God is So Good

Feb 14, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 8

5:51 pm - Sitting on the stage watching CAA's (Concepcion Adventist Academy) marching band practice. My ears are throbbing from the drums and glockenspiel. They're pretty good. Especially some of the drummers. I posted a few pictures on Instagram. One of the girls plays the three tuned drums and has a lot of solos. She's really good.

Today I shared my testimony with the students. If you read my last post then you know I have regretted sharing barely any personal element in the first three sermons. But today I am praising God for the message He brought out of Jacob wrestling with the Angel and how it parallels my experience. I sure learned a great lesson myself! "What is your name?" -- God's question was a question of identity: "Who are you?" Jacob won the victory through surrender, by holding on and not letting go until God blessed him and forgave him and fulfilled His promises to Him. And God gave him a new name, a new identity. God knew Jacob's great sin against Esau ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you") but He loved him anyway and promised to fulfill His plan for his life. But it was Jacob's choice to surrender. Used Josie's song "I love You Anyway." God knows all our ugly self. But He loves us anyway and wants to fulfill His plan for our life. Surrender = victory. Saying yes to God and letting Him have control. And there is peace in surrender. It was good to learn and be reminded, and I know it reached hearts in a way the first three sermons could not. Praise the Lord!

I recorded the first two sermons. But these last two I brought my iPhone up to record, then forgot to hit record once I started. I don't mind; I was actually glad it was no longer foremost in my mind to do so.

This has been such an awesome learning experience. Thank You, Jesus, for teaching me, strengthening me, and breaking me. I love You. But only because You first loved me.

7:31 pm - Some of the girls here are quite mature for their age. I guess that's what you get when you start high school in grade 7 and go to school at a boarding academy in the high mountains.

9:36 pm - Oh, and they know three languages: Tagalog, Ilocano (dialect), and English. So cool.

Evening meeting over. It was powerful, praise the Lord! I think I know a bit more Japanese now too -- Pastor Imai has been teaching us.

Well we're just getting ready to go back soon. I'm tired. Praising God for a beautiful day He gave us today.

We're walking now :)