CFC Wife Serving HOLD

7/23/2019 CFC Wife Serving HOLD

1/9

CFC Wife Serving in HOLD Ministry

When we joined

Couples for Christ

last July 1991, life for me became very challenging and exciting. We

were ordinary members that grew in our own spiritual search but never thought that God had other

plans for me and my husband Vic in answering to His call in serving His people. Whatever responsibility

that was given to us, we readily accepted and tried to do it with the best of our abilities and of course

with a lot of prayers. As the community blossomed into the family ministries, wives of CFC leaders were

asked to lead in opening the new ministry for women ...

Handmaids of the Lord .

As an obedient wife

and servant, I supported the first Christian Life Program of the Handmaids in Cebu and was given the

opportunity to talk in CLPs and other teachings related to HOLD. Then, it led on to other service and

before I knew it I fell in love serving HOLD and the sisters with whom I have come to establish beautiful

and lasting relationships. What I learned from CFC helped me in serving HOLD. Vic was always ready for

advice when needed. He enjoys sharing his time including being my personal driver and instant service

team. He will never miss the yearly ILC and other gatherings of HOLD. For him the talks are so enriching

and enable him to understand women in their different roles be it in their good and bad situations.

t

times, when our schedules are in conflict he does not see it as a disservice to him and to CFC. As for us,

we are serving one God, we go where we are needed for His greater honor and glory Our relationship

as couples became stronger for we were made aware by the unhappy stories of the broken women who

have experienced a painful marriage and love life. I found myself so blessed by the Lord that my

husband was not the

m a cho m a n

who enjoyed hurting women to which some of our HOLD sisters

have been victims. With my service to HOLD,

have learned to empathize with women who are hurt,

devastated and lost self-worth but have always sought God for refuge. In all these years sharing my

time, talent and treasure with the HOLD, Mama Mary has given me Her masculine courage in

overcoming my fear and enhanced my feminine heart in the midst of difficulties, trials and anxieties.

My service brings me to far and distant shores by land, air and sea traveling alone but because of

always seeking Him, it strengthened my prayer life. I am confident that with God my heavenly Father

and Mama Mary they will always cover me with their mantle of protection.

HOLD is God's gift to me and my spouse. It is a great privilege to be called and be used by Him as an

advocator and follower of our Mother Mary in molding stronger women for God

TETET K . ABARQUEZ

Hold Coordinator, Central Visayas


2/9

My husba

id and I were serving as CFC unit leaders in 1993 when we are asked to launch the

Family Ministries in our sector. With only two households in our unit and with very little

guidelines to go by (manuals were still being developed at that time), we started with Kids for

Christ and Youth for Ch rist. We pu t Handm aids of the Lord at the back burner in the meantime.

In 1994, we became chapter leaders of a new chapter. In preparation for our first Christian Life

Program for couples in our assigned area, we held an Evangelization Rally. As we went around

giving out flyers and announcing the CLP, we came across some women who were either

widows, w ives of overseas workers, single mothers, separated from their husbands or unm arried.

We were not prepared to have them in the CLP nor have a separate CLP for them so we told

them to w ait for further announcements.

Several days before the CLP Team training, someone who had become a HOLD member in an

earlier Cl ,P informed me that about 25 such women had signed up for the CLP, with more to

come. Little did I know that she had been enthusiastically going around distributing info sheets

and inviting them to attend the CLP. Being reluctant to launch HOLD so soon in our area, this

member's zeal humbled me and the response to her evangelization efforts made me realize that

there were women in search of God and in need of a community that could help them in this

regard, as well as give them spiritual support. After discussing the matter with my husband; I

formed a service team for the first HOLD CLP in o ur area with the assistance of our then HOL D

Coordinator, Penny de Leon, with me as the Supervising Team Leader. Thus began my now

almost 14-year service in HO LD.

Like many CFC wives, I was initially hesitant to serve in HOLD, for a number of reasons. Time

was a problem I was busy with my work in the office, in addition to which I had to help my

husband as a CFC leader and at the same time exercise my responsibilities as a wife and

homem aker. Being used to serving with my h usband which gave m e the comfort of being able to

move from place to place in our car, I was also apprehensive about going alone using public

transport, especially since our area of assignment was far from our house and quite perilous at

that time. Then there was the fundamental question of how I will relate with women whose

circumstances and concerns in life were different from mine.

Surely, God did not promise that His disciples would have an easy life, and so I took all these as

His challenges to me. With His grace, I was able to manage my time such that none of my

different roles and responsibilities suffered in any way. In lieu of my husband, I was blessed

with a kasambahay who volunteered to accompany me to every CLP session though she was not

a participant. In so doing, she paved the way for me to go farther and further in serving God in

and through HOLD. Listening ears and a heart filled with love and compassion were all that I

needed to serve women whose life experiences were different from mine. It was simply difficult

to turn away from them and leave them in their sorrows. To top it all, God gave me a husband

who is very supportive of my service in HOLD he has let me do what I am called to do

wherever this may take me, and when his schedule permits, he drives me to and/or from my

place of service, as well as provides me with needed resources. He has also joined me in some of

my mission trips and even served as a volunteer worker in the 1998 HOLD ILC in Baguio. All

these confirmed the message that the. Lord gave me when I was discerning the matter that 1 had


3/9

nothing to be afraid of because I will be doing His work and therefore He will always be with

me.

Serving in HOL D has been an enriching and rewarding experience for me. Primarily, it has been

a source of spiritual growth. Because I am doing God's work, I have become more prayerful as I

need to always be in touch with Him for guidance an d direction, for strength and empowerm ent.

Prayer and meditation on His wo rds in Scripture have not only d rawn me closer to God, but have

also made me more and more in love with Him as He has revealed Himself more and more to

me. Each moment with the Lord is truly amazing grace. Spiritual exercises of HOLD such as

retreats and being part of the HOLD PFO Core which develops teachings for the ministry have

also contributed to my spiritual growth.

Secondly, serving in HOLD has allowed me to use my God-given gifts for His purpose and my

time productively. Since I resigned from office work in 2000, I have never been idle nor bored

because I have been occupied by what I am doing for the ministry as a Cluster Head, Regional

Coordinator and member of the PFO Core.

Third, my service in HOLD has enabled me to better serve as a CFC wife. I am able to share

with our CFC members, especially the wives, relevant HOLD teachings, sharings and

experiences. By so doing, I have inspired some of them to also serve in HOLD. In the same

manner, I am also able to share with HOLD relevant teachings, sharings and experiences that I

gather during CFC prayer meetings/assemblies. Being a CFC wife serving in HOLD made it

easy for me to involve them in GK when my husband was a GK Project Director about 4 years

ago.

Fourth, being a HOLD leader has its own rewards. I am childless, but God gave me numerous

Handmaids to be my spiritual children. I have been able to go to different places in the

Philippines for mission work, for the HOLD ILC, or simply for rest and recreation through the

Handmaids on Tour (HOT) program. The biggest reward and source of joy for me, however, is

seeing broken wom en transformed into beautiful daughters of God, and m ore and mo re authentic

Handm aids becoming empow ered leaders of their own m inistry.

truly believe that my service in HOLD is God's call to me, and only He can take it away from

me.

EDYTHE VEND NO

South


4/9

EMBRACING THE HANDM AIDS

Canyl Bustos

Nuh-uh No way I shuddered at the mere thought of serving the HOLD. A major

shake-up in our local (Maryland) CFC structure occurred in 2002. This in a whirlwind

left my husband, Rod, and I w ith an unexpected CFC chapter service barely a few months

after we arrived to settle here in the US from the Philippines, and just when we were

looking forward to a break in service. That reorganization orphaned the HOLD in the

chapter. From what I knew back home, the wife of the CFC chapter head, by default,

takes on the HOL D service in the chapter. I kept dodging the HOL D service and justified

my posture by citing age (okay, I was 40 - but, hey, it surely felt like I was just 30,

especially since our [my husband and I] last 2 service in the Philippines were in the SFC

and YFC ), our young family, the lifestyle adjustment that came with our move, and the

fact of my service with my husband in the CFC chapter. Then, of course, there's the

horrifying issue of my inexperience and inability to minister to women whose life

circumstances I expected to be way beyond the realm of my experience and limited

wisdom.

I did spend a lot of $ on long distance calls to my m om, Luz , for bits and pieces of HOLD

insights and wisdom when it became obvious to me that a HOLD service - albeit a

temporary one until another sister can be identified and anointed - was inevitable. (I

praise God for the perks of having a HOLD-serving mom ) My mom nagged me about

attending the then forthcoming HOLD conference in Chicago. Even this I tried to evade.

But just as in Jonah's case, the Lord found me, and He surely enough found ways to

make m e go to the HOLD conference and have my first real taste of how awesom e it is to

be with the HOL D sisters

One particular segment in the conference dealt about healing, and the speaker exhorted

the leaders to pray over their members. I realized that meant me, as I was supposed to be

the leader of our chapter delegation. With fear and doubt in my heart (I didn't know my

HOLD sisters that well then yet), I individually approached a couple of my HOLD

chapter sisters who were seated close to me, and prayed over each of them. Thug

Wham Bam It was like something you'd see in fiction movies It was like their hearts

literally fused into mine I very powerfully felt how each sister felt medium, heavy,

and some even XXL loads inside of them as I hugged each after I prayed over them

separately. It was extremely overwhelming that I continued to cry even as the speaker

resumed her talk and was even cracking jokes already. Then it happened. Again, like in

the movies where the w hole scene almost blacks out and on ly the main character remains

in view, for a second or two, I felt as if I was the only one in the hall. A strong, powerful

voice drowned the speaker's and spoke to my heart to say, "Embrace My Handmaids I

love them " The message was very clear and very compelling. Without really

comprehending, I suddenly seemed to understand. I was to serve God's Handmaids, and

it was a command

Now, many years after that fateful Chicago

HOLD

conference, I constantly praise God

for giving me the wonderful privilege of serving in HOLD. I love the CFC wives dearly

and love being with them, but being with the HOLD allows me to experience a different

dimension of life in the Lord. The view from the CFC mountaintop may be different

from the HOLD's, but the experience with each is just as astounding and breathtaking as

the other. With HOLD, it is almost like being high school again in an exclusive girls'


5/9

school, where many confidences and feelings are more freely shared, where laughter is

almost unbridled, where one feels no need to sparingly shed tears... We share many

unguarded moments when we can simply be. Serving in HOLD has helped me

appreciate the fullness of the truth of my identity as being, simply, God's child.

Fellowshipping with the HOLD is a blast It is something that I highly recommend for

every CFC wife to experience. Listening to God's word to us specifically as women is

also something that the CFC wives probably should seek more opportunities for. The

HOLD teachings are not really very different from what we have in CFC, but the greater

opportunities to hear God's message and the Spirit's inspiration from a fellow female

being are precious in molding us wom en to be better Christians, I believe.

We women have all been gifted with talents and abilities some even m ore than our male

counterparts (I sense many a woman's head a-nodding ). I believe the reality is that the

occasions for expression of these do not come as often in CFC as they do in HOLD. In

HOLD, we women are privileged with more opportunities to glorify our God by being

worship leaders, speakers, guitarists, singers, dancers, household/unit/chapter leaders, and

more. Now, that's fabulous

Some CFC wives might be harboring the same doubts I had at the start when I was

initially called to serve in HOLD. How do we juggle our time, considering we have our

families to take care of, jobs to hold, and that we are also serving in CFC with our

husbands? I don't. God does. How do I help lead the women of HOLD when their life

circumstances might be far removed from mine? I don't. God does. By the stroke of

God's miraculous hands, things get done. That is the beautiful part of being a CFC wife

serving also in HOLD: I get to experience God's presence and mighty hand in many

more concrete ways I probably wouldn't have otherwise.

God asked me to embrace His Handmaids. I thought I did as I began serving in HOLD.

The reality, however, is that the Handmaids embraced me, and I thank the Lord for this

very precious gift


6/9

My service with handmaids of the Lord started in December 1998 when m y husband was

designated as CFC A rea Head for Vancouver. With it came my assignment as Hold Area

head as well, I did not know it w as a "buy one take two" deal. Just coming from serving

Singles for Christ for almost four years, there was so m uch fear and doubt on this new

assignment.

Trusting in the Lord, I was team leader for HER 1 and gave the healing talk. It was here

that Jesus touched my heart through the commitment and overwhelming love of our

handmaids. This opened m y heart and started m y journey with our handm aids.

Jesus continued to immerse me in the HOLD M inistry. In 2002, I became HO LD W est

Region Head for Canada and member of the Hold Council. In 2004, I became National

Hold Head for Canada. This is going to be my 10

t

year in Handm aids, yes, with it came

blessings upon blessings.

Blessing #1. My prayer and personal relationship with Jesus deepened. Handm aids

by nature are very prayerful and trusting in our Lo rd. Prayer became a p reoccupation

rather than just a timed activity. Also, prayer became a heart to heart encounter with

our Lord, w here I found myself expressing and sharing my feelings, thoughts with

God. I fell in love w ith Jesus on a m ore spiritual perspective, trusting and depending

on Him mo re and more.

Blessing #2. Trusting in God, I gained confidence in giving talks. My very first

experience to talk in a national Hold conference was in 2001 in Mon treal. I learned

that it was the spiritual preparation that matters most, as Jesus just filled me with His

words when I surrendered myself completely to Him. Today, Jesus continues to give

me opportunities to be H is messenger and instrument of love .

Blessing #3. I became more patient, compassionate and generous. Handmaids by

nature are generous. They are the first ones to respond and give to the needy. I have

drawn strength from the powerful sharing of our handmaids on how they overcome

their brokenness. When m y husband underw ent surgery and I fractured my right arm

at the same time, in our physical disability, the handmaids were am ong those wh o

faithfully took care of us, driving us to the doctor for check-up, cooking and helping

us at home.

Blessing #4. God expanded my territory of evangelization. One of the primary

reasons my husband and I were requested to go to Nigeria in 2001 w as my service in

Hold and p reviously in SFC. From N igeria we met our brothers and sisters in

Frankfurt, Germany. Then God's bonus came As a child, my mother taught me the

novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague and I always had the longing to visit His shrine

in the Czech Republic. From Frankfurt, we were asked go to Prague to lay the

groundwork for a CLP. A dream com e true

In 2004, they needed someone to conduct HER 3 for the first time in Zurich

Switzerland, and off to the Swiss Alps we flew. They asked my h usband as well to

give talks in MER 1 & 2. Ou r brothers and sisters sent us to the major cities Bern e,

Lucerne and Geneva to conduct other CFC/Hold teachings and Men/W omen' s

Forum.

In Canada, as we served in the W estern Region, Jesus brought us to W hitehorse in the

Yukon Territories in 2004 and Yellowknife in the N orthwest Territories in 2005 to


7/9


8/9

A CFC WIFE YET A HANDMAID TOO

Didi Galsim

My husband, Dwight, and

joined Couples for Christ in 1988. With his schedule as an

airline pilot, it was only by God's grace that he finished the CLP. And with the kind of

schedule that he had, we could not be given any service in the community.

had no

problem with this for I was very much content to remain an ordinary mem ber being taken

care of by my CFC leaders.

This was not to last for long, however. One day, in 1993, I received a call from a CFC

Unit Leader who asked me if I could facilitate in a CLP in Paranaque where they had the

first group of Handmaids. I did not know much about this new ministry but as I agreed I

felt the faint stirrings of excitement in my heart. I facilitated in this CLP and I became the

Household Head of this first group of Handmaids in our sector. Then I became a Unit

Head, Chapter Head, ... and so on. ...

was on my way to an exciting love affair with

God and His special women, a love affair that would become more and more intense as I

grew in service in HO LD.

The ministry prospered fast and needed more leaders to serve the growing number of

Handmaids. As a Chapter Head I had to tap more CFC wives in the sector to serve in

HOLD because the Handmaids themselves were not yet ready to take on leadership. Not

being in CFC leadership (most of them did not even know me personally), I had doubts

that they would heed my call. Praise God, it was not my call that they heard but God's.

They came forward and were used powerfully by God to take care of His Handmaids. I

honor these CFC wives, not only in my sector but all over the world, for HOLD would

not have been the strong, vibrant ministry it is today if they had not given God their

wholehearted service. Most of them have continued serving in HOLD up to now. I honor

their husbands who so willingly supported their wives, who would not otherwise have

been able to give their all to HO LD service.

I

myself, have enjoyed the full support of my husband in my HOLD service. He has

allowed me to give a large portion of my time for this. He has always been there to keep

on affirming my capabilities as a leader as God hones my talents, talents that I did not

even know I had. He has been so generous to God, not only sharing me with HOLD, but

also our material resources for His work. And so God, who cannot be outdone in

generosity, has continued to bless us abundantly.

This service has taken me to different places provinces and countries abroad. God has

given me the boldness to just go, even alone, wherever He sends me. By land, by sea, or

by air

go. This has often been a cause of worry for my husband even as he lets me go.

During one particular trip, I was to travel alone by train to different places in a country

abroad notorious for thieves. This time he would not allow me to travel by myself. He

took a vacation leave and followed me. While on mission, he tried to help. A Handmaid

was tearfully pouring out her difficulties in service to me and by way of comforting her

he told her how I would cry to him at night whenever I had problems with HOLD. He


9/9

was surprised when this made the sister cry even more. Between sobs she said that unlike

her I was so fortunate to have a husband to cry to. My heart went out to her as I was hit

with the full realization of how it is to be without a husband.

It is true that HOLD service has been a great blessing for CFC wives. Through this work

we have grown in our love relationship with God. We have learned discipleship and

servant leadership. We have been given the opportunity to be leaders in our own right.

But our husbands have been blessed, too. As we relate with these women whose lives

may be different from ours, we have become better wives. We have come to appreciate

and love our husbands more, thanking God everyday for them

But after all these years serving God in H OLD , the sweetest blessing for me is this I am

a CFC wife, yet at the same time I am also a Handmaid of the Lord. I have come to

realize that being a Handmaid of the Lord has nothing to do with marital status. It is all

about giving your all to God, waiting on Him as His maidservant, doing all that He says.

It is all about living out as Mary did her fiat that I have made mine, "Behold I am the

Handm aid of the Lord. May it be done unto me according to thy word."

And so I am happy and proud to declare that, yes, I am a H andmaid of the Lord.

CFC Wife Serving HOLD

Documents

Transcript of CFC Wife Serving HOLD