Expanding My Territory: 31: The Kick Off

I turned 31!!!

Yes, on the 10^th of April, while my parents celebrated their 32^nd wedding anniversary, I gracefully turned 31.

Quiet. That’s how I always wanted my birthdays to be, and quiet it was. Except of course, that my heart could not contain the explosion of joy in my heart for how the Lord has shown me grace through the years. This reminds me of a verse from a song I so love to sing:

Were it not for grace, I can tell you where I’d be

Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere

With my salvation up to me

I know how that would go, the battles I would face

Forever running but losing the race

Were it not for grace

And grace it is, too, that I do what I do now. April is Youth Camp month and God had lined up for me my engagements. These kicked-off my year!

I had three youth camp engagements over the past two weeks. I am blessed to have had the time and the energy to speak at the said events. One was on the topic “Come and Find Rest, another was on Missions and last Friday, I conducted a storytelling workshop with a group of young people.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit is what enables me. Speaking about ‘resting’ to a group of energized young people was a challenge. But I trust that His word always achieves it purposes and I am certain that the sowing will have its time of harvest.

The young people at ETCSD Camp, listening to my lecture on Storytelling

One of the things I always look forward to when I have such engagements are the traveltimes. Bus rides are always my best times, like how I mentioned it in my previous post. However, for the past two weeks, I had interesting travels. For example, to reach Baja-baja, I had to ride a pump boat, walk a few hundred meters through the bushes and climb steep stairs up the hills.

The Oh-so-challenging route to Baja-baja Baptist Church

Last Wednesday, I challenged young people to respond to missions at a youth camp in Naga-Angela, Cadiz City. To get there, I had to take the bumpy tricycle ride through the sugarcane fields at about 7 in the evening. The sky was star-strewn. The night was beautiful….until, the motor died. We got to the venue on time, and thankfully, I discovered how much peace I have in the dark.

The young people at Naga-Angela , during the Circuit John Youth Camp
where i spoke about Missions

My best time was taking an hour ride through the mountains of Don Salvador Benedicto on a motorcycle on my way home from another youth camp last Friday. Beholding God’s wonderful work is an experience that adds to my wonder and faith in Him. It was my first long-distance bike ride and I enjoyed every second of it. I’d like to make mention of my friend, Pastor John who made it possible for me to take that ride… and be home in one piece. Ha!!!!