Reflecting on OJ mission trip

Oh OJ, how much I miss thee! The 2 hours packing, 10 hours endless rides with the repeated music, “The Vision”. The grave, the light out, the candles, boys and girls, the bullies, tears and laughter; the pork, the fires, the “shout for joy”; the Bible experience, the late night flight, late night talk; the confessions, the joy, the love....

It has been almost a mouth now since our OJ trip 2010, but my heart still beats strongly and stirs every time when I think of the friendships we have made, the creations we have enjoyed, the joy and peace we have all shared as being a child of God with the Creed youths and with the OJ team. What a wonderful fellowship with God and with those who loves Him.

That “SHOUT for joy” was relieved!

One song the Creed loved the most during the camp was “I Will Not Be Shaken” by Sonicflood. How much they loved this song? They loved it to a point that they asked Michael to play on his guitar every gathering; even Michael told the Creeds that his hand was burning from playing the same song over X10 in a roll already; but they simply didn’t care and said Michael was being lazy.

Yup, you get the idea how much they crave for the song and here I have captured some part of the lyric for your understanding:

“I will declare my choice to the nation.

I will shout for joy in the congregation.

I will worship God (or serve my God) All my days.....

....When the nations crumble

....The joy of the lord is my strength

....I will not be shaken”

What a wonderful promise that God has given us. It reminds me the verse from Psalms saying, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want....he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul....Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me ”.

Indeed, we will fear no evil even in the valley of death, because our heavenly Father, and the creator God, is with us! What a joy we have to know God, and have Jesus to complete the salvation plan, because God is love. No wonder we want to SHOUT for joy to the King! And this was exactly what the Creed did during the camp. They “SHOUT for joy” (very loudly), and they weren’t fated it. Their joy came from their inner heart to their outer expression. A lot of them understood the salvation and allow salvation works in their life. They not just “SHOUT for joy”, but also hunger in seeking for His words and the Truth.

I am bad in writing, and sorry if I can’t express well; but I was really touched by the Creed and missed them so much. God have taught me good lesson through the Creed because I thought to myself, do I have this crave and joy for God like the Creed? Maybe I have been missing out a lot and didn’t really understand how good our God is to ME personally even though I have been going to Church for many years; maybe I didn’t really understand how He can lead me beside quiet waters and can restores my soul; maybe I was just being the lawlessness worker for so many years, working so hard at the building or a community called Church, and have forgotten the very essential as being a transformed Christan: ’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’, and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. Following Jesus sometimes is just that simple and essential, and that’s the one essential thing I want to share with you. Although I have more to share, of course, I will keep it for next time ;).