A Hope-filled 2021 for CBN Asia Partners On behalf of the CBN Asia Family of Ministries, let me greet you a very joyous and blessed New Year! Are you excited for what the Lord has in store for 2021? Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world – disrupting people’s lives, creating fear, and bringing anxiety, sorrow, and hardships to many. But this year, though a vaccine is not yet readily available, we are hopeful that God will restore whatever was lost to us. Last year, God showed the CBN Asia ministry His amazing faithfulness when He sustained and even surpassed our expectations. He opened new doors of opportunities we had never seen coming. Truly, this is the greatness of our God: while all things were temporary and changing, He has continued to be faithful and true. As 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we have no faith, He will still be faithful for He cannot go against what He is” (NLV). So this year, I invite you to stand on this truth: Jesus is our firm foundation. In Him, you will never be shaken by whatever life will try to throw at you. This is my prayer for you and all CBN Asia’s faithful supporters–that no matter what happens and amid troubling times, we would find our strength and hope in Jesus. He would never leave us nor forsake us! Thank you, dear partner, for continually walking alongside us in doing more for the Jesus’ agenda in multimedia, prayer and counseling, humanitarian aid, and cross-cultural missions. Thank you for your extraordinary giving last year and faithful partnership that supports us in fulfilling God’s mandate to take his Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world! By God’s grace and power, we will continue to walk together towards a victorious 2021 with hope and assurance in our hearts. We will continue declaring that our faithful God is ever-present for all who choose to put their trust in Him. May you continue to face each year without fear, obey in faith, and believe that God has already reserved a provision for you! My friend, get ready for the amazing work He will do in your life, for you chose to sow seeds even in trying times. Your faith is a testimony of His working power and love in your life. Surely, He would love to lavish you, His children, with more blessings the coming year. You can’t begin to imagine what He has in store for you. We take a step of faith in welcoming this New Year with Psalm 23:6 as our declaration: Surely God’s goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Praying for a hope-filled 2021 for you, our faithful partners!
Blessings beyond measure,
PETER M. KAIRUZ President and CEO
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God’s Comfort
Saved Cristy’s Life With a failing business and an ailing father, Cristy Navarro thought that there may be no hope for her tired mind, body, and soul. “We had no money, our business was failing, and I did not know how I would provide for my father’s medicine,” Cristy lamented as she recalled how their business’ bankruptcy and her father’s heart attack pushed her at the end of her rope. It was then that she decided to end all her miseries by attempting to crash her car. God saved Cristy from that harrowing fate. In the depths of her despair, a concerned friend came to her rescue and encouraged her to watch The 700 Club Asia. “Thankfully, the testimony and prayer were very timely and relevant to my situation. I cried my heart out and joined the hosts’ prayer. I felt God’s comforting embrace” Cristy shared. She poured all her tears, worries, and weariness unto God and found rest, hope, and peace by accepting Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Having experienced how the show changed her life, Cristy decided to partner with CBN Asia. But God outgave Cristy by solving all her financial troubles and restored her business. Even though her father had passed on, God comforted their family and allowed them to rebuild their lives. Thanks to your support, people like Cristy can experience the comforting and saving love of Jesus! 3
Brought to Health
and Healing through Your Giving Aware of the risks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Erlinda and her husband, both of old age, made sure to take extra precautions against any health risks. However, one day, the one thing they were most afraid of happened—Erlinda’s husband fell ill. “My husband suddenly had difficulty urinating and was in excruciating pain. I was scared of what might happen if I bring him to the hospital. There is the risk of catching COVID-19. The doctor advised us to get an ultrasound to scan his prostate and kidney,” Erlinda shared. Just when they thought the problem was devastating enough, Erlinda also fell ill. She experienced extreme fatigue and intense back pain. While drowning in fear and worry, Erlinda decided to call the CBN Asia Prayer Center who stood with her in and through prayers. “I can’t emphasize enough how much of a big help the Prayer Center was,” Erlinda exclaimed. “All my worries and fears were washed away, and I could literally feel God’s comfort and peace manifesting in my body,” she added. God’s miraculous healing became even more pronounced when the ultrasound report showed that her husband’s kidney and prostate were both normal. As if that weren’t enough, Erlinda was completely healed from her back pain and fatigue! Because of your giving, we are able to bring health and healing to Erlinda and her husband through encouragement and prayers from the CBN Asia Prayer Center.
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“I saw His faithfulness in our lives despite this pandemic. He is a miracle-working God! Our Healer!” Erlinda exclaimed. To express her gratitude to God, Erlinda decided to give monthly to CBN Asia.
Relying on
God’s Faithful Provision When the pandemic hit the whole country, many people lost their sources of income. This inevitably caused panic and led people to save for themselves and for their families’ needs. Eduard Nunag thinks differently: he strongly believes that the more he gives, the more God takes care of his concerns. Through watching The 700 Club Asia, his belief that God would provide for his family—despite the pandemic severely affecting their steel gate business—increased more and more. “The pandemic had a huge effect on our business. We had no sales for several months. I was a bit nervous at first because I do not want to rely on my wife’s income abroad,” Eduard admitted. The last thing he’d want is for his wife, who works as caregiver in Israel, to shoulder all their family expenses. Despite these concerns, the father of three opened his heart and hands to those who were in need. He remained prayerful and continued giving to CBN Asia, vicariously sending help to other families drastically affected by the pandemic. He even blessed some frontliners, relatives, and friends who got sick. “We decided to give to The 700 Club Asia because we saw how they helped a lot of people. They even reached those who were living in remote areas. For our kababayans in need, we would continue to donate as long as we can,” Eduard expressed. Amid all the sacrificial giving, God honored Eduard’s heart and started to pour out blessings upon their family. To his surprise, several hardware shops patronized his products, causing his sales to eventually double! “We must learn how to be grateful for all the blessings we receive. And we must also learn to share them. It’s not just for us, it’s for our disadvantaged kababayans,” Eduard ended. If you are also moved to give to your kababayans in need, please check the back of this newsletter for ways to give. 5
A Hope-filled 2021
for our kababayans For some Filipinos, the lockdown during the pandemic means more time for rest and quality time with families. But to our most vulnerable kababayans, the lockdown means much more than that. It means hunger, loss of livelihood, and disruption of healthcare and education. Your continuous support, through Operation Blessing, gives hope that there is a new and better normal ahead of them.
An answered prayer for teacher Irene Majority of the members of Dumagat tribe in Tanay, Rizal do not get the chance to go to school. Although their lives are simple, it is generally hard. The ongoing crisis might have made it even harder, as they now are forced to choose between food and education. Sadly, their long-time bread and butter—planting crops and farming— cannot possibly sustain either of these needs. Through your faithful giving, however, Operation Blessing crossed 11 rivers and as many slippery roads to reach the Dumagat community. Our indigenous kababayans received much-needed food bags and also school supplies to ensure that education still continues even during this very difficult time.
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To Irene Bertudez, a Dumagat teacher, Operation Blessing’s assistance is an answered prayer not just for her, but for their whole tribe. “I prayed to God last night to help us with our needs and He didn’t fail me. We won’t have to worry about our students’ modules for the next six months because OB already provided all our supplies. Thank you so much, Operation Blessing!” she exclaimed with a grateful heart.
No more worries for Ruby As the pandemic continues to ravage the country, more families continue to worry about their livelihood. This is especially true for the residents of Palanog in Tacloban. Because of movement restrictions and health risks, they feel clueless as to how they can provide for their families. Hoping to resume stalled livelihoods, Operation Blessing’s Community of Hope (COH) Rural Improvement Club conducted Food Processing Trainings to the beneficiaries. They were taught how to make puto, kutsinta, and kalabasa pie that they could sell within their community or prepare for their own families. COH also supports its beneficiaries through the demo farm project, where seeds and natural farming inputs are produced. “Your help is very timely because my brother lost his job and we are taking care of my mother. My husband solely provides for our needs. Because of Operation Blessing, we will not worry about what we would eat in the coming days,” Ruby Guazon shared.
A brand-new life for Martin Martin, a six-year-old child from Sarangani Province, is a member of the indigenous group, T’boli. Despite his young age, Martin has already endured a lot. He lost his mother at an early age, was separated from his father so the latter could work in a farmland, and was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, pleural effusion, gallstone, and pneumonia. No matter how hard Martin’s father works, his income is not enough to cover his son’s medical expenses. Because of your compassion, Martin found hope and healing. Operation Blessing took care of his hospital bills and medication. Although he has yet to complete a series of check-ups, he is now full of vigor. Martin volunteers in their church to sing praises to God! 7
Your Giving
Extends God’s Loving Grace Noemi Medina had been enduring myoma and multiple breast lumps for two decades. Even after having them removed, the lumps kept coming back. Worried that it could progress into cancer, her doctors tried to convince her to undergo another medical operation. This time, Noemi declined. “I was not scared because I was sick. I was worried about my children. I had to be strong for them. I told the doctors that I will be healed, I just do not know how, but I will be healed,” Noemi recalled. Amid her uncertainty, The 700 Club Asia became her source of hope and encouragement. Noemi held on to God’s promises that she, like other testimony givers, would witness His supernatural healing and restoration. She supported God’s work by consistently tuning in and faithfully donating to CBN Asia. One night, she joined the hosts’ prayer for healing and boldly surrendered all her worries to God. “I knelt in front of the television, prayed, and claimed that that prayer was for me. I knew that was the time that God would let me experience financial miracles and healing miracles,” Noemi declared. To her surprise, Noemi’s doctor told her during her next check-up that the lumps in her womb and breasts were all gone! Reminded of the healing prayer she claimed through The 700 Club Asia, she knew that what happened was all by the grace of God. God’s grace to Noemi took on many forms. Not only was she blessed financially, she also witnessed her marriage being restored and her bond with her family growing much stronger. “Miracles are real and I received one!” Noemi ended. Because of your faithful giving, you help others experience God’s grace and healing. Partner with us today and be a vessel of God’s love to more Filipinos like Noemi! 8
Blessed
to be a Blessing Leila Custodio never thought that a simple seminar would have such a meaningful impact on her life. It was in 2017 when their church invited her to attend the Missions Awareness Seminar of the Asian Center for Missions (ACM). “When I retired, one of my dreams was to be a missionary. I admire what they do for the Lord, their sacrifice for missions is not easy. So when I heard about ACM’s Missions Awareness Seminar, I decided to support them,” Leila shared. Inspired by how ACM reaches out to nations and supports missionaries, she became one of its faithful partners. As a retiree and a single parent, however, giving to the ministry soon became challenging for her. She started to think that there is no shortage of people supporting ACM, and that what she gives is not that significant. Amid her situation, God reminded Leila of His promises through The 700 Club Asia. She realized that as she blesses God’s work generously, God blesses her even more abundantly. True to His promise, God sustained her family every day and poured out blessings after blessings onto her life. With her 300-peso monthly donation to ACM, God returned not just double or triple but fivefold. This encouraged her to increase her monthly gift to the ministry. “I encourage everyone to support ACM and the whole CBN Asia because they are doing their best through the Lord’s guidance to reach out to His people and bring them to His saving love!”, Leila shared. If you also want to support the ministry of training soon-to-be missionaries who will share God’s love to other nations, you may visit www.acmnet.org/give. 9
Sharing the Gift
of Knowing Jesus “Lord Jesus, please make Gizmo come.” This was the earnest prayer of six-year-old Joshua Solon who wanted other kids to know about God. At such a young age, Joshua already has the passion to share God with other kids in Sarangani. He came to know Jesus through his parents and through watching his favorite show, Superbook. Joshua has since loved to share the gift of knowing Jesus with his classmates and neighbors! Before the pandemic, he would always invite them to watch Superbook at home and used Superbook materials to share the saving love of Jesus with young Sarangans across the region. “I want them to know about Jesus because I want them to be blessed,” Joshua shared. Captivated by the timeless life lessons and Bible-based adventures of Chris, Joy, and Gizmo; Joshua prayed and asked his mom to invite Superbook to Sarangani. Before long, the Superbook team came to town, and Joshua and hundreds of other children had the time of their lives. Every one of them was in awe to be singing, dancing, playing, and taking selfies with Gizmo! More than just bringing fun, Superbook brought children from various tribes the wonderful opportunity to hear the Gospel. “God gives us everything. It’s our turn to give Him something,” Joshua explained. To other kids and kids at heart, Joshua has this short yet comforting message: “I want all of you to know that God loves you!”
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A Hopeful New Year
New Normal with God In changing times, hold on to the unchanging love of God! Read through these 7 benefits of daily devotional reading and be inspired to allot sacred, undivided time with the Lord each day: 1. Helps build your faith (Romans 10:17) The Bible has a lot of faith stories about God doing the impossible. If you are in fear and doubt right now, reading Scriptures that talk about miracles would help build your faith. 2. Draws you closer to God (James 4:8) As you intentionally meet the Lord in your quiet place and time, be assured that He will always meet you there and then. Invite Him to your heart and get to know Him through His Word. 3. Helps you focus on God (Romans 12:12) Sometimes, even good things such as goals and dreams can take God’s place in your life. Through daily devotional reading, God’s truth helps you focus on His beauty and majesty alone. 4. Helps you persevere in life (Hebrews 12:1-2) As you meditate on the accounts of people in the Bible, you will find out that their lives mirror perseverance of faith. Just as God enabled them to endure various trials, He will also give you the grace to persevere as you learn to surrender to Him daily.
5. Gives you deeper understanding of the Bible (John 5:39) The Bible is like a ruler that sets the standard with which to distinguish the crooked line from the straight. The more you know God’s truth, the more it will be easier to differentiate what is not. 6. Helps you apply God’s Word in real-life situations (Psalm 119:11) Whether you need wisdom, comfort, direction, correction, reproof, and training in righteousness, God’s Word is always available to help you. 7. Gives peace and joy (Psalm 119:165) Relying on God’s Word and communing with Him through prayer give peace which surpasses all understanding. It gives joy even in the face of difficulties. Are you weary about many things lately? Come to God’s truth daily and see what He has to say about your situation. If you have no idea where and how to start this habit of daily devotional reading, the devotional book “Signpost: 366 Days of Journeying with Jesus” is here to help you! It is filled with all new devotions from The 700 Club Asia host and CBN Asia President and CEO, Peter Kairuz. If you are looking for a good devotional app for 2021, you can download the Tanglaw app from Google Play or the App Store for FREE! You can also stream it on Spotify and Apple Podcast, and all major podcasts worldwide.
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Someone cares for you