"Step Up" - Youth Empowerment

Passing days have left a mark of remarkable experiences in our lives. There are hard, simple, and instances which I thought to be impossible to win over. Yes, those days are fading away, yet the memories are still nailed inside my heart.

Some life encounters were all coming to an end (year-end) while there are kicking off scenes in front of us (year start) that we need to work out for.

Multiple youth departments including the media team. Me with a red line.

Thus, it was a great moment to take a step up (to press on forward this year) with a boom. Welcoming the new year with earnest thanksgiving to God, unwaning hopes, and expectations to have more precious challenges to face and win in the end for the next coming chapters of our lives.

The UPC youth department has once again cropped up its annual end of year celebration while at the same time to greet the start of year with a leadership training seminar at CTU Danao still with a theme "Now Faith."

Youths are listening attentively to the lecturer's discussion. And sometimes burst of laughter are echoing out loud due to lecturer's good humors.

Short meeting segment before the game competitions.

We started with an early devotion, followed by breakfast and chains of lectures. We learned a lot from those lectures, which comprises being a responsible youth of today upholding morality and spiritual empowerment within the family, at school, work, church and everywhere.

Basketball/volleyball games for male and female category and table games like pingpong.

board games like scrabble and chess

"DAMPA" where the player has to move the piles of rubber bands using his/her bare hands while shaping the latter with a dome shape in order to produce an air which pushes the rubber bands and inchly move out away from the finishing line.

Bible games follow.

Who has the longest uncut hair? Wholesome competition.

Next, we had our lunch break and afterwards assorted games like balls, table, board games, and even the, known "dampa" 😅. Bible games also took place next in the line and many others. The energetic youth from different delegations were competitors in the said games.

Solo, duet, trio, and choir gospel singing friendly competition among the delegates.

Evangelistic service in the evening and giving of awards or certificates to the lecturers, guest speaker and the winners.

Singspiration or friendly competition through gospel singing consisting of solo, duet, trio, and choir, was the most awaited part of the competition. Most importantly, this was followed by an evangelistic worship service in the night and giving of certificates to our honored chosen lecturers and special guest speaker and a set of awards to the winners.

Ponder in mind,that in every battle we face you are not alone.

Thus, every tear sown has a joy replacement.

We may have diverse ways to start a single step to welcome this year's multiple dares, but I am sure that the coming days, though full of struggles, battles, and even pains, are still promised with abounding peace and will be filled with joy beyond calculation if it centers around Him who is the Author of life, not just temporal ones but life up to eternity.

For the young teens like me, let us be strong to continue taking our steps going up towards a fruitful journey. Remember, it only takes a single yet continuous step for countless achievements ahead of us. So why not start on your own mark now?

Thanks for reading mga ka hive 🥰. God bless your heart.

Special thanks to:

Bishop Cornelio Mangoba, Pastor Jun Nel Mark Mangoba, Pastor Rey Nhel Mark Mangoba, Ma'am Andresa Mangoba and all our honored lecturers and our special guest speaker, Pastor Jordan Patts

Note: Pictures are from our EVD Youth Ministries and church media page.