For many people, the first thing that grabs their their attention about thirteen-year-old Adreame Daniel Riley Austria Runtuwene—-or simply Dream—-is his hair. He sports hair longer than most of the other young men in the Victory group he attends, a tip of the hat, if you will, to the growing lad’s outgoing nature.
“My Victory groupmates are very energetic and playful,” he says, “and continuously talking to one another. Since we are closer to one another, communication is much easier. We used to be shy in our first days,” he adds. “Not anymore,” he laughs, and his hair flies back.
Dream and his sister, nine-year-old Saiah, attend Victory Greenhills with their mother Be. He is part of a Victory group for young teen boys led by Victory Greenhills volunteer Christian John Tomas. Initially hesitant to join Christian’s group, he took a leap of faith after attending the church’s Boot Camp for pre-teens.
“Before and after Boot Camp, I wasn’t sure,” he says, “because I didn’t know who I wanted to be with.” He laughs. “Then I decided to be with Teacher Christian.” 
Teacher Christian was a positive role model for the young teenager, although he was never a difficult child growing up. His mother, Be, grew up in an abusive home; despite her façade as a strong, independent career woman, her heart ached for affection, but she experienced broken relationship after broken relationship.
“All I knew how to do was to love my children in exactly the opposite way I experienced,” Be says. “I realized they were the first blessings in my life that were so radically different from all the heavy stuff I was mostly born into.”
A friend, Honey Gee Carr, invited Be and her children to Victory in 2009, but it wasn’t until 2015 at a chance encounter at Victory Greenhills that Be and her children surrendered their lives to Christ. Soon after, the young family began attending Victory groups and started doing ONE 2 ONE.
“Everyone at Victory has blessed us by the work of their hearts and hands,” Be says. “The most difficult part of raising children from a broken home,” she adds, “is providing them a semblance of a strong familial love. As a single mom, no matter how hard I try, I can’t truly and completely provide that. But God can, and Victory groups and KIDS Church activities are just a few of the ways He has shown my family that He loves us.” 
“The best thing about being part of a Victory group,” adds Dream, “is seeing people’s experiences, not just your experiences. Seeing how other people react to the Word, seeing how God works through them. Everybody is used in different ways at different times.”
Recently, Teacher Christian encouraged Dream and a few of the teens to step up and lead other boys in their group. Unfortunately for Dream, it wasn’t the most satisfying of starts.
“We decided to make breakout groups,” the young teen says, “and I was going to disciple two kids. On our first week, nobody came!” He laughs. “On the second week, people started attending again, so we were able to disciple who we were supposed to in the first place. It was a good experience.” 
Dream and his sister Saiah, under volunteer Danica Patron’s care, are now actively involved in the discipleship journey because they see the importance of the roles they play in their own growth as believers. Dream, in particular, is excited about taking the gospel to the nations.
“If the plan for me to go to school in Jakarta, Indonesia, pulls through,” he says, “then I would spread the Word as much as possible and encourage people there to follow Jesus, like a campus missionary. If I continue to go to school here, then I’ll definitely do the same.” He pauses. “Maybe it’ll be easier since they are my fellow Filipinos.”
“We’re all called to disciple others,” he adds. “Don’t worry if you have to pray for someone or teach. If you’re thinking you’re too young or can’t do it, it’s not gonna be you, it’s gonna be Christ through you. He will be the One to do it for you, He will speak the words through you. It’s all about Jesus.”
“I was in first year college when I was diagnosed with hepatitis B,” Marco Constantino reveals, “the doctor said it was incurable.” Growing up in a broken family, the 24-year old wedding videographer had to live with different relatives to survive. Marco’s parents, who married at the age of 15, had separated and left him under the care of his grandmother and aunts, who would chip in to raise his tuition; his younger brother remained with their father. Devoid of proper parental supervision, Marco was exposed to a hard life. He would smoke, drink, and hang out with people who weren’t the best role models for a young man growing up. Trying to attain a semblance of order in his life, he started exploring different religions. “I was so gullible,” Marco says, “I even joined cults.” Despite his brokenness, Marco was an excellent student. In college, he was popular. He exploited this influence and bullied his Christian classmates.
In his house clothes, Marco immediately went in and listened to the youth pastor, whom he felt was talking directly to him. “He said I was a sinner, that God had been waiting for me for a long time, and this day was no accident. The pastor was addressing the congregation but it felt like he was talking to me because it really hit me,” he shares.
Marco didn’t feel condemned talking to his mentors, which allowed him to be open to them. From someone who avoided relationship and engagement with other Christians, he is now a believer of discipleship and accountability. Surrounded by people who keep on encouraging him to be strong, Marco couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with God’s love. “I was so dirty but God still loved me. He has blessed me with so much,” he says.
A month after accepting Jesus as his Savior, Bomboy reunited with Vicky. After eight years of living apart, the couple patched things up.
“You have to take away pride and unforgiveness to last long in marriage,” Bomboy said. “What is more important to you: your hurt, or your love for your wife?”
Last September 4, Bomboy passed away at the age of 77. Friends and family remembered him fondly as the man with a big smile and a big, generous heart that matched his stature, and a humility that served as an inspiration to everyone he met. His life has blessed many people through the years by his passion for the lost, his generosity, humility and friendship.
She eventually transitioned to another mentor when she moved on from KIDS Church. Now a teenager, the thought of leading other people her age became more daunting, but Angel couldn’t ignore God’s call. Empowered by her Victory group leader and encouraged by her parents, she finally started doing One 2 One with her friends.
Over the next few days, Jodi’s Facebook page was flooded with messages from people whose lives she had touched. From classmates to batchmates, from Victory group members to virtual strangers who were touched by her designs in church, people paid tribute to the faithful Christian woman who loved God, cats, and Japan.
Ferdie Cabiling is the director of Victory Metro Manila, and a member of Victory Philippine’s Apostolic team. He is married to Judy, father to Elle and John Philip. You can like his