Holiday Holidays to one and all

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

We wish you all

A Blessed Christmas

&

A Happy New Year!

Thank you for your prayers & support

We love you...

Ptr Gary, Grace, Brian, JJ & Stephen

Fellowship Of Christian Athletes (FCA)

The Fellowship Of Christian Atheltes (FCA) is touching millions of lives...one heart at a time. Since 1954, the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high schoo and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in America. FCA focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.

FCA'S four (4) core values: Integrity, Serving, Teamwork and Excellence.

FCA Philippines will be lauched this coming March 4-5, 2010 in Manila @ New Horizon Hotel, Corner Edsa-Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City and March 8-9, 2010 in Cebu City @ Castle Peak Hotel, Cebu City (Visayas & Mindanao delegates only). Mr. Barry Spofford, FCA International Director will be coming to grace the occasion.

Interested Coaches & Athletes can email the FCA Philippines Regional Director Pastor Gary Visitacion @ fca_philippines@yahoo.com or call/text @ (0916) 222-2142.

Sports Ministry Seminar

Once again I will be having a sports ministry seminar this coming November, 2009. Joining me is Rodger Oswald, Director of Church Sports International (CSI), USA. Rodger and I will be teaching pastors and churches about the foundations of sports ministry, how a church can start a sports ministry, sports and the community, sending sports teams, etc.

Rodger alone will be doing the Manila leg of our seminar on October 31 to November 03. I will be joining him in Malaybalay City on November 5-6; Cagayan de Oro City on November 6-7 & Cebu City on November 9-11, 2009.

I am looking forward again of working with Rodger Oswald on this project. I met Rodger in 2002 in Hong Kong, China during the Asian Sports Coalition (ASC) Conference and since he has become one of my mentors in sports ministry. I have been using CSI materials for my seminars.

Please remember us in your prayers during this time.

Zamboanga del Norte & Cebu City Trip

This coming September 14-16, 2009 I will be travelling to Zamboanga del Norte to follow up some pastors who were our partners during the recent visit of the Sports Ambassadors team from America last July 27 to August 14, 2009. We played 35 games in front of 20,000 people.

Because we were not able to cover all the towns and barangays during our recent visit, we have decided to have another sports trip. This time the Sports Ambassadors Australia will be visiting the area this coming January, 2010. So I will also be setting up for their trip.

The pastors and churches has requested for another sports team to come. We are very excited of what God is doing in this province. Please pray for the team from Perth, Australia headed by Greg Beacham who is now busy preparing the team physically & spiritually for their trip on January, 2010.

My visit to Cebu City on September 16-17, 2009 would also be important because I will be inviting sports ministers to attend our Sports Ministry Seminar on November, 2009 which is sponsored by Church Sports International (CSI) headed by Rodger Oswald. Also I will finalize the arrangements for our two (2) Sports Ambassadors players Clarence Jeffrey from Missisipi & Daniel Hann from Phoenix, Arizona who will be coming for a two (2) year missions work. They will be playing for a college team in Cebu City. The coach who is our ministry partner is also using his college team in doing evangelization in the area. With CJ & Daniel part of the team, their presence would be a great help to the team.

Please do remember me during this time as I discuss so many ministry opportunities in the different areas I will be visiting. Thanks!

Sports Ambassadors: Zamboanga del Norte

SA Team Picture
JJ sharing at half-time

Ptr Gary & Dr Robin Cook

Bert Pinsoy, Ptr Gary & Dipolog City Mayor Evenlyn T. Uy

Team SA with Dipolog City Mayor Evelyn T. Uy

Sports Ambassadors: Zamboanga del Norte

JJ with Kay, Ms. Dipolog Medical Center
Bud Schaeffer sharing during the pastors meeting in Dipolog City

JJ & Dr. Robin Cook, SA International Director

JJ together with the SA team crossing a hanging bridge

JJ sharing at half-time

Sports Ambassadors: Zamboanga del Norte

JJ sharing his testimony to the team
JJ making a jumpshot during the game @ Dapitan City

Don Magee giving his testimony during the game

Team SA singing under the rain

Eric Borton putting up the basketball nets

Sports Ambassadors: Zamboanga del Norte

Ptr Gary, Robin Cook & JJ Team SA in Dakak, Zambo del Norte

JJ sharing @ half-time

Ptr. Gary sharing @ half-time

Bud Schaeffer giving the message

Sports Ambassadors: Zamboanga del Norte

Bud Schaeffer giving a message
Dipolog Mayor Evelyn T. Uy welcoming Team SA

Team SA in Dipolog City

Ptr Gary giving the orientation

Team SA @ Dipolog City airport being welcomed

the Mayor's Office Staff

Sports Ambassadors in Zamboanga del Norte

Once again the Ventures For Victory/Sports Ambassadors basketball team will be coming to the Philippines on July 27 to August 14, 2009.

Our trip this year is scheduled to be played in Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. Thirty (30) games have been lined-up for this. Preparations have been made for the last six months. The team will arrived late monday night and will fly tuesday morning to Dipolog City. The local government of Dipolog City headed by Mayor Evenlyn T. Uy has organized a welcome ceremony and dinner for the members of the team on July 28, Tuesday.

The members of the team is headed by Head Coach Dr. Robin Cook , Team Chaplain Bud "The Cat" Schaeffer, Daniel Hann 6'6, Romey Coley 5'9, Donyelle Magee 6'1, John Eric Burton 5'11, Gabriel Brandel 6'1, Jerome Montalvo 6'1, Elliot Tan 5'8 and John Paul Visitacion 5'9.

Please remember to pray for us during this time as we play and share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ during halftime.

Highlights of our Aklan Province Tour

Together with the Mayor's team of New Washington, Aklan
Ptr Gary & Marcus Swartz

Atty Edgar Peralta, Mayor of New Washington, Aklan

Ceremonial Toss with Mayor of Ibajay, Aklan

Ptr Gary sharing about the gospel tract

Highlights of our Aklan Province Tour

Ptr Gary together with Alex Tan & family
Ptr Gary sharing at halftime

Ptr Gary & Christie Tan at the officials table

Game at the Kalibo City Plaza

Ptr Gary giving the briefing & orientation

Buhay Sports conquers Aklan Province June 20-27

This sports trip was one of the toughest experience we had. Having only seven (7) players left. One player had to fly back after joining us for four (4) days. Then the challenge began. Marcus Swartz from Leavenworth, KS broke his achilles tendon which had to be casted. His US doctor said surgery can wait till he comes back to the US. Then two (2) before we ended our trip, Quinn Cunnington, another player from Tennessee had a sprained ankle. The rest of the players had soar bodies and were getting tired. But we held on till the final buzzer. Won all our games and ended the trip in high spirit. Praise God!

A lot of churches and pastors were blessed by the presence of the Buhay Sports basketball team. We believe we were able to accomplish our mission against all odds. Thanks for all your prayers last week.

Remember to pray also for the pastors and church workers who are now starting the follow up in their areas.

Highlights of our Cebu City Tour

Team Buhay

Elliot Tan, Ptr Gary & Aaron Jackson

Coach Tata Merced, Ptr Gary & Coach Al Solis

Ptr Gary sharing at half-time

Joshua Manthe sharing his personal testimony

Buhay Sports conquers Cebu City next Kalibo, Aklan

We had fourteen (14) players, eleven (11) games lined-up, that was one of the most exciting experience we had. This time we were playing the toughest collegiate/university teams in Cebu City. Most of the players did not have any experience playing on a concrete smaller courts. But it was fun. The crowd was just awed by the skills that the american players showed during the game.

Most of the places we visited had a good response with the gospel. Our average return slips was around 38%, which is higher to our average of 27% per game. Now the work has just begun. Our ministry partners in Cebu are busy with the follow-up. Please remember to pray for them during this time.

We went home in high spirits, knowing that we had accomplished our mission in this city. Thank you so much for your support to Buhay Sports. Please continue to remember us in your prayers.

Our next sports trip will be on June 21-27 in Kalibo, Aklan Province.

God bless!

Sports Trip in Cebu City June 7-13, 2009

After catching up with my work for the last 3 weeks since we arrived from the US. I am set to go to Cebu City for another sports trip together with the American Buhay Basketball Team on June 7-13, 2009.

Our ministry partners TJ Caparros, Coaches Alfonso "Al" Solis & Lawrence "Tata" Merced has arranged for our team to play ten (10) goodwill games & two (2) basketball clinics. Places to be visited are the different barangays (community village) and colleges and universities in the city. Please pray for good health, protection & spiritual focus of the team. We look forward that many will come and hear the gospel and make Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior.

For updates on our trip, I will be keeping you posted on this blog from time to time.

Also remember to pray for my family who will be left behind.

Thank you for your partnership with us.

Finally were home again...

It's always great to be back home after spending 74 days in the US (March 5 to May 16). We trvalled to almost twenty (20) States by car, bus & plane. We got to see a lot of beautiful places in all of the USA. Because we were there almost at the end of winter, we still felt very cold in most of the places we visited.

We enjoyed visiting the different states, museums, parks, military bases, White House & not forgetting the famous Disneyland in Anaheim. Learning the American Culture was another experience. Food was another thing to enjoy but rice is always the best. Hehe!

We also had the chance to meet old friends, preaching & visiting different churches. Once again we shared with them what God is doing in our ministry in the Philippines. We are thankful that we had churches and friends who are now partnering with us. Thank you so much for your financial support!

We visited our OC Headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO and met a lot of our OC missionaries. We visited Focus On The Family Headquarters of Dr. James Dobson during that day too. But the other visit that I could not forget was in Virginia Beach, VA were we had the chance to visit the 700 Club Headquarters and join Dr. Pat Robertson & Gordon Robertson in one of their programs. Pat & I talked after the program about missions in the Phippines. It was also a reunion of my old friend Gordon Robertson.

Once again to all our ministry partners and friends who took care of us during our short visit, Maraming Maraming Salamat Po! (Thank you very much!)

A Day In Manila with Mommy Ivy