Filled To Be Emptied

This is my prayer in the harvest
When all that's within me feels dry
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
This seed I've received I will sow
-Hillsong

As I end up waking up later than intended for the second straight day, I'm reminded of how draining and tiring missions work get. I know that by myself I can't get through the next 6 days of this trip, so I'm gonna have to learn to trust in God. Physically there's a huge battle going on, not only for me, but also for most other members of the team. What's kinda scary is that the spiritual battles that are bound to come will be even tougher. Despite all this, I know my God will sustain, and He has already proclaimed victory. Time for my heart to believe as strongly as my mind...

Today we go through another ministry perspective workshop which I'm personally very excited for. We'll be doing some more campus outreach and see how God works. We'll then head over to a local orphanage and see how God uses us there.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
- John 15:5

Salt and Light

Great refreshing day after 2 hard days.
Today, God once again reminded me of how small I am compared to Him as we saw the view of Puerto Rico from a lighthouse on top of a cliff, and enjoyed a sunset by a beautiful beach while body surfing.

The bigger message He put on my heart however was to shine bright everywhere I go. As we had our training today on ministry perspective, God definitely spoke to my heart. I was reminded not top just focus on the outward appearance of things, but that ministry for Christ starts in my heart. As my heart is drawn to Christ, He guides where He wants to go.

As a Christian, a chosen son set apart though Christ's death and resurrection, I am called to be salt and light to the world. In keeping my speech 'salty', I'm too PRESERVE truth, and cause others to THIRST for Christ. I'm called to shine bright in my daily actions so others can see Christ. It's not about running camps and ministries, but about how I can bring Christ to people daily.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
- Philippians 4:20-21

Bittersweet

Training camp done. Usually we'd be heading home by now if this was just another AIA camp, but we've got one more week on the island to see what crazy stuff God has in store.

Our first week in Puerto Rico was incredible! God blessed me with an awesome team and also blessed us with a passionate and humble group of Puerto Rican students. Now that training camp's done, it's exciting to see what will happen next, but also saddening knowing that we might not see some of these students ever again until heaven.

The week was life changing not only for me, but also for many students. One of the students shared with us that through this past week, he learned more about Jesus and the Bible than he had his whole life. This student is a leader, he grew up in church, and he definitely believes in Christ. It's both encouraging and saddening to hear what he said because of what that says about his country's spiritual condition. A few other students also shared about how they should be in training camp for either a club team, professional team, or school team, but ended up at camp and have no regrets. Others just don't want to go back home because they want more. Boy, God is good.

Today we'll be running a training on how to run on campus programs for university students and staff. I'm excited for not only the Puerto Ricans and what they'll learn, but also for our team to see what we can learn to take back to our schools. We'll then be doing some campus outreach as summer classes have started, and that should also be a nice experience.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
- Ephesians 5:1-2

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