May Newsletter

A Step Of Faith

By Gabriel Malquisto

My name is Gabby Malquisto, and I am a full-time missionary at IT Tender Ministry. Since 2010 my focus has been to handle the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program, where we partner with the Department of Education to offer out-of-school youth and adults the opportunity to complete their high school level education.

For many years we have seen the Lord give hope to out-of-school youth through ALS, and we have shared many stories with you of change, success and hope.

 

Now it is time for me to challenge myself to move forward.  I have been inspired by our youth to never stop learning, and so this coming June 2014, I will be going back to school to study to become a high school teacher. This step of faith is where the Lord is leading me; to empower and educate more children and youth through our programs, as well as empowering myself. Higher education will make me more effective in the ministry that the Lord has entrusted to me.

This step will require more sacrifices and hard work, but I know that this is God’s plan for me.  I offer myself to our God to serve Him better and serve the people He has entrusted to the ministry.

A note from John Coffey, IT Tender Director:

As our partners and friends, I want to challenge you to join us in supporting Gabby’s journey of faith to go to university. Gabby needs prayer and financial support to fulfill this dream. We need to raise $500 per semester to cover his tuition and school expenses. An additional $200 per semester would cover his transportation for the long commute each day. Donations of any amount will greatly impact Gabby’s education.

The returns on this investment to our community are invaluable. Empowering one of our own workers to become a licensed high school teacher at IT Tender will inspire our youth and enhance our high school equivalency program. To prove his dedication, Gabby has already saved his own personal funds to cover his enrolment fees and the entrance exam fee. He passed the exam and will begin classes this June. By faith, he is doing all he can to pursue this dream. Now it’s time for us to rally around him and do what we can to empower him to succeed.

Please contact me at johndlcoffey@gmail.com for information on how you can donate towards Gabby’s university education. Or donate directly online through our secure giving site: give.iteams.ca/tendergeneral

  

Ang Pagtatapos

(“The Graduation”)

By Cecille de Jesus

After weeks of preparation, the long awaited day finally came for the students, parents and teachers from the SLC Day Care to attend "Ang Pagtatapos" – a day of recognition for those students who completed one year of preschool education at IT Tender. 

The event was held at Max’s Restaurant on March 29, 2014. The IT Tender staff, parents, and visitors were delighted to see the children dressed up so formally. The program kicked off with the preschool class of 2014 parading in proudly. As their teacher, the most exciting part for me was giving the children their certificates and special awards. The room was filled with strong emotions and beautiful reactions on the faces of the parents as their children were acknowledged on stage. With a beaming smile, one father literally jumped for joy as his son marched to the stage.

There were also tears of joy when the parents received a rose and a big hug from their children. Students traditionally give a rose to their parents as a token of appreciation for their support and efforts throughout the school year.  Seeing the overflow of happiness from the parents made me just as proud as they are for these children who are now prepared to face the next level of their education.

Things we are thankful for:

·      Christine Tekiner – IT Tender’s first high school graduate from the Sponsor A Child Program!

·      John Coffey and Jamielyn Torres attended the International Teams East Asia conference in Vietnam where John was received well as a key note speaker, teaching on community transformation

·      Cecille now has all the funds needed for her surgery and her pre-op medical treatment is going well. We are praying that she can undergo the surgery in early July

·      Jizza Magallanes – our Intern Social worker – has graduated from university!

·      The whole team was able to take a week off over Easter and everyone enjoyed a well-earned break

Things we would love you to pray for:

·        Jizza is now reviewing for her board exam which will enable her to become a licensed Social Worker, please pray for wisdom as she prepares for this exam

·        Financial provision for Gabriel as he prepares to go back to school

Thank you for your prayers and support! Without it, none of our programs would be possible. We are truly grateful for your support.

Donate to IT Tender: give.iteams.ca/tendergeneral

Contact IT Tender: johndlcoffey@gmail.com (John Coffey, Director)

April Newsletter

A New Journey Starts Today

By Gabby Malquisto

For the school year 2013-2014, we congratulate five of our Alternative Learning System (ALS) graduates who passed their Accreditation and Equivalency Examination last October 2013 – completing their high school qualifications. In March we received a message from our Mobile Teacher announcing that five of the nine students who attempted the comprehensive exam passed this year, which makes us joyful and thankful to the Lord after months of waiting for the results.

Before the results were announced, we met with the learners who took the exam and asked two simple questions. Firstly, we asked about their plans if they failed the exam. We were encouraged by their answers that they would continue and are willing to try the exam again next year. Secondly, we asked about their plans if they pass the exam. Most of them want to go to college. Some want to be teachers and entrepreneurs but all of them have dreams that are full of hope.

After a year of hardship and perseverance, we have seen the students’ motivation and willingness to learn and to strive to achieve their goals.  Truly, the Lord honors those who trust in Him, and we are blessed by the lives of our young people who do not stop dreaming even in the tough situations they face in their daily lives. To God be all the glory!

A.L.S. 2013-2014 Passers	AGE
1. Rechelle Villaluna Lizardo	16
2. Gimma Galapin Golejon	17
3. Karen Yoingco Pimentel	24
4. Catherine Marinas	16
5. Eliezer Marfil	15

Two of our A.L.S. Passers of 2013-2014

Rechelle Lizardo 

Gimma Galapin Solejon

Nutrition and Hygiene Seminar

By Karin Jose

We continue to be blessed by all the support and guidance the local "barangay" (community council) has extended to us at IT Tender.

On March 3^rd IT Tender had the privilege of partnering with the Muntinlupa Department of Health to host a Nutrition and Hygiene seminar at our drop-in center. Professional nutritionist and health care workers led the seminar. Parents with children in our Food For Life program, SLC Daycare and SMART Kids joined us for a great morning learning the importance of good nutrition and hygiene. We were also able to get some tips on preparing affordable yet nutritious meals.

The Health Department has invited IT Tender to bring parents to a Family Planning seminar in April and as a team we are particularly excited about this. It will give parents a chance to hear different opinions on and be educated about a subject that in The Philippines is often seen as taboo, yet plays a large role in the poverty cycle.

Please join us in prayer that these seminars will have a lasting impact in the lives of the children and their families.

Prayers and Praises

Things we are thankful for:

•       IT Tender’s Social Work Intern Jizza Magallanes now has all the funds required for her school fees, examinations and graduation. Thank you to the donors who have so generously supported her
•        The 5 ALS passers who passed their High School Accreditation and Equivalency Examination
•       Full time IT Tender worker Gabby Malquisto has passed his entrance exam enabling him to go back to college to attain his degree in Education – more details to follow in the coming months
•      Thank you to everyone who has so generously contributed to Cecille’s medical fund; we have now reached our target! She is taking medication first before she is ready for the operation in July

Things we would like prayer for:

•         Pray for wisdom, strength, and good health for the IT Tender team and their families

Special Prayer Request for Jizza's Graduation

Dear friends and supporters,

I'm so thankful to announce that in less than a month our very own Jizza Magallanes will graduate with her degree in Social Work. Then in June she will take the licensing exam to become an official, licensed Social Worker!  Although she doesn't yet have all the funds for her graduation and exam review, we are declaring by faith that she will graduate and attain her license.

Jizza leads an orientation for some of our clients

Actually, God has already been providing in miraculous ways for Jizza to complete her studies. Despite many trails, God has provided for all her needs and tuition fees over the years. She can now see the finish line, and she is fervently praying to graduate. I've asked her to write a letter to explain the final provisions she needs to graduate. We only need $275 more to reach this goal! If you would like to respond to her need through donations or prayer, contact me at johndlcoffey@gmail.com

John Coffey

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"The Realization of a Dream" by Jizza Magallanes

A blessed day! My name is Jizza B. Magallanes and I am 24 years old. I have been working with street children and marginalized families in Muntinlupa City, Philippines for almost three years now under International Teams Tender Ministry. At the same time, I am taking up a degree in Social Work at  the Philippine Christian University. By God’s grace, my mother and I have been working in order to fund my schooling after a painful downfall in my family’s finances which forced me to stop my schooling for awhile. I chose not to be affected by the situation and continued in my ministry despite the reality that being a full-time worker in a faith-based organization means not always receiving a steady income. It is my mother who works hard in order to support my studies. She used to work as a full-time babysitter and house helper because she firmly supports the importance of my education. And even now that she is earning a good salary by working as a house parent in the nearby "Children's Home" orphanage, she still works as a part-time clothes washer and house helper. As of now, we have been able to cover most of my tuition fee and are still working out the means to pay the rest of the balance. I wrote this letter as a step of faith, for we are still praying for provisions for my graduation fee and board examination review. Please see the breakdown below:

Amount	US $	Particular	Date Needed
8,000 PHP	US$ 200	Graduation fee (inclusion:  graduation picture, graduation toga, yearbook, alumni fee, copy of transcript of records, other school needs)	4th week of March or 1st week of April, 2014 before April 4
5,000 PHP	US$ 125	Board Examination Review Fee	3rd or 4th week of April, 2014
2,000 PHP	US$ 50	Allowance for transportation (Alabang to Manila, vice versa)	1st week of May, 2014
	$ 375 - 100 $ 275	Total Amount Needed (minus $100 in donations already received) Only $275 left to raise

I believe in my heart that it is my calling to serve God with the use of my talents and knowledge. I will be more effective if I have a degree and license in Social Work.  Please pray for me as I face this final struggle in my studies. I believe that God has a purpose for every trial in our lives and I decide to trust in Him and to hope that other people might want to join my cause.

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If you would like to join in helping Jizza graduate, contact John Coffey at johndlcoffey@gmail.com

Thank you for your support and prayers!

March Newsletter

Staff News at IT Tender
By John Coffey and Cecille De Jesus

It's hard to imagine running our programs without the support and encouragement of Jamielyn (aka "Jam"). For months she was been assisting at our preschool and Night Life programs. However, we are excited to share that since the end of February, she has started working full-time at IT Tender. The entire team is extremely thankful for her passions and gifts in teaching children, her creativity in the arts (especially with singing and dancing), and her skills with administration.

 

Jam is currently Cecille's assistant teacher in our preschool, she serves in our Food for Life nutrition program twice a week, she helps with our Night Life program, and she also assists with administration in the office.

“Serving and worshipping alongside my fiancé is an opportunity for the two of us to grow, mature, and understand each other better. Please pray for Jam as she adjusts to her new schedule at IT Tender.”

John Coffey, IT Tender Director

In other news, please pray for our full-time missionary and SLC Daycare teacher Cecille. She is one team member who inspires us all, and here is a personal update:

God Never Fails: As I continue the journey of my life, I continue to face circumstances that do not make it easy. There are times in everyone’s life that they will get tired, become weak physically, emotionally and spiritually, and for me this happened when I was first diagnosed in November 2013 with a large (12cm) ovarian cyst. I thought the process leading up to surgery would be easy, but in reality it has been emotionally and physically draining.

A lot of things need to be prepared: a 6 month course of pre-op antibiotics, multiple medical examinations and scans, and of course time and money is needed going to and from the hospital. The most difficult part for me has been the need to adjust how much I actively participate in the things I am passionate about: my studies to become a qualified teacher, my family and of course the SLC Daycare ministry where I teach. But through all of these hard times, God has shown me how to trust and hold on to His promise; that He will never fail me. I continue to praise Him for the continued strength He has give me to stand firm and continue this journey together with Him.

Things we are thankful for:

  ·      Short term volunteer Louise Carver has been volunteering with various IT Tender ministries since January but she has now arrived safely back in the UK. The team will miss her passion and dedication and the children will miss her love and caring nature

  ·      Following on from an evangelistic outreach camp last November and on-going ministry, the youth from our Night Life program have requested a bible study! This started a few weeks ago and a further update will be included in next months newsletter

  ·      New full time volunteer Jamielyn – her hard work and love for the children is already having a huge impact on our ministries

  ·      The visit of our Filipino partners Action International and their American visitors Mick and Tracey Burr. We had a great day showing them our feeding program which is sponsored by Action International

Things we would love you to pray for:

    

            ·      The on-going health of Cecille De Jesus; that her pre-op meds would be successful and that
               she would receive all the funds needed for her required surgery later this year

            ·      IT Tender is working in partnership with the local barangay (council) to host a ‘Nutrition and
               Hygiene’ seminar this month for parents of 50 of our clients – please pray for good
               attendance, open minds and improvements in families and communities

           ·      Wisdom as the IT Tender team conducts a mid-year evaluation and planning for our ongoing
              programs