Renewed Commitment

Fresh from the foggy city of Baguio, I excellently rushed my script for a meeting set at 4pm in Dagupan. After three years of being part of the Graduate Team (GT) in Baguio, I finally I responded to the calling of being a GT member again, this time in my home province in Pangasinan. I would say that my response took so long, but the Lord, I believed, has forgiven my delay. And I embrace this opportunity of serving again, voluntarily, in the ministry of InterVarsity in Pangasinan for His glory.

Together with Gilbert, a passionate Christian friend and a former schoolmate, we proceeded with our first meeting. No students with us, yet. Yes, we are in pioneering stage, and without certainties, only backed up by the calling of serving God through campus ministry. We are also joined by Aiah, a younger graduate, who followed later. Ate Sel, a former staff, who is pregnant with her 2^nd baby, is also part of the team, but she cannot yet join us. But we have set meetings at their house for spiritual nurturing. We have a wonderful team, I must say.

What are we going to do? Where do we start? Well, it’s my idea that we held our first meeting over a cup of coffee. I need caffeine to keep me awake. Gilbert and I proceeded with knowing how our week has transpired, with our works, personal devotions, and our complaints and praises. Then we tried to study together Psalm 130, a heartfelt song of ascents, a prayer of hope.

It’s very refreshing to study the word together, doing a bit of OIA style of bible study. Not only is the word relevant to our personal lives; it’s also what we needed most at that time. HOPE. We are driven by hope to re-pioneer a student movement in Pangasinan universities.

First two verses show how the psalmist cried to the Lord for mercy. I couldn’t imagine how profound the “depth of his cry”, and from where he is coming from. But one thing is for sure, he is in dire need of God’s help and mercy. From captivity, from a place and situation full of unrighteousness, the psalmist pleads for mercy.

In the same way, as volunteer servants in the campus, it’s but through asking mercy and through prayer our action should start. Everything else MUST start in prayer, seeking where the Lord wants us to move and minister.

I should say we are already victor for our first meeting!

The second meeting, Gilbert and I went inside one campus. While Gilbert was waiting, he’d been doing a Jericho walk type of prayer, moving from every corner of the campus to pray. It was a delight to see such initiative. We really shouldn’t miss to pray. And the Lord granted us contactsJ.

As we were about to leave the campus, two students seemed to be “talking” about us. I suspected they just knew me, face familiar, something like that. So we approached them and introduced ourselves, and the quite long casual conversation took place until we bid goodbye having their numbers and schedules for the next meeting.

We’re just in the pioneering stage. I hope to herald more meaningful stories in the days ahead about how the Lord will work in and through us in the campus! Shalom. †