CBN ASIA NEWSLETTER – FRONTLINES (January to March 2023)

Stepping into 2023 with Fresh Eyes

As we look back on 2022, we are amazed by God’s faithfulness and love. We thank Him for the blessings that He placed in our hands that we may continue to work as He called each one of us.

This new year, new challenges will also come our way. But amid all the challenges, the Lord says to you, “Do not fear.” You saw My faithfulness at the height of the pandemic. You shall see the same faithfulness in whatever challenge that will come your way. Have faith!

So, as we step into 2023, get excited about what God is about to do. Get ready to step into 2023 with fresh eyes!

Remember the story of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. When His servant came out early in the morning and saw the Syrian army surrounding them, he became so fearful and went to his master Elisha and said, “Oh no! What shall we do?” Unflinching, Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” God opened the servant’s eyes and saw hills full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

We don’t see it, but the Lord sends His angels to surround us and to assure us that we will be kept safe. Therefore, you and I should never be afraid. This new year, I pray that God gives you fresh eyes—to see beyond the difficulties, to see beyond the ordinary!

So do not fear for 2023. Let’s focus our eyes on the Lord, the author and finisher of our faith. Get excited to continue serving Him because He will do wonders before your eyes. Ask Him for fresh eyes to see, and He will give them to you.

Have a blessed new year!

In His Service, PETER M. KAIRUZ President and CEO

Hopeless? Feeling

Be inspired by the story of Mirasol and Jamar Tandoy. Like many newlywed couples, life has been challenging for them at first. Mirasol had to let go of her teaching career while Jamar solely relied on pastor’s allowance to get by.

God made a way for them to enjoy their simple beginnings. However, their faith was tested when Mirasol suffered a miscarriage, “It was really hard for me. I was so emotional during those times.”

As Jamar and Mirasol sought God for hope and comfort, they chanced upon The 700 Club Asia and were moved to bless their kababayans in need by donating to Operation Blessing. The couple remained hopeful but still, things did not go as expected. For the second time, Mirasol experienced another miscarriage, “I wrestled with God through prayer. I questioned Him why it happened. But my husband is full of God’s wisdom. He encouraged me and showed his care and love for me during those moments.”

The struggle they faced was truly great, but their faith was even greater. In fact, it grew stronger! While watching The 700 Club Asia, they joined the hosts’ prayer for couples who want to have a child.

After the long wait, God answered their prayer! In 2018, Mirasol and Jamar became parents to baby Gamaliel. The blessings did not end there. God also blessed them with new businesses: A coffee shop, a farm, and an online trading venture.

Jamar expressed his gratitude to God and to The 700 Club Asia, “The program has a huge impact on our lives. It reminded me that when we come to God in prayer, He really listens.”

Like Jamar and Mirasol, don’t let your situation steal your hope in God. Let His presence and promises be your source of hope as you face life’s challenges!

in the Arms of a Loving God

Leah Villarin always thought that getting married was the best thing that could ever happen in her life—until she discovered that the love of her life was sleeping with another woman.

Despite that painful memory, Leah hoped that their marriage would still work. But not long after, she found out that he had another affair. Right then, Leah accepted that their relationship was beyond repair.

Life continued for Leah. To support her children, she flew to Manila and took her chances. There, she fell in love again with another man, Nestor, with whom she bore three children.

But love was not better the second time around for Leah. In fact, her second love almost ended her life. Nestor became an abusive drug addict—he tried to kill her with a bolo knife while she was sleeping. Holding on to dear life, Leah and her sons escaped Nestor’s abusive behavior.

She had to move on and start anew, again. But Leah, being a firm believer in true love, fell in love the third time. And had her heart broken again.

Leah had enough this time. Filled with rage, pain, and regret, she questioned God, “Do you hear me, Lord? What else do you want from me?! It’s better to just end this.” Tired of love and depressed about her situation, Leah wanted one thing—she wanted to die. In her darkest moment, God made her realize that there are people willing to listen to her story. She came across the numbers of the CBN Asia Prayer Center through The 700 Club Asia. Without hesitation, Leah pleaded for prayers as she wanted to kill herself at that time. That same night, she received a phone call from the CBN Asia Prayer Center which turned her life around.

For Leah, there was nothing left to live for. But for Jesus, her best life was just about to unfold. Because of that phone call, she was able to connect to a local church where she grew deeper in her understanding of God’s love for her. She regained hope and faith that God will not leave her, and she said that “All I can say is thank you, Lord! Hold me close to You, because till the day I die, I am Yours.”

Superbook Gears Up in Sharing Jesus with More Filipino Kids

As community restrictions eased up, more kids from Metro Manila and provinces like Laguna, Cavite, Pampanga, Bulacan, Mindoro, and Davao are now able to spend time and take pictures with their beloved robot friend, Gizmo from Superbook!

During “Gizmo on the GO!” kids get exciting prizes, watch a Superbook episode and sing “The Salvation Poem.” They also participate in fun and interactive activities such as coloring Bible story pages, playing Superbook games, answering Bible trivia questions, and showing off their talents.

Frances, a mother who attended with her son, appreciated Superbook’s efforts in sharing God’s love with children, “I am happy that through Superbook, they get to know who Jesus is and how He worked in the lives of the people in the Bible. I pray that the kids will always remember the lessons as they grow older.”

Icko Gonzalez, CBN Asia’s Special Projects Manager, shared, “We hope that when kids come to “Gizmo on the GO!” they will understand that Jesus loves them and has a special plan for their lives. They say that it takes a village to raise a child. We want to be part of that village that encourages them to be God-loving and God-fearing.”

Do you want to help raise a generation who loves Jesus, too? Be our partner today or take your kids on a family fun date at “Gizmo on the GO!” Stay updated on where our next stop would be by following @BatangSuperbook on social media

Ukrainian Families in Poland through Operation Blessing

When homes become battlefields, people make life-or-death decisions—whether to stay or flee. Millions of children, women, and elderly from Ukraine left everything behind not knowing what will happen next or if they will have a place to return to. They endured journeys in horrendous conditions just to reach the borders of Poland and other neighboring countries to seek safety.

Thankfully, your love has reached Ukrainian families in Poland through your support to Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines, CBN Asia’s humanitarian arm!

New hope for Sergey

Sergey Osipov is one of the Ukrainian refugees who was forced to leave their homes, livelihoods, and loved ones when the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia intensified in February.

Still in shock, Sergey couldn’t help but tear up as he recalled the life he abandoned in search of safety, “It’s depressing to be separated from loved ones and to leave my house and all our livelihood in Ukraine.” He lamented, “That’s where I spent my whole life until now that I am old. I never imagined that this war with Russia could happen.”

Sergey and more than 3,000 families temporarily found shelter at PTAK Center, one of the largest refugee shelters in Poland. Help from neighboring countries flocked to PTAK Center, but as they continue to house thousands of individuals, they worry that supplies would only last for a few weeks.

Responding to their call, Operation Blessing flew to Warsaw, Poland, and delivered lifesaving aid to Sergey and thousands of survivors seeking shelter at PTAK Center. Because of your love, they received truckloads of food, hygiene kits, and cleaning materials, as well as prayers and words of hope from the disaster response team.

From you and Maria, with love

Polish communities have also opened their doors to help families who are fleeing Ukraine. One of them is Maria Mroczkowska, who was still grieving her husband’s death when she heard about the conflict in Ukraine. Honoring her husband’s legacy, who was a World War II hero, Maria chose to open the doors of her home in Szczyrk, Poland to more than 50 survivors.

“My husband would give everything to help other people. Now I opened this house—which has been my dream for years—and gave them everything. I gave them my heart, I gave them my time,” Maria smiles.

Despite her extraordinary generosity, taking care of many people can be extremely challenging. That is why Operation Blessing works hand in hand with DNA Church in Poland to support Ukrainian families and Polish individuals who help them. The team brought relief to Szczyrk to support Maria and the Ukrainian families seeking shelter in her home. History books will remember the momentous events and major details about the conflict in Ukraine, but for those involved, these little moments of love and humanity are something that they will never forget, “It is always inspiring to see people from other countries extend love to those who need it. Thank you very much!” Maria shared.

to Millions through Digital Media

The pandemic changed everyone’s life. It drove the whole world to adapt to a new normal—at a pace that is faster than how people could usually and comfortably cope. With those rapid changes, many of our kababayans struggled with their mental health, finances, and even loss of loved ones.

Yet, no pandemic can stop God’s love from reaching the people.

CBN Asia’s Digital Media platforms have reached new and greater heights despite the challenges faced at the beginning!

• Superbook reached 3 million followers on Facebook, equipping Filipino children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• iCanBreakthrough, the online go-to platform for young adults to break through in life, gained more than 100,000 followers on Facebook, and 15,000 followers on Instagram.

• Reverb Worship PH, CBN Asia’s music arm, achieved almost 15,000 followers on Facebook.

• CBN Asia’s Website, Facebook, YouTube, and Tiktok accounts continue to produce inspiring content—with YouTube and Tiktok channels reaching more than 50,000 subscribers!

• Not only that, The 700 Club Asia and Batang Superbook YouTube channels also received silver play buttons for reaching more than 100,000 subscribers.

Praise God!

More than the numbers, the life-changing stories and the people who experienced God’s love is the greatest accomplishment! Receiving testimonies of God’s power, hope, forgiveness, healing, miracles, redemption, reconciliation, and salvation through these platforms keeps the CBN Asia Family of Ministries alive.

This couldn’t be made possible without you! So, thank you for trusting the CBN Asia Family of Ministries as your partner in changing lives.

for Ligaya

Ligaya Antonio thought that she had a foolproof idea when she started joining the online selling trend. She saw it as a great opportunity to earn lots of money while doing something she is very comfortable with.

After several months, Ligaya’s sales skyrocketed. At one point, she was able to earn as much as Php 200,000, which encouraged her to keep going. She and her husband would go back and forth to Hong Kong to buy bags that she would sell for her online business.

But after a while, her business dwindled due to the intense competition in the online market. Ligaya and her husband saw their resources decrease bit by bit, until it became difficult to make ends meet, “When our sales declined, our basic needs were affected. It was hard to get by. We had to pay for our rent and electricity, we had to think about our children.”

This situation caused friction in Ligaya’s marriage and constantly caused numerous arguments. She also had a mild stroke which brought a heavy toll on her life.

Despite all that they’ve been through, Ligaya held onto her faith and consistently honored God. She saw the good work of God through CBN Asia and decided to partner with them, “The best way to express my gratitude for what God has given me is to give back to those in need.”

God saw her heart and He honored her giving. God opened doors and gave her ideas to venture into selling diamonds, shoes, and clothes aside from just selling bags. He also healed Ligaya—her body recovered quickly, just like a stroke never happened!

More than the financial blessings and physical healing, God allowed Ligaya to experience a new hope, a new life, and a new joy, “Thank you so much, Lord! Because it’s true, You never abandon all those who are faithful to You.”

for Mangyan Students in Mindoro

An ongoing pandemic, hunger, and devastating natural disasters amplified the struggles the indigenous youth already face—forcing them out of the classroom. Despite the hurdles, they are not giving up on hope. They are determined to go to school.

Angel Poypoy is one of them. She dreams of a better future not just for herself and her family, but also for her fellow Mangyans in Sitio Sinariri, Oriental Mindoro.

“I want to become a doctor. Every time I see someone who is sick, it pains me. I want to help them,” Angel shared.

Like Angel, many girls and boys in their tribe dream of a better life. Even before the pandemic, they would walk down the mountains just so they could go to school.

Teacher Arnel Villesa of Sinariri High School witnessed the hardships of their students, “They would walk two to three hours just to go to school. They also need to work; they need to earn money so they can support their schooling and help their families.”

On top of the personal struggles of the students, they continue to miss quality education opportunities because of the lack of classrooms. They had to divide the rooms using thin wooden partitions.

Can you imagine how difficult it is for students to concentrate on their lessons while hearing noises from the other side of the room? Angel and her schoolmates have endured this situation. And now that they are back to face-to-face classes, they are once again faced with the same dilemma: overcrowded and uncomfortable learning spaces.

Thankfully, your support to Operation Blessing has blessed the schools and students with new classrooms! Operation Blessing partnered with the Local Government Unit of Mansalay to reach one of the farthest areas in Mindoro and build two additional classrooms for Mangyan students.

To students like Angel, the new classrooms are a symbol of hope. A symbol that dreamers like her can attain formal education and become a doctor someday, “This is very important for us so we can have better classrooms and not be compressed in small rooms. Thank you so much, Operation Blessing, and to everyone who helped us!”

One Online Show at a Time

Nothing can stop us from sharing God’s love to our kababayans across the globe! Through your support to CBN Asia, we are able to produce inspiring online shows that spread the message of God’s hope, peace, and love.

Filipino children can discover God’s truth in a fun way through the live online event, Ask Gizmo Pilipinas. Every Batang Superbook watching the livestream can comment their questions about life, Superbook, and God— and Gizmo answers their questions LIVE!

In Beyond Small Talk, The 700 Club Asia hosts and expert guests talk about conversations that matter and give practical tips on marriage, mental health, finances, and more.

Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen Zs now has a safe place where they can find insights on life issues such as relationships, career, and other common issues—through iCanBreakthrough’s BreakTambayan and Break Through the Lens.

Together, we will continue to produce life-changing content so that many of our kababayans will experience God’s Word and His transforming love!