Thinking Out Loud
by Rachel Grace Jentapa, IVCF Staff in Iloilo City
I spent almost two weeks of September in Roxas City… visiting with students & graduates there. I was privileged to see how much they love God’s work… how much they love God because they have served Him in spite of their busy schedules… there are of course many reasons why they should not commit to serve God thru IVCF but they have stood on their feet & offered their lives to God… a GT volunteer has been recently diagnosed with a sickness… she is now preparing for her operation which must be done before this year ends… and yet, she offered her help & warm welcome to me when i was there… she gets easily tired nowadays but she has shown me that serving God is something that energizes her… i am deeply touched with her life… a student leader who also works so that his studies will be supported expressed his vulnerability in the face of all the challenges he is confronting… in his young mind and heart, he recognizes God’s amazing grace & mercy in his life and he committed himself to rebuild the fellowship in the college he is in… a student who was in such a turmoil and depression before actively leads her fellow students to know Christ more even as she journeys with Jesus in her daily life… another GT awaits for God’s leading & provision for her plans to pursue her studies and every day she struggles to show love and affection to her family who rejects her efforts to love them… the stories of these few people confronted me in my visit in roxas… there is nothing I can offer to them to ease their pain… I could not even offer them financial assistance… but in their lives i saw God’s transforming power at work, God’s grace & mercy overflowing to others through them… I remember 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
I got tired during the visit… the trip was painfully exhausting and of course I wasn’t able to get enough sleep for some time… I always do… hahaha… but all in all, the visit was worth it… I was able to visit the families of some of the graduates… i attended the activities of the chaplain’s office in Filamer Christian College… held a training for the ISCF student leaders in Filamer, 12 high school students attended… facilitated the Manuscript Bible Study of the Graduate Team – we studied Nehemiah 1 and learned painful truths about this person who challenged us to pray and be humble… the student leaders retreat of the college students from Filamer & Capiz State University was attended by 11 students… they saw how overwhelming the work set before them but they remained undaunted and bravely committed themselves to serve God thru their campus chapters…
The Lord has shown me through the lives and the loves of these people how He has been preparing Roxas for this awakening… I would like to believe that the many years of IVCF work here is now coming to fruition… I would like to claim that these students will brave the strongest storms and biggest waves of life’s trials and come out bringing glory to the name of Jesus… through their testimony, Iwas reminded of the highest honor one can ever gain – serving the King of kings…
