It seemed that the day started wrong--rain was falling hard and there was a threat of storm according to the morning news. “God is in control,” my husband Dan and I kept rehearsing the words, and true enough as we got close to church the rain started abating. By lunch time God allowed the sun to peek through the dark clouds.
It was a blessing to get reacquainted with our existing missionaries and to get to know the new ones, be personally updated with their ministry, hear of their triumphs in Christ and learn of their needs. Since the church is now supporting about 40 missionaries, we are only able to have them for the Missions Conference once every five years.
From the “mouth of babes” our children’s choir, we heard different verses and missionary quotes that warmed and convicted our hearts. Regarding the importance of missions, the Singles’ Group dramatized the life of Pastor Eric Garcia as a missionary in Kalinga and the risks he went through to present the word of God to the mountain tribes. The choir reinforced the challenges from the pulpit through the songs they sang: Bring Them In, Give Me a Heart, and Christ for the World We Sing. We were blest by Sister Murillo’s testimony and were exhorted by God’s word during the preaching services by Pastor Castillo who preached on “The Vastness and Abundance of Harvest” expounding on Matthew 9:35-38 and Pastor Espinol’s “A Heart for Ministry” focusing on Romans 10. Later through the week, the blessings kept pouring in as Pastor Balila spoke on “Whatsoever Ye Do” (1 Cor.10:31); Pastor Arana on “I Am not Ashamed” (Rom.1:16); Pastor Cayat “An Effective Voluntary Ministry” (1 Cor. 9:15-27); Pastor Fabro “Paul’s Triumphant Testimony” (2 Tim. 4:4-6); tonight we will hear Pastor Elupre speak on “Volunteers must be people of priority” (Matthew 28:16-20) and Pastor Dinampo “The People had the mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6).
“A VOLUNTEER FOR JESUS” is this year’s Missions Conference theme. I appreciated the way Pastor Gilbert opened the service, he emphasized that there are those who are “called,” and yet God also accepts and cherishes those who VOLUNTEER. Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Words that are not so easy to say considering the difficulties involved. I praise the Lord for all missionaries who have heeded the call and have gone where I could not. I thank God that somehow we can become partakers of their fruit when we pray for them and share what little we can give.
As we stood, sometimes served, sang, and occasionally sat to rest— Dan and I couldn’t help but thank the Lord as well, for those in GLBC who volunteered time, talent and treasure for our missionaries. What we could no longer do, someone else in church has volunteered and lovingly done. It was an extra treat to behold all of these. Yes Lord, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace” and how beautiful also were the hands of thy people I thought, as they served these men and women of beautiful feet!
Let me end with excerpts from Sunday’s choir specials:
“Who’ll go and help this Shepherd kind, Help Him the wandering ones to find:
Who’ll bring the lost ones to the fold? Where they’ll be sheltered from the cold.”
Give me a heart that is tender; Give me a heart that will pray
Give me a heart that will give, will go-- Give me a heart that will humbly obey.
“Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring”
May the Lord continue to give His word free course and may we freely allow Him to course it through us.
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