of
Michelle in Vietnam, Roselyn
and Pappet in the Thai-Burmese
border, Lhen in Thailand,
Hidalgo and Maria in Africa,
and Ramil and Minerva
in China.*
The book was officially
introduced during ACM’s
iMultiply celebration last
October. ACM founder
Gordon Robertson and CBN
Asia President Peter Kairuz
were present to grace the
book launching.
Voices in the Wilderness
is initially exclusive to
ACM partners and Global
Bayanihan members.
*Some names changed to protect the missionaries.
ONLINE
Check Out the New CBN Asia Online!
Find inspiration in a click at www.cbnasia.org!
CBN Asia marks 16 exciting years
this 2010 with a brand new look for
its website! Go to www.cbnasia.org
today to access our videos, stories,
and other inspirational content that
will surely uplift your spirit!
GIVING HEART
Surprise Blessing
CBN Asia partners like Jennifer
are experiencing God’s goodness
in their lives!
J
COUNSELING CENTER
Tarlac Churches Undergo Counseling Training
T
he 700 Club Counseling Center recently
conducted a basic counseling training for
ministers and workers from different churches
in Tarlac.
More than 100 representatives from
over 50 churches in Bamban, Concepcion,
Capas, and Tarlac City participated in the
event held at Full Harvest Christian Center
in Capas. The training aims to equip church
workers with proper counseling principles
and guidelines, and to strengthen the
counseling ministry in churches, making it
more effective in helping people deal with
their problems.
Shown in the photo below are trainers
from the Counseling Center together with
some pastors and church workers who
attended the training.
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ennifer Quitilen was insistent. Despite
her family’s financial constraints, she
wants to fulfill her long-delayed pledge to
support CBN Asia.
“I need to commit to it,” said the
jobless mother, “because everything comes
from God.” Indeed, she has proven this
when, a few years back, their businesses
went bankrupt and things only turned for
the worse.
“It’s like a domino effect. We lost
our car, our house, our belongings. We’re
left with only our clothes,” she tearfully
recalled. Just when Jennifer lost almost
everything, she found God through The
700 Club Asia.
“I made the show my routine. Every
night, it is my spiritual food,” she shared.
“I also call The 700 Club Counseling
Center a lot of times, and they’ve helped
me a lot. Friends may turn their backs, but
with the counselors, I feel like I’m talking
to God.”
After fulfilling her P500 pledge,
Jennifer went to her former office to have
her proof of donation faxed. At the same
time, she was informed that she has a
commission worth P86,000 from an old
client. God blessed her faithfulness in
giving with a provision she least expected!
Now Jennifer has already found a job
and is confident of better days ahead for her
family. She said, “I’m so overwhelmed with
God’s love! What He gave me is not just a
blessing. It is proof of how He is so good in
my life!”
Be blessed as you give! As you give freely,
you gain even more (Proverbs 11:24).
Partner with CBN Asia today and help us
build God’s Kingdom!