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HLLC:More than Just A School

by   
6/27/2008 / Education

As the His Life Learning Center goes into its second year of existence, our church is facing a most wonderful opportunity. When we moved into our new school building at our lot in Santa Clara early this year, we realized that God put us there for a reason. Our very presence in that community is our church's appointment to a divine task, a task that is slowly being defined through the many people that are taking part in this ministry.

Even before the vision for His Life Learning Center was revealed, God already was leading us into this direction. The decision to purchase a lot and the efforts to raise the money to enable this purchase called for faith and prayer. Our leadership was faithfully guided in its actions by God and our church now holds title to this piece of land. But more than just a piece of land, our lot in Santa Clara represents the hopes and dreams of our church for the future. We built our school because it gives reality to our dreams. Our actions here will define our understanding of what God is in our lives and what God wills for our church.

Last year when our senior pastor, Joebert Ramos shared with us this vision for a school, there were people who responded positively but a lot more failed to catch the vision. Even I, doubted the wisdom of this undertaking. Even then, HLLC opened last June in a rented room at Robinson's with nine preschoolers mostly children of HLM members and friends. The HLLC faced many challenges, but with a consistent desire to glorify God with this endeavor, we now face another school year with a stronger resolve to continue serving in this ministry.

When we broke ground for our new school building last year, I was a spectator, a role that suited my non commitment. Nevertheless, I became interested and began to frequent the lot to see the progress of the building. I also became more acquainted with the children of this community and later on their families.

In my involvement with the children's ministry of our church, we held a Vacation Bible School last summer at the Domingo Lacson High School, also in Santa Clara. It was my first exposure to the children from this community. I did not immediately connect our school (which was then holding classes at Robinson's) with these children. But the more time I spent with these children, the more I realized that we are here to share the goodness of God not only with them but their families as well.

Late last year, I was asked to become a part of the HLLC Execom, a body tasked with steering HLLC to fulfill its mission and realize its vision. Even at that point, I still failed to grasp how HLLC could be a crucial vehicle to determine the future of our church but as we began to meet and the seriousness of this task dawned on me, my heart changed. I saw the passion of JR, the dedication of the teachers, the eagerness of the children to learn, even the sacrifice of people supporting HLLC as pieces of the puzzle that give our school the reason for its being. It dawned on me that this school is not about a building; nor air conditioned classrooms, it is not even about an excellent curriculum. It is about lives: our lives, our children's lives: our neighbors' lives; our collective future.

We moved to our school building last March because of JR's prodding although I had personal reservations about the move. Our classrooms were unfinished, the building itself still had a lot of work left to be done. We had no gate. The area was unfenced. And so on and so on, countless reasons for us not to move. I could not understand JR equating the move as a declaration of our faith. I failed to see that first and foremost that this school is a spiritual endeavor and that indeed God inspired this vision.

But then it was truly God's will for us to have this school as He worked in His mysterious ways so that we may be amazed by Him and acknowledge His faithfulness in our lives. How can one explain the swift turn of events that led us to open our school last June? Or the circumstances leading to the presence of our school building on our lot, the site for our sanctuary? Or the continuing work being done on the building, even without finances? Or the support from people touched by God to give for the school?

A couple gave the money they received as presents on their child's dedication as an investment in their child's future. A school that was closing down gave us books and a "Little Tykes" set. A group of men, our members, responding to Pastor JR's call to give a morning's work to leveling an area of the school went further by paying for the privilege.

Because of a scholarship offered last year to a boy coming from this community, lives were changed and continue to affect for good not just the immediate family but the neighborhood as well. Our leadership finally settled the question of the school's continued existence with a unanimous decision to "go". God is raising people to commit to the enlarging vision of our school. The ripples of our actions grow bigger and bigger. This is because our actions have taken on eternal consequences.

And here we are now: by the grace of God preparing to open our doors to this coming school year to more than fifty students. We have many needs to be met. But we now know that we are in obedience to God's will for us and our faith tells us to continue. There is that quiet assurance that God will provide.

We have taken on for the school year a bigger leap of faith. When we opened for enrollment, the parents of this community began coming to our school asking us to "teach" their children. A sad reality faced them: they could not afford our school. Will we turn them away?

Jesus said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

We have chosen to take on this responsibility. We offered scholarships for these children, children from "underprivileged" homes that pass our scholarship criteria. We already have 40 children that we have qualified and admitted to our scholarship program. The parents of these children are already excited more so in fact than the children themselves in anticipation of the "goodness" that this school could bring to their lives. We are looking for sponsors for these scholars to make this a reality.

Even before we held classes in the barely finished classrooms, (we have 2 classrooms, one still needs to be finished) the Hiligaynon Service moved to our lot late last year and began holding their SWC every Sunday at 4 PM in one classroom. Our presence in the lot attracted the curiosity of the community specially the children, who began attending Sunday school, spiking the children's attendance from barely a dozen (at the Center) to fifty or so. And with these children have come the mothers and some fathers too.

Now that the Hiligaynon Service has their own simple structure inside our lot for their congregation, we are even made more aware that our church and our school should work in unison to advance the kingdom of God. The Hiligaynon's congregation now numbers forty to fifty every Sunday, bolstered by the attendance of people from this community. Sister Gigi Diosana through her regular pastoral visits is putting a face to "His Life" in this community. Our school will frontline what "His Life" is all about. We will partner with Sister Gigi to provide for the spiritual needs of this community. With the opening of this school year alone, the potential for the "harvest" is multiplied by our scholars' families. But then again, the laborers are few.

Our young people from the YX. early on took the initiative and made efforts at connecting with this community. As early as last summer, young people were invited to join our summer camp. Participation in the encounter followed and we now have several young people in small groups both boys and girls that are being disciplined in "His ways". The Hiligaynon group also has a regular women's small group. We are praying for someone to lead a men's group in this community also. Volunteers from our youth in this community are the backbone of our children's ministry.

With the admission of forty scholars this school year, comes the opportunity of affecting the lives of not only forty families but the whole community surrounding our school. We have our work cut out for us. But we will not lose sight of the primary function of the school and the students that we serve. We will remain true to the vision of an early childhood education, an education that will be fun and exciting for our students that best enhance their creativity and desire to learn.

The presence of our school is the strongest incentive for us to bring the "message of hope" to this community, with the school taking on a more responsive role not only to the needs of the children but of their families as well. We are here. We have to make a difference. The school must be reflective of the bigger vision and mission of our church. We must conform our school to this ideal. The school has to take on the "Great Commission". We cannot separate our school from the original vision of our church.

What are we saying? Are we to take on the role of the Department of Social Welfare? No. But as in any undertaking of our church, we have to guide our actions based on what God wills for us. Our actions must be consistent with our claim that God's love abides in us. With this guideline, we cannot help but be responsive to the needs of the families within our school's sphere of influence. We are to do this because we realize God's love and obey His commands. This school brings that opportunity. Our service will affirm our belief.

As committed Christians and members of this church, we are called to serve; to bring glory to God through service. Our service is our worship. There are so many ways we could take part in this endeavor. Definitely we need your time, effort and your resources for us to accomplish this task. Help us. Support this school. With one heart and one mind our church must face this challenge and determine our future.

"But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" 1 John 3:17

Our school will send this message: WE CARE because the love of God abides in us; WE CARE because we are to love one another; WE CARE because Jesus loved us first.

The school year beckons and we are filled with excitement. We align our school with the mission given to the disciples of Jesus: that we are to share the message of hope and bring the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to this community. We will "teach" not only the children but the parents as well. We will serve not only the children but their families also. We will embrace this community and say: "I am my brother's keeper."

Our school is our commitment to this community. With our scholarships program, we will let this community know that we are serious in the task of helping determine the future of their children because they too are "our" children. We will partner with the parents in this undertaking with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. One component of our scholarships program spells out the participation of the parents and our expectations from them.

JR put this partnership in the proper perspective when he met with the parents of the scholars to welcome them to HLLC, saying that this is an unequal partnership because the parents are putting in a bigger equity: their children. We are only providing an education. The parents are literally entrusting us with their most precious possession: their children. The interviews by JR with the parents and their children, there is one often repeated reason why they sent their children to our school. It is because our school will bring the "goodness" of God in their lives. Our school is and will continue to be a blessing to others and to ourselves.

We are inviting the His Life Family to take part in this journey of service and with this come the assurance that we will together learn how to share God's love in us with those who need this most. Our faith will be tested. Obstacles will be encountered. We will be tried by fire because of this school. But we will endure. We will persevere because we see the vision. We will grow: in our faith; in our understanding and in our love for the Lord. Let us not pass up on this wonderful opportunity.

"Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor for the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

HLLC is more than just a school. It is the practice and affirmation of our faith. It is our obedience to God's command to serve. It is our church's expression of the heart of God. It is our claim to the future; the legacy we leave behind. IT IS OUR LABOR OF LOVE. There is no endeavor more worthy of our time, talents and resources than this. Let us all work to make this vision a reality.

My name is Bert Armada and I am 52 years old presently living in Bacolod City, Philippines. I was a long time US resident until my return to the Philippines in Sept. of 2006 after spending more than three years behind bars in Federal prison. I am a born
again Christian doing children's minstry.

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