In the early weeks of the pandemic, Uplift Cares has continuously mentored its scholars through online interventions such as one-on-one meetings, group fellowships, and individual weekly reflections. Every Sunday, the scholars are encouraged to watch Christ Commission Fellowship’s (CCF) Worship Services. Through the services, the scholars can reflect on the messages and apply it to their daily lives. This has allowed them to see God’s presence in every single day of their lives. To date, we have had 39 weeks of meaningful reflections! When asked about how the weekly reflections have helped them, here are the responses of some of our Uplift Plus (K-12 & College) Scholars.
Angel
It feels good to see my improvement through my weekly reflections. I am able to see the good things happening in my life. I enjoy writing my reflections because I am able to express myself and my personal characteristics. I am able to have a better perspective on things and it feels very good to know that I am walking on the right path – which is God’s path. I know that someday, I can look back on these reflections and I can say to myself that, “wow, this is how I used to express myself.” I learned that by writing reflections, I can improve myself and impact other people.
Divine
This pandemic has been very challenging and it was difficult for me to adjust. But with the help of Uplift Cares, I appreciate how they continue to guide and encourage us to continue not just in our studies but in our spiritual walk as well. Through our weekly reflections, I am able to reflect and this helps lessen my sad moments. By expressing myself, I feel lighter and I become more positive in what I do.
Gemmalyn
Ever since the pandemic started, most of us spend time on social media, playing mobile games, watching movies. But personally, I’ve devoted my time to get closer to the Lord and to know Him deeper. I enjoy doing weekly reflections because I am very much willing to share my thoughts and feelings which I may not be able to share to my family and friends. Weekly reflections have helped me know more about myself and recall and reflect on all of my past experiences. Writing my reflections have reminded me of how far I’ve come and how many struggles and challenges which I have already overcome. I noticed that I am also starting to improve in expressing my thoughts and feelings. I also got the chance to introduce His words to my family, have heart-to-heart talks with them, and I could say that it was the best experience so far. I am really delighted when I have learned that the Uplift Cares team reads and replies to our reflections. It makes me feel that they are interested in what I have written, which only makes me motivated to continue doing weekly reflections.
Glenn
Submitting weekly reflections gave me the chance to become closer with my family and especially with God. It taught me to be more responsible in doing my assigned tasks and to finish them on time. I learned that God is always loving and forgiving to His children, and that He has a plan for me. Most of all, this pandemic that we are facing right now has taught me that family is God’s greatest creation and that no matter what may come or what we all might face in the near future, God is always there for us.
Jemrose
One of the things that benefit me in doing weekly reflections is that it allows me to go back to my pains and process them. Especially for the deep wounds which I chose to forget because I did not know how to deal with them. Listening to the Sunday Worship Services and doing journals helped me understand the root problems of pain and know how to process it the right way. Reflections help me to move on from the pain of yesterday and reminisce my childhood experiences. It motivates me to look forward to what God has in store for me each day. Most importantly, it helps me grow my relationship with the Lord.
Jesus
When I first started writing my weekly reflections, I felt embarrassed because of my grammar. But later on, the Lord helped me realize that people do not look at the grammar but they look at the heart. I am grateful for the weekly reflections because I am able to apply what I’ve learned in my life and I am able to show my family what I’ve learned. Through this, God gave me a new dream of becoming a pastor someday.
Justine
Through the weekly reflections, I am able to practice my English composition skills and express myself better. I am able to share my daily life and the struggles that I’ve been facing. Sometimes, it is hard for me to share what I’m going through. But with the help of weekly reflections, I can write down all my thoughts. It is a big help because I know that there is someone who knows what I’m struggling with and it is a relief that there is always a God whom I can rely on.
Keith
The weekly reflections became our motivation to see if we are improving in our work as a Christian and as a leader. When the weekly reflections started there were some challenges that we faced like Internet accessibility and cellphones. Most of us were lacking financially. But even if my phone was just a 2G phone, I still pursued to write my reflections. My experience helped me improve myself to become a role model to my fellow scholars in Uplift Cares. For me, weekly reflections are not hard to do. It improves my spiritual walk and it was my stepping stone in improving my writing skills.
Michael
My experience with weekly reflections is that by sharing my stories, I can see my spiritual growth. I can easily see my progress every week, on what I need to continue and improve as a servant of God. I enjoy doing my weekly reflections because it improves my quiet time with God. I have realized so many things about the truth of living in this world. That it is not about money, new clothes, bountiful food, etc. But it is all about love and trust in God.
PJ
I’m glad to work on my weekly reflections because it gives me knowledge and insight on what is going on in my life and what God has in store for me. The more I write, the more I discover myself, and the more I get to know God and His purpose in my life. I thank God for placing me under the Uplift Plus program. Now my life has a clear direction.