Our year-ending weekend Conference on Unity and Community "CFC Ablaze for God's Mission" began this morning with a Mass led by Fr. John Tamayo, SDB, at the AIT Centre.

Acharn Arom Poolpokpol gave the first Reflection on "Embraced by the Father"emphasizing God's enormous love for us all as His children in Christ Jesus. Sharing his own life of hardships and struggles, sacrificing his own and his wife's pleasures to give the best for their four children, Acharn Arom presented a clear image of what God's eternal love for His children means.

The afternoon was filled with six Workshops on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit -- Praise and Worship and Prophecy (FTPW Alain Guerero), Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom (Edgar Dante), Faith and Miracles (Arnold Itao), Discernment (Ytess Montalbo), Pastoral Counseling (Benjie Garcia), and Gifts of Healing (Jimmy Lozare) with participants being able to choose to participate in two Workshops.

Tomorrow we begin again with Mass at 8.30 AM with Fr. Joe Maier, CSsR, together with the AIT Catholic community, and resume with our Conference Reflections Two (Saved by the Son - Jimmy) and Three (Empowered by the Holy Spirit - Arnold) in the morning, and Reflection Four (Setting Thailand Ablaze - Edgar) after lunch.

We will end with a Praisefest and Fellowship.

The Conference is so designed to bridge our CFC Theme for 2008 -- "..so that THEY MAY ALL BE ONE, as You, Father are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." which emphasizes UNITY and COMMUNITY, with our CFC Theme for 2009 --

"..so that they may all be one, as You, Father are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE that You sent Me."

for UNITY and EVANGELIZATION, with both passages taken from the same verse of John 17:21.

We have been receiving a lot of good feedback from our 2nd Medical Mission to the Chiangmai hilltribes, and Social Ministry is now in full swing to prepare for our 2nd Christmas Sharing with the street children of Pattaya in the new Home run by the Redemptorists led by Fr. M on Friday, Dec. 5th.

Family Ministry will stage their 1st Youth for Christ Leaders Conference in Yasothon province (Ubon Ratchathani diocese) next weekend, Nov. 29th-30th, with Mass to be presided by Bishop Philip Banchong, CSsR. We encourage parents to send your YFC children to this important event. It will also be a very good inculturation experience for them and a big boost of encouragement for our up-country YFCs.

CFC Thai Bangkok will have a review of CLP module I on Sunday, Dec. 7th, at Mary Help of Christians parish church for those participants who came for module II last Nov. 1st but missed the first module last October. Module III is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 10th.

CFC Phuket will host a Covenant Orientation for CFCs in Surat Thani, Phanom, and Phuket on Sunday, Dec. 14th, in Phuket with Bishop Joseph Prathan presiding with the new pastor of Assumption church in Phuket, Fr. Michael Jirasak, CSS.

Former pastor of Phuket, Fr. Peter Bancha, CSS, has been assigned to look after their Stigmatine Seminary.

God is gracious and generous with His blessings to our CFC family here and global community.

Please continue to pray for our community activities and the sick among us, those looking for work and those with problems with visas/work permits, and many other concerns besides.

Thank you for your kind support. Have a pleasant weekend everyone. v God bless to all, Jimmy ...