Philippines E-Camp Part 9 - In A (Huge) Nutshell
A short time I was there, but it was an experience of a lifetime. I'm just so amazed by how God works. I remember last year when the church made announcements about the campaign, I thought to myself, "I'm never gonna do such a thing, it's not for me." Who'd have thought at that moment, that I'd be a part of it this year! I never even saw myself being able to share the Gospel during Street E. It just goes to show that God does take us further than we ever dare to imagine.
There were two main reasons why I wanted to go for the campaign this year. Well, I didn't plan on it from the start. But I was sick of being so spiritually down. I'd been so since the start of the year, with a few up moments but that was all. When the long holiday started, I told myself that I had to make the four months count. I had to get right with God. By God's grace, I managed to spend time consistently reading the Word and praying. The church camp was probably a factor as well. It prodded me into the realisation that I've been so apathetic towards people. There are so many out there, including my loved ones and friends, who've yet to know the Lord, but I didn't care. God was somehow telling me that I had to do something about it, but I didn't know what. It was so timely that the very Sunday we returned, there was a meeting on the Evangelistic Campaign, which I decided to attend out of curiosity.
After which began a series of struggles. First, I struggled with the decision on whether to go for the campaign. I thought that it was a good opportunity to take a look at the mission field and do something meaningful with my holidays, but I was also fearful. I was afraid that it would be a rash decision on my part. I spent many days praying about it, and eventually decided to take a step of faith. Then, it was a struggle getting approval from my parents. It was a flat no. But thank God, after much praying, after much asking, the door was finally opened.
The second reason was that I knew I couldn't do it. Preaching the Gospel to an entire class of students is way out of my element. I didn't know how to share the Gospel, neither was I comfortable speaking to a large crowd (I feel awkward even speaking to a small group of people). I thought that it'd be a wonderful opportunity to see what God could do through me. As we always say, His strength is made perfect in our weakness. It was a huge step of faith, but I wanted to trust Him, I wanted to depend on Him, I wanted to trade my weakness for His strength. And I can never be more thankful to have taken that step.
It's simply amazing, how God could use a weak person like me to share the Gospel to large groups of students. I'm not an eloquent speaker, I'm bad at expressing what I really want to say, I'm incoherent, and I feel that I confuse people sometimes. But God took all my weaknesses and filled me with His strength. It's incredible. Each time after I gave the invitation and saw many hands raised, I could only marvel at how God used someone so small to accomplish something so big. I can't say enough how amazed I am at what He's done. He made what I thought was impossible, possible. And it all started from that step. Indeed, God meets us at the step of faith we take.
I also thank God that my mum refused to let me go for two weeks. That made me decide to go for the last week, and I thought that it was the best week I could go for. Perhaps it's a biased opinion, but I'm thankful I got to serve alongside people whom I hardly see and talk to in church, people whom I wasn't close with, people whom I didn't know existed (lol). I couldn't have asked for a better combination of people.
The Davao team! Credit to Pastor Mike, who was the photographer.
Thank God for the Singapore team, the SMCI workers, the GPCM members, the Java team, Pastor Mike, Reid, Kim and Ven. It's been a privilege serving together with each and every one on the team. And of course, thank God once again, for the amazing experience. I could write a thesis on it, but that's all on the blog.
This, is only the beginning of greater things to come. Keep taking steps of faith, trust that God will continue to work and do the unimaginable. Because our God is a great God.
