“The days of our youth are the most memorable and the most useful
days of our lives,” stated Bro. Eli Soriano to the more than 8,000
youth gathered in the ADD Convention Center in Apalit, Pampanga.
With more than 200 monitoring centers worldwide, the Christian
youth celebrated their 12th International Youth Convention (IYC)
as one last April 9 and 10, 2009 with the theme “Mission Propagation”.

The opening of the two-day event was started with words of wisdom
from Members, Church of God International (MCGI) Vice-Presiding
Minister, Bro. Daniel Razon. Bro. Daniel enjoins the youth to help
in the propagation of the Gospel by joining different
organizations in the Church, especially the Worker’s Ministry.

“We urge every one and I enjoin everybody na…sana ay magising din
ang inyong kalooban. Kung nakikita nyo sa inyong puso na mayroon
namang pagtawag sa inyo at nakikita nyo na mayroong ipinagkaloob
sa inyo ang Dios, maari kayong makasangkapan sa pagsasalita. Dahil
maraming mga kabataan ngayon na very ano sila, very profound; kaya
nilang i-express yung kanilang mga sarili, nakakapagsalita sila.
And yung iba nga talaga ngayon, nakikita natin, marami na sa inyo
marunong magsalita ng ibang lenguwahe, may marunong ng Nihonggo,
may marunong ng Spanish, mahuhusay na magsalita ng English. Kaya
siguro mga kapatid, panahon ngayon para tayo naman ay magkaisa ng
puso para maging katulong sa pagpapalaganap ng katwiran at salita
ng Dios, malaki ang inyong magagawa."

(We urge everyone and I enjoin everybody that…hopefully, your
thoughts may also be awakened. If you see in your heart that there
is a calling to you, and if you see that there is a gift to you by
God, you can be an instrument in speaking. Because there are many
youths today that are very profound; they can express themselves,
they can speak. We can see that there are many of you who can
actually speak a different language. There are those who can speak
Nihonggo. There are those who can speak Spanish, those who can
speak English well. So, maybe, brethren, it’s high time for us to
be united in heart for us to be helpers in spreading the
righteousness and Word of God, you can do a lot.)

After Bro. Daniel’s inspirational talk, the most anticipated part
of the event begins—the consultation with Bro. Eli Soriano.

“Spend your youth in acknowledging and serving our creator. Life
is even more enjoyable living if you know the purpose in your
life. Life is meaningless without understanding the purpose of
God,” Bro. Eli said in his opening remarks via online streaming
from an undisclosed country in the West. With MCGI’s weekly
baptisms in different parts of the globe and with more and more
people waiting for indoctrination, Bro. Eli emphasizes the need
for more Church workers. Bro. Eli advised the youth to make the
most out of their strength and time as Christians and help in the
worldwide propagation of the words of God. After which, Bro. Eli
immediately started to entertain the youths’ spiritual and
personal concerns.

Of the most notable of the inquirers were the two young men who
want to help the Church by being part of the evangelical ministry
but who also have trouble in continuing their studies. Fortunately
for them, who are both taking Nursing, Bro. Eli said that they
could very well apply for the newest public service program by
Bro. Eli and Bro. Daniel—the free college of Nursing and Mass
Communications. The two returned happily to their seats, knowing
how they can help the Church and be of even better help to her in
the days to come.

The consultation began early in the morning on the first day of
the event. However, after a few hours of talking, the special
segment had to be cut short for Bro. Eli to have a few hours of
rest after two whole days of being deprived of it. After his
service of the Lord’s Supper in the Philippines and the rest of
the East on April 8, Bro. Eli held a Bible Exposition in the West;
afterwards, he served the sermon again for the Lord’s Supper for
the brethren in the West. The consultation resumed later in the
night with Bro. Eli being able to serve more youth who were
disburdened of the different problems they consulted to their
dedicated preacher.

Aside from the consultation, the event is also filled with sports
activities, dance and song numbers which rocked the whole
convention center with laughs and cheers from the attendees.

The International Youth Convention is a yearly gathering of the
youth members of MCGI. This is the time of the year when the youth
of the Church can practice their skills and talents as well as
their love and care for each other taught to them by Bro. Eli and
Bro. Daniel from the Bible.

In a short interview with Bro. Jerico Depra, National President
of the Kapisanan ng Kabataan Tungo sa Kasakdalan (KKTK or The
Congregation of the Youth Towards Perfection), he described the
event as a special day for the youth in the Church.

“Eto yung special day na kung saan nagkikita-kita ang mga
kabataan, yung iba hindi man makarating in person nakaka-ugnayan
natin sila through internet, even yung mga kapatid natin sa
Africa, sa Papua New Guinea at yung mga iba rin natin sa ibang bansa.”

(This is the special day when all the youth meet together, others
won’t be able to come in person [but] we coordinate with them
through the Internet, even our brethren in Africa, Papua New
Guinea and as well as in other countries.)

Other activities include the following: parade of colors
representing the various regions in the Philippines, Gayak
Fashion show, group dynamics, and a comedy play.

Following the said event, the KKTK National officers offered
thanksgiving to God last Saturday, April 11 together with all the
youth members of the Church from different parts of the globe. Words by Anne Gonzales