A Quarterly Publication Cebu. Philippines A Quarterly Publication Cebu. Philippines ReadWots.com

Word on the Street

What is

WOTS? WOTS is our fond acronym for Word on the Street. We’re a UW-Stout affiliated publication released twice per semester. WOTS is written, laid out, and printed by members of Street Level Ministries on UW-Stout and UW-Superior campuses. We also print a version of the magazine on Cebu Island in the Philippines. We’re Christians who love Jesus and want to write about life, God, and college. We’ve been printing the magazine for 15 years. Want to meet the crew of WOTS? No problem. We can be found on campus each Monday while school is in session at the meetings for Street Level Ministries, a Christian student organization. Visit streetlevelministries.com for details. We hope the magazine is funny, challenging and maybe even controversial. We’d like your feedback! Email us at:

wotsmagazine@gmail.com

ReadWots.com

“The price for

anything is the amount of life

you exchange for it.” -Henry David Thoreau

PAG MAY TIME

nagbaha nga hashtags. basa-basa din pag may time.

WOLF IN THE STABLE

fiction feature...you’ll never want to enter the woods again DEATH DEFYING

CREATURES

small animals with an amazing designer

WILL IT STICK?

many students walk away from God during college, will your faith stick?

SALMO 121

Sa kalisdanan ug katalagman, naa kay dalangpanan. KILLING THE GIANTS ang mga manggugubat muhisgot sa mga higante sa ilang mga kinabuhi

PRO.VISION

Pakigbisog batok sa kakabos pinaagi sa gugma ug edukasyon.

LYRICAL POETRY

lyrics from New Zealand band, Strahan

LOST AND FOUND

one man’s true story

4

9

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1

3

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1

8

19

4

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will it STICK? pg. 12

#PAGMAYTIME! Before ka mu-decide nga labyan ra nimo ni nga article ug

mupakli na ka sa pikas page, basaha sad ni pag may time!

Oh di ba? Tanan nalang na i-istorya nato run kay ato gyud sumpayan ug “pag may time” sa ending. Maski asa na lang nimo madungog ug mabasa; magbaha ug “Pag may time” na status sa Facebook ug tweet sa Twitter, sa jeep, sa mga chika ug mga seryoso na conversations. It’s an epidemic na! Wala nako’y time makadungog ug makakita pa ani na expression! Undangon ta na kini nga peg uy pag may time!

pagkaingon basta kay makasumpay ug “pag may time” sa ending. Dali ra kaayo ni na-kalat na expression tungod kay kitang tanan connected man sa social media.

Huna-hunaon natog tarong. Matod pa sa akong amigo, ang gipasabot aning sikat nga tagline kay optional lang ang pagbuhat sa butang nga gihisgutan, dili ra siya priority, kung maka-panahon lang ka.

Ang “Pag may time” nagsugod kang DJ Chico Loco sa iyahang radio program kada gabii sa 101.1 Yes! FM. Siya ang nagpasikat ana pinaagi sa iyahang mga comments sa mga greetings on air, sa iyahang posts sa iyahang Facebook page ug tweets sa Twitter. Ang porma sa expression kay (ang buhat x 2) + din ‘pag may time. For example, “kain-kain din pag may time”. Sa ato mga Bisaya, bisag unsang paagi na

Ma-busy ta ug solve sa level sa Candy Crush, ug pagkuha ug 5 million na score sa 2Fuse, ug pag-picture-picture para naa’y ma-post sa Instagram, o pag-browse sa internet. Wala ta’y rason para dili maka-spend time with God. Gihatagan ta ug

24 hours sa Ginoo kada adlaw, ug sa kanang 24 hours dili gyud ka makahigayon ug maski 15 to 30 minutes man lang sa imohang oras? God doesn’t want us to find time; He wants us to make time.

Kitang tanan, maningkamot jud ug hatag sa atong panahon para sa mga pinangga nato nga mga tawo. Ang oras, dili na nimo mabalik kung nilabay na. Dili kini mabayran nga butang, busa ginahatag lang nimo ang imong oras sa mga butang o tao na imong hitagan ug importansya ug gihigugma. Mu-bilar ka ug buhat sa imong thesis kay gihatagan nimo ug

Daghan sigurong applicable nga mga sitwasyun. Pero naay usa nga dili maayo nga maapil sa “pag may time”nga category. Pareha sa imohang personal na relasyon sa Ginoo. Naa ka’y time pirmi muingon ug “pag may time”. Pero kumusta imong daily devotional with God, nakagahin ba ka ug time?

Ang time, usa sa mga pinaka importante nga factor sa pagpalambo sa usa ka relasyon. Nahimo nimo nga close ang usa ka tawo tungod sa mga panahon nga sige mo ug kuyog. Mas makaila mo sa usa ug usa, mas mahimo mong close. Sama sad na sa atong relasyon sa Ginoo. Mas makaila ta sa Ginoo, mas ma-close ta sa atong relationship with God kung mugahin ta ug time sa pag-ampo ug basa sa atong Bible sa matag adlaw sa atong kinabuhi ug dili lang kung naay time.

Remember, IT’S YOUR CHOICE. Ikaw ang mu-desisyon kung unsaon nimo pag-spend sa imong time. Isip usa ka estudyante, daghan ta’g mahimo na rason kung ngano dili ta maka-pangita ug oras sa matag adlaw. Daghan kayo ta ug paper works, exams, ug projects; mag-practice pa sa varsity or para sa mga contests ug performances. Pero naa pa man lagi ka’y time mag check sa imong Facebook ug Twitter? Ug makig-chika sa imohang mga amigo ug amiga? Or maka-one game pa man lagi ka sa DOTA?

“Set aside a time to

connect to God without distractions.

Don’t forget to unplug from those digital devices that

constantly grab your attention.” Ignite, 2013

bili ang imong pag-eskwela; makiglaag ka kauban imong mga higala kay importante sa imo na makabalo ka kung kumusta na sila, ug bahala na ug kapoy pero mu-practice ka tibuok adlaw kay para nimo dili mahasa ang imong talent kung dili nimo hatagan ug higayon.

Si Jesus Christ wala nag ‘pag may time sa iyang pagpangga nato. Ang Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord nevers ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.” Sa tanang panahon, ang iyang gugma dili mausab. Bisan kinsa pa ta, bisan unsa pa atong mga nabuhat padayon Siya sa paghigugma kanato.

Naa sa 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us”. Kung nahigugma ta sa Ginoo, makahatag jud ta ug panahon para Niya. Ang Dios ang tag-iya sa tanang butang. Bisan ang oras Iyaha. Gahinanan nato ug panahon ang Ginoo. Dili lang sa panahon sa kalisdanan, kanang wala na kay lain dangpanan. Dili lang ‘pag may time kundi sa kada adlaw, tungod kay nahigugma ta Niya. Gahini ug panahon ang Dios. Kung dili pa karon, kanus-a pa man? Dili na ta mag “pag may time” karon para sa Ginoo. Kay kung dili pa ta mu-make time, basin wala na’y time.

As the last of the sunlight dipped behind the trees, a cold wind wrapped itself around me, and it became clear that I should have given up my rebellious misadventures in the forest hours ago and returned home. My feet padded across the hard earth with greater purpose and vigor

as I recalled why being alone in the woods at night was a terrible idea. Most of the reasons included gnarled claws, coarse fur, dagger-fangs, and piercing eyes that could see through the darkness better than my eyes could. As I attempted to keep myself from slipping into a panic, beads of sweat ran down my forehead, and my lips fumbled around the words of the first tune that surfaced in my mind: “Lend an ear to good counsel: fight no battle twice. For the warrior wise, just once will suffice…” My big brother had taught me this song. It made me feel brave, like him, whenever I sang it, even though I wasn’t quite old enough to hit the low notes as he did. My thin voice cracked as the lyrics slipped out into the black wooded quiet around me: “Trust in the words of the well-traveled sword. Such knowledge as this should not be ignored…”

A foreign sound halted my progress. Above the rustle of leaves beneath my toes and the feeble singing of my big brother’s song, I heard a low, throaty growl. My heart began to clamor about in my chest, and I snapped my lips shut to keep it from falling out of my mouth. My feet froze. I forgot how to breathe. The forest was pitch black and silent. I could barely see what was in front of me. As I released the air from my lungs and braved another step forward, a second snarl protested my movement. It was close. It sounded desperate. My eyes strained in the darkness to see where it was coming from, and my hand tightened

around the hilt of the knife. A rustle to my right made my gangly limbs spring into action. I brandished my weapon and spun to face whatever awaited me in the darkness. As my eyes adjusted, I saw a small, black form lying on the forest floor. My heart was in my throat, and every one of my muscles tightened as the four-legged figure staggered to its feet. The last two lines of my brother’s song sprang into my mind as I realized what was staring at me in the darkness: “Be on your guard while you’re willing and able, and never allow a wolf in your stable.”

I was face to face with an actual wolf. The animal bared its teeth, and I prepared to kill the beast before it killed me, like I had been taught. However, it took a step and let out a miserable howl. Its legs gave out and it crumpled to the ground. It was wounded, and, judging from the size, it was young, only a few months past a pup. I didn’t know what to do. I had never taken the life of anything bigger than a chicken, especially not something that was already wounded. It didn’t seem fair. The creature looked up at me, and I was overcome with pity. I knew it had been abandoned by its pack. It had been left to die. I had never seen a real

Wolf Stable in the

living wolf before. She was beautiful. I couldn’t leave her to die. I made a snap decision. My blade was sheathed and I stepped towards her. The poor beast was too badly wounded to protest as I scooped her up in my thin arms. I wasn’t very strong, but I knew I was fast and my wiry legs took us quickly through the murky woods. We neared the edge of the forest and I saw the light from my family’s cabin. I had been told about the dangers of wolves my entire life: “Avoid them as well as you can, but if you ever come across one, kill it before it kills you”. There I was--standing only yards away from my family with a natural-born killer in my arms. A general uneasiness lurked in my stomach, but I couldn’t believe that this pitiful lump of fur could hurt anything, let alone kill. She was too little, too badly wounded for me to believe that she could actually do any damage. She was different than the wolves my family had warned me about. I padded quietly towards the building where we kept our horses and slipped into the darkness. As I laid her down, my shirt stuck to her fur and I realized I was soaked in her blood. The uneasiness that had been tugging at my conscience for not leaving her in the woods where she belonged subsided slightly. I convinced myself that she would die by morning and no one would be the wiser. As I walked out of the barn door, I could feel the eyes of all the horses on my back. I felt guilty for putting them in danger, but she would be dead soon. As I pulled the door shut, my brother’s song drifted into my thoughts and a lump rose in my throat as the last two lines repeated themselves again and again: “Be on your guard while you’re willing and able, and never allow a wolf in your stable.” The next evening, I returned to the barn to complete my chores. Much to my dismay, the wolf was alive and well. Her eyes locked onto me and warily followed my movements as she rested quietly. I shoveled out the horses’ pens and I watched her out of the corner of my eye as well. She was even more beautiful in the dim light of the fading sun, but I hadn’t noticed how skinny she was before. Careful to never fully turn my back on her, I finished my chores and left the barn quietly. This time I left the door open slightly so that she could go when she had healed. However, at supper, I found myself excitedly saving the meat from my plate to

feed the wolf, with a strange hope budding in my chest that she wouldn’t leave me. This continued for days. I began to spend more time in the barn, usually under the cover of darkness in the evenings. I took on my siblings’ extra chores – anything that

required their presence in the barn - brought my father’s horses saddled and ready to ride when he needed them, and did everything I could to keep my family away from my secret. The more food I brought her, the closer she let me get and I began to eat less and less so I could sit by the wolf. She was never affectionate towards me, but she was not hostile and I was enticed by the danger of possessing such a creature. My conscience was screaming at me, but I was getting good at ignoring its protests. She made me feel powerful. I was convinced that this wolf was different than the ones my brother had warned me about. The longer she was in the barn, the bigger she got, and I became inexplicably attached to her.

There I was—standing only yards away from my family with a natural-born killer in my arms.

One day I got too close. She was tearing through her dinner and I was enthralled with the deathly flash of her teeth tearing through the red meat. I reached out my hand to run my fingers through her fur, something I had never attempted to do before, and I startled her. Before I realized what had happened, a sharp pain was searing across my face. It hurt so badly I couldn’t open my right eye. Something warm dripped onto my hand. It was blood—my blood. The wolf had ripped through the skin on my face with her claws and retreated into the shadows of the barn. In shock, I rose and left the barn. On my way to assess my wounds I ran into my big brother—the one that had taught me the song I had sang on the night I found the wolf. He grabbed my shoulders and asked what had happened, but I avoided his gaze. I told him I had fallen out of a tree and scratched myself on the way down. His disbelief was obvious. I wormed my way out of his iron grip, but he grabbed my chin and forced my eyes to connect with his. He told me that he was worried about me. He said that I was keeping something from him. He was getting too close to my secret and I lashed out to defend it. I shouted and forced myself out of his hands until he finally released me. As I walked away, he called my name once again and I reluctantly turned. He had his shirt opened, and there across his breast were the sickly-pink scars of claws carved into his skin. They exactly matched the wounds on my face. In an instant, I knew for sure that he knew my secret. His blue eyes locked onto mine as he plainly stated that a person could never have control of a wolf—they will always lose dearly in the end. I panicked and ran from him. Later that day, after my wound had stopped bleeding, I returned to the barn. I had rationalized why the wolf had clawed me and I was convinced that it was my fault. I had smuggled a few links of sausage out of our smokehouse and planned to offer them to her as a measly kind of an apology. However, when I reached the barn, I realized how far out of control the situation had become. In the

middle of the floor was one of my father’s favorite horses, on its side in a pool of blood. I immediately dropped the sausages and sharply sucked in all the air my lungs could hold. The wolf was bent over the carcass and slowly raised her red-soaked muzzle. She was enormous—much larger than when I had first found her. A low, hostile growl once again rose from her jowls and her yellow eyes pieced into me. Without much thought, I lunged into the barn to get her away from the horse, but she held her ground. She flung her body at mine and I heard her jaws snap down. I pulled back, but it was too late. As the wolf swallowed, I looked down and saw that my hand was gone. I sprinted from the barn, now aware that I was not in control. I needed help. I needed my family. I needed my big brother. They all burst out of the house as they heard my shouts and realized instantly what was happening. My mother and little sisters remained in the house as the men of my family rushed towards me. My big brother, without asking any questions, wrapped my bloody arm tightly in his shirt and told me to go into the house. My father and brothers then ran towards the barn as the wolf emerged from the darkness. She was no longer beautiful—everything about her was sickening and grotesque from her knobby, twisted paws up to her crooked fangs. My father was the first to take a swing at her. He managed to bury his axe into her hindquarters and she let out a hideous yelp. The battle between my deadly secret and my family raged while I watched helpless by the house. My father had taken a blow to the shoulder, one of my brothers was limping badly, and the other was holding his red-soaked side in pain. My big brother continued to lay into the beast until it was almost finished. They both crouched on the ground, only feet apart, covered in dirt and blood. I couldn’t handle just watching anymore. I grabbed the sharpest tool I could find leaning against the house and charged towards the wolf. My brother shouted for me to stay away, but I kept running. As I got closer, I raised the tool over my head with my good arm and positioned myself to drive one final blow into the beast, but I hesitated. She looked at me pitifully, and again I was overcome with emotion. My steps slowed, and I lowered my weapon. The instant I let down my guard, the wolf’s eyes switched from helpless to vengeful and I saw her prepare to strike once more. However, at the last moment her eyes flicked towards my big brother who had raised his axe to finish what I had started. Her teeth were on his throat before he had the chance to drive his weapon into her. Furious and in shock, I finally did what I should have done to begin with—I delivered the final blow to the wolf and she collapsed on my big brother. I staggered back into the arms of my other two brothers, but I couldn’t’ take my eyes off the wolf’s body. They ushered me into the house, but I knew what they didn’t want me to know. My mother and sisters cried and held whatever part of my body they could get their hands on, but my big brother didn’t walk through our door. Finally, my father did. He knelt and looked into my eyes. I knew what he was going to tell me. The wolf was dead, but so was my big brother whose song once again over-powered my thoughts, as I finally understood what he had tried so hard to keep me from.

Lend an ear to good counsel: fight no battle twice. For the warrior wise just once will suffice.

Trust in the words from the well-traveled sword, Such knowledge as this should not be ignored. Be on your guard while you’re willing and able,

And never allow a wolf in your stable.

James 1:15 These desires give birth to sinful actions.

And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

DEATH DEFYING CREATURES

THE SECRET’S IN THE BLOOD

A re you dreading the coming winter? Thankfully, we can bundle up and turn up the heat. However, some creatures

don’t have that option. They may not be able to escape the freezing temps, but they do have a few tricks up their sleeves – that is, if they had sleeves. What does an insect from New Zealand have in common with a fish from the Arctic? The answer lies in their incredible blood. If the Weta bug could speak, it would say it’s feeling a little stiff at 14 degrees above zero. However, it would still be alive, even at that extreme temperature because its haemolymph (a.k.a. blood) contains special sugars not found in most animals. The Stone Mountain Weta is located on the South Island of New Zealand in an alpine environment. The Weta is known as the world’s largest insect to contain the special antifreeze molecules in its blood. These unique sugars prevent water from crystallizing (essentially freezing), serving the same purpose as the antifreeze solution in your car’s cooling system. Coupled with its blood, the Weta can also have up to 82% of its body frozen and still live to tell the tale. Our second contestant, the Antarctic Toothfish, has caught the attention of a famous auto maker. Over 50 years ago, the Toothfish was discovered to have a mechanism similar to the Weta bug; it too utilizes proteins in its blood. The fish’s anti-

freeze protein functions so well that Volkswagen has done extensive research on it to find out how the protein works since it performs better than the manmade anti-freeze found in your car. The mere presence of this protein in the fish’s blood prevents water from crystallizing. This feature comes in very handy when the water the fish swims in is a consistent 28.6 degrees Fahrenheit year round. The fish’s blood would normally freeze around 30.4 degrees Fahrenheit if it weren’t for the protein, which prevents it from becoming a fish-sicle. Both of these death-defying creatures have spectacularly

designed blood. The fact that we can find this feature in an

insect in the mountains of New Zealand and a fish in the arctic

speaks to the work of a Designer. How could these creatures

have evolved to have this special protein if they died before

developing it? God’s design in nature is truly a miracle. We can

thank Him for His brilliance and learn from His amazing design.

“So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that

scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each

producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was

good.” Genesis 1:21 (NLT)

ANTARCTIC TOOTHFISH

WETA BUG

L et’s try a do-it-yourself project. Place a one-foot long strip of duct tape on your arm, press it down firmly, and then swiftly rip

it off. Watch and wince as your arm hair finds a new home on the sticky gray backing. Repeat as desired. It’s no secret that duct tape excels when it comes to sticking. In 1902, steel cables supporting the Brooklyn Bridge were first covered in linseed oil then wrapped in duct tape before being laid in place. Later, in 1942, Revolite developed a tape made from a rubber-based adhesive applied to a durable duck cloth backing. This tape resisted water and was used for sealing ammunition cases during World War II.1 Duct tape is versatile, tough, and not bound by the same rules as lesser sorts of tape (imagine fixing a bridge with Scotch tape). Duct tape is made to stick through wind, rain and wear, and it has revolutionized the world in the past century. Why can’t the same thing be said about the majority of college students who say they are Christians? The shocking fact is that 61 percent of 20-somethings who regularly attended church as teenagers later walked away from church and from God.2 They viewed faith like Scotch tape on a gift:

something to be put on when they wanted to be presentable and held together momentarily, but something that was easily torn away as soon as it was no longer desired. In essence, their faith was temporary – not strong, not designed to hold, not even sticky enough to rip out arm hair. The problem with a person that has Scotch-tape faith is that they don’t have the real thing – they’re not sticky enough to experience the benefits of knowing God and following His plan for their life, AND they can’t really enjoy living separate from the will of God because they feel guilty that they aren’t living the way they should. A true relationship with God requires the real deal – a versatile, tough-as-nails, free-from-limits faith that sticks and impacts every aspect of life. RAW MATERIALS If you’ve been dying to manufacture your own duct tape since you were a kid, today’s your lucky day. Simply gather threads of cotton, polyester, nylon, rayon or fiberglass and weave them together loosely. Then, take your lovingly woven fabric, called a “scrim,” and

will it STICK?

Do you have a bond with Jesus that

will stick strong through college? [ ]

laminate it on a backing of low density polyethylene (LDPE); simple. Finally, grab some powdered aluminum from Wal-Mart and mix it into the LDPE, and *Bing*, your duct tape is ready! Duct tape’s strength is both external and internal. The problem with the faith that most college students bring with them on move-in day is that it’s only external; it affects their outward appearance and behaviors but has no hold on their heart. For example, a glimpse into my first day of college would reveal a confused girl who had gone to church her whole life but was easily swept away from any interest in God when the first invite to a party rolled around. My relationship with God at that point was merely external – it wasn’t the

real deal, and it didn’t hold. A bond with God that holds up through college has to begin internally: its strength lies in the tight adhesion created between us and God. It’s not really about what we shouldn’t be doing but about who we should desire to pursue. If you wanted to make a recipe for this sticky bond, the ingredients would be:

1. Faith that’s real. It’s possible to go to church and not be a Christian.

When asked what it means to be Christian, one-third of college juniors (all of whom were youth group graduates) failed to mention “Jesus” or “Christ” but rather emphasized behaviors. This suggests that students tend to view the gospel and Christianity as a “do” and “don’t” list of behaviors instead of a faith that transforms interior lives and beliefs.2 Faith in God is meant to completely revolutionize who a person is on the inside, and the change is permanent. The Bible says that to have real faith, we need an entirely new life with God – one that starts with a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It’s not merely a change of behaviors but a change of heart that leads to godly behavior.

2. Faith that works. Working faith begins with your inner thoughts

and emotions, and is also externalized in choices and actions that reflect what’s going on inside. Basically, you think about God because you love Him, and you make daily decisions based on this relationship with Jesus.

3. Faith that sticks. Sticky faith attaches itself to a local church.

This kind of faith takes hold during times of intimate communication with God, growth in our understanding of God and His will by reading the Bible, and desire to serve others.

4. Faith that’s versatile. Versatile faith impacts your whole life – not just

small portions of it. It effects how you act in school, relationships, priorities, money and time management. Here’s the kicker: no one can create this kind of faith themselves, and the youth group they may have attended in high school can’t produce it either. Unlike duct tape that’s mass-produced by the mile in a factory, a person’s belief in God has to be created by God. Faith isn’t a nebulous word that represents good thoughts or even sincere hope that things will work out for the positive. Faith is the act of placing your life in God’s hands willingly and permanently because He’s shown you how much He loves you by dying for your sins. The Apostle John explains, “…we love him because He first loved us”. This is what gives faith its real stickiness. It’s the LDPE on the loosely woven fabric of life. It’s the aluminum powder that protects you from the elements. HOW IS IT USED? Name five uses for duct tape off the top of your head. Take a couple of minutes…go ahead. Were they all predictable things that you’d normally associate with tape? Chances are good that you thought of covering a notebook, making a wallet, fastening on a stray muffler, and fixing your swivel chair. In addition to your genius ideas, duct tape also helped save the lives of the astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission when it sealed a leaky pipe that was contaminating their air supply (you should read about it on the link found in the footnotes– pretty cool).3 Duct tape’s uses are far-reaching. While duct tape can be used for quick, personal fixes, it’s not limited to those. You’ll see it used by people from every age group and every walk of life, in many situations.

DUCT TAPE’S STRENGTH IS BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL. THE PROBLEM WITH THE FAITH THAT MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS BRING WITH THEM ON MOVE-IN DAY IS THAT IT’S ONLY EXTERNAL; IT AFFECTS THEIR OUTWARD APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIORS BUT HAS NO HOLD ON THEIR HEART.

Most college students’ experiences with God are a lot less far-reaching. Mistakenly, many youth groups isolate students into youth-only activities in an attempt to be “relevant”. Youth groups have tried so hard to cater to teens by trying to make God “cool”.4 The result? A bond with church that’s only interested in God when He’s wearing skinny jeans and hipster glasses or hosting a pizza party and playing trendy music with a light show on a jumbo-tron behind Him. In an effort to make God “cool” like the world, they’ve taken away the truth: faith in God is like the duct tape on the leaky pipe on the Apollo 13 spaceship – a necessary lifesaver, not an accessory. The deep-space-pipe-fix-up-job didn’t look cool, but it did what was necessary to bring those astronauts safely home. STRONG AND STICKY Faith isn’t a personal accessory. It’s made to be used in the context of your life when everything’s on the line. It’s made to hold up under pressure in any situation. According to Barna Group, a widely respected research company, “… only one in seven high school seniors report feeling prepared to face the challenges of college life. Few students seem ready for the… perfect storm of loneliness, the search for new friends, being completely on their own for the first time, and the sudden availability of a lot of partying.”2 Rarely do they consider finding a new church and often opt to just continue attending the one they grew up in sporadically without ever really connecting with other Christians in their new city. Or, because of a lack of direction, they hop from church to church at college if they feel like going (only if it’s convenient for their schedule). As a result, no real, effective bond forms with other Christians. Love for God holds strongest when stuck to others’ love for God in the context of a local church – and not just others your own age. The strongest bonds are created when you learn from others who have stuck longer and stronger than you. They may look like you and go to college, or they may have a gray beard and ride a Harley. They may bake muffins and shop at Sears, or they may have a baby on their hip or dress in John Deere green. It doesn’t matter. They stuck when it mattered, and you have a lot to learn from them. Many teens and 20-somethings are stuck on themselves, and their faith is limited to experiences with

people their own age and therefore lacks the life experience that comes with age. It’s time to discover God’s design for sticking well: become a part of a local, intergenerational church. HOW HAS IT DEVELOPED? What if duct tape had remained the same product it was back when it was just a twinkle in Johnson and Johnson’s eyes in the early 1900s? The first material called "duck tape" was simple, without LDPE, aluminum powder, or the ability to morph to any situation. It had a good start and all the right beginning elements, but it lacked the refinements that would make it worthy of The Duct Tape Guys’ “Redneck Repair Kit”, and the title “Handyman’s Secret Weapon” on the Red Green Show.1 Duct tape was good when it started, but now it’s great. Faith that sticks starts out with the right elements, but it doesn’t stay there. Faith that sticks is saving faith, and you need not come from a church background to have it. It starts out with the right materials: an understanding that Jesus Christ is God who came in flesh and was put to death in our place so that our sin could be once and forever paid for. Belief that God brought Jesus back to life gives us sure hope that we can go to heaven when we die. People with real faith honestly admit that they’re sinners. There’s no more trying to fix up their lives temporarily or put on a

good-looking-Scotch-tape-church-face. They know their life is like the nearly doomed Apollo 13 mission and that they need God’s solution to pull them out of sure, eternal failure. But it doesn’t stop there. Faith that sticks matures over time. Just like the engineers scheming and testing to make duct tape more useful, God has given the Bible as a means of maturing and honing in on needed changes. It’s not a rule book but rather one of the key ingredients God has given us to enhance the usefulness (stickiness) of your trust in Him and love for Him and for other people. As your bond with God continues to grow through discovering who He is in the Bible and through living according to what He says, you will become increasingly able to stay stuck to Jesus through the tests and difficulties that arise. At this moment, there are probably duct tape engineers in a lab testing and trying out ways to improve its ability to resist heat, time and pressure: sounds a lot like college. There will be plenty of hot, pressure-filled situations in the months ahead. God’s word contains all the LDPE you need to hold fast. If you want to stick and develop faith that’s strong and growing, fall in love with God internally and stick to other believers externally. Don’t scrap personal time spent with God talking to Him and learning from

FAITH ISN’T A PERSONAL ACCESSORY. IT’S MADE TO BE USED IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR LIFE WHEN

EVERYTHING’S ON THE LINE.

the Bible when college hits. Find a local church right away in the town where you go to college; Christian campus organizations alone aren’t enough (remember how you need the guy with the gray beard and the muffin lady?). Even your home church won’t help you stick, because it’s probably too far away to offer much support. Don’t let your love for God become like the leaky pipe on Apollo 13. A relationship with God and His people is your lifeline. Stick: stick strong, and impact the lives of people on your campus, in your college town, and around the world. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? Duct tape today is not what it used to be when it was first produced, and I’ll bet its inventors never thought people would be relying on it in so many unique ways in our time. It may be hard for you to believe right now, but God has your best interest at heart; He has created you for a purpose. Can you imagine the wonder your life could be if you let your faith get sticky in college? This magazine does not have enough pages to talk about all of the men and women with sticky faith over the centuries. The

course of time can be altered by college students who stick with God and say, “…as for me, I will serve the Lord.” 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape 2: 2006 report by Christian research firm Barna Group, http://stickyfaith.org/articles/what-makes-faith-stick-during-college 3: http://www.universetoday.com/63673/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-10-duct-tape/ 4: http://marc5solas.com/2013/02/08/top-10-reasons-our-kids-leave-church/

Milantaw ako sa kabukiran ug nangutana:

Diin maggikan ang akong panabang?

Ang akong panabang naggikan sa Ginoo, Nga nagbuhat sa langit ug sa yuta.

Dili niya itugot nga ikaw madakin-as; Dili matulog ang imong tigpanalipod

Ang Ginoo magbantay kanimo; Ang Ginoo anaa sa imong kiliran

Aron sa pagpanalipod kanimo

Ang kainit sa adlaw dili makadaot kanimo

Ingon man ang dan-ag sa bulan Sa panahon sa kagabhion

Ang Ginoo manalipod kanimo

gikan sa tanang kadaotan Ampingan niya imong kinabuhi

Ang Ginoo magbantay kanimo

Bisag asa ka ug bisag unsa imong buhaton

Gikan karon ug hangtod sa kahangtoran.

ANG TIGPANALIPOD (Salmo 121)

THAT THREATEN OUR WALK

Many of us know David as the boy who killed the giant with just a sling and a stone. This humble shepherd boy who became the greatest king of Israel also struggled with sin, authority, purity, and integrity. Last May, Shofar Missions and Word on the Street invited 64 youths to discover God through the life of King David. We have learned that in times of battle, we have to be courageous and trust him because the battle is the Lord’s and God is our victory. God’s love for us will never change despite and in spite of who we are and what we have become.

It was a weekend filled with fun and learning, and everybody gained new friends. We are all like David and the real battle is outside the camp. After the camp, our character is tested during difficult times (and they really come). We reconnec ted to the summer campers and asked them what they have learned and how those lessons have helped them four months after the summer camp. Here is what they had to say.

“I learned that Jesus should be the

center jud sa atong life. In everything

that we do, we should always

acknowledge Him. Kay we are

NOTHING without Him man. I learned

also that patience is really a must.

Kailangan mag wait jud ta sa will ni

God, dili mag dali-dali kay maabot

raman jud na ang mga desires nga

gitinguha nato sa atong heart in God's

perfect time. And ang pinaka

importante pd nga akong na learn kay

bisan pa mag naay mga problems,

mga ups & downs, discouragements

or mga struggles, maka smile japun

ta because He will never leave nor

forsake us”.

—SHY HANN

“I have learned to face all my giants

and to not quit and trust God, just

like David did.”

— CYRUS

“Basag unsa pa ta o bisag kinsa,

bisag bati atong life, bisag di ta

angayan, gamiton jud ta sa Ginoo sa

iyang kaugalingong pamaagi. We

need to cut off the head of the

Goliaths in our life. Kung ganahan ka

byaan na nga sala, dapat putlon jud

tanan nga nka connect ana nga sala...

para di jud ka matintal pag balik

anang butanga.. ug parehas kay

David.. di ta perfect nga pagkatawo,

pero everyt ime makasala ta,

kailangan jud ta mu repent ug mu

balik ta sa Ginoo.”

-ARNEL

“Well, teenager man jud ko so naa

jud nang mga temptation sa

relationships and I know muabot ang

time nga mahutdan kog time sa

Ginoo, tungod lang ana. Sometimes

naa problem sa family then ma-weak

ko, usahay ma feel nako nga wala

nay gana mu-hang out with other

believers kay ang nag-occupy sa

akogng mind kanunay is ang katung

problema sa balay, but then by God's

grace, wala jod ko napildi and now,

nipadayun ko ug lakaw sa Ginoo.”

— JADE

“Blowing bridges in our old lives para

dili na ka makabalik sa old life nga

wala nakapahimaya sa Ginoo.”

- HOMER

“God uses different kinds of people, it may be a shepherd boy, a

murderer or a king for His glory. I realized that God is also using me in many ways. Even the Bible heroes had temptations, trials and

failures too, just like us. But there is no giant that we cannot defeat with God with us and we need to defeat the giants that threaten our

walk with Jesus.”

- JANINE

“I have learned that

through God’s strength, I will be able to overcome

t h e o b s t a c l e s a nd temptations in my life like

King David had. So I pray

and ask God to help me overcome the temptations

mo s t e sp e c i a l l y i n relationships.”

- LIBERTY

“Nakabalo na ko sa ako

mga weaknesses so dili na

kaau ko tanga... kabalo na

ko asa ko i-attack sa

enemy. Then mas sayon na

para nako ang mangayo ug

tabang sa uban ug mas

specific na ko karun sa

akong mga hinanaing.”

-JERAMNEE

“I learned that life as a christian is not easy. We have

giants in life like David (struggles, trials and weaknesses). like what i am struggling right now, daghan kaaug giants,

and everyday is a battle with myself.. we may think we are small but with God's strength and power we can be

able to overcome those things..

And the most important thing I’ve learned is about

friendship.. Friends are accountable to each other kung ang usa kay ma fall dapat i-lift up then.. with my christian

friends, bisag busy and di na kaayu permi magkita, we still have the connection knowing we are accountable to each

other.”

- ALLYSHAN

“I've learned to expect nothing less from God

because He will help me even through all the

trials in my life. Na-learn pud nako about

respecting the differences between guys and

girls, that we should respect one another.”

- TIMOTHY

Hunahunaa kung mumata sa ka sa buntag sa usa ka balay nga naa sa tunga-tunga sa usa sa pinakadako nga dampingan sa basura sa Pilipinas. Ang hangin nga bahong dugta maoy una nimong masimhutan ug sa tibuok nimong adlaw mangaykay ka ug basura pagpangita ug bisan unsa nga imong mabaligya o magamit. Mokabat ug 4.16 million ang populasyon sa Cebu City. Tuig 2010, nipakanaug ang gobyerno ug order nga ipasara ang dampingan sa Barangay Inayawan pero tulo na ka tuig ang nilabay, wala pa jud ni kompleto nga nasira ug ang lugar napuno na sa daan ug bag-o nga mga basura ug puno na kaayo dampingan. Dili jud ni nimo matawag nga nindot nga lugar para sa usa ka panimalay. Pero kung musulod ka aning lugara, makakita ka ug mga 600 ka mga tawo nga maggahin sa ilang mga oras sa pagtan-aw aning dako kaayo nga tapok sa basura.

Kinabuhi sa Dampingan

Bisan pa sa ka delikado sa pagpuyo duol sa dampingan, naay mga pamilya nga musugakod ug puyo didto. Kini nga panginabuhi ra ang ilang kaya nga maabot. Bisan ang mga bata maningkamot ug pangaykay para makakwarta ug ang basura mahimo nila nga mga bahandi sa dihang makakita sila ug mga duwaan nga gilabay na sa uban. P50-P150 ang kasagaran nga kinitaan sa mga pamilya sa Inayawan landfill. Ang mga ginikanan makakuha ani nga kantidad sa pagpangita ug plastic, metal, papel, bildo ug uban pa nga mga materyales nga pwede mapatimbang ug mabaligya. Naay mukaon sa mga salin sa mga restaurant nga gipanglabay na. Sila ang mga tawo nga gikalimtan sa katilingban pero wala sila gikalimtan sa Dios. Nagpadala Siya ug tabang para kanila.

Ang Pagsugod sa Pro.Vision

Pila na ka tuig ang milabay, Si Pastor Rey sa Christian Frontier Ministries (CFM) nagsugod ug panghatag ug pan ug orange juice sa mga bata sa dampingan sa Inayawan. Mulakaw siya sa palibot

ug sa tunga-tunga sa kagabhion, mag-ampo siya. Gitubag sa Dios iyang pag-ampo pinaagi sa tabang nga gihatag sa CFM ug sa International Gospel Centre (IGC) para matabangan ang mga pinakapobre sa ilang lugar. Ang Pro.Vision Ministry nagsugod sa usa ka payag duol sa usa ka babuyan.

Ang Pro.Vision nakigpalimbasog sa pagbarog batok sa kakabos pinaagi sa paghatag ug pagkaon ug edukasyon sa mga bata sa dampingan sa Inayawan ug sa uban pa nga mga lugar sa Cebu. Kini nga organisasyon usa ka programa gikan sa IGC Foundation of Southeast Asia ug sa CFM Philippines. Sa pagka karon, naa silay mga 600 ka mga bata sa tibuok Cebu nga ilang gihatagan ug pagkaon sa matag semana. Kini nga mga bata gikan sa mga pamilya nga nagpuyo duol sa dampingan sa Inayawan, Pier Kwatro, Caretta Chinese Cemetery, dampingan sa Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Camputhaw ug Tagunol. Matag semana, ang mga bata malipayon nga gidawat sa mga mapinggaon kaayo nga staff, volunteers ug mga maayo kaayo nga mga inahan. Gatusan ka mga bata ang apil sa spiritual program nga naay worship, mga leksyon gikan sa Biblia, small group discussions, craft projects, usa ka medical clinic, init nga pagkaon, ug duha ka kilo nga bugas malung-ag. Kasagaran, ilang hugasan pag-ayo ilang mga tiil ug ang ilang mga samad butangan ug bag-o nga mga bandage. Makadawat pud sila ug pagdasig, pagpangga, pag-atiman ug mga pahiyom.

Pro.Vision strives to stand up against poverty by providing

food and education to children in the Inayawan landfill

and beyond.

one ministry is bringing help and hope to children living amongst the trash in a Philippines landfill

WOTS PHILIPPINES EXCLUSIVE

Usa sa mga manunulat sa Word on the Street nibisita sa Pro.Vision sa dampingan sa ilang Back-to-School Activity Day. Ang mga bata nga lalaki sa Inayawan ug sa Pier Kwatro niadto sa basketball clinic, ug ang mga bata nga babaye nag “Glam Girl Day”, kung diin gitratar sila sama sa mga prinsesa. Gitudluan sila kung unsaon pag hugas sa ilang nawong, kamot ug tiil, putol sa ilang kuko, panudlay ug pagpugong sa ilang mga buhok. Ang mga bata nga babaye lingaw kayo sa ilang mga bag-ong nakat-unan sa pag-atiman sa ilang mga kaugalingon. Ang mga lalaki nahagit sa pagpaningkamot ug paghatag sa pinakamaayo nila nga mabuhat para maabot nila ang kadaugan. Pagkahuman sa mga activity, andam na sila nga gamiton ilang mga bag-ong nakat-unan sa ilang unang adlaw sa eskwela. Ang Pro.Vision Kids Staff sa IGC/CFM naghatag ug nindot nga mga programa para sa mga bata para naa silay nindot nga mabuhat. Dili gyud ikabaylo ang ilang mga pahiyom.

Musika ug mga Duyan

Mga musikero sa Pilipinas ug sa gawas sa nasud nahigugma pud sa mga bata sa landfill ug nitabang pud sa ilang mga kaugalingon nga mga paagi. Gikan sa feeding program sa Pro.Vision, si Josua Nilkens, 19 year old nga German songwriter ug musician nakakita ug mga bata nga nagtukar gamit ang tansan, usa ka instrument nga gamit ang mga taklob sa botelya nga pirmi gamiton sa mga bata sa karsada para pagpanaygon. Mao ni ang nakahatag niya ug inspirasyon sa pagsugod sa usa ka grupo sa singers nga gikan sa mga bata sa landfill. Iyang gipagawas ang CD nga gi-uluhan, “You Give Me Hope”, nga gikanta sa Pro.Vision Choir. Nibisita sa Josua para sa

usa ka intership sa CFM pag May 2011. Ang iyang kasing-kasing mao ang paghikap sa kinabuhi sa mga tawo pinaagi sa musika, pag-share sa iyang pagtuo kang Hesus, ug ang positibo nga impact sa uban. Ang pondo para sa mga bata sa landfill ang tinguha sa CD.

Naimbita sa pagtukar uban ang Pro.Vision choir atong Mayo 2011 ang usa ka lokal nga musikero nga si Andy Calope (litrato nga naa sa ubos, kinatas-an sa tuo). Nitabang siya ug promote sa “You Give Hope” nga album sa pagdala sa Pro.Vision Kids Choir sa mga lokal nga simbahan sa Cebu City. Nitabang pud siya sa paghatag ug mga shampoo para pawagtang sa kuto ug mga libro para sa mga bata. Sa iyang pagbisita, nabantayan niya nga daan na kayo ug guba na ang duyan nga giduwaan sa mga bata. Tungod ani, iyang gipasi-ugdahan ang “Andy’s Hammock Project”. Nanawagan siya online ug mga donasyon para makapalit ug bag-o nga mga duyan para sa mga bata. Nakadawat siya ug positibo nga mga tubag sa iyang panawagan, ug karon, naa nay tulo ka duyan nga naghatag ug kalingawan ug kalipay sa mga bata sa Inayawan.

Ang pakigbugno sa kalisod ug pagsuporta sa mga panginahanglan sa mga bata dili lalim nga pakiggubat. Sa daghan pang impormasyon mahitungod sa Pro.Vision nga mga bata, ug kung unsaon ninyo pagtabang, o pag-volunteer, pangitaa ang Pro.Vision Kids nga page sa facebook o adto sawww.igcfoundation.org.

I don’t wanna eat my fill

And never taste a word from you

I don’t wanna please the world

If it means that I won’t please you

And I don’t wanna have everything

Gain it all but lose your truth

And I don’t wanna say a thing

If it ain’t what you’ve told me to say

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

Well I don’t wanna build a house

On the sand of the world

And I don’t wanna see the storm

Destroy all the things that I thought

that I loved

And I don’t wanna seek all pleasures

Then be starved on the side of

your road

And I don’t only want to love those who’ve

loved me first to find

I was never merciful

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

YOUR KINGDOM COME Lyrics by Strahan from the album “Posters”

Sources: DEATH DEFYING CREATURES: doc.govt.nz/upload/225/weta.jpg lastocean.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/rob_robbins_antarctic_toothfish1.jpg YOUR KINGDOM COME: facebook.com/StrahanMusic

Growing up, I have always been a good student. I got high marks. I participated in various inter-school competitions. I received many medals and awards. However, despite all those achievements, I felt empty and alone. Once a classmate asked me, “Why are you always alone?” Her question hurt a bit but I just smiled and told her, “I guess I like it better this way”. I felt I was “different” from the people around me. I could not relate to them and they couldn’t relate to me either so I spent most of my free time at the library. I would read as many books as I can but I would hide because I was afraid my classmates would find out and they would call me weird or crazy. I’ve never been the religious type. I did go to mass and I volunteered to do the readings but when I went here to Cebu for college, I stopped caring altogether. It was in college when a classmate started to invite me to a youth gathering. I would tell her I would go but at the last minute, I would change my mind. I’d tell her I needed to study and do the assignments although the real reason was that I thought I would feel out-of-place in such a gathering. During one of our Social Science classes, we had an informal debate on creation versus evolution. I supported

evolution and I argued formidably with my Christian classmates. When the class ended, one of my classmates approached me and asked whether I believed in God. His question stunned me for a moment. I told him it’s not like I didn’t believe in God. I did believe that He exists it’s just that I didn’t care. It’s like I am here in my own world doing my own thing and God is there in His own world, doing His thing and I didn’t see any way how our worlds would intersect. Yet a life apart from God is a life devoid of purpose and meaning. The emptiness that I felt became more and more profound and my insecurities continued to haunt me to a point that sometimes I wished I could trade my talents so that I could be “normal”, so that I could be just like everybody else and be accepted. I became fascinated with death. I thought about what would happen if I die. Would people care? Or would I simply disappear like a single star among the countless other stars in the sky, its light snuffed out and no one would ever notice? I sank deeper and deeper into depression. It was at this time that my classmate, the one who kept inviting me to the youth gathering before, shared to me about God’s love. I didn’t really comprehend it all back then but somehow, I felt comforted. She invited me once again and I thought I might as well give the youth gathering a try. And so I did. I soon got discipled and I began to learn more and more of who God really is. I learned how before I was born,

God already knew me (Jeremiah 1:5). I learned that His plan for me is to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). But the one thing that really struck me is the promise that God will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). All along, I have been desiring to be accepted and here’s this person who will accept me. At the cross, Jesus was rejected and because of that I am accepted. I didn’t need to do anything. I didn’t have to be somebody. Jesus accepts me as I am. What’s more, I’ve realized that people will fail you but in Christ, here is a love that never fails, a love that lasts, a love that does not shift on the merits of my performance. I am reminded of a line from a fantasy book that I read. It goes, “And Jabim is the Lord of broken things, who sitteth behind the house to lament the things that are cast away. And there he sitteth lamenting the broken things until the worlds be ended, or until someone cometh to mend the broken things. Or sometimes he sitteth by the the river’s edge to lament the forgotten things that drift upon it.” In Luke 19:10, it says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” Jesus has come so that those who have been despised and rejected could find acceptance in His love. Jesus has come so that those who have been hurt and broken could be mended. Jesus has come so that the lost could be found.”