I am in Manila, Philippines for the S4 Conference hosted by Global Surge, a ministry of BBFI missionary Greg Lyons. It is going to be a busy week, but I am looking forward to it. After a grueling 33 hours to get here (I had a guy sitting next to me on the last leg keep trying to sleep on my shoulder … uh, no) I arrived around midnight two days after I left. I walked out of the airport and was immediately slapped in the face by the heat and humidity. I am definitely not in Missouri anymore. The first thing I noticed was the amount of people. They were everywhere. It was midnight and as far as I could see were people and vehicles. My friend, missionary Jordan Nisly, was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and take me to where I would be staying for the week. It was only about a 10 kilometer (around 6 miles) ride but took close to an hour because of the traffic … at midnight.
After a great couple hours of sleep I met up with Greg and a few other guests from America for breakfast. A person can get spoiled pretty quick by these all you can eat breakfasts in Asia. It reminded me of the same type of breakfast from Korea a couple years ago, omelet station, pancakes, bacon, ham, several traditional
Filipino meats, fruit, yogurt, several types of bread, rice … I could keep going. Shortly after breakfast a group of us were taken about five hours north of Manila to the town Iba, Zambales to take part in a youth camp. The camp is part of the ministry of Impact Youth Worldwide and is owned by the Rawlings Foundation. I was blown away by the great facilities. I have heard of the Highlands Camps but this was my first time to see one.
Corey Lyons was our guide on the trip and did a great job showing us around the camp before the services got started. He explained the format of the two-day camp that basically goes non-stop for several months of the year. We were part of “Batch 68” which means it was their 68thcamp so far this season. The Global Surge Evangelistic Camp is expecting to see close to 80,000 students attend camp this year. The camp we participated in had around 700 students. The service was exciting, energetic, fun and most of all God-honoring. The four of us Americans were called to the stage to introduce ourselves and show of our dance moves, which the students laughed at. They really got a kick out of watching us attempt to eat balut. Let’s just say I am scarred for life. I will never see an egg the same way again. The best part of the night came at the invitation where almost half the students attending came forward where volunteers could talk to them one-on-one about their salvation. I do not know the final number but close to 200 students were saved that night.
After a short night’s rest at a local hotel we retuned for the second day of the camp. We got to see the students playing games, racing through obstacle courses, going down water slides and other outdoor activities. This would be a blast for westerners but for these Filipino students that live in one of the ten largest metros in the world, it is a trip of a lifetime. The camp concluded with a second evangelistic message and encouragement to get plugged in with the church that brought them as well as various ministries around metro Manila sponsored by Global Surge.
There are so many things that stood out from my first couple days here in the Philippines, but here are five things worth mentioning.
It is great to be around leaders.I don’t know who first said it but I agree that two of the primary ways a person changes is through the books they read and the people they meet. I love to read books but even more than that I like to meet new people and learn from others. There is just something special about being around leaders to “talk shop.” Whether it was during the ride to and from camp, enjoying a meal together ,or walking around the camp, I was learning. I was able to spend time with missionaries to the Philippines, a missionary to Australia, a pastor and worship pastor from El Paso, TX. Another popular phrase is show me your friends and I will show you your future. That is not just true for teenagers. It is also true for ministry leaders. As a challenge, think about who you surround yourself with. Are they making you a better Christian? A stronger leader?
Amazing things can be accomplished with great organization.I wish everyone could see the organization of this camp ministry. From the moment a bus drives through the front gate there is a plan. I have an engineering background and efficiency is important to me. I don’t think it was, but you would have thought a master industrial engineer designed the systems and processes. From getting each student checked in, room assigned, placed in a “team,” etc. it all was like clockwork. They were able to feed close to 700 students in around 30 minutes. Even the way the service and invitation was organized showed the value and passion to make sure everyone understood the gospel presentation. The most amazing part of the organization … 90% is done with volunteers, most of whom take a week off work to serve at the camp.
Speaking of volunteers, a third area that stood out was the intentional leadership pipeline.Every volunteer that I spoke with, every one, mentioned they were saved at the camp somewhere between one to fifteen years ago. Even one of the two preachers was a byproduct of the camp ministry being saved at the camp several years ago. In the DNA of this ministry is immediately plugging new believers into a place of service. This is a key component of their discipleship. One volunteer I spoke to has been at the camp since the first day this season. He has served 68 two-day camps. When asked about his salary, he literally giggled and said, “No salary.” He has served for months asking for nothing. He did not even see it as a sacrifice. He saw it as a way to point more people to Jesus. He also mentioned that he was saved at this camp and loves to now serve at this camp. Pastor friends, what is your leadership pipeline? How soon are you plugging new believers into a ministry of service?
Something else that stood out was the amount of hurting people at the camp. Our world is full of hurting people and this includes students. I was warned before I got to camp about the potential to see everything from gays, lesbians, and transgenders to gang members. And we saw it all. My heart was broken for many of the boys that were extremely flamboyant in their lifestyle. There were also teenage girls that looked barely old enough to be able to attend the camp with children of their own. In this regard, the camp was messy. When you are dealing with a broken and hurting world it gets messy. I am not going to lie, I was uncomfortable. It was awkward. It wasn’t what I am used to seeing in my “spiritual bubble.” Seeing some of these students walk forward and across the stage at the end of the service was very moving. Hearing testimonies of students that had been in that lifestyle or struggling with other sins that have now found freedom was something I will never forget. What are you doing that is messy … spiritually speaking? When you are dealing with the lost world being messy is not optional.
The final area I have spent time reflecting on from these first two days is financial investment for eternal purposes. A statement I repeat often is, “We are not going to win our world to Christ on spare time and pocket change.” This is evidenced in this camp ministry. I don’t know them well but what the Rawlings Foundation is doing around the world is making a huge impact for the Kingdom of God. I do not know all the details but I know the Foundation owns and supports the day to day operations of this camp and other similar camps around the world. It is not just the Rawlings Foundation that makes this happen, it is also churches and individuals that sacrificially give to allow students to attend. It costs around $22 to send a student to camp. On average, somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 of all who attend begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is math all of us can do! Where are you investing your financial resources? Is it in areas that will last for eternity or in things that will perish?
It has been an amazing first couple of days. I look forward to sharing the rest of this journey with you. Make sure to check back and see more of what God is doing here in the Philippines.
Welcome to the Philippines. God bless you!