More than 200 people gathered September 17 at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary to celebrate the work of young artists from the Rowenas community located just outside the seminary walls.

"It was a big night," said Aisling Zweigle, a Nazarene Mission Corps volunteer. "The mood-lit event room filled up with guests. The stage lights cascaded on the faces of those admiring banners about the Rowenas art classes. They lined up to read the childrens’ quotes alongside their drawings. The words described the challenges of living in an urban, poor, informal settlement next to the seminary. The words also highlighted the incredible difference that God had made in their lives because of the work of Christ, His church, and the simple joys of an art class."

Enoch Tee, a Mission Corps volunteer from Canada and a graphic designer for World Mission Communications Asia-Pacific team, has been teaching weekly art classes in Rowenas for more than eight months in cooperation with River of Life Community Fellowship Church of the Nazarene. The classes have allowed volunteers to reach the children by engaging their creative skills in an environment that nurtures insight, vision for the future, and concern for their community.

J. W. Young, a preteen, explained his artistic motivation in a note.

"The church is the one that can help me fly high for my goals," he wrote. "The clouds represent problems and storms the whole community feels, but in the church there is strength to stand firm, giving the community the strength to grow."

Tee, Zweigle, and River of Life Pastor Jackson Natividad worked with others to make the first-ever exhibition a reality. The night celebrated the holistic outreach and spiritual discipleship at work in the Gintong Aral Child Development Center.

In addition to giving the students a chance to showcase their drawings, dancing, and singing, it was also a fundraiser for future art programs and mentoring.

--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region