“O Joy That Seekest Me Thru Pain”
As I reflect on this past summer, I am astounded to have seen God’s hand working so clearly. Some difficult events at the beginning of the summer caused radical adaptations to our program. For a couple of days everything felt backwards, until we presented our program to the youth group at The Evangelical Church, Phoenix, with Pastor Steve Rubio. God’s grace was clearly given to our team, and we had a wonderful time with that group of young people.
“O Love That Will Not Let Me Go”
As we neared our departure date, we prepared more intensely for the major portion of our trip—the Last Frontier: Alaska. It was only when we got to Alaska that God started to use the program’s main song, “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,” to comfort my heart. I was stirred to meditate on Psalm 27:10. God will never let me go. Even if my father, mother, and everyone else are gone, God will never let me go.
“O Light That Follows All My Way”
Seven hours of travel on two planes brought us to Fairbanks, Alaska, a land of mountains and trees, very different from the desert we had just left. The Rowland family and Pastor Bruce Hamilton met us at the airport at 1 a.m. By 2 a.m. we had enjoyed our first taste of the famous Alaskan salmon in a delicious dip that Mrs. Rowland had prepared for us.
The next day we headed to Camp Challenge where we experienced a week of both fellowship and spiritual challenge as we ministered there. Other highlights of our time in Fairbanks were seeing the ministry Pastor Hamilton has in the Chinese community and taking part in some visits to his Chinese friends.
“I Give Thee Back the Life I Owe”
During our second week in Fairbanks, IBCS alumna Elisabeth Rowland introduced me to “H,” a girl with whom she was doing The Exchange Bible study. “H” is both Latin-American and Japanese and her first language is Spanish. Because of communication difficulties, Elisabeth wasn't sure if she had been truly saved. We were soon talking about everything.
I was so encouraged to be able to talk to her, answering questions in her heart language about Christianity. Weeks later I meet “T,” a Japanese lady who had lived in Alaska for over 50 years. I told her about my half-Japanese friend whom I had just met. “T” was so excited that she wanted to connect with “H” as well. I still keep in touch with “H,” and we talk about our God, who is greater than we can imagine.
“And Feel the Promise Is Not Vain”
God taught me so much during my five weeks in Alaska. He kept teaching me that my sufficiency is in Him, not in myself or in anything else. I grew up in Mexico, so this wasn’t just my first time in Alaska, it was also my first summer in the United States. I often felt inadequate during the summer because everything was so different and new. I had never attended a Christian camp, but there I was, a camp counselor. I went from having grown up within the same group of believers to meeting new brothers and sisters in Christ every week. God changed me as I realized that what He is doing in my life matters a lot more than what I try to do for Him.
“I Yield My Flick’ring Torch to Thee”
But why? How is it that God can love and use me? In myself, I am not worthy to serve God; I can serve Him because of His “love that will not let me go.” Because of His love and mercy, I am free to love like He loves me, to forgive like He has forgiven me, to do anything that He calls me to do. Because I have experienced His love that will never let me go, I can gladly “give Him back the life I owe, that it may richer, fuller be.”