Wednesday, May 27, from 1:30-3:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall

COME. LISTEN. LEARN. BE MOVED

“Hear their stories from the mission field about the hidden reality of migrant workers in Taiwan.”

Light Refreshments will be available.

Open to Everyone!

The Rev. Alma Jumada Navarro and her husband, Rev Richard B. Navarro, are Missionaries from the Philippines who serve with the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFP) ministry in Taipei, Taiwan, in partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries of the Methodist Church. Both were commissioned in 2014, and they serve Filipino migrant workers residing in Taipei, Taiwan. There are an estimated 100,000 Filipinos in Taiwan at any given time, a majority of whom are temporary migrant workers. Some 3,000 Filipinos leave their country every day in search of livelihoods abroad. Their ministry is called Ang TANANAN ng NAGDADAMAYANG PINOY SA TAIWAN (“A Home for Filipinos Who Care for One Another in Taiwan. Richard hopes that, in time, this ministry will expand to all parts of Southeast Asia where Filipino migrants are located.

Alma is an elder of the East Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology from Southwestern University, Cebu City, and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in Dasmariñas City. Alma has a special affinity for overseas workers since she herself was once a factory worker there, an experience cut short by a vehicle accident that sent her back home and led her to reevaluate her life’s plan. She was strongly influenced toward missionary work by the passage in John 21 where Jesus tells his fisherfolk disciples to cast their nets on the “right side of the ship.” “In God’s perfect time, He brought me back to Taiwan to reach out to Filipino migrant workers. My stay in Taiwan as a factory worker was the chance for me to know the needs and struggles of OFWs. And so, I and my husband are dealing with these things among the migrant workers with whom we minister.”

Richard is an elder of the East Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference and, for over 16 years, served a series of small and large churches. Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the Philippine Christian University in Manila and a Master of Divinity degree from the Union Theological Seminary in Dasmarinas City in Cavite Province. Richard says, “A strong sense of covenant with God through Jesus Christ sustains him in good times and bad. “I found real joy inside of me,” he says, “when God brought me and my family to be missionaries in Taiwan, despite challenges I face in the ministry. I found something valuable that cannot be exchanged for the most expensive treasures in the world. My faith has totally increased and is getting stronger…My faith tells me that Jesus Christ is enough for me.”

Theme:

We Were Made for More

Special Guest:

Rev. Jan Bolerjack is the pastor of Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila, where her congregation offers temporary housing and resources, including a foodbank, to new immigrants as well as longtime community members. Reverend Bolerjack will provide us with an update on their community foodbank and their ministry serving new immigrants.

washingtonstatestandard.com/author/janbolerjack/

Scripture:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 15:13 NIV

Check-in/Registration
9:00 am-9:30 am

Program/Meeting
9:30 am-12:00 pm

Lunch—Cost: $15
12:00-1:00 pm
catered by Olive Garden

The registration form will be available in July.