Mission Area: District of Iba
Mission Activity: CFC YFL Youth Camp
May 28-30, 2010. The first-ever mission trip to the District
of Iba was conducted by a team of 15 different young individuals all responding
to the one call of Christ to love Him and to make Him loved. It was such a
joyride of an experience! The mission team ran a CFC YFL Youth Camp. The
harvest of this youth camp counts to thirty-one (31) new souls!
God’s work needs no delay and so He will not delay you.
“There is a given time for everything and a time for every
happening under heaven”
– Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CCB)
It was set as a two-day camp and since we wanted to start on
time on the first day of the camp, ie, on a Saturday (29 May 2010), we departed
from Manila by Friday (28 May 2010). In traveling to Subic, we have divided the
team into two batches. The first batch departs by two in the afternoon (2PM).
The second batch departs by seven in the evening (7PM). Those included in the
first batch are those who do not have summer classes; while those who have
their summer classes and ojt’s are part of the second batch. Unfortunately, I
am part of the second batch. Trips to Subic are scheduled by the-hour; the last
trip to Subic is scheduled by 9PM. We (the second batch) are supposed to meet
at SSS, East Avenue by 6PM. But what happened was different from what was
planned. Heavy rain falls caused heavy traffic in Metro Manila. And yes, it was
raining heavily by that time. It was already 7PM and we are still not moving
from SSS. Two trips to go. I messaged the team to pray for us. Prayer is our
most powerful tool. I don’t want to say hello to Subic by Saturday. When we
arrived at the bus terminal by 07:20PM, I saw the bus to Subic. The sight of it
excites me; but we can’t board it yet, we still have to wait for our two other
missionaries. And so, I prayed and I claimed in Jesus’ Name that the bus that
has given me part of the taste of the mission will be the same bus we’d board
into. It was 07:30PM when the 7PM trip left Manila. And yes, we are
Subic-bound!
God’s work needs no delay and so He will give you strength.
“[But (God) answered:] “my grace is enough for you; my great
strength is revealed in your weakness”. Gladly, then, will I boast of my
weakness that the strength of Christ may be mine.”
– 2 Corinthians 12:9
I was assigned to give the third talk of the youth camp. Giving
a talk is an exciting thing to do. As it is exciting, it is exhausting as well.
It is exhausting in a way that, you have to connect all the points into one
thread, you have to connect that one thread to the participants, and you really
have to be part of that one thread to get connected to the participants. And as
you connect to the participants, you absorb other negativities, eg, the heat of
the place (or it might be because I am giving the talk), the inattentive of
some, and other distractions. But the negatives I absorbed had not made me quit
the work that needs to be done. I refocus myself to the very reason why I am
there in the first place: the Love of Christ!
It was not only me who has seen the weight of this work. But
as I saw its weight, I have seen the greatness of God’s power and might. One
facilitator is to four participants, that is the minimum. And that one
facilitator is to four to five sets of one-to-ones. With this article, I would
like to honor the facilitators of our team. They did their service really well.
Though it is a tough service, they had not seen its cost on their human
strength. But they had seen its cause: the Love of Christ!
God’s work needs no delay simply because it is all about
God.
"This is love: not that we loved God but that he first
loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." - 1 John
4:10 (CCB)
Our God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and above
all, Love. The very fact that the work of our God needs no delay is simply
because He loved us first. It is all about Him loving us; for His love is ever
constant that it does not increase nor does it decrease. God Himself did not delay
His love for us: "But see how God manifested his love for us: while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, CCB). In the same
way, we should not, as well, delay to channel the love of God to our brothers
and sisters. It is because they need what we need: the Love of Christ!
Note:
Italics in the Bible verses are mine.
All Bible verses are taken using the Digital Catholic Bible
software program, with the Christian Community Bible (CCB) version. © 2007-2008.
