Great Are You

Because I'll never hold a picture of
The whole horizon in my view
Because I'll never rip the night in two
It makes me wonder who am I
Who am I
Who am I and great are You
- Downhere

After the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. banquet this evening we went out on a boat to experience Puerto Rico's bioluminescent bay. Needless to say, it was pretty spectacular. God's creation is good.

However the thing that got me most on that trip was looking into the night sky and horizon with barely any light. I realized how little I could see and how small I was in comparison to the mountains and sea, and to the world. Then I just imagined the picture of God holding it all in His hands and He reminded me that even though I don't know what's coming in my life and why things happen, He knows best and always holds the big picture. God is good.

Do you know how God lays his command upon them and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge, you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind? Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror?
- Job 37:15-18

Above and Beyond

The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (spiritual principles + exhaustion =confidence in Almighty God) was definitely, well, special. I won't write all my thoughts on it because it'll take too long, and it's also something everyone needs to experience for themselves. The 20 hour challenge with our team and 10 of the Puerto Rican students truly did bring me to understand more of what my faith really means.

First thing God really revealed to me was that He gives and takes away. We were playing volleyball and with the game tied up, we had one more point to play. I missed a spike. We lost. Though I would call volleyball 'my sport', my success in it can't be what defines me. Only God can define me.

Second thing was realizing the frailty of life. In another activity, I landed awkwardly on my left foot and kind of sprained my foot. I thought it'd be okay because I've gone through way more painful sprains, so I tanked it out hoping it'd get better. Well...it hasn't. Every now and then we just gotta realize not to take what we have for granted, and even if trials come, we persevere in what God has called of us to do.

Last thing God really amazed me by was His strength to push me beyond my own limits. In our last challenge I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to finish. I was tired, asthma acting up, jumper's knee kicking on, and doing things with a wonky left foot. Yet through it all God just put Philippians 4:13 in my heart and let me have the faith to not quit, but run the race until the end. It was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. With all of us brothers and sisters in Christ cheering each other on, Hebrews 12:1-2 came alive to me. By ourselves we can only do so much, but as we stand united in Christ He gives us freedom to push each other to do way more than what we could do alone, not only physically, but even more so, spiritually.

There's so much more to share, but...this is all I'm gonna write haha.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8

SPECIAL

After a day of rest it's time to get back in the game.

This is also probably the last you'll hear from me until Tuesday night (assuming I make it that far), as tonight we start the SPECIAL - a full out competition of physical exertion lasting about 20 hours with only a couple of light breaks. It's the ultimate accumulative challenge we will take part in after teaching our fifth and final principle: Victory Beyond Competition, this morning. This will challenge us as we are pushed beyond our own physical limitations and challenge us to grow as a team, and even more so as brothers and sisters in Christ here to support one another.

Students will learn that God has given all of us gifts in our lives (in this case mainly athletic gifts) so that we can use them to further His Kingdom. We'll learn of the urgency in living our lives in radical faith so that we can leave a legacy behind us. How we live today matters. No matter what our gifts are, they can be used for Christ as we surrender to Him.

We're all going to greatly need faith in God's strength to sustain us, and His love to motivate and encourage us.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me
- Philippians 4:13

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
- Romans 5:3-5

Familia

Tear down the walls that divide us
Let love rebuild and unite us
All we need is
All we need is love
- Michael Gungor

One giant united love letter of Christ. Is that not what the church is meant to be? Truly experiencing that on this trip, both within my team and also the Christians in the community here in San German.

This morning God gave me the opportunity to orchestrate some sharing before our team devotional time in which we shared with each other about how God has been speaking to our hearts and how we've seen Him work on this trip. We also had the opportunity to hear some testimonies from one another. It was definitely edifying to hear and remember that we're all broken wrecks who've been through our fair share of ups and downs in life in order to be refined into the beautiful mess which is our team. Though we come from different places and I've only known these people for about 5 days, walls have already been broken down by God's grace so we can truly sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron.

In the evening we visited a local church and it was awesome. The heart that the church members have for Christ to reveal Himself to their city was so evident, that even as they prayed in a language I couldn't understand, the passion just radiated out from them. Many people showed up well before service to pray together for each other, their city, and our ministry. The church was just so welcoming and even though they're from a different culture and most of the church didn't know us, the Spirit of unity was there. God is definitely at work here.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, weakness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against one another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.
- Colossians 3:12-13

Eye on the Prize

It's great to finally get some real rest after 5 tiring days here.
Today is going to be a relaxing day. Church, group bonding, and some food is really all we have planned right now, but who knows how God might change those plans?

As I reflected upon God's Word this morning I was hit hard. God just revealed to me how much I was trying to hold on to earthly pleasures and desires, and even when I tried giving them up, it's been by my own strength, not His grace. Just need prayer to be transformed so that I can be one to set an example for the people we work with in Puerto Rico and also for people back home. Need to keep my eyes on the prize that is Jesus.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and staying forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 3:12-14

All or Nothing

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

God is good and faithful. Wow.
Today was definitely eventful and filled with God's reminders of His love and worth.

In the morning we did some ministry in Mayaguez with the homeless and less fortunate in the community. We helped serve breakfast and give clothes to those in need with a local church. Seeing the faithfulness of the church members in this ministry and their heart to change their community was so encouraging.

We then did and evangelism workshop for the students here and learned our next principle, and boy that was humbling. Huge lesson on God's refining through the trials that occur in life. As one of the staff members shared his testimony on how God worked in his life through trials that came up all at once certainly reminded me of my life recently, how it won't always go my way, but i can know that I truly can trust in Him and seek Him and in doing so, fully believe that He will provide for all my needs.

Applying this lesson came way faster than expected, as one of the Puerto Rican students had their car broken in to as we were learning principle 4. Thankfully he only lost a bag of clothes and a pair of shoes. We then learned to apply our principle on trials in beach volleyball, and it was tough. The refs made wrong calls on purpose, gave unfair advantages, but we had to learn to submit and still play with joy and remember our greater purpose in sport and life.

We then did some beach evangelism, which was definitely interesting. A few good conversations were started despite the language barrier, and many Gospel tracts were passed out. God is at work.

We ended off the day by showing the 'Jesus film' in the most impoverished community on Mayaguez (Jane and Finch of the city). While promoting it, although scared I was greatly reminded of the power of prayer, so I prayed for the community. These people need hope. They need Christ. It's awesome seeing that a local church is following up on them.

So the day was eventful and interesting, but the one thing that God wouldn't get out of my head was my calling as a Christian to meet people's needs right where they're at. It's tough as it requires me to give up ALL I am and desire in wholly surrender. I want to graduate from university and go to grad school, get a nice job, get married and start a family, keep my hobbies, etc, but am I willing to say to God, that for. His sake I will give it all up? Maybe these things are in. His plan for me, maybe not, but can I surrender and count all things as rubbish just so I can know Christ?

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of knowing Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith -'
- Philippians 3:7-9

P.S. check out Derek Levendusky's song ''In the Wind''

The Least of These

Don't have much time to write this as we're about to head out, so yea...

Plans for today start with serving the homeless breakfast at ''Urban Mission'' church about half an hour away from our dorm. We'll then teach principle number 4: Hurtin' For Certain - learning to deal with trials and obstacles in life and apply these principles through some beach sports. We'll also be showing the Jesus film to the community we'll be in - one of the poorest in Puerto Rico.

Just praying that God gives us servant hearts and the remembrance that we can have strength to serve today through His love.

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
- Matthew 25:40

We love because he first loved us.
- 1 John 4:19