EFC-Mambayaan Reaches Out to the Teen Mothers
By Mia Grace Idusma
Motherhood is never an easy role. It is not only a single episode of a woman’s life but a lifetime commitment that requires a firm grip on the responsibilities that you are holding.
Nowadays, more and more teenage pregnancies have been reported most especially during the pandemic and the challenges of motherhood may have taken a toll on the lives of these young women.
It is by the grace of God that Evangel Family Church-Mambayaan, with the support of JECPP, has given the opportunity to share the goodness of the Lord to these young mothers through an outreach program last October 24, 2021.
The program was participated by 19 teen age mothers. It was opened by a heart-warming welcome address of Bro. Mark Caragay and was followed by a praise and worship led by Sis. Angel Marie Daguimol. Then, Sis. Claire Caragay, a registered nurse, shared about overcoming the challenges of being a teenage mother and how to be an effective one. She gave them tips on how to nurse and take care of their babies most especially during sickness and expounded the importance of breastfeeding that creates a strong bond between the baby and the mother. The lecture was just very basic, but the information was very relevant and essential to help them out.
With our conservative kind of culture, being a teenage parent is easily looked down on and can cause someone’s loss of confidence and motivation. So, with Sis. Angel’s inspiring life testimony, the attendees were immensely encouraged by God’s ability to transform a person’s condition from darkness to light and from brokenness to wholeness. She shared about hoping in God and that it is not too late to change the course of their lives.
Pastor Brian Calalin also stressed in his sharing that as parents, they need to raise their kids not with the standards and ways of the world but of God’s. They should not tolerate their wrong deeds but teach them to be afraid in the Lord and obey His commands according to the bible. He challenged them to teach their children the right way they should go that they may abide in it until they get old.
On top of these insights and encouragements, they were given essential goods like vitamins, diapers, powdered milk, and other necessities. It may just be a simple reach out but surely it left an impact to the hearts and lives of those young mothers. They felt loved, valued, and overjoyed with the kind gesture that the church gave them.
The early motherhood outreach program echoes that these young mothers today can still stand amidst their trials with the support of the people that surrounds them most especially the church.
Finally, the program’s success was due to God’s grace and will, and it was a fulfillment of God’s command to support, love, and encourage one another.
To God be the Glory!
