Golden Nuggets

Another benefit from being a part of IFES World Assembly 2015 was the privilege of hearing fresh perspectives on God's Word. The way that the Bible sessions were presented made the scripture come alive. It would be difficult to share all that we heard, but here are some truths which stood out to me:

Light shaft in the middle of a cave

Luke 5:1-11
Jesus used His power to create fullness where there was emptiness, though His Word

Matthew 8:23-26
Our lives are not free of difficulties, but Jesus is always with us in the midst of them. Difficulties come to teach us a lesson, and we should not hesitate to call on Jesus when we feel overwhelmed.

Ancient pyramid

Philippians 1:1-26
Paul's prayers are full of joy and thankfulness instead of anxiety, despite the Philippians' suffering, and his own imprisonment. He saw God's good work in their lives in the past, and trusted that it would continue to the future.

Paul didn't pray for circumstances to change, but that fruit would grow

The gospel of Christ gives us a reason to live, despite the circumstances we may find ourselves facing.

With Jesus at the center, both life and death have reason. We can live more freely because we have no fear of death.

At the Botanical Gardens

Daniel 1
In the midst of difficult situations, we may be tempted to think that God has abandoned us, but in reality, He is not missing in action. He is in the midst of our crisis, and is able to move the hearts of even pagan kings to accomplish His purposes.

We should be prepared to engage with our culture in order to demonstrate the wisdom of God, instead of choosing the ease and comfort of blending in.

Orchids of every shape and color

Acts 4:29
They did not pray that the threats would stop, but that they would be bold enough to witness in spite of them. The One we pray to is worth living, and dying for.

Daniel 3
God did not just deliver Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - He stood with them in the midst of their most difficult experience.

The faithful do not always escape the fire.

God may not always deliver in the way we expect, but He will always be with us.

Japanese garden

Philippians 1:27 - 2:18
A radically transformed attitude is what enables us to live as citizens of the Kingdom. We must cultivate and practise humility of the mind.The meaning of your life is determined by the thinking to which we belonged. A radically transformed attitude is what enables us to live as citizens of the kingdom.

Philippians 4:10 – 21 

The ‘all things’ that Paul referred to which are possible through Christ was being content in every situation. We must learn how to live in difficult or joyful circumstances. In his time of need, Paul did not think about himself, but the needs of others. We must be generous in our relationships, demonstrating our care and concern in tangible ways. It is not about the size of the gift to those in need, but the attitude of the heart.

Paul realised that he had to rely on God, rather than people, to meet his needs; his joy was not dependant on their gift. He had to learn to have a lifestyle based on contentment – it did not come naturally. In a society that excludes God, contentment is very difficult, as there is always a desire for more.

Italian gardens

Philippians 2:25-20

Christian ministry must be done in love. The stewardship of affection transcends cultures. It makes the gospel attractive to outsiders, as we reach out to them.

When God is on your side...

If there is one truth that stood out to me as I look back over the experiences of the preparations leading up to and actually being a part of World Assembly it is this: when God is on your side, there is NOTHING that can stand in His way.

When we were first encouraged by one of our Board Directors, Sister Joan Purcell, to submit six names as possible attendees to World Assembly 2015, it was a huge step of faith. Even after receiving two partial scholarships from IFES, we had no clue how we were going to raise the funds needed. Each delegate was responsible for raising support to cover their airfare, but even with this, ISCF Grenada still needed to source $12,000EC to cover the outstanding expenses. And we only had six months to do it.

Through the hard work and dedication of our Fundraising Committee, the support of our many volunteers and the generosity of a few donors locally and abroad, we were not only able to meet our target, but were able to assist a delegate from another movement in our region who was in need!

Philippians 4:19 - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus

ISCF Grenada representing in Mexico!

In an effort to minimize our expenses, we booked a flight that would take us through Venezuela and Panama before we got to Mexico. This too was a step of faith, since none of us had ever been to Venezuela before, and our fluency in Spanish was very limited. However, with the backing of our prayer supporters, we bravely set out, depending on God to be with us every step of the way.

My biggest concern was our connection in Venezuela. We planned to fly in with Caribbean Airlines, and depart using Copa Airlines. In an industry where delays and lost luggage are daily realities, this was a risky venture - if we missed our connection in Venezuela, neither airline would have compensated us. But God did not disappoint, as we all arrived safely in Mexico, with our luggage intact, despite a two hour delay in Panama! Gloria a Dios!

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Setting foot in Venezuela for the first time!

Hope and I arrived two days before the start of the main conference, so she could be a part of the Student Gathering. She was the youngest student there, as the majority of the other participants were university students. It was also the first time she had been away from home for so long, and she was starting to feel homesick.

By the third day however, the students from the Caribbean region had welcomed her as part of the family. Despite her young age, they included her on all their wild limes... sorry I mean exuberant social activities ;) In addition, the openness and camaraderie afforded by the small groups helped her to apply the bible teachings in a real and personal way. We thank God for the fellowship afforded by being a part of the body of Christ!

Philippians 1:3 - I thank my God every time I remember you.

Can you feel the love from the family of God?!

When packing for Mexico, I treated it like I was going on a mission trip. I walked with my basic cold medication, even though I had not gotten sick in a long while, just in case I couldn't identify the brand of tablets in a Mexican Pharmacy. Well, God knew I would need it, because I got hit hard a few days after arriving in Mexico. Thank God my roommate didn't mind sleeping with the AC off otherwise I would not have been able to breathe at nights. I was coughing a lot, and I was a bit concerned since I was responsible for chairing the session on Prayer for the Global University. Once more I got my prayer supporters on board and, although I was not fully recovered by the time we had the prayer session, I was able to speak without coughing into the people's microphones :)

Hope doing a flute solo at the session on
Prayer for the Global University

Apart from being a Healer, God was also our Protector. After the prayer session we broke up into groups to go on various tours to experience life in Mexico outside of the hotel compound. Hope signed up for a tour at the very last minute, so she didn't know anyone else who chose that tour. They stopped for lunch at a park, and she lay down on a bench and fell asleep. When she woke up, she realised that everyone else had left her and gone into town except for one man. We thank God that He was looking out for her, even when we were not around.

Philippians 4:14 - Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

In booking our return flight from Mexico, it was cheaper to overnight in Panama en route to Trinidad. We had planned to spend the night in the airport, since we didn't have any contacts in Panama and felt that staying at a hotel would be beyond our means.

However, upon arrival at Immigration in Panama, one officer seemed take issue with our plans to sleep on their airport floor. She was not willing to let us through, since we could not prove that we had any place to stay. It was very unexpected, because I have personally slept in the airport in Panama on numerous occasions and it was never an issue before. By this time, we were the only passengers left in immigration, and all the other officers tried to intervene on our behalf. Finally, in exasperation, the officer said, "Ok if you want to sleep on the floor and spend the whole day on the airport (our flight was leaving the following night) - go ahead!"

When we got to the baggage claim, one of the officers who was involved in the discussion suggested to us a cheap hotel which was nearby, saying that it would be really uncomfortable for us to stay in the airport, even with our sleeping bags. We took the information, and were able to get a hotel that offered us free transportation from the airport, and accommodation with a complimentary breakfast buffet for only $22US per person!

Hope had become upset because of the attitude of the Immigration Officer, but I was able to show her that, if she had not behaved so aggressively, we would have spent the night and entire day in the airport, instead of sleeping in cozy beds in air-conditioned comfort, with a couple hours to experience Panama City!

Philippians 1:12 - Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel

View from the rooftop pool deck of our hotel!

When I reflect and consider how God has worked on our behalf, I am truly in awe of His faithfulness. GREAT IS OUR GOD!!!!

How was Mexico?

This is a question that has been asked over and over again since I returned from IFES World Assembly 2015, which was held in Mexico.

There is no simple answer to this question. There is no way I could summarize the experience in one word, or sentence, or paragraph, or Power Point presentation, or blog post. But, for the sake of those who don't have the opportunity to sit with me for half an hour to hear how I was impacted, I will try to answer the question...

It was WARM and WELCOMING

Welcome Room with traditional Mexican decorations

Our hosts COMPA did an exceptional job of making us feel at home in Mexico. Even before we arrived, they promptly answered our emails and assured us that we would be well taken care of. When our flight was delayed for two hours, causing us to arrive at the airport at 1am, they were right there waiting to welcome us to our new home for the next few days.

The Welcome team at the airport

Even the staff at the hotel where we stayed were so hospitable. Although it could be said they were just 'doing their job', they did it so well! There was one day when the sun was blazing hot one minute, and then suddenly the sky turned dark and there was a heavy downpour, complete with lightning and thunder. We were having dinner at the time, and after being entertained by our COMPA hosts with singing and dancing, it was time to go to the hall for our evening session. The hotel staff secured large umbrellas to escort us to the hall so we were able to get there in time despite the inclement weather.

Having fun while waiting for the rain to stop falling

It was WELL ORGANISED

I must commend the planning committee for pulling off a global event of this magnitude with such excellence. As someone who organises camps on a small scale, I cannot begin to imagine the immensity of the logistics involved in facilitating a conference for 1000+ delegates from more than 100 different countries. Yet our COMPA family was able to ensure that all necessary details were in place so that all we needed to do was to show up and participate! From the airport shuttles to registration to the main sessions to the seminars to the excursion, they ensured that everything ran smoothly.

Volunteers manning the registration table

It was WORLDWIDE

World Assembly brings together representatives from most of the countries where there is an established International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) presence. As a result of this, there were delegates there from literally all over the world, even countries where Christians are 0.01% of the entire population. At almost every meal time, I was able to sit with someone from a different country and engage with them. Some of the stories shared were truly eye-opening. In my small group, there were persons from countries I had only ever read about in my geography books. In spite of the differences in cultures, there was a real sense of unity among all the delegates that was manifest in our times of corporate worship, which gave a glimpse of what heaven would be like - people from every nation, tribe and tongue all giving praise to Almighty God!

Breakfast with new friends from Mozambique, Peru, Ecuador
and Germany, and this was just the first day!!!

It was WORTHWHILE

The Bible expositions on Daniel 1 and 3 and the book of Philippians... the small group discussions where participants shared openly and honestly about their experiences in their own contexts... the numerous testimonies which were shared where God showed up in the midst of difficult circumstances... the privilege of worshiping God together with believers from different denominations in different languages but in sweet unity... the seminars which allowed us to make practical applications on various topics... the new friendships which were initiated and can be easily sustained thanks to technology... it was more than worth all the efforts and resources which were invested to be a part of World Assembly 2015.

See if you can find me LOL

To get a visual feel of what the experience was like, you can click here

What was most impacting to me personally was the importance of being in consistent prayer for the persecuted church. I have heard firsthand of the ways that God is moving in some countries, despite the barriers which exist. As a member of the body of Christ, we have a responsibility to intercede for our brothers and sisters who do not enjoy the same religious freedom as we do.

1 Corinthians 12:26 - If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

World Assembly reminded me that we are indeed Together. In Christ. In Mission. In the University.