We had Nick Vujicic as our Speaker in Church today

…and that meant a lot of people. As in, A LOT.

My friend, ate Arlyn, and I wanted to arrive early so we can get good seats, so we arrived 10 minutes before the service. I was fantasizing about getting front row seats, or at least any seat from the front to the 10th row.

That, I found out the hard way, is possibly the most far-fetched fantasy ever… that is, if you arrive only 10 minutes before the time.

HUNDREDS of people were already in the lobby. I have never seen so many people in a very long time. This crowd? This crowd could be agoraphobia-inducing if there ever was one. Thankfully the ushers were very efficient in guiding the crowd (and dressed so smartly! LOVE their aquamarine blue scarves and ties), and the people very cooperative… they are either Spirit-filled or acting like it.

We finally got inside the worship hall… and found all the Freakin’. Seats. Taken. (Actually, there were lots of free seats but people were “reserving” them — hmp! — but that’s another post for another day.)

It was most disappointing to admit defeat and opt for the next service. Sad.

Well, finally we got in, got to sit in a row about 30 seats from the front in the ground floor, and saw Nick in person.

And I’m happy to report that his message, for me, has the right amount of simplicity and profundity and is strongly rooted in Biblical principles.

Oh, my highlights?

(Other than the ginormous number of people

Corporate Worship. 

There really is something about large crowds of people worshiping together that gets to me. Every. Single. Time.

The image of thousands of people praising God stirs excitement in my heart… excitement of the future, of every tongue and tribe worshiping the King of kings.

This, I guess, is why I stick with CCF despite my hang-ups with mega churches.

Finally finding out how to pronounce Nick’s last name. 

Yes, it was a big mystery. Now, I know.

Do YOU know how to pronounce Nick’s last name? (Come on, ask me. )

Were you at CCF today? How’d you find the service?

The Story of How I Completed my Support for this Year

The most amazing, incredible thing happened to me yesterday: a stranger gave me money.

Not just money. BIG bucks. Well, big enough so I can be CLEARED.

YAY! *happy dance*

CLEARED.

CLEARED!

(I never thought such a small word could make me so happy.)

To fully appreciate what being cleared means, allow me to explain:

All Campus Crusade for Christ missionaries, such as me, must raise a certain amount which will cover all their expenses for the entire year. When a missionary raises this amount, he or she will then be “cleared” and only then will be allowed to be “deployed” to the “mission field”.

It’s a policy that I think makes a lot of sense. It’s just… sometimes it can be really really inconvenient and yes, uncomfortable.

So last night I was with two other fellow missionaries. We were in Jollibee, in an appointment, when suddenly kuya Ace, my Team Leader calls (resulting to a rather embarrassing interruption from my obnoxiously loud ring tone) and delivers the news: someone, or a couple rather, is giving me a check.

Best part? The check is big enough to cover my support goals… and more.

I was jumping up and down in Jollibee — that’s how happy I was. I kept asking kuya Ace, who from hereon out I regard as a Messenger of Tidings of Great Joy, “Why me? Why me?”

His no nonsense reply? “Why not?”

So what do I take from all this?

Well, that God provides in surprising, surprising ways.  It’s support serendipity all over again.

And I am privileged to have such amazing experiences. Because despite support raising being a kind of peeve of mine, really, I would not have such experiences of God’s power in providing apart from this.

It’s one thing to say I trust God to provide and still have the means to provide for myself; it’s an entirely different thing to say I trust God to provide and have NO IDEA how it’ll happen.

Also, the realization that there are generous people in the world who are amazingly desperate in seeing lives changed and Jesus lifted up slammed me again in the face and punched riiiight in the gut.

Amazing, amazing.

From the Unexpected Places

This morning my fellow missionary recounted an amazing experience she had in finding Ministry Partners*.

She had been calling people, trying to set appointments, mostly with little success, when she receives a text out of nowhere.

“I will be supporting you Php.5,000 monthly,” the text said.

Now a text like that would normally have elicited crazy joy and happy dances from someone, especially if, like my friend, she had been experiencing a bit of a slump in her support raising time.

Her reaction? DISBELIEF. Then skepticism.

So she called the texter, and when she finally confirmed the texter’s identity, and found that the person really really wants to be her Ministry Partner, and that 5k monthly really really really is true, she then rejoiced.

The most amazing part is that this new Ministry Partner (MP) is NOT familiar at all with Campus Crusade.

 

Truth be told, sometimes, in my really, really bad days, I wonder why I subject myself to such anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration. Oh, the Frustration!

And so I take great care to remember stories like these — from other people… and my own.

Like how God provided for me during the lean times.

Like how issues of pride and character were brought to the surface, and dealt with.

Or the miracle of the change that occurred in my heart such that I am actually enjoying this now.

And the opportunities of meeting amazing, awesome people and gaining not just Ministry Partners, but good friends.

 

Such stories I put in the “easy to access” part of my brain as a reminder that God is the great Provider.

He is not hassled by time.

And His provisions could come in the most unexpected ways and the most unimaginable of sources.

 

 

*Ministry Partners support financially and through prayers.

Lessons in Mega Church Seating Dynamics (or MCSD)

I was in Manila about three weeks ago, and as is my custom whenever I go there, I attended Sunday Service at a mega church with a friend.

It was for a variety of reasons, but we ended up late. But only 10 minutes late. Now, I’m not justifying myself or debating the wrongness of being late — late is late and it’s irresponsible and wrong, but holey moley the place was filled up and we had nowhere else to sit!

That morning I learned the first valuable lesson of Mega Church Seating Dynamics (MCSD):

Every minute late corresponds to a hundred seats taken (Lesson 1), and yes, I know that’s an assumption with no scientific or statistical basis, but let’s just go with it.

So anyway, that means a thousand seats taken for the ten minutes we were late. And when it’s this kind of mega mega church, the ushers really are — bless their volunteering hearts — no help at all. Not that I blame them. You can hardly expect them to find seats for everyone in this crowd.

So there we were, looking abroad and beyond at the rows and rows of seats, looking for any free seats we might squeeze ourselves into…

Then! Lo and behold, an entire row of seats with NO ONE IN IT! An entire row! All to ourselves!

My friend was ecstatic and relieved, but I, whose mega church navigation sense is a little more honed, smelled something suspicious. Why isn’t this row occupied? Still, we settled in.

Five minutes later, my suspicions were confirmed. And I learned a second valuable lesson in MCSD:

There is a reason a row is free: A free row is a portal row (Lesson 2). I was five minutes into praise and worship, with my eyes blissfully closed, trying to tune in and get my holy groove in, if you get what I mean, when I felt something brush my nose and my elbows. Rather, someone. It was someone passing through our row. Then there was another someone passing. And another, and another. And another.

It dawned on me: that row was a passageway to the other seats in the more western part of the church building! And we had unwittingly set ourselves as hindrances, like boulders, to the stream of people coming in and passing by.

When you’re a boulder to this stream, give up all hopes of being able to “worship” (Lesson 3). I mean, worship as in “sing with the praise and worship team” (of course I know what worship is and that whole thing, I’m a missionary! Duh.). Kinda hard to “worship” with people nudging my nose every 2 to 5 minutes.

It was irritating. Really, REALLY annoying. There I was trying to worship, but these late people! Ugh. (Real spiritual, I know. Yes, I have my moments.)

I tell you, those remaining minutes of praise and worship were the longest, most patience-trying minutes ever. But just as I was getting out my judge’s robe and about to sentence all these people to mild damnation, the Holy Spirit spoke and rebuked me. Thank God.

ANYWAY.

Since I identify myself as a progressive learner, I’ve decided to take these valuable lessons to heart so I can “grow” from these experiences, and so, in application:

1) Not take those portal row of seats again. Ever. And,

2)  Find free seats elsewhere, no matter where it is, EVEN if it’s in the middle of an already filled row. I will risk the ire and irritation of the people and get to that seat no matter what. We can even make a game out of it! The objective: See how many feet you can manage not  to step on getting  to that coveted seat. Very exciting.

Or, I could just arrive early.

But where’s the excitement in that?

And you? Any crazy mega church experience you got?

Dear Fresh Grad, Be a Goer

I think congratulations are in order before anything else.

You made it! I know the feeling. You feel excited, nervous, probably a little apprehensive and fearful too. Still, you can’t deny the fact that you’re finished! After All. Those. YEARS! I’m sure more than one of you are thinking along the lines of “…parang kailan lang…”. Oh, and doesn’t that sablay suddenly look so majestic and… meaningful?

Again, congratulations. I sincerely, truly, with a joyful heart rejoice with you.

I think you know, however, that this blog post is more than a celebratory post. I’m here to give you a proposal for you, dear fresh grad: Volunteer with us!

And since you know I work with CCC, and since you probably know where this is going anyway, let me qualify that a little more: Join us in CCC!

Why?

 

Volunteering with us is one of the best avenues to be obedient to the Great Commission. It couldn’t get better than that, could it? As students involved with CCC, we’ve seen how our “ates” and “kuyas” have helped fulfill The GC, and been part of helping students come to know and love God. Most of us have probably even been on the receiving end of this!

You’d have the opportunity to be used by God in seeing spiritual movements, changed lives and helping fulfill the Great Commission.

 

Going is probably the best thing you can offer NOW. Oh, it’s so tempting to hide behind the “I wanna be a Giver” kind of reason. Of course we want and need Givers – desperately, I assure you - but reality check, kid: you’re a fresh grad. You’re most likely poor. heh. At least, now.

And there is nothing wrong with aspiring to be a Giver later, but right now, the best thing you can offer is your youth and your time.

 

Being a Goer now will make you a better Giver later. Being in the actual field, experiencing the nitty gritties and challenges of ministry, will give you much, much more understanding and empathy towards missionaries and workers.

Believe me, this will matter IMMENSELY a few or many years down the road when you’re finally in the marketplace and you get (as you will be prone to be) swamped by your many responsibilities.

 

The experiences and trainings you get with CCC will make you invaluable wherever you end up in the future. You know it too, right? We have the best trainings. More than that, our emphasis on God’s sovereignty, the Lordship of Christ and emphasis on the Holy Spirit, as well as our cutting edge strategies will help you whether you decide to go to full time or work in the marketplace.

 

The Community. You will also have tons and TONS of opportunities to be exposed to Spirit-filled Christians who love the Lord and are dedicated not only to seeing spiritual movements happen everywhere, but to helping their co-laborers grow in the Lord.

As a volunteer / intern, you will have a natural kinship and affinity with such people. I say this out of personal experience — there is nothing sweeter and more growth-inducing than having fellowship and real accountability with godly, devoted people. Steel sharpens steel.

 

So, what do you think, dear fresh grad? What’s stopping you?

Or if you’re a missionary yourself, do you agree with me? What did I miss?

Innocent youngsters and a Snot-filled Easter Service

Yes, this is my unofficial Operation Jabez Bicol update.

Sigh, Bicol.

If initially I sensed that attending OJ was the right thing to do, now I know it was. I know because even now, my heart rejoices at what happened and anticipates how God will grow the seeds planted in Manito, Albay.

I just finished my official Operation Jabez Newsletter update and so memories are refreshed. A lot has happened during that week, but my personal highlights were teenage kids and our last day, which coincidentally was Easter Service.

True Love Waits

This was on Day 5 of OJ.

We had two events in church: the adult T4T trainers of the church kept busy with a Leadership Training.

We also invited college and high school kids to the church for a True Love Waits seminar. For sure, ate Feye is the perfect quirky speaker for such a topic.

I sat in and listened in the girls’ group. These kids… so young, so innocent. They had lots of honest, searching questions. They stir a longing in my heart to protect them, to shield them from whatever danger that can befall them.

Still, we could not shy away from reality. In these rural areas, I am told, it is almost the norm for a girl to get pregnant and marry early. It struck me that the best we could do is to inform them and pray for them. Our team intended this TLW seminar be a bridging event for a campus ministry, and so at the end of the seminar we invited them to another meeting in church.

Easter Service

Day 7 of OJ, and also the last day.

Because it was the last day, the pastor called on the church members (specifically our trainees) to come up and say some things.

And so we had the best snot-filled, tear-stained, heart-inspiring Easter Service I have ever experienced. Literally everyone — well, almost — everyone burst into tears right before, during, and /or after giving their testimonies.

There was the woman whose husband finally got saved.

And stories of personal victories in sharing their faith.

There were, of course,  the customary “Thank yous”, then the pastor said:

“We prayed and fasted for your everyday for 40 days until your scheduled arrival here in Manito.”

Now THAT stunned me.

Such devotion and commitment… all I could muse was how beautiful is the Body of Christ! The Holy Spirit so obviously was and is working in the church.

Didn’t I pray that God show me great and might things in Manito?

In a week, the Church members we trained were able to learn principles of Church planting, evangelism and discipleship, and were able to apply this immediately.

How beautiful is the Body of Christ.

OJ Manito: the official update

One Step at a Time: I Conquered Mount Mayon!

Yes, I endured days of swollen legs and feet. Every step was torture (from over-exhaustion I’m told, a syndrome called DOMS or something).

Sure, my shoulder muscles still cringe.

My skin now has an uneven tan (I actually have a tan line in the middle of my arm. I look like I’m wearing a brown, skin-tanned glove).

And yes, my wallet’s a little more lighter from the expenses.

BUT!

I FREAKIN’ CONQUERED MOUNT MAYON!

Oh yeah I did!

I’m back from Bicol, from our Operation Jabez (OJ) local mission trip (which I promise I’ll be writing about very, very soon, promise). And I don’t know what came about me, but I suddenly had the crazy idea to join the Mount Mayon hike with some of my OJ teammates.

The hike from jump off point to Camp 1 and Camp 2 was manageable, almost like Mount Pulag, except a little longer. We arrived at Camp 2 after several hours of hiking, where we set up camp and had early dinner.

The real challenge was the Summit Assault.

The average Filipino would know from basic Philippine geography lessons that Mount Mayon is known for its “perfect cone”. We immediately recognized it… we were practically climbing a steep 45-degree wall. Would’ve been fine, except that it went on for hours.

The view from Manito, Albay. What we dared to climb.

We started the Summit Assault at around 2am. Very dark, but in retrospect I guess it was better that way. Every once in a while I kept flashing my flashlight up to see how much longer we still had to climb. There, as far as my flashlight beam could reach, were still rocks. Rock, rock, rock. And more rock. Seriously, it seemed to go on FOREVER.

We wanted to reach the summit in time for the sunrise, but with our pace sunrise came about 3/4ths to the summit. It was still a majestic view, though.

Watching the sunrise hundreds of feet above the ground. My point and shoot camera couldn’t give it justice, for sure.

Up and up we go. Brings to mind Frodo. Oh, how Frodo suffered. And he climbed for days! I’m much more sympathetic now.

Four hours later, we finally detected the distinct smell of sulfur. We are told to prepare gas masks or any cloth we could wrap around our faces to keep out the smell.

“The crater’s 15 minutes away!”, Bayron Cepria, our head tour guide, says.

And finally, what we hiked hours for…

What we hiked hours for.

Then, it was time for the dreaded descent.

I never knew how smooth, slippery and uneven weathered lava rocks could be. Nor how cruel they could be to our already battered knee caps.

I am EVER grateful to kuya Ronald,one of our guides, who literally held my hand going down and went ahead of me, scouring for “easier”, less slippery paths. This is also the part where I put in a word for kuya Bayron Cepria, our head tour guide.

He and his team were very meticulous in ensuring our safety, and at times, our convenience. When going to Mayon, he’s the man to call. I actually tried googling him, and was quite surprised that he has made a name for himself with regards to Bicol / Mount Mayon tours.

One word to describe this climb: CRAZY. Wait, maybe you didn’t get it. IT WAS CRAZY!

And finally, my very poignant reflection from this experience:

As in all difficult experiences in life, it helps when you have with you someone who has already been through the circumstance.

Deep, right? Heh.

I actually prefer ate Kerren’s reflection:

Going up, I felt like Frodo.  Going down I felt like Gollum. 

Tonight I have lost, and I have found.

This afternoon, I lost my bag.

It’s not the most expensive bag in the world, but it contained my wallet, which contained my ATM card, and several hundred pesos.

Also, in that bag was my beloved two-year old purple umbrella, which I take pride in lasting this long (I’ve always lost my umbrellas). My cellphone, which in itself is actually cheap, but the information! How in the world will I re-collect all that information?! What else? Hmm, my clothes, which I was supposed to change out of this pretty, but scratchy Filipiniana costume.

When my mind first clocked the fact that my bag is freakin’ gone, I immediately did a mental check list of the all the other things I packed in it… or (thankfully) did not pack.

I felt this weird, sinking feeling in the gut. 

I have NEVER lost anything of this value before. Sure, I’ve lost phones, but what’s several phones compared to all this? The fact that I could have prevented this (why, oh why did I leave it there?!) irks me the most. Stupid, stupid.

Oh, and all this happened while I was busy Stage Manager-ing in a program my organization held.

So there I was, trying to hold in my tears at the end of the program while people milled about, wanting to get others’ and their own photos. I know it’s petty, but it struck me that others’ oblivion to one’s plight adds to the devastation of it all. Well, it definitely added to my devastation.

Not everyone though. Several people learned about it, and were very empathetic.

So I went home to the Headquarters (where I’m currently staying in Metro Manila), sad but having accepted everything.

THEN SUDDENLY.

Wonder of wonders, ate Jeng calls and tells me that kuya Carlo HAS MY BAG!

SO. I gained a renewed appreciation for my colleagues. They blessed me with sympathy and cash.

Tonight I have lost, and I have found. It all gave me a much, MUCH better appreciation (though a fraction it may be) of what God must have felt.

This… feeling of finding. It must be one of the most incomparably amazing feelings in the world!

What could possibly compare to it?

I can’t imagine how sunk God must have felt (and still feels) to lose what was rightfully His. No wonder He so actively reaches out to get them all back. Get us all back.

And how much joy could God possibly feel when what is His is returned.

I think I know the tiniest, tiniest fraction of what it might feel.

Bicol, here I come!

To be honest, I was not excited about joining this year’s Operation Jabez (a PCCC local mission trip).

Not sure why, but I guess the prospect of traveling to an unfamiliar area at this time of my life did not appeal to me. I know, I know, where is my sense of adventure, right? I promise I’m more adventurous than this (really!) but the mere idea just suddenly… tired me out. Maybe because I’ve been sick the past several weeks.

Lame reason, I know.

Besides, what do I know about Bicol? Virtually and practically NOTHING, except that people from there are called Bicolanos, and that they are hot and spicy. Er, I mean they like hot and spicy food (Wait, I’m not even sure about that). Oh, and I know that Bicol is where the infamous Bicol Express comes from.

Still, like the proper missionary that I am, I decided it wasn’t right to pass up this opportunity to minister to our kababayan in Bicol.

And now the time has come! Strangely (or not), I feel excited! There really is something about traveling to an unfamiliar place that gets to me. Then when God began providing, with the money practically raising itself (in a week!) and people so willingly helped me raise the amount I needed, I just knew this was meant to be. Yes, it was destiny!

So today I begin the grueling trip to the land of Bicol. And friends, I need you to back me up with your prayers!

Pray for the TRAVEL:

Six hours of travel from Baguio to Manila, then twelve hours from Manila to Legaspi. From Legaspi we travel to the small locality of Manito, Albay. That’s like, more than twenty hours of travel by bus. TWENTY! I have never, ever done this before. Pray for safety. Pray for my back and my butt.

Pray for the OUR AREA:

Our team is adopting a local church in Manito, Albay. Our team coordinator (a leader I highly esteem) says that two major church needs are two Ls: Leadership and Livelihood.

The church building with thatched roof and a nipa hut in front for children’s Sunday School. On the left is the (3rd) community college building shown under construction in preceding photo. Taken Dec. 2012.

I grabbed both photos from our Team Coordinator’s blog. There he shares the needs of this place:

Just like the bamboo bridge in the second photo above, the church I write about in this blog has had cycles of building and rebuilding.  It has had its ups and downs.

I think among the top reasons for this cycle are the very low income that the members earn as farmers, vendors and fisher folk despite the natural wealth surrounding them.  Another reason is the lack of leadership training and mentoring among the  leaders and members that can support a sustainable ministry.  This is one need that the leaders of the church are recognizing and we are praying for God to bring people who can help them in this area of church life.  I am still praying and hoping to help answer both these “Ls”.  By God’s grace these will also soon be addressed.

So. Now I am excited about this OJ, and am very expectant to see how God will work in and through us. I’m excited to meet the people. I’m excited about the place (the oceans!).