Day 4 July 6th
Today’s Prayer Focus: Pray for organization and Holy Spirit guidance for team and host team. Let’s also pray for encouragement for those team members who may be doubting their abilities. Invite God to show them how important their gifts are and the roles they play.
Today’s Update:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)
Today you could tell our team felt a little more awake and alive as the jet leg is finally starting wear off and we were ready. It was our last day of orientation and as we went over last minute details, what camp day to day will look like, and the excitement is at its peak point. We really focused on what it means to create a movement and revival in a nation that doesn’t know the Gospel. We also discussed true discipleship and what that will look like when we get to camp on Monday!
You could tell our entire team was leaning in with their ears and their hearts, including myself, completely engaged in what Rob (the missionary training us) had to say. One thing that stood out amongst the incredible knowledge and teaching he brought to the table was what really creates a movement among people. He said that, “Our ability to sing in suffering” can play an immense role in revival. He used examples from the book of Acts (Acts 5:40-41, Acts 16:22-25, Acts 9:15-16) and through these Bible verses it shows us how Jesus’s apostles through beatings, accusations, and imprisonment they all had one common expression: rejoicing where they were and worshiping the Lord through singing and prayer.
Wow... As we all pondered over this I think the team and I came to understand that through times of exhaustion, discouragement, and being in a place of hopelessness we can still rejoice and sing and dance because our Heavenly Father has already gone before us and paved our way through the bitterness and darkness that lies ahead. And through our “singing in suffering” the children around us or the people in general around us can see our response to situations and see the hope in our eyes which can bring light to their lives. Our greatest witness might be our ability to sing in suffering.
This was a great learning point of today and on top of that, the amount of knowledge we were blessed with to prepare our hearts for the coming week was incredible. The excitement is bubbling over as we get ready for Camp to begin!
Tomorrow we get to be apart of a Hungarian Church service at the local church we are teaming up with and it’s going to be amazing to see how this community gets together and praises the Lord. I’m so excited what’s in store for us and we are so thankful for all for the constant prayers that are coming our ways. Thank you to our community back home for believing in us and keeping us in your hearts and minds. The darkness might be here, but we are here to stand in the darkness and I know God’s light can outshine anything!
-Dion
