REGISTERING WITH THE GOVERNMENT

Pictured: Rodger at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) receiving Mathetes Tax Identification Number (TIN.)

Yesterday Rodger completed the final step of registering Mathetes Youth Ministry with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC.) After several trips to Davao City to see the lawyer. and SEC, filling out endless forms, gathering signatures, more trips to the lawyer and SEC, using a lot of White Out, photocopying everything, and shuffling all the papers into the proper sequence for each office--we are now truly open for business.

Registering with SEC allows our employees to be enrolled in Social Security, receive the Philippine Health Benefits, and as well as other government programs.

While Rodger was doing all the forms to register Dixie kept busy working with the Leadership Team to write the Employee Handbook and the Manual of Operations for Mathetes.

Mathetes Youth Center News

Eddie and Jolaida on the air.

Last week we were blessed with a staggering number of students using the Youth Center--438!!! God is blessing the ministry beyond our wildest dreams!

Movie Night was enjoyed by 70 students and Music Night had 55+ in attendance.

A few weeks ago one Jolaida, who works at the local radio station, visited the Youth Center. While there she invited Eddie to be a part of the Monday night call-in talk program. Jolaida and Eddie invite listeners to call in with problems and they give advice--lots of the problems relate to boy-girl relationship, family problems, etc. Eddie gives advice based on scriptural principles and of course takes the opportunity to invite students to the Youth Center.

We praise and thank God for this unique opportunity to reach beyond the walls of the Youth Center and into the homes of Digos.

MUSIC NIGHT

Pictured: Patient On Board. (notice their hooded sweatshirts-- it had to be 100 degrees with high humidity in the room as they were playing!)

Every Friday night is MUSIC NIGHT at the Youth Center. Two or three bands from local churches and colleges are invited to play each week. Last Friday the worship band from Digos City Church and Patient On Board from Polytech College were featured. This night is a wonderful opportunity for the Youth Center to meet new kids as well as providing a positive activity for the kids.

During the week bands come into the Youth Center to practice--they have to be limited to one hour of practice because there are so many bands wanting to practice! Check the photos on our Facebook page: Mathetes Philippine Youth Ministry.

Pray for opportunities to share the whole gospel with the kids who come through the door of the Youth Center. Pray for receptive hearts. 95% of those who come are Catholic.

Movie Night

This week the Youth Center began to offer a weekly movie showing on Thursday night. More than 50 students showed up to enjoy the movie and free popcorn.

When the Youth Center opened in June we purchased 30 chairs using the special Christmas gift of a Minnesota family--but the success and popularity of the Youth Center showed us that we needed more chairs. You may have noticed in our latest newsletter we put an appeal for someone or a group to give us funds to purchase 20 more chairs. Wednesday morning, the day before Movie night, we received word from a supporter that they would like to purchase the 20 chairs that we asked for in the newsletter. Rodger and Dixie went to Davao on Thursday morning to buy the chairs and that night they were all filled with a few kids standing to watch the movie.

I wonder....did we limit the number of students who came to the movie by our lack of faith in only asking for 20 chairs? Just as the oil provided in 2 Kings 4:1-6 was limited by the number of jars.

We praise God for each student who came to watch the movie and ask that you pray with us that the Youth Center will take this opportunity to share with them how much God loves them and how He desires to have a personal relationship with them.

Lord, increase our vision.

TUTORIALS

The free tutorials in music and academics along with the free reading of books continue to bring in students during their free time from school. Last week a record number of 203 different students dropped in to the Youth Center, many just to hang out."

YOUTH CENTER

The Youth Center is located right in the middle of the city and is within easy walking distance from several High Schools and Colleges. The National High School (public school) located less than 100 yards has 20 thousand students this year! Access to the center is a stairway on the right side (painted green.)