My dear co-workers in Christ,
It is our joy to share with you the work of the Lord through His ministry among Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan. Everyone could certainly understand that being away from home is a serious struggle. These migrant workers are one of those taking the risk to feed the family while they are away from home. Apparently, “they are like sheep without ashepherd, they are harassed and helpless and Jesus had compassion on them” (Matthew 9:36). Our ministry brings the compassion of Jesus towards these migrant workers into reality despite complex situation. The major task of our ministry is to let these workers experience having a shepherd who will embrace them with Christ’s love and will guide them towards transformation of life in the image of Christ.
We have lots of ministries that cater to the needs of migrant workers and we are excited to share with you some of our work:
TAHANAN Launches Choir & Dance Team
Choir is one of vital parts of worship service. We challenge to outset the TAHANAN choir & dance ministry among migrant workers despite many challenges they face like tight schedules of their work and the limited freedom to go out from their dormitory. These struggles affect their commitment and time to serve the Lord through their talents. Singing hymns in the choir and dancing for the Lord inspire and strengthen the life of migrant workers to continue serving the Lord. Their involvement in these ministries lessen and even an antidote of their loneliness and boredom resulting from their debility being away from their loved ones.
Typhoons Never Hinder Group Gatherings
Strong typhoons with an International names “Soudelor” and “Dujuan” hit Taiwan on August 07 and September 28 respectively.Everyonewasterrified. They worried about the impact of these super typhoons. The Filipino migrant workers from part of visayas area in the Philippines were more frightened because of their previous experiences of typhoon Yolanda with an International name “Haiyan”. Most of their houses and economic resources were devastated and some of their loved ones were injured and some were dead. So, when Super typhoon hitTaiwan, they got “panic anxiety attack”. They couldn’t sleep and haduncontrolled worries and even their loved ones in the Philippines wereanxious about them here. The TAHANAN or our ministry is aware in situations like this. Our ministry conducts activities to comfort and give them relief from fearful experiences. The Church Van works by picking the workers up by dorm and bring them to TAHANAN to gather for prayer and do group dynamics, etc.
TAHANAN Outdoor Get-together
Again and again, we could say our ministry is unique and vital for Filipino migrant workers because we always keep our eyes on them. We are deeply immersed with them. We see not only the struggles in connection with their work and co-workers especially foreign workers; the biased company policy and management; their problems relating to family/loved ones, and other forms of distress but also the burnout sentiment from their routinework. Our TAHANAN or ministry offers an outdoor fellowship and worship service for Filipino migrant workers. We headed to center-western Taiwan specifically at Lihpaoland, a recreation world. This vital activity in a venue other than the usual place, the workers have somehow regained new strength physically, emotionally and specially spiritually. They feel revitalized once again and belongingto a family where God’s love is shared.
MECO Serves WithTahanan
The National election in the Philippines is at hand! This would be in 2016. It is a time to select leaders to lead our country for a brighter Philippines. Consequently, voter’s registration must be done prior to election. We’re grateful to God because MECO (Manila Economic & Cultural Office, Consular Affairs Office of the Philippines in Taiwan) has accepted our invitation to facilitate the overseas voter’s registration provided there would be minimum of 60 registrants. It’s indeed a meaningful and successful event because there were 142 Filipino migrant workers being served. This is the first work of MECO in our area. Furthermore, this is the beginning of our partnership in serving Filipino migrant workers in our place.
A Pinoy Taste of The Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Moon Cake festival. It is a harvest festival celebrated by ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese people. The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese Han calendar and Vietnamese calendar (within 15 days of the autumnal equinox), on the night of the full moon between early September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. The festival celebrates three fundamental concepts which are closely tied to one another:
Gathering, such as family and friends coming together, or harvesting crops for the festival.
Thanksgiving, to give thanks for the harvest, or for harmonious unions
Praying (asking for conceptual or material satisfaction), such as for babies, a spouse, beauty, longevity, or for a good future (source: Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia).
Mid-Autumn Festival is a National holiday in Taiwan. It falls September 27 this year and most Filipino migrant workers have no work. Our TAHANAN ministry also celebrates this event contextualizing our local culture as Filipinos. We gather at nearby park to pray and give thanks to our God thru Jesus Christ, our Immanuel in the midst of struggles as Filipino migrant workers. We do barbecuing for everyone to enjoy. The celebration highlights our very own local childhood games, we fondly call it “PalarongPinoy”. Everyone throws back the time playing sack race, piko, luksongtinik and luksonglubid, hula hoop & others. The activity offers the Filipino workers a joyous and memorable one.
We thank God because of you. Your financial supports and prayers are our sandals to walk faithfully in service to God through migrant ministry. We are fervently praying that God will always be with you and bless you abundantly.We would like to invite you to pray for missionary work with Migrant Filipino Workers in Taiwan.
• We invite you to walk with us in a missionary journey and pray for us in the ministry of Migrant Workersin Taiwan. Pray that our ministry can be an instrument to be a blessing of God's love.
•We humbly knocking to your generous heart to support Global
Ministries by assisting with our salary support through the advance
#s so we can remain faithful to the call the Lord made on our life.
•We invite you to engage in hand-on activities like supporting migrant workers for their monthly outdoor fellowship.
For financial contributions, you may:
1. Use Global Ministries' website: to send a donation for my salary support. At the bottom of the page, click on "Missionaries". Scroll to our name on the missionaries’ page and our profile will appear. At the bottom of our profile is a link to make an online donation.
2. Through mailing a check to your local church or conference office. Write “for Alma J. Navarro # 3022029, and Richard B. Navarro # 3022030” on the memo line of your check.
If not sending through a local United Methodist Church, you may send your check to:
Advance GCFA ; P.O. Box 9068 ; New York, NY 10087-9068.
We end with words to say thank you and we appreciate
so much for your faithful support!
Sincerely,
Richard & Alma Navarro
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