A lot of people have been asking me what Pursuit Community is all about, and sometimes I find it hard to describe it in just one sentence! So I post these recaps of our gatherings to give you a picture of who we are and what we do. I hope these posts answer your questions with great detail!
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But first, an apology
Before I update this page about what happened in the March gathering, I thought an apology should be in place. Sorry for the lack of updates! There’s just so much going on, in my personal life and work, and more importantly, in the way the Lord has been leading me about Pursuit Manila. Our March gathering has been the biggest gathering we had so far, and to say that it left us feeling overwhelmed is an understatement. What’s next?, we ask.
38 people is no joke, and for someone like me who’d rather hide my face behind the computer screen, opening up my life to that many people was just beyond me.
It’s a good problem, no doubt. None of these would have transpired anyway if the Lord didn’t bring us to this point, barely 5 months since we launched Pursuit Manila. This month I got a deeper understanding of what this ministry really is. That it’s so much more than just getting women together in a pretty place, and drinking coffee together, and meeting new people and making small talk.
On March 21, about 38 of us squeezed ourselves in this quaint cafe / art gallery in Guijo Street called Restock (it’s a lovely lovely place!), and that day I knew that this community would never be the same again.
This beautiful wall installation was put up at Restock on the week of the gathering (we liked joking that it was installed just for us haha), and it was just the perfect backdrop to an afternoon of getting to know new friends—creatives and kindred spirits—learning mobile photography, and sharing our faith stories.
We always begin with worship
We began with worship, led by our sister and friend, Julie Tarroja. There’s just no other way to begin any of these gatherings, you know?
Pursuit Community members come from varying situations in life and different creative industries, and worship is our universal language. So we make it a point to come to God before anything else, and just lift up our praises to Him who’s brought us together in the first place.
We learned photography
After which, the Creative Workshop on Mobile Photography began, led and facilitated by Sheila Catilo. There was so much to learn about this craft, and Sheila, who’s a seasoned photographer, did an amazing job making it easy for everyone to understand jargons, apply new techniques, and significantly improve the way we capture photographs.
Can I just say I’m so proud of these two? Thank you, Sheila and Julie! What a blessing to be in this crazy journey with you both!
And Jamie! Our resident stylist and photographer who didn’t have a lot of pictures taken of herself because, well, she’s the one holding the camera. Thank you, J!! <3
And then there was a smorgasbord of sweet treats
This dessert buffet served us two ways: They were instant subjects to our photography workshop; and of course, we feasted on these delicious cookies, cupcakes and Insta-pao after taking photos of them.
Much gratitude to our amazing friends and sponsors for their generosity and for filling our tummies that afternoon: Bebeng’s Kitchen‘s Banana Muffins and Choco Chip Oat Cookies; Eenieminnicupcakes’s cookie selections, and Mrs K Decopastries Insta-siopao. ;)
Jenny of Art & Sky and Madz of Izzoshop had pop-up booths, and everyone took home a little something from them also. We’re just so blessed by the generosity of these women! Check out Art & Sky for well curated arts & craft materials and Izzoshop for handmade bags and pouches!
Everyone took home this new set of Passion Cards (Story Edition) and a custom-made “Passion Fund” pouch designed and hand-made in collaboration with Izzoshop.
The best part
The best part is seeing Pursuit Manila members and getting to know new friends who share the same passion to create all for the glory of The Creator. I’m over the moon about how the Lord has used this community to bring women together and meet us exactly where we are in our lives. Moms, wives, single women, fresh graduates. I want to believe that we all come out of the “experience” feeling inspired, knowing that we’re not alone in our journey. It makes us a bit braver to tell our story, to chase our dreams, and to pursue our God-given calling as female creatives.
Which is exactly what Pursuit Community is all about.
Pursuit Manila March Gathering, Class Picture!
Now, planning and preparing for these gatherings are just.. crazy! I like sharing this story about how, when I first dreamed about bringing Pursuit Community here in Manila, I imagined I would just host a few women in our living room! But God’s plans seem to be way bigger than my “small” dreams, and now I just can’t imagine doing any of these without these amazinggggg women who have dedicated their time, energy, and gifts to make every gathering even more beautiful than you see in the pictures.
Thank you Jamie, Karen, Sheila and Bea! Words can’t say. /tears
And so the Pursuit Manila journey carries on, and our gatherings will be better than ever, and we hope to reach more creative women who share our desire to just bring it all back to Him. Watch out for the announcements. :)
Photographs and Styling by Jamie Espadilla
Come Join the Pursuit Community!
To know more about Pursuit Community, here are some helpful links:
- The official site is HERE.
- The low down of who we are and what we believe in.
- The official Pursuit Manila page is HERE.
- The story about how Pursuit Community reached our side of the world.
- The online repository of Pursuit Manila gatherings.
Subscribe to Pursuit Community to get Updates!
To know more about the global community we’re part of, SUBSCRIBE TO PURSUIT COMMUNITY HERE. You’ll know about what’s happening, not just here at Pursuit Manila, but the local communities and gatherings happening simultaneously around the world. ;)
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