p a s t o ♛ e j

Since we stepped into ministry, we have encountered countless surprises. This weekend's encounter is one.


Untamed Waves. During the baptism, we were slapped by the biggest waves than what we can't almost handle. Seventeen eagerlz said yes to the prophetic gesture of being released into ministry. And it was a perfect time to illustrate a Biblical truth. We wanted to experience Biblical moments... Ha!


Unknowingly Intruded. The least we expected was theft. Cellphones, wallets, napsacks. We were imparting, receiving, renouncing, celebrating--and the devil got his way. Whew! Blessings and freedom overtook anyway. Soli Deo gloria!


Unrelenting Perseverance. I missed Kabacan today for health concerns that should have kept me rested. Nonetheless, God has orchestrated ways of letting me minister. Preaching at Matina was a perfect testimony of God's strength that allow me to:
•receive His calling
•carry His presence
•release His power


Strength... It is a necessity to unpredictable ministry--that His Name be completely glorified!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Finally, I get to post the shots at last Yuppies' Night, 2nd of April, at McDonald's-JP Laurel. I only had twelve trying-to-be-smart snaps of the activity. We were asked to go paparazzi-mode and get shots of each other on the condition that no face is taken. Steal photos on body parts or accessories only. I tried to get the highlight of select yuppies for me to remember them easily when asked to identify the owner. Barely two weeks now, I could no longer recall who these celebrities were. That was a chaotic night!

If that's you somewhere, just lemme know. I' have a secret to tell you. Yeah, exclusive for these photo owners. By the way, Lalai won the activity by fourteen whopping identified shots in a minute! My shutterbug of a sister!

Since being in the youth pastoral team in Buhangin Community Center, I have been blessed to eat out a lot more than stress myself with planning. Well, it’s more converse than what I just said, but it feels more of the fun side now than tough. It’s true, building rapport has changed much of our leadership strength. And, tonight, our meeting at Coffee Cat was more of unloading and listening to one another. I had always been friends with Micah since way back when, but now I could really testify more of the evident strength of God in her life. What seem to tear her apart has always been powerless by the sustaining grace God freely affords her. And there was Val, Indai, Ombeng. These guys rock. They are all working people (Now, I am, too! ) yet they lavish so much time for the work of God. I am blessed. We meet the Yuppies (young professionals at church) monthly, but the youth only know so much about the core leaders they look up or pass by–stars in their own right, for the yuppies, a secret team star of five edges.

Sifting sand and shifting hands--natural phenomena in the G12 Vision.

Sifting sand--now in the habit of trying to find the gold ores of faith amidst estuarine rocks--I get to expose the faith--the real one in me! For a moment now, I'm believing for stuff and doing things that I can actually and only fruit in the natural. Sunday, I came home--you got it--to my senses: I was ([was] that's not so long ago) actually living a life not my own--someone not unknown (magulo noh?)--someone presumed extinct--someone expected obsolete--but one I was trying to revive: Rejoice Lagat-in-the-previous-level. Now pebbling in me precious dusts of faith, I am strengthened inside. Our most recent Klosel (my favorite spelling for the Eagurlz's primary close cell, which I'm fond of calling K-Night) was the culprit. Anointed yata yung Jollibee couch! Haha. The girls and I were up for a night of program designing for the next two big events in our ministries (sense of ownership?)--Reload's fourth year anniversary (I will be speaking! And I'm thrilled!); and the presentation of my Twelve's Twelves--the Eagurlz144's Night. We were expecting a night of shaping the skeletons. Seeing my governors in their excitement--I saw just that--ado.

All eyes on me--I said, "Hey! Thanks for the excitement--but can you please verbalize the glitters in your eyes?" However, I still did the wording--Pressure. Positive maybe, still, it's pressure. Most of them committed that they can form their twelves by June fourteenth.

G12 Lessons (by the Eagurlz--haha!):
1. Do things with the right motivation--I remember forming my twelve in December 31, 2007. Past three years in the G12 Vision, I knew in my heart it was my season to build the altar. It wasn't out of pressure because some One-Four-Four gathering was up. It was the year's fruition--the year's offering to the Lord. Twelve. Col3:23.
2. Build a Team of Twelve that will govern the next generation of leaders. Forming the twelve is not about complying the demands of an ambitious leader. It is not rush. It is not an event. It is a preparation for the next level of ministry. It is about catering the coming of the pre-(new-)believers--the next line of twelves--their preparation, heart and capacities will enable the rooming for the next, next line of twelves. Preparation is key.

Feeling the lack of preparation since most of our girls are still in their provinces, I lipped off the movement of the gathering to a new date. (siyempre, mejo hesitant pud ko ato--kay gusto man pud nila dayunon--but I was after the lasting and more effective result--painfully, through waiting--and more waiting--nakaka-relate ba kau?). Sure, the girls would be back at the end of this month; would be having enough finances for our supposed beach-cocktail party; will be staying on the fourteenth--since it's a holiday weekend--nonetheless, the entire heart preparation is not enough. Also, the network will be spearheading the anniversary come June 26th--which will require us extensive precipitation of our ideas, time, labors and (again) finances.

Hmmm...

We were weighing things. Taking them out. And weighing them again. Tough.

Arrive July, we will be starting the next Pre-Encounter (batch 17). August--the presentation of the 144s. September--Sunog Mindanao III. Yes, quite a busy quarter. Mas busy dapat sa prayer ano?

Wazzup this June? Shifting hands! My doce (that night, called themselves "Doc's" short for DOCe, "c" sounds as "k"--feeling doctors na sila--Ako naman daw talaga ung "Gov" kasi ako naman ang part ng primary twelve... But honestly, I like the sound and feeling of mama better... myrej, mrej, or terej... it sounds pamilyang-pamilya... P.Rej evolved recently kasi the network leaders are now called network pastors... pero, parang lumayo yata ako sa mga anak ko! Haaay... name calling! Enough for the detour...)--planned to meet their girls... re-align them with the vision (you know what summer can do! haha); most of them going back to the PEPSOL process.

Then, one of the doc's (can't remember exactly who said it--super maingay kasi kami--brain storming--tsaka feathering !!!) suggested that we start the Pre-Encounter this June since a lot are ready but were not able to join the summer Encounter (kasi umuwi nga *wink*) while waiting for the 3rd Q's Enc naman would be straining na... We'd have an early Encounter this July and meet after a week for a network celebration--which will be the presentation of twelves!

Ang taas ng faith noh? Wow. My girls' feathers now have grown. (from an eagle song)

Wooooh!

They were volunteering for the Pre-Enc teaching loads. We'd be having the Pre-Enc during Conquest Night skeds--5pm/Sundays. (My girls are power preachers, by the way! The Conquest Nights exposed it! Thank you Holy Spirit! You are the Reason.)

And oooohh--what excited them more was the Encounter lessons--they want to teach. I can feel it in their Spirit. And I can confirm in the Spirit, too, that they are ready (and will be preparing more) to minister. So we checked the Encounter lessons and made assignments! (Indeed, we were soaring in faith that Jollibee Night!)

We reviewed the goals--at least 60 Eagurls for the July 10-12, 2009 Encounter. The Take OFF (144's Night) will be a week after--no longer the fancy beach-cocktail party--but a simpler gathering at BCC. We'll be in our pyjamas and pica-pica food nalang while gathered on mattresses (sana may mahiraman kaming air beds! haha...). We'll be listening to Ptr. Merlyn's exhortation after some kantahan, kulitan (sure yan!), games, manicure-pedicure(-kulot?) sessions... SPArty!



Ito pala lahat ung excitement sa mga mata nila... Di rin nila alam... Pero pinabasa din ni Lord sa 'min nung lumalim na ang gabi... Really, sometimes, there are things that thrill us to the gut, but we don't know it...
-until we spend time with God and (xempre time din with His people *wink*);
-until we learn our lessons;
-until we're ready for it.

At a loss for words...

Lord, help us.

We wrote the desires (plans na actually) and laid our hands on them. We were all so passionate in the intercession--abi namo naa lang mi sa BCC! We were at Jollibee! Hahaha. Mabuti nalang, solo namin ung room! Haha.

Until now... I am humbled by my girls' faith and the leading of the Holy Spirit. These are still plans--let God honor it. If He makes shifts again--super okay parin--as long as He's leading the flight.

:>

Eagurlz Take OFF!!!


ps: me at the end of penning this blog:

(one of three blogs I wish to pen this week… okay, congratulate me kay nadasig napud!)

just finished editing the video compilation of my girls' one-liner testimonies... haha, natuwa ako... finally, i figured out how chroma-keying is done!
it's going to be a full night this friday, noh? (talking to myself...) we're still half-way the preps, but as the global-melancholy that i am, i take more lakwatsa sa net, than preparing... and xempre, on-my-knees and facedown sessions are musts!

some things make this coming reload different:

i. "Ptr. Ave Moment" (Ate Raya translated his fam name into English--Ptr. I-thought--galing ni Ate Raya! Haha, pero it doesn't lessen the fact that we honor our leaders... hm... come, let's reason together! wahaha!) i thought we're hosting the 24th's... and just last sunday, Bem checked the sked for me--it's gonna be this friday na... so, we're cramming (as we usually do!)... nakaka-score na naman ang pressure sa akin... at least, it brings out the best (in me? in-us nalang!)... nagiging best friend ko na yata... (a new friend from an old company, huh?)

ii. "walang puyatan"—pero whole day work nga lang… not-to-mention the breaks!!! But since we’re still in advent, di natin alam... pero so far, all arranged naman... what else are yet-to-be-done? Ppt Presentation? (pics are ready—it’ll be final by friday); Outline (half-way through; revelations keep coming!); stage deco (the girls are doing it tonight); Dance Presentation (Jing's the girl!); Program (my ever trusted Langga & Kilet); PAW (Toto's leading); Announcement Media (Allyza & me are doing it mamaya!)Haay… I sooo love my girls!

iii. "something old, something new" --what's something old?--the basics... prayer... prayer... prayer... and a little conceptualizing!!! Since the theme is Warrior Chicks--the environmental theme would be China--as in Mulan! Why? Hmm... See you sa Reload!!!
Something new naman... Ung Chroma-Keyed video! (halata ba'ng ang saya ko talaga? waaah....); and the remix of chinese songs for the dance which Jing asked of me... my first time to edit, and i think i'm enjoying it!

iv. and... haha... i'm blogging before the event happens! (okay, sorry for the usually late Reload blogs especially the Jacob-Rachel one...)

you might ask, bakit ba kina-career naming sobra ang Reload? For the Eagurlz (and the whole youth reload, I believe), it’s WORSHIP. Whatever we do—whether we speak, dance, sing, challenge an offering, usher people, act, write scripts, edit videos, capture God-moments with a camera, manage media or intercede—it’s all Worship before the King. And we long for every turn that we get to do it… (once a month by the way! And a rest in January and May!) It’s also SERVICE. We get to serve the Church—the reloaders in bringing the Message to this generation. And, it’s FUN… bonding and consolidation for everyone! Whatever we do, masaya naman—that’s because you like the people you’re with… Ganyan din cgro sa heaven noh? You get to be with the people you like (and love!) for like, forever! (Reload preps pa nga lang, masaya na! Imagine life na bawal ang word na “end!”)

so thanks guys for sharing the excitement with me... there's one thing that i'd like you to do, though... and please do it over (plus over plus over and over plus again--kahit until this Fri lang!): Please pray for us!

Much thanks!


So, cge, gtg, allyza's coming na! toodles! ;)

discussion will be posted not later than Feb13, 2010...