Just Another Sunday Night In Paradise
By: Sister Edelyn Cacayurin
It was a regular Sunday night and the people of God gathered themselves at our new place of worship. However, it was the first Sunday night service in our new home (church). As always, mothers had prepared food for the feast after the service (ICM way – fellowshipping with food as always). Children ran around and excited by the new place. We were all excited to finally have a permanent place of worship. It might be another Sunday night to others but to those who attended that service it was totally a different Sunday night.
It started as an impromptu service. The Praise & Worship team took their place, Pastor Eli Diocares on the guitar, Brother Noel Pastor on the drums, Brother Efren Molina and Pastor Donald Cacayurin – the praise & worship leaders. They did not have any practice and it was their first time to lead the praise & worship. They relied on power of the Holy Spirit to use them to convey the glorious feeling of the presence of God. As the night grew on, so did the spirit of encouragement as each individual declared the goodness of God through their testimonies. We were also blessed by the songs rendered by Pastor Gideon and Sister Ditas Labagan. Lastly, as Pastor Gideon Labagan delivered the message, once again the presence of God fell among the congregation. In the end of his message/testimony, each one of us went to the Altar of God and cried out to Him. Each individual expressed their adoration to God and asked for forgiveness. As Pastor Gideon and Sister Ditas prayed for every person in the congregation, the presence of the Holy Spirit kept getting stronger and stronger. There were words of prophecy to some people and words of encouragement to others. It was just a time of refreshing, a time of forgiveness, a moment for the presence of the Lord to work mightily among His children. Praise God for His mighty anointing.
Of course, we ended the night we another fellowship. As the word of God said in Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” To the ICM congregation of Waipahu, the phrase “breaking of bread” is very literal, very bold, very evident in all our services and very important. The feast prepared by everyone was so “onolicious.” Thank you everyone.
To others it might just be another night in paradise but to those people who attended the first Sunday night service in our new place of worship, it was a night of celebration, a night of worship, a night of reflection, a night of transformation, a night of forgiveness, a night of rededication, and a night of reflection. Whatever you call it, it was a night of God’s tremendous presence. When we allow the Holy Spirit to be the Master of Ceremonies in our programs, His presence will flow among us. It was very evident that night.
We encourage you also to come join us in worship and expect the presence of God to flow among His people.
After many, many, many, and many years of having church services in school cafeterias, the International Christian Ministries finally found a home even just temporarily. While the church conducted services in Waialua Elementary School and August Ahrens Elementary school for the past years, the youth group conducted their activities in church members’ homes and sometimes at various parks in Central Oahu. It became very challenging for the youth leaders to coordinate the Friday night services. Setting up before each Sunday service was no simple matter also. On Sunday mornings, Brother Ronald and Brother Noel would pack the church instruments in Brother Noel’s truck then set them up in the cafeteria. While Brother Ronald operate the sound system during church service, Brother Noel would play guitar and sing (or pretend to sing) with the worship team. After the service, they would again pack and unload the instruments back to Brother Noel’s garage. At times it got discouraging but Brother Ronald and Brother Noel say, “You just have to keep pushing, or as we say it in the Army, ‘Suck it up and Drive On!’.”
Through the leadership of Brother Nathan and Brother Efren, International Christian Church’s new place was prepared in time for the first church service. The idea of having a permanent place of worship was a strong driving force in the unity of members helping together to prepare the new place. A sense of joy is just apparent in the members’ faces. The youth group is very much also enjoying the new place, probably much more than the adults. They have not only started conducting their youth activities at the new place on Friday nights, they have also started hanging out after Friday night services and after Saturday praise and worship practices.
It is a beginning of another chapter in the congregation’s life. There is unity and love as the church members continue to work together in improving their temporary home of worship. New place, new love, new hope, and renewed motivation……. Continuance of International Christian Mission legacy.
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Coming Home, A New Beginning
It is often preached that for a potter
to make a beautiful vase, he must sometimes break an existing vase then
use the broken pieces to make a new vase that is far much more beautiful
than the broken vase. As individuals and collectively as a body of believers,
God sometimes has to break us also to create something new, something more
beautiful, something stronger in order to accomplish his plans. More often
than not, these actions of our Living God don't make much sense in our human
minds, neither are the events that leads to our brokennes. The International
Christian Ministries recently went through what some may perceive as brokennes,
trying times. Yet it turned out to be an instrumnet for God's plan to be
fullfilled. During a manifestation fo the Holy Ghost on one Sunday morning
during an interpretation of tongues, the Lord told the congregation, "Do
not be discouraged, I am doing new things." Yes, things that could
never be understood by even the biggest fragment of the human mind. In the
midst of these trying times, the International Christian Ministries received
a new pastor. The International Christian Mission organization and the congregation
of the International Christian Ministries recently inducted the new pastor,
Pastor Elie Diocares along with a new secretary, Bro. Jonel Diocares, and
a new assistant secretary, Sis. Mercy Ballesteros.
Pastor Elie Diocares is no stranger to the International Christian Mission organization. He is a nephew of the late Pastor Nathan Molina, founder of the International Christian Mission. Pastor Elie served with ICM from the time he migrated from the Philippines until God called him away to another calling away from ICM. After years of being away, God called him back to ICM along with his wife, Sis. Merla, and the rest of his family.
Brother Jonel Diocares migrated from the Philippines where he served the Lord under the International Christian Mission - Philippines. Since he came to Hawaii, Bro. Jonel has been actively involved in the ministry. With a new calling, he continues to be involved supporting the Youth Department, the Praise and Worship Team, and other church programs. He is currentlly single and patiently waiting for God's special gift.
Sister Mercy Ballesteros is also no stranger to ICM. He is the daughter of the late ICM founder, Pastor Nathan Molina. God called her back to ICM along with her family. The International Christian Ministries also welcomes back Sister Adelina Molina, wife of the late Pastor Nathan Molina. Sister Adelina Molina is the Honorary Superintedent of the the International Christian Mission organization.
It is never easy to be broken and go through times when God does not make sense. For International Christian Ministries, it is a bright morning and the sun is rising. It is time to have our new pastor and brothers and sisters home - it is A NEW BEGINNING.
