Life is a journey. I have to admit that many times I am looking way too far ahead of me on the path. Instead of always looking at the next mountain I should be enjoying the day before me, the people in front of me and the incredible blessings of life. I am doing that here in the Philippines. Don’t get me wrong, we are not just sitting around smelling flowers. Instead we are seeing 22 people connect and re-connect deeply with God. All off of us here are hungry for God’s presence in a deep way and we are seeing Him meet us profoundly on this mountain at Laguna, Philippines.
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Leaders are falling face down on the ground with tears and some are jumping and shouting to the Lord for joy! God is moving mightily in the lives of each one. We had a service here last night that was purely music, testimonies and sharing from the Word. Most of the leaders testified of how extremely tired and empty they were prior to this time. They testified that God was filling them here AND most importantly showing them HOW they got to this place of need. In groups we discuss where we go after being recalibrated.
We all know that life is a journey with mountain tops and valleys and times in between. The question is not, “Are you on the mountain top all the time?” (which is not realistic), but “How will you meet with God and walk with Him in the valley, on the mountain and each step in between?”
We have had some times of self-discovery as the Lord showed us who we are (good and bad) and we are now in the stage of the outward journey (healthy relationships). This is a time to discover the need to have community (fellowship) in deep ways with others. Leaders need others; they cannot go the battle field frontlines alone. We used teaching and fun outdoor activities to build teamwork, trust and for group bonding. We even had two in the group who had birthdays that we celebrated here together as well.
What an incredibly deep joy to walk with these leaders. I know that each of them will impact hundreds, if not thousands this year alone in their ministries, but if they are empty and dry they will have nothing to offer others. Thanks to the Giver of living water, these leaders are not only being filled, but they have found their way back to the well of living water that never runs dry.
Thank you for sowing into the lives of dear leaders through your support and prayers to make this happen. Pray as we plan for part two of this journey in Feb. 2011.
