If the meeting had been in another place, I wouldn't have been this anxious, but it was going to be in the Philippines, my home country! I’ve been to different countries and attended all the renewal events over the past 11 years I’ve been with MWC, so there was a lot of pressure on me to make sure everything went right.

“I wanted everyone to enjoy their stay in the Philippines and, at the same time, enjoy the culture. One thing I was worried about was having to return to the Philippines from the U.S. With the current political situation in the U.S., many students are afraid to leave the country because they fear they may not be able to return.”

What I also found concerning was the ongoing tension between Iran and the U.S., which led to a surge in fuel prices and restrictions on travel for some people. Despite all these challenges, everyone still managed to enjoy their stay in the Philippines.

I. Arriving Early and Gathering in Manila

I came to the Philippines a few days before everyone else because I wanted to arrive early enough to attend my class via Zoom. If I had left the U.S. later, I would have been in transit during my class. So even though I was already in the Philippines, I did not go straight home. Instead, I stayed in Manila to wait for the rest of the group to arrive.

We all met in Manila, and they took a tour of Intramuros, the old city. It was a fun experience for everyone to learn about Filipino culture and heritage. After that, we all got into vans and traveled to Laguna, where all the meetings would be held.

They were able to ride bamboo bikes in Intramuros, jeepneys whenever we went somewhere, and boats going back and forth to the hotel. They were able to experience a little bit of who I am, and for that I am grateful.

II. The MWC Renewal Event & Global Fellowship

The next day was the MWC Renewal Event. It is an annual event held wherever the MWC Executive Committee meets, as well as a special event marking the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism. The goal of the event was to showcase how far Anabaptism has come in terms of the variety of cultures and traditions that now embrace Anabaptist teachings.

The event was full of life. It was filled with performances and music. People from all the districts of the Integrated Mennonite Church came down to Laguna just to be with everyone during this special time. Food was provided throughout the program, and the weather was comfortable. The program ended with an opportunity for everyone to pray for one another. People from MWC sat together with members of the churches, and they had a good time chatting and praying. I was glad that many people came back to me and said they enjoyed the experience so much.

The next day, we had our tree-planting activity at the Lansay Mennonite Bible Church. After the ceremony, we went to our assigned churches for church visits. It was a time for everyone to relax and get ready for a full week of meetings. We even had karaoke that night.

The meetings started on Monday and ended on Thursday. The Young Anabaptist Committee, which I led as manager, held its own meetings, but we also attended the Executive Committee meetings at times. We did some tours and shared special meals in the middle of the week to give everyone time to breathe before concluding the meetings. The last day ended with a bonfire and roasted corn.

III. Island Retreat: To Be Fully Seen

After the meetings, the rest of the MWC staff, all 11 of us, went on a retreat. It was on a different island, so we had to ride a boat to get there. The beach was called Puerto Galera. It had beautiful white sand, and the beach was full of life. There were fire dancers and parties along the beach, but I think what they enjoyed the most, aside from the beautiful sunset and salty water, was the banana boat ride that we experienced together as a team.

It was also a pleasant experience for me personally. For the longest time, these people only knew me in certain ways, and this was the first time they fully understood me and got to know me more deeply as a person. For them to see where I came from and experience my culture firsthand was such a fulfilling experience for me as well.