PAAM UCC Convocation 2010 enjoys Texas spirit

   Enjoying Texas hospitality are PAAM delegates, from left: Kristine Paeste, Jeremiah Platon (both of Faith Community UCC, Oakland), K’lla Encabo (First Filipino-American UCC, San Bruno) and Leian Cimarra (Filipino-American UCC, Fremont.)

   Howdy Y’all!  We and five others (Dennis Duhaylungsod, Elizabeth Leung, Eppie Encabo,  Kathryn Schreiber and Faith Burgess) represented our conference Aug. 12-16 in Dallas at the national Pacific-Islander, Asian American Ministries (PAAM) UCC Biennial Convocation.
    We definitely did feel the Texas welcome the moment we stepped off the plane and walked into the humidity of 105 degrees during the day and 90 degrees at night.  With over 72 voting delegates and more than 100 people, PAAM continued to build relationships and to share the different cultures and ethnicities that make us PAAM.  We came from as far as the west of the Aloha Hawaii Islands, east of the New York Statue of Liberty, north of the Windy City of Chicago and south of the Texas Dallas Cowboys.  We would like to thank the Cosmopolitan United Church of Christ in Carrollton, Texas for being such gracious hosts.
    As youth and young adult representatives of the NCNC PAAM, we had the unique opportunity to bring our knowledge, talents and stories to be shared with those from other conferences and regions.
    Our election of national officers included PAAM members from different regions (Hawaii, Pacific Northwest, NCNC, SCNC, Mid-West, and East), and representation from our 17 various diverse ethic groups.

    We are so pleased that our own Eppie Encabo, a member of Faith Community UCC, Oakland, was elected national moderator for 2010-2012.
    Our Theme: “Bridging Communities” included inspiring worship services, workshops that addressed “Immigrant’s Nightmare” by Mary Kuenning Gross, “We are welcoming…but we just don’t talk about it” by our own Elizabeth Leung, “Writing on Walls: the Chinese American Immigrant Experience by Emily Morishima, “The Philippine Election Report” by our own Kathryn Schreiber, “Displaced Hurricane Katrina Victims from New Orleans” by Debra Joseph, “Domestic Violence in PAAM Communities” by Joy Lacanienta, “Nearly 2000 Hawaiian Prisoners in North America” by Sala Nolan and Ron Fujiyoshi, and “How will Health Care Reform Impact Asian, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Communities?” by Barbara Baylor of our national UCC staff. 
    We were also reminded as to what it means to be a leader not just in our church but in our communities. No matter what we are doing, there will always be obstacles and challenges but they may always be

Eppie Encabo, national PAAM moderator

overcome by simply having trust and faith in ourselves, each other and our loving Jesus Christ.  We know that there will be someone behind us, in front us and next to us – to hold our hand and to catch us in case we fall – regardless where we are.
     But we were not all work and no play.  We definitely had our share of bonding in the sun by visiting the Stockyard Farms in Fort Worth and watching the Minor League Baseball game with a real Texas BBQ cookout.  For our conference, the youth and young adults visited the Dallas World Aquarium and the Sixth Floor Museum.  The Aquarium had some beautiful animals that you cannot just find at any zoo and the Sixth Floor Museum showcased the life and death of former President John F. Kennedy.
    We have lived the life of a real cowboy, viewed moments in history that will always be remembered and built a bond at the PAAM UCC 2010 Convocation that has a foundation on a rock and it can never be broken.  If you ask us words to describe our experience, it is simple: trust, respect, faith, life, teamwork and family.  Our communities, culture and ethnicities that has once gapped us at one place in time has been brought together in the present as we praised together as believers of Christ.
    Our 2012 Convocation will be a joint one with all of the COREM (Council of Racial and Ethnic Ministries) members, and promises to be a great experience!  We hope to see you there!