Chronicles of a Staff Worker Dec. 2

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Today is a very tiring day.

It started very early in the morning and ended a few minutes before midnight. But I continue to praise God because though physically I'm exhausted, I'm spiritually high for the Lord.

It was my first time to joined DCBC's workers' prayer meeting today. Ate Jak reminded me of this two days ago but I didn't read her text message thoroughly. I didn't understand that the meeting was set on a Thursday (today) and so I actually went to our meeting place yesterday.

I was a day early for the prayer meeting!

With this blunder, however, God gave me the opportunity to pray for people while I walked back to U.P. from Philcoa. I'm determined to digest text messages next time.

Fast forward today.

I woke up at 6:30 a.m. today and was late for the actual prayer meeting. I asked Darwin to wake me up and he did,  but I refused to rise from bed because I still felt very sleepy. When I finally rose from my slumber, I panicked because I didn't have enough time to prepare for the prayer meeting.

If I took a bath, I'll be very late so I just rinsed my face and brushed my teeth. I changed my clothes and pants and I was off to the prayer meeting.

I reached Jollibee a full 20 minutes late. But lo and behold! I was just the third one to arrive. I was actually relatively early. Pastor Bel was already there, of course, and with him was Ate Jak. He was sipping coffee and Ate Jak just finished her pancake.

I ordered breakfast-- longanisa, egg and pineapple juice-- and finished my meal while waiting for the other members of the group.

All in all, Ate Junet, Kuya Ebet, Kuya Caloy, Kuya Chris, Ate Jak, Kuya Jess, Pastor Felix, Kuya Armin, myself and Pastor Bel were present. After a hearty breakfast, we shared our praises and concerns and prayed for one another.

I enjoyed the wonderful time of prayer and fellowship. Though I was very sleepy after the meeting, I felt warm and happy because of the encouraging stories from my fellow workers.

Bencio right after our Bible Study at Ipil

After the prayer meeting, I went back to our house to prepare for my Bible study with Bencio. I needed to review the material which I had prepared the previous week. We tackled 1 John 1:1-5 today and talked about sin, holiness and the Christian walk.

Bencio asked me to move our BS to an earlier time slot because he had other meetings for the day. We spent time catching up with each other before really starting our study of the passage. Bencio was tired with all the physical activities and responsibilities in his organizations, but he said he always looked forward to learning more about God through our BS every Thursday.

I was also blessed when he said he committed to be with Mike and Jayvee every Thursday morning for  breakfast and prayer time. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to get to know one another better and to really practice accountability. Praise God!

We finished our Bible Study at around 12:30 and Bencio had to rush to his 1 p.m. class. I, on the other hand, stayed behind to finish my talk for Sampaguita Christian Fellowship. I was assigned to answer the question, "How can a good God tolerate Evil?"

I was in the final league of my talk and so spent a little over an hour finishing my manuscript. I then went to the Shopping Center to have it printed and photocopied. My talk was meant for an evangelistic meeting because the Sampa ladies had invited dormmates to join them in the fellowship tonight.

Mark during the Missions Exposure Trip in October

After finishing all my writing work, I went to buy oranges at SC for Mark and Anthony. Anthony is recovering from colds while Mark is suffering from a mysterious headache. I'm concerned about him because he had been suffering from a throbbing pain at the back of his head for two days now. He went to see a doctor at the Infirmary today and was given medicine to alleviate the pain and to de-clog his sinuses.

According to Mark, the Doctor said his clogged sinuses are causing the headache. Let us continue to pray for healing for him.

I slept for around an hour at home before heading off to my second BS with Marko. I was supposed to meet Trex and Dan also, but both were busy with academic requirements and personal concerns. In the end, only Marko showed up, but we continued our Bible Study nonetheless. We tackled the same topic on sin, holiness and the Christian walk, but unlike Bencio's BS, I had to shorten my discussion with Marko because I needed to be at Sampa before 7 p.m. Marko also needed to be at KalCF before seven to help his fellow Kalbrig prepare for the first freshmen fellowship this semester.

At 6:45 p.m., I was pacing the length of the Main Library towards Sampaguita Dorm. Tonight's also the "Pailaw" ceremony, when U.P. formally lights up its lanterns for the yuletide season. I didn't have the time to join the throng in front of AS lest I be late for my speaking engagement.

(left to right) Ate Gina, Ate My, Bubble, Gay and Kit

At Sampa, I texted Ate Gina to inform her I was waiting for them infront of the dormitory. She said they'll join me in a while. I scanned my notes one more time while waiting for the hosts, rehearsing the speech in my mind. The Sampa ladies would receive the full text of my talk and an essay on salvation which they could share to fellow dormers and friends.

Sampaguita Christian Fellowship shared the Gospel room to room yesterday and invited people for the evangelistic Fellowship. Though they failed to visit every room because of manpower challenges, it was very encouraging to hear their stories and praises on the activity. Some met atheists and followers of false religions who discussed critical issues with them. Despite discouraging comments, I praise God for the realizations He gave each one.

The most striking was a unified affirmation of the need to know Christ and His Word more. Ate Gina articulated it fully when she said, "I claim to be a follower of Christ but I don't know much about Him. I am challenged to know more about Jesus and my faith."

This declaration also came after Gay shared about her experience with the GDMD followers. This cultic group had been spending time in the university talking about their wrong interpretation of the Bible. Gay stood firm in defending the faith. After the experience, however, she was more determined to share the Gospel to people. She said, "Instead of those GDMDs sharing in the Sunken Garden, we Christians must be more zealous in sharing Christ!"

These ladies encouraged me a lot. They said they learned many things from my talk, but I have to acknowledge that I learned more from them. I was reminded of the Great Commission and the role each Christian had towards its fulfillment. My heart's passion for evangelism was reignited because of them. Thank you, Lord, for Sampa!

Kit led the praise and worship during Sampa's fellowship