Page 21 - WOTS_86_ Cebu

A.C.R.E.

t was the 30th of March—the date that I was waiting for! WOTS Alumni Corner:
My phone woke me up at 5 am to make sure that I would
I not be late for the Street Level Ministries event. I tried to Reaching & Encouraging
dress cleaner and more presentable than normal because I
knew I would be talking to different types of people—
especially UV students. I was so excited to meet with them Noun |
again and finally meet KC for the first time (whom I had only . a broad expanse or great
met digitally during SLM meetings). Along with my quantity
excitement were feelings of fear and nervousness. I was
wondering if God would give us a good day to start our first
SLM mission in Toledo City or if He would give us a
challenging one. I tried to shake it off and push away negative
thoughts. I wanted to enjoy the day with SLM and everyone Hi! Ali, hapit usa! Dayon sa atong A.C.R.E! Duna lang koy
ganahan ihatag nimo nga mga pulong sa pagdasig:
passing by on the streets of Toledo.

Gikapoy ka ba o nag duha-duha ka ug padayon sa imong
I arrived in Toledo City around 8 am. I went to UV to pay my
tuition and then checked out Knockbucks Café, the location gibuhat? Dili maguol. Ginhawa lang ug lalom ug ipagawas
where we would put our booth. At 10:30 am, the SLM Cebu lang ng imong kakapoy…uno, dos, tres, kwatro, singko ug
team arrived and we set up the booth. We gave away free hantud asa ka taman, buhata lang.
coffee drinks and the newest issue of WOTS magazine,
“Rejecting the Rat Race” to students. The sun was so bright Oh diba? Ma surprisa ka nga nabuhat diay nimo ang mga
that we could feel its heat under our tent, but I guess that butang nga abi nimo dili nimo makaya. Ma amguhan nimo
was a sign God gave us that He would be watching over us nga giunsa pag atubang sa mga negatibong hunahuna ug
and helping us in our mission. mga imposibleng butang sa kinabuhi kun imo lamang kining
aksyonan ug buhat.
Only a few minutes passed, but we already had long
conversations and laughter together. We played gospel music Sugdi lang ug tikang, mao kana ang yawe.
on Street Level Radio that helped me relax and forget about
the negativity that I had. I also invited Christian Elijah—an Hunahuna-a karung adlawa kun unsaon nimo paggamit ang
aspiring YouTube vlogger and one of the friends I met in gasa sa imong kusog.
church before COVID—who was curious about SLM. He
stayed with us the whole day and helped us with our mission. Hinumdumi imong mga tuyo.
1 SAMUEL 10
As I looked for ways to help at the event, I realized how big Buhata ang mga butang nga makita BASAHON DIRI
my responsibilities were. One of the topics we discussed sa imong mga kamot ug buhata kini ECCLESIASTES 9:10
recently at our Bible discussions was this: to fellowship with pinaagi sa imong mahimo kay ang
other Christians. Life is a road that is full of bumps, twists, Ginoo man ma-anaa kanimo.
and turns. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean the road gets
smoother. In fact, it gets more challenging and your faith will Padayon ug dasig lang higala! Sige! Magkita napud ta puhon.
be tested. To walk the righteous road and faithfully follow
Jesus, you will face many decisions—both big and small. I
reflected on this during the event, but this time, I knew I was A BOUT...
not alone. I was with Christians who encouraged me help me
to step out of my comfort zone. We should always bear in My name is Dyreen, and I
mind that we are not alone in our battles—if we choose to
live in community with other Christians. contributed eight articles
for WOTS between 2016
Time went so fast that we did not realize it was already 3 pm and 2018. I am an alumna
and time to end the day! It was fun—an experience that I will of the University of St. La
never forget. It was my first time talking to some strangers Salle—Bacolod.
about God. It felt like I was in a spotlight where everybody
could see through me. At times, fear consumed me when I Currently, I work as a
opened my mouth to talk. I choked on my own words, but Financial Consultant and
God still used me to share who He is. I cannot describe how
fortunate I am that I have a family behind my back and ready Certified Investment Advisor. Being the only child in the
to guide my path towards the true purpose of life. Street family, I long to connect and engage with people, and my
Level Ministries is not just a team, ministry, or a friend for work has given me that opportunity. I also have passion to
me. They are not just a church organization or some kind of a serve the church and community through coaching and
religion. They are family to me. We are family. We share the counseling. I enjoy connecting with people at coffee and
same love that God gave to us and our mission is to change
the world one student at a time and fill the earth with the dessert shops. My favorite is Calea—Bacolod's Best Pastries
love of Christ. & Cakes. Here in Cebu, I enjoy meeting friends at Cardinal
Coffee Shop and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

WORD ON THE STREET MAGAZINE 21