Hello friends, and partners in Christ:
2022 has started off with exciting momentum. Since January, Frontline Worship Center has already hosted two Catalyst Community events, receiving delegates from dozens of churches from all around the country.
These events truly were catalysts, igniting and fueling a passion to focus on the mission of Jesus and to plant churches wherever possible! We look forward to the four more Catalyst Community
events that we will have this year. The recent pandemic has inspired our new workshops of “planting churches without money.” We've learned so much these past couple of years - God really does bring everything together for the good of those who love Him
We celebrate that we have been able to host these events, and many other seminars, at our new and improved training center. It's a beautiful place to meet – thank
you to all who have contributed to make it fully functional! We still need about $7,000 to complete the dorm rooms for delegates/visitors, and a kitchen improvement. If you'd like to help out, please let us know
Our house churches continue to multiply in numbers and grow in faith. Currently we have about 120 house churches. Praise God, “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us!” (Eph. 3:20
Director, Church-Planting
Exodus 13: 21-22 And the LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give light
Numbers 9:22 Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, …the sons of Israel… did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out.
It has been two years, as it were, of the “cloud” remaining stationary. I often wonder how the people of God felt when the cloud tarried for a long time. Were they bored? Were they frustrated? Did they become angry and resentful? Hopefully, it was a time for each one to deepen their relationship with God. How have we felt for the last two years?
I believe the “cloud” is moving. The world is beginning to open up again, and with it the Compassion ministry within Philippine Frontline Ministries continues to move forward. Within the past month we have brought in three children into our Face The Children (FTC) residential child-care program. Meet Rica Mae, Mary Joy and Ella, now rescued and safe.
When we last wrote to you, we announced that finances were running low for our feeding programs. We are grateful for your response: there is now sufficient funding to last another four months. Thank you! This includes three new feeding programs. We also look forward to resuming the feeding program at the school near the dumpsite, since schools are starting to re-open.
Recently I also met with the head of the Hospital Ministry (oh, by the way, I was able to return to the Philippines last February)! I am glad to share with you that our hospital outreach has successfully adapted to the restrictions imposed on hospital entry. Working with the Social Workers within the hospitals, we continue to provide necessary help to needy patients, providing their medication and other needs.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness in standing with us and supporting the ministry to those in need of compassionate help. God bless you!
Director - Compassion Ministries
The new year seems to have ushered in new hope of a change in circumstances, or a peace even in unchanging circumstances. The Philippines has slowly started opening up schools for “limited” face-toface-classes, allowing a gradual return of students for a few hours per day. After two years of school closures, I had wondered if this day would ever come. Now we are (finally!) busy preparing for classes.
During the past two years our staff have shown incredible resilience and flexibility. Online schooling for young kids can be negative in many ways; but we have used it to reach more families with the love of Christ. We previously shared an opportunity to provide Christian counseling to our students and their parents to deal with the trauma of the pandemic. At this time nearly half of our students have availed of one-on-one sessions with a Christian counselor. The feedback has been deeply grateful, and it has helped the children and parents deal with the incredible stress of the past two years. Recently one parent told us that her daughter said, “Mom, I'm so glad the school did that for us!”
FCA has seen the goodness of God through the generosity of ministry partners both far and near, and that has been a huge encouragement. Internally, some of the other ministries of Frontline were able to contribute recently to help FCA pay some outstanding liabilities. As you may know, we have been struggling to stay afloat amid the loss of nearly half our student population since the onset of the pandemic.
We have not stopped reaching out to our communities. Our weekly Community Development Program funded by our teachers and staff, has regained momentum and has continued to bless the children in marginalized areas by providing a simple meal, along with free academic tutorials, fun games, and Bible stories. And during the annual gift-giving this year we were able to distribute 750 grocery packs to needy families. Praise God! We are blessed to be a blessing!
Please pray with us for at least 200 students to be enrolled in the next school year, and for provision needed to finish prepping for in-person classes; we are currently trying to raise $15,000 in an online campaign and have raised $7,100 as of this writing. We are actively promoting the school and hoping it will soon be filled with the noise, the clutter, and the laughter of children!
Thank you so much for your faithful support.
Director - Education
Honoring God through businesses that operate under the direction of the Lord, to bless people in need of jobs, and to generate revenues for the mission of Christ… that is the dream of our social enterprise ministry. It has been an interesting, exciting, and impactful journey as we've grown. Here's a brief update on recent developments.
Frontline Business Solutions (FBS)
We're happy we can work together again in our office. One of the best
aspects of that is the renewal of our bi-weekly company devotionals;
a much needed time of
reflection and discussion
on God's Word. Since
some schools have also
resumed face-to-face
classes, we will soon
be able to resume our
student immersion
program for local students
in IT courses. We've also
accepted over a dozen soon-to-be
graduates from universities in our
area for virtual on-the-job training
(OJT's). We love the opportunity
to engage, to bless, and influence so
many young people.
We're glad to report that our clientbase has grown both locally and internationally. As a result, our workforce has grown as we've hired several new employees this year.
Another exciting development is our recently concluded strategic planning event. It served to reignite and refocus our dream on being a best-in-class business to bless the Philippines and the Filipino people. And we believe we're on that path as some of our employees recently garnered Core Value Awards for satisfaction and professionalism from their respective clients. Our FBS Web Team has also proudly launched another internal webbased application to manage payroll systems, and a brand new application for non-profits to manage donations.
Frontline Threadworks (FTW)
On November 30th, 2021 we decided
to temporarily shut down activities at
FTW due to a couple of reasons. The
main reason was to update or fulfill
all compliance requirements because
we needed to officially register FTW
as a sewing industry business. We
began the process in January, but it
was a long and tedious undertaking
requiring numerous submissions
covering needs for land, building,
occupancy, fire and business permits.
Thankfully, on Feb 25th, after a lot of time and hard work, we were given the new building permit. Shortly after that we had our final inspections and were able to get our city business permit as well.
So we're ready to go! This is a big step for FTW, because we can now accept larger projects, serve bigger clients, employ a larger and growing workforce, and render our quarterly and annual operational reports with no impediments.
We're excited to be restarting, and are asking for prayer partners to pray that God brings good clients and projects that are profitable in order to sustain and grow this undertaking. The sewing industry can be quite difficult in a “take-it-or-leave-it” environment, where many people who need a job so badly often end up working for so little. Please pray for clients that are more generous and who care to make a difference in the lives of the least.
Founding Director
US DONORS:
Make checks Payable to: Philippine Frontline Ministries
PO BOX 208 Sandwich IL 60548
CANADA DONORS:
Make cheques Payable to: World Focus, Inc. (Please Note "Philippine Frontline")
1399 Buffalo Place Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3T 1L6
PHILIPPINE DONORS:
Direct Deposit to Philippine Frontline Ministries, Inc.
Bank: China Bank
Acct#: 12845200002521 Branch:1284 SM City San Pablo,
Laguna
Swift Code: CHBKPHMM
+ 1 815 498 3676
Jeff Pessina
Founder/President
jeff.pessina@thefrontline.asia
Mike Gordon
Director of Compassion Ministries
mike.gordon@thefrontline.asia
Max Beloso
Director of Church - Planting
max.beloso@thefrontline.asia
Rhoda Lynn Pessina Dayo
Director of Education
rhoda.pessina@frontlineacademy.asia