Palau Report

When i went to Palau last week, i went there for funeral. But before i left, i prayed that instead of just making it going there for funeral, i also wanted to consider it as mission trip. I arrived in Palau on Monday night, (April 06, 2009). on Tuesday late morning, i rented a pick up and went to the village and there, i started working, helping my families and relative until we buried the body on Saturday. On Sunday morning, i had a chance to join my youth group to sing at the church. Now i want to give you a little tour of how my youth group handle our ministries on every second Sundays of the months.

FIRST, WE SING TWO SONGS IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH

THERE IS ALWAYS A TIME AFTER THE CHURCH TO POSE OUR GQ STYLETHEN, WE WILL GATHER UP AND DEACON WILL READ SOME BIBLE STORY WHILE WAITING FOR OTHERS MEMBERS TO COMETHEN, WE WILL DIVIDE OUR GROUP INTO FOUR BEFORE WE GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MINISTRY.ONCE WE GET TO THE HOSPITAL, THE FIRST THING WE DO IS TO SING EITHER ONE OR TWO SONGS, THEN WE PRAY AND SPLIT TO OUR GROUPS.ONCE WE SPLIT OUR GROUPS, THEN WE WILL VISIT THE PATIENCE IN THE HOSPITAL AND PRAY FOR THEM. FOR THIS PARTICULAR SUNDAY, IT WAS EASTER SO WE SHARED MORE ABOUT THE RESURRECTION AND ABOUT THE EASTER.

ON THIS MINISTRY, I WITNESSED TO ONE PATIENCE AND HE RECEIVE CHRIST AS HIS SAVIOR. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE PATIENCE WHO ALSO ASSURED HIS SALVATION. IT WAS A VERY BLESSING MINISTRY.

MY PRAYER WAS TO WITNESS TO MY MOM, BUT I KNOW THAT GOD HAD A DIFFERENT PLAN FOR ME OVER THERE IN PALAU. WITNESSING TO MY MOM IS IN GOD'S TIME. I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON HER. PRAY FOR HERE PLEASE BECAUSE HAS NOT RECEIVE SALVATION YET.
AFTER WE FINISHED OUR MINISTRY AT THE HOSPITAL, WE COME TOGETHER AND HAVE LUNCH. WE ENJOYED OUR HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI AND SOME TOSTITOS CHIPS.
AND LAST, WE ENJOYED OUR FELLOWSHIP THROUGH SPORTS LIKE BASKETBALL. WE USUALLY PLAY PING PONG OR TABLE TENNIS BUT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT AT THIS MOMENT.

WHAT I WAS SO HAPPY ABOUT IS THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF NEW FACES THAT I DID NOT KNOW. THIS MEAN THAT THERE WERE NEW MEMBERS THAT JOINED THEM AFTER I LEFT LAST YEAR. MOST OF THEM ARE YOUNG. I ASKED ONE OF THE OFFICER AND HE SAID THAT THE YOUNGER ONES WENT TO SCHOOL TO INVITE THEIR FRIENDS, SO THIS IS THE RESULT OF THEIR WORKS. IT REALLY MAKES ME PROUD OF THEM.

I LOVE YOU ALL SHALOMERS AND I MISS YOU ALL.

First Actual Sermon

On March 29, 2009, It was my first preaching in the church and it was kind of challenging for me because the environment was totally different. It was not like inside the classroom. The audience were real audience and the sermon was not for grading but was for the people who are coming to church to seek God's Word and also the answer for their problems outside the church. I was little nervous at the beginning, but when 4 to 5 minutes passed by, i started to feel comfortable of the pulpit and also the preaching to the Christians. I thought i was only preaching for 15minutes but i went beyond 20 minutes but did not hit the 30minute mark which was good for everyone. I felt so comfortable when i was preaching. it was so natural for me that my comfort was like i was playing basketball in this campus with my brothers. I then started wishing that only if the school will just grade me for preaching and nothing else. I just finished my second sermon on preaching class today and it was a narrative sermon. My passage was Judges 3:12-30 which talks about Ehud "the lefty" and king Eglon. Oh, for my passage on the sermon that i did in Palau Church over here in Guam was in 1 Peter 2:13-24 and my topic was "Turn Sufferings into Blessings". Preaching is not hard. The only thing that makes it hard, actually, the only thing that makes it dangerous is that when a preacher do not study the context and the passage well. Many times i always wish i can preach every sunday, but that means that i have to stop focus on my studyings. I like preaching, but I have to have more free times. i want to spend at least 7 hours on my sermon or passage. I am a person that does not look at the outlines when i preach. even though i fix my outline and put it in front of me when i start preaching, i still forget to look at my outline. Is it dangerous? well, yes for other preachers but no for me. the reason why it is no for me, is because i already equip the main point and the topic that i want to talk about when i preach. so the only thing that i do is to look at the passage. I mess up when i structure a my sermon on the paper. Even when i write my sermon on the paper, i still will not follow it. i just read the written sermon twice or three times and then i leave it on the pulpit or the table and start preaching while reading the passage on the bible. But anyways, my first sermon at the Palau Church was challenging but was a blessing for me. God has answered my prayer for allowing me to preach on the pulpit.

Updating blog

As you can see, i have not update my blog for over a week. The reason is because i went to Palau this Easter Break, not for break, but for some family matters. I just came this morning and i am very tired and over exhausted from the works that i did in Palau and the returning flight to Guam, and at the same time, going to Cross Culture Communicatiion Class this morning without a good rest. Moreover, i am on a cleaning crew today so i just finished working. The next time you will see my post, i will be posting the ones that i have not posted like my first actual sermon at Palau Church in Guam and the PIBC Days events. At the same time, i will post something that happened in Palau. Ok... i have to go now. pretty soon my eyes gonna pop out for not resting enough.