Before the camp

I feel so blessed to have been part of the team who, in a small or big, or small, or uhm.. big, (okay, let’s try using this---) in any way, planned and prepared for the camp. I can say that being part of the core group has taught me a lot of lessons. Pre-camp pa lang, the Lord has moved na talaga. My relationship with my co-youth leaders, or my considerably best friends, have gone into a higher level, which in return brought us together deeper. In Ptr. Phillip’s words, we learned to be open para maging close :-D

Sure, we all are friends from the very start, but preparing for the camp required [and naturally crafted] us to even be more united not only in words or actions, but also in the Spirit.

Moreover, I can say that I have witnessed tremendous changes on the lives of specific people within the group. Even if left untold with words (although I believe these things have to be revealed eventually), I’ve seen glorious transformations with them, esp with Giovan and my sister, Vanj. Though I don’t wish to really lay their personal testimonies here on my blog, I just give God glory for everything He’s done.

Before the camp, I talked to my buddy (I call my BFF *best friend forever* Jenny “buddy”) about a person whom I wanted to talk to and just ask for forgiveness. Kasi during one of my quiet times, I was revealed about forgiveness, and so I checked myself on whom I need to forgive and whom should I ask forgiveness from. Matthew 6:14-15 tells us how forgiveness works. Subsequently the Lord helped me figure out my unconscious thoughts and position about this particular person. I felt the urge to talk to that person to release the both of us from whatever bondage was present. Although I missed to actually tell things straight to this person, I thank God for giving the both of us a chance to fix whatever needs to be fixed. :)
Again, dapat maging open para mas maging close, ‘di ba?

Personally naman, my prayer life was challenged during the preparations for the camp. While there were almost daily meetings with Ptr. Phil, Ptra. Cecille, and the rest of the team, I was convicted (and helped by the Lord) to bring my prayers and intercessions into another height. Even my Bible-reading became broader. Ganon talaga when God asks us of a really big task to accomplish—He’ll equip us and supplement the needs to cover a particular job. To do any task, prayer is and will always be the key. In correlation, I praise God for teaching me how to pray for the right things, and how to strive for righteousness. James 5:16 tells us that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. I guess believe it wasn’t a wrong move to hold on to that verse :)

Okay, so about the camp itself, I don’t think I can really narrate everything that took place during the 3 days, but I sure can shout out how great was God’s move during the camp. I actually wrote about the camp on my diary (a personal diary; offline journal), and it took me more than 6 pages to just blab things out. Well, I don’t think I could possibly do that online :-D Okay, so I’m not promising a blog entry about the entire camp.

Anyway, multiply my testimony to 93 (there were 93 campers), and what you will have is still an understatement of God’s miraculous and marvelous works before, during, and after the camp :)

By that, let me just say a thousand praise…. HALLELUJAH!