The Pyros Torch Issue 12

8/14/2019 The Pyros Torch Issue 12

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Soul Anchor 2009:Taking A StandBy Bruce Mao

Soul Anchor 2009: Taking A Stand is a campthat will never be forgotten. Over 220people arrived at Oak Glen not knowingwhat to expect or how they would bechanged, but each and every one of themleft with a resounding declaration to take astand for their friends, their community, andour God. Words cannot begin to describe

just how mightily He moved through allthose young people in the ve days thatthey spent up in the mountains, but restassured, they all descended from themountains with their swords and theirshields ready to go into battle.

Camp began with an emphatic message byPastor Mark Briones on Monday night,preaching from 2 Chronicles 2:17-20, statingthat the battles we encounter are not our

own, but Gods. After the message, fourcampers rose from their seats, walked to thealtar, and kneeled before Gods throne asthey newly committed their lives to Christ. Italso left the young people release their ownbattles to the Lord and allow Him to conquerour ghts and struggles in the world.

These phenomenal messages kept rolling asPastor Erwin Tanjuaquio from WIN SanFrancisco/Bridgepoint spoke to the camperson Tuesday morning about Washing,Waiting, and Warring... washing our mindsclean of the things of the enemy, watchingwhat our minds receive, and warring againstcertain mindsets that draw us away fromGod. During the afternoon, workshopsdealing with stress, anxiety, and depression,as well as nancial management, were insession; Rachel Briones and SandraCordero spoke to those in high school andbelow while Fedelyn Rapinan and PastorLyndon Aldaba of WIN Los Angeles spoke tothe college students and youngprofessionals.

Later that night, Pastor Carlos Gamez, Jr.

preached to all the campers about buildingup their shield and sword to ght against theenemy by living, breathing, and studying theWord of God. The message left thecampers jumping to their feet and settingforth shouts of praise.

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The Pyros Torch is apublication of ThePyros Youth Ministryof Word InternationalMinistries Los

Angeles.

THE PYROS TORCH I S S U E T W E L V E

WIN Silicon Valley youthFroilan Vicente kneelsdown in worship.

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WIN LA that was established in being ground andcentered. It was highlighted by an activity where camperswere split off into pairs, and while staring intently at one

another, one had to scream as loud and hard as they couldat the other, while the second had to attempt with all theirmight to keep as straight a face as possible.

Needless to say, it was a refreshing reminder to staygrounded and rooted in our faith in God when staring, in ourcase, at the face of the enemy. The afternoon was thenmarked by a series of workshops where Sister Tess Corderospoke to the college kids about the power of the tonguewhile Pastor Neil Lewis of WIN Inland Empire spoke aboutour divine purpose to the younger campers. Subsequently,Rachel Briones, Rizza Aldaba, and Rocky Apura (speakingto the fourteen and younger) and Jessie Romero and hiswife, Lizette Romero, shared their personal testimony andmessage on sexual purity that left the campers resolved tolive a pure life in all aspects of their lives. A towering

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On Wednesday, Pastor Alex Cabansagan of JesusChrist My Lord and Savior Ministry in SanFrancisco began with a powerful message,encouraging the campers to lift their battles toGod, but at the same time, do their part to ghtthe good ght. He motivated each youth groupnot to leave any of their own behind, to stand upfor each other, and to unite and create aprotective barrier around their brothers and sistersto deect and protect against the enemy and hisways. The hears of all envisioned victory as anunbreakable unit over every obstacle the worldwill inevitably throw at them.

Our International Music Director at WIN OrangeCounty, Pastor Priam Guiuan, and his wife, SisterMarlyn Guiuan spoke to the campers about trueworship in another workshop. Their message

stressed that worship is not just about playinginstruments or singing songs, but it is a lifestylethat should be apparent within us. WorshippingGod takes place in all that we think, speak, anddo. The session concluded with a time where thecampers ran circles around the gym, all the whilesinging praises to Him. Another high point wasthe water baptisms that took place in the lateafternoon; dozens of campers made a publicstatement of giving and committing their lives toChrist. Pastor Rex Waga of WIN NortheastHouston preached during the night session onhow to listen to God, think godly things, and whatwe should concentrate on as we grow in our faith.

The last full day of Soul Anchor 2009 was usheredin by a message from Pastor Chito Cordero from

I S S U E T W E L V E

Pastor Mark Briones speaks to the leaders after a session.

Campers dance in celebration of a newfound freedom.

Two young people lay down their burdens on the crossduring the Sexual Purity workshop on Thursday afternoon.

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wooden cross was then brought in as each camper

was given a heart-shaped post-it, where they couldwrite anything they need to surrender. The nightculminated with a breathtaking time of worship anda stirring message by our WIN International Director,Pastor Babes Paulate that centered on the themeverse and spoke of each camper, now knowing thatthey are in the loving hands of a living Father andgeared up for a battle that looms when theydescend, to take a stand for their homes, theirschools, and ultimately, their God. As the nightended, each cell group came together and prayedmightily not only for their homes and schools, but for

each other, symbolizing their unity as brothers and

sisters in Christ.

Soul Anchor 2009: Taking A Stand will go down inhistory as arguably the most powerful camp to date.Each of the 221 campers who came left transformedand ready for a battle. In the ve days that wasspent in the mountains of Yucaipa, a proclamationwas made by each camper to worship the living Godand to live for His glory. Two months have passedsince then and our stance has not changed. Assoldiers of God, we will continue to rise up, and takea stand for His Name.

Youth Leader Pauline Guiuan lies face down in adoration.

The faces of Soul Anchor 2009: Taking A Stand.


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Campers celebrate their new lives after water baptism.


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Paolo Manueland JoannaCordero of WINLA sing along asKristy Guiuan of WIN OrangeCounty andNathanEstanislao of WIN San Diegoplay the guitar.

Pyros hits Huntington Beach with their ip-ops,

swimsuits, umbrellas, and lots of food! August 22,2009 marks the 6th annual Soul Anchor CampReunion. Joining with Pyros were several SouthlandWIN churches, such as WIN Orange County, WINInland Empire, WIN San Diego, and WIN Los Angeles,who also held their annual Family Day at the beachwith the campers. Some Bay Area youth were alsopresent, accompanied by Pastor Erwin Tanjuaquio ofWIN San Francisco.

After driving down Beach Boulevard, the campers andtheir families began unloading their beach gear andtheir pot bless food around before lunch, and soonenough, three long tables were lled with food,desserts, and drinks. Barbeque was being grilled,fruits were being munched on, and chip bags werebeing opened as the people waited for everyone elseto arrive for lunch to be served. After Pastor Lyndonblessed the food, the people feasted andfellowshipped with one another underneath tents andumbrellas. Marielle De Pasion said, It was a blessingto see the adults and youth come together for morethan just food; they joined together for games and

activities, like tunnel-digging.

As the sun began to disappear, covering it by theclouds, the heat remained in the air and between bothgenerations as they competed with each other inthree-legged-races, and in a Filipino interactive gamecalled patintero . Brother Paloo Guiuan, head ofGideons Sword, WIN LAs Couples Ministry said,

This activity allowed the youth to enjoy the same

games we played as children and for us older folks tofeel young again. Two generations, the youth andthe adults, bonded through this activity, bringing bothtogether in endless laughter and memorablemoments.

The evening was lit up with bonres all across thebeach, as the youth sang fun songs that caused evenother people close by to sing along, while others weredigging up an adventure. Nearby, Brother WillyCardeno and his children, instigated digging a largehole in the sand, which later several young people

joined in digging up a second hole which eventuallyconnected, creating a sand tunnel. Digging the tunnelwas certainly enjoyable and what was unforgettableabout it was seeing all three generations of differentWIN churches come together for this random yet funactivity.

The Lord truly used this special day to not only bringback campers together to remind each other of whatgreat friends we have in Christ, but to also delight inthe joy that God has put in each one of us.

S o u

l A n c

h o r

C a m p e r s

H a v e

F u n

I n T h e

S o n

B y

G i g i P o n s

Paul Guiuan of WIN LA digging a tunnel.

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We need to be constantly reminded that God has called each one of us to run a race that hasbeen marked out for us. There should be a strict awareness to make consistent choices that willenable us to be in the right place and the right time so that we can fulll our God-given purpose.Each one of us is born with a God given DNA, a destiny that God placed inside of us to do greatthings in His kingdom. But in order to achieve this, we need to remember the great men andwomen of faith who passed on and those who are still among us, cheering us on as we run therace God has marked for us. These are a special group of fansveteran runners. They are

witnesses to the life of faithspecically, the Old Testament runners that the authorhighlighted in Chapter 11: Noah, Abraham, David, Peter, Paul and John. You will be encouragedto see that these people had weaknesses, fears and all kinds of problems, yet God workedthrough powerfully to advance his plan because they stayed in the race .

We need to let go of everything in our life that will hinder us. If we are honest with ourselves, weknow what these things are those things or areas in our lives that weigh us down. Get rid of yourbaggage, the sin that so easily hinders our progress from every weight that slows us down.The author implies that even things that are not overtly morally wrong can be baggage that weneed to lay asidebecause they simply dont t into the course/race God has set before us.

We need to run with perseverance. It is a marathonnot a sprint. It begins the moment youreceive Christ and it lasts until you die or Christ returns. Its not how fast you start the race, buthow consistently you run. It is a steeple-chase marathon; it is lled with obstacles, includingopposition from people who arent in the race and dont want you to be in the race, and from aculture that says to live for self instead of for Christ.

I dont know where I would be today without the veteran runners God put in my life early and inmy Christian life. They inspire me by their example to sell out to Gods race instead of living formyself. They gave me insight me into the specic race God has placed before me. Theychallenged me to throw away anything that hinders the race I am called to run.

God calls us to excellence and He wants us to give our best, to go for the gold in our Christianlives. Run the race, run knowing there is a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on, throw awayeverything that hinders us, run with perseverance and let us all FINISH THE RACE GOD HASDESTINED FOR US!

Pastor Mark Briones

The Fireside Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let usrun with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1

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Nearly a month after Soul Anchor 2009: Taking A Stand, the last national youth camp until 2012,National Youth Coordinator and WIN Los AngelesYouth Pastor Mark Briones assembled a team of nineto minister at WIN San Diego on August 8, 2009. Thisteam comprised of Verna Abante, Rizza Aldaba,Stephanie Bautista, Marielle de Pasion, Paulo De Villa,Debbie Guiuan, Ivan Manuel, and Paolo Manuel fromWIN Los Angeles and Jonathan Dizon from WINOrange County. WIN SDs Nathan Estanislao alsoaccompanied the praise team.

The team set out early that Sunday morning to WINSDs new church site, meeting up with Pastor MarkBriones and his wife, Rachel Briones and daughter,

Ashley Briones, who had gone to San Diego earlierthat weekend. Joining them as well were LouiseDandan, Kelsea Guevara, Sis. Sylvia Sajo and herfamily, and the Manuel family from WIN LA.

The service began with an inspiring time of praise andworship led by Debbie Guiuan and Rizza Aldaba. Theteam was blessed to see the passion for the Lord,rekindled at Soul Anchor 2009, still burning brightlywithin the youth of WIN SD as they wholly engaged inglorifying God.

Preceding the sermon was a powerful testimony inline with Pastor Marks preaching. After learning ofher husband Conrads stage four cancer, MalouWjangco ceaselessly prayed for healing while trustingin Gods faithfulness. Her prayers were answered andher husband was healed. Pastor Mark delivered a

timely message that relates to this time of recessionand state of worry in the United States, reminding usof the faithfulness of God. Through multiple verses,he reminded us that every word God says is true,every promise He makes will be kept, and every trialwe face has a purpose. All present were remindedthat trust must and should be placed in God, even intrying times. With this message resounding in them,both youth and adults responded to the altar call withthe desire to place their faith completely in the Lordonce again.

After the service, the team, along with NathanEstanislao, Ashley Briones, Sis. Sylvia Sajo and herfamily, and the Manuels, remained in San Diego for anafternoon of fun and fellowship as they venturedaround the area, visiting Mount Soledad, BelmontPark, Mission Beach, and La Jolla. It was indeed asuccessful and humbling mission trip that will beremembered.

Faith Shines In San Diego A Mission Trip That Will Be Remembered

By Marielle De Pasion


Pyros enjoy a time of fellowshipin sunny San Diego.

Debbie Guiuan powerfully leads thecongregation to a time of worship.

...every wordGod says is true,every promise He

makes will bekept, and every

trial we face hasa purpose.

Pastor Mark Briones

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A few weeks has passed since camp, and for mostpeople, its almost time for school and the challengesthat come with it. This summers Crosspoint YouthRally, held at WIN Los Angeles on August 21, wasgeared to prepare everyone spiritually for what thenext few months will hold.

Promptly starting at 7pm, emcees Joanna Corderoand Bruce Mao warmly welcomed all the guests whocame, asking everybody to introduce themselves withone another. Around 150 people came in attendance,from youth and leaders from our Southland WINchurches in Inland Empire, San Gabriel, San Diego,

and South Bay, invited guests, and even a handful ofyouth from the San Francisco Bay Area. A number ofparents also came to support the rally.

Right after, the Pyros Youth Band led thecongregation in a time of corporate worship,gathering a tremendous response as hands werelifted and lives were renewed again. PastorRichmond Go of WIN San Gabriel, the speaker of thenight, shared on being a kingdom inuence in theworld, cracking a few witty stories here and there.

After the preaching, Pastor Mark Briones called for analtar call and asked the pastors and parents to prayfor those at the altar.

The rally stirred hearts and truly opened eyes anddoors to those who have never experienced

something like it. Stephanie Bautista shared,Crosspoint is denitely a great tool that God uses toreach out to our generation. I invited my friend toCrosspoint and it was such a blessing usher him intoGods presence. Those who have attended beforecould tell the difference. Crosspoint was amazing;

its like camp all over again. I really felt Godspresence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit in themidst of everyone. I am so blessed to haveexperienced it, Louise Dandan said. With thirstyhearts quenched, it was indeed a powerful event thatstrengthened the youth and adults alike as they faceanother season in their lives.

Crosspoint is definitely a great toolthat God uses to reach out

to our generation.Stephanie Bautista

WIN Los Angeles

CROSSPOINT Continues to Ignite HeartsBy Rizza Aldaba


Youth listen to PastorRichmond Go of WIN

San Gabriel preachduring Crosspoint.

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Pastor Mark Briones of

WIN LA praying over

the youthduring altar

call.


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From July 14 th through August 14 th, I was blessed tobe able to return to the Philippines for ministry,vacation, and family time. Accompanying my father,Pastor Chito Cordero, WIN Inland Empires PastorNeil Lewis, and my sister, Sandra Cordero, I spenttime visiting and connecting with WIN Cebu and WINBacolod. Towards the latter part of the trip, Sandraand I were privileged to visit WIN Manilas outreachesin the slum area of Tondo, specically in Parola andVitas.

We spent three days in Cebu to fellowship with themembers of WIN Cebu and attend the anniversary ofthe church, and three days in WIN Bacolod for ateaching seminar. Both churches were planted by myfather before I was even born. Many of the coremembers of the church, whom we have not seen inmany years, knew my sister and I since we werebabies. It is a blessing to see that the youngprofessionals and youth of the church over twenty

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Witnessing Seeds of Hope Grow A Personal Account

By Joanna Cordero


Words cannot truly describe the picture of poverty, but it was like

walking into a scene of Slumdog Millionaire, with

barefoot and nakedchildren walking around in

the rain, homes built fromcardboard walls and tinroofs, and with a dirty canal that runs through

the community.

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years ago are now pastors or church elders.One of the most beautiful things I discoveredabout Word International Ministries is we arepart of the WIN family no matter where we arein the world. The members of the churchesshowered us with blessing through theirhospitality and generosity.

In Bacolod, we travelled to the rural area of LaCarlota where WIN Bacolod has outreaches.In La Carlota, WIN has a beautiful trainingcenter for pastors in the middle of a beautifultropical forest. In order to get to the center,you must cross rushing water through a bridgemade of bamboo. The gorgeous center iscomplete with bamboo walls and oors, with abeautiful view of the mountains and river. Atthe center, we were privileged to witness thegraduation of the rst batch of pastors tocomplete their training. These pastors will beused to reach out to the rural communities inBacolod.

As wonderful a time we had in Bacolod andCebu, the real highlight of the trip was visitingthe city of Tondo in the districts of Vitas andParola, where the poorest of the slums inManila are. Words cannot truly describe thepicture of poverty, but it was like walking intoa scene of Slumdog Millionaire, with barefoot

and naked children walking around in the rain,homes built from cardboard walls and tinroofs, and with a dirty canal that runs throughthe community. In Vitas, the church workersconduct a childrens church in a condemnedbuilding deemed unsuitable for living by thecity, where many of the children and theirfamilies live. The class runs every Saturday,with about 50 young children. Almost all ofthe children are not in school because they donot have the money, and many of them aresick, but have no funds to pay for treatment.

As my sister was taking pictures, all thechildren and many adults were fascinated, asmany of them have never seen a camerabefore. One man approached Sandra andasked her to take a picture of his babybecause he had never seen the image of hisson on a camera before. The day we visited

was their annual gift day, when the churchgives each child a grocery bag of staple itemsfor their families, funded by Seeds of Hope.The amount of each grocery bag is about $7when converted from pesos, but each childwas overjoyed and grateful at the simple gift.If the churches in the United States invested

more into Seeds of Hope, the supplying ofgroceries to these families could happen moreoften.

We left Vitas and headed to Parola, another ofWIN Manilas outreaches. The Parolaoutreach has been established for sevenyears, and the Lord blessed them with abeautiful center in the midst of the slum. Itwas so striking to witness because amidst allthe darkness of the slums of Parola, the Lordshouse truly is the shining light, an oasis fromthe destitution that surrounds. We visitedwhile they were also conducting childrenschurch. I was delighted and yet devastated asthey shared their praise reports of the class.One child excitedly stood up and said inTagalog, I thank God because I was able toeat three times today! Another child

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One child excitedly stood up and said in Tagalog, I thank God because I was ableto eat three times today! Another childexclaimed I was able to eatchocolate! ...I realized that we take somany things for granted living socomfortably in the United States.

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exclaimed I was able to eat chocolate! Assimple as these praise reports were, I realizedthat we take so many things for granted livingso comfortably in the United States.

After praise reports, they had a simple Sundayschool-type praise time. They sang a Tagalog

song that we also sing at WIN LA calledSalamat, Salamat , a song about bursting withthankfulness to God for His love and all thethings He has done. I broke down into tearswhen the teacher said in Tagalog, Yes, life ishard, but life would be so much harder if youdidnt have Jesus in your heart. I could nothold back my tears as I realized that if theselittle kids who do not have much of a chancefor a better life can praise God with joy, thereis ALWAYS a reason to praise and worshipGod. My heart was both broken and enlargedthat day, and my life is forever changed. Itwas so amazing to see that even in the mostdesperate and dark place, God's hand stillmoves. When I looked into the eyes of thosekids, I saw God's beauty and truly felt God'sheart for them. They are so precious to God,even though they are so marginalized andignored by the rest of society.

I am so thankful for all the blessings God hasgiven us, and the comfort of knowing that wewill always have more than enough to eat, a

house to live in, opportunities to furtherimprove our lives, and so thankful to have metthe most precious people and children I haveever had the pleasure of meeting. Please prayfor these kids and their families that theywould be able to get off the streets and haveenough to eat and attend school so that theycan leave poverty behind. Please pray thatGod would raise up more workers, leaders,and nancial sponsors. The people are soopen to accepting Jesus, but there is notenough workers or nancial resources to helpthem as much as they need. Please prayabout sponsoring a child through Seeds ofHope. For just $30 a month, you can send achild to school and help meet their spiritual,educational, and nutritional needs.

For more information about sponsoring a child through Seeds of Hope, please contact Sis.Cynthia de Castro at [email protected].

Yes, life is hard, but lifewould be so much harderif you didnt have Jesus in

your heart.

Seeds of Hope teacher in WIN Parola I S S U E T W E L V E

The children supportedby Seeds of Hope.

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Kristy Anne Guiuan:Musically gifted, God inspiredBy Tiffany Francisco

Always stay grounded in the Word. Always look to Godand know that He is by your side no matter what.

Kristy Anne Guiuan

Kristy Anne Guiuan, the eldest daughter of WINInternational Music Directors Pastor Priam and MarlynGuiuan, has played a big role in the Word Internationalfamily since she was a child. I grew up with WIN.Ive been with WIN basically my whole life, so abouteighteen years, Kristy comments. She has taken partin multiple WIN churches, as God led her family to and

fro various churches. I started in WIN LA then movedup to the [San Francisco] Bay with WIN Silicon Valley,then back to LA and now currently taking part of WINOC, Kristy shares.

Though Kristy had only turned 18 on August 29 th, shehas accomplished many things throughout her life.Kristy devoted herself and her talents to God at theearly age of twelve. Since then, Kristy has been aparticipant in many church and youth events, such asCrosspoint and the yearly national youth camp, whichshe has attended for ve consecutive years. At theage of fteen she was one of the youngest people tobe a youth leader, regarding the youth ministry asanother important part of her life.

She also plays a huge role in the music ministry, beingable to sing and play many different instruments, suchas the guitar, piano, bass, and alto saxophone. TheMusic Ministry has always been a big part of my life. Iwas able to go the Philippines and take part in theWIN Global Gathering in 2007, Kristy says. It was agreat experience.

The support and help of her friends and family hasspurred her on in everything she does, especially herparents. Seeing them so involved in the church andseeing how they love what they do inspires me. Myparents would take my sister and I on their differentmission trips from Canada to the Philippines and Ivewitnessed the lives theyve touched. It inspires me in

so many ways, seeing how much they love God andseeing how they are being used by God, Kristy says.

Her life has been blessed continuously. She beamsabout the blessings God has showered her family. Ithank God for blessing my family with a new house in

Anaheim because it is now closer to our church andnow we can be more involved, not to mention that itsclose to my school.

As an incoming freshman at Cypress College, she stillcommits herself to her faith in God. Kristy is a keymember of WIN Orange County as a part of the MusicMinistry and one of the few youth leaders who attendthe WIN OC church.

As young as she may be, Kristy serves as a greatexample for the younger, and even older, youth. Herpassion for God has kept her faith as strong as ever.She gives advice to those who are struggling withtheir faith: Always stay grounded in the Word.

Always look to God and know that He is by your sideno matter what.

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T H E P Y R O S T O R C H

THEPYROS TORCH530 s. benton way los angeles, california

www.pyros.rocks.it

WRITERSrizza aldaba

joanna corderomarielle de pasiontiff franciscobruce maogigi pons

THESTAFFDESIGN & LAYOUTverna abantepaolo manuel

ADVISORpastor mark briones

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The Pyros Torch Issue 12