A few disclaimers before I start.

1. This is my testimony

2. I’ll be speaking for only the Karens that I have met.

Here’s my testimony in two questions, “What I got from God through the Karens, and what they took away from me.”

Who knew, I’d be a part of this missions trip? Who knew I’d even have a heart for missions, a heart for people not of my own, a heart for refugees, a heart to live for a greater cause? Who knew that God would use the suffering of these people to touch my heart? I didn’t, but God did!

Before I go deeper, let me share a little background of the Karens. They are an ethnic group that settled within Burma close to the Thai border. They are peaceful people and not to mention very easy to love. Ever since then, there were already maltreated, abused, taxed heavily, oppressed and persecuted by the Burmese. These were observed by the pioneer Baptist missionaries in the 1800’s who went into Burma. Long before the missionaries came to them, they believed in one Eternal Almighty God, and this made them not to worship any idols unlike many cultures. Another, because they don’t have writings, there is an interesting old story that says they came from Noah’s son, Shem. They believed that their forefathers had the Word of God — a book that has been stolen from them and they are waiting for someone to come with that book.

And so when Adoniram Judson and the other missionaries that later followed him came in contact with them, they openly and with joy accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many Karens came down from different regions of the mountains to hear the good news! And do you know that one of the first Karen pastors in early 1800’s was tortured and killed by the Burmese by hanging on the cross! This fact encouraged me that with the few and simple words that the first Karen Christians learned, they took the Gospel as simple as it is, to spread it to the other Karens! That is primarily one reason that most of them are Christians. And soon after the World War 2, they have been facing genocide until now.

What I got from God through the Karens:

1. Suffering as part of God’s design.

On a pedestal in the camp inscribes, “True ‘till death – Rev. 2:10Rev. 2:10
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.  

WP-Bible plugin”, A verse that is addressed to the church of Smyrna which is known for its myrrh. A spice used in perfumes and in incense that is highly prized in the ancient times and often more worth than gold by weight. You can only get its worth when it is pressed, squeezed, crushed. As Peter says, “These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold may be proved genuine..”. I got to an understanding why suffering is one of God’s design for His glory, to bring about good. They are a living testimony to show God’s sovereignty through persecution and suffering as how Paul writes in his letters (2 Thess 1:42 Thess 1:4
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:  

WP-Bible plugin) saying, persevering (abiding under pressure) and keeping the faith in all persecutions and trials they are enduring. Through them, my faith IS being strengthened, to praise God in all circumstances. And have received the promise of Jesus, as the final authority, that “He will be with me until the end of age (Matt 28:20Matt 28:20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  

WP-Bible plugin).” I say, WHAT MORE CAN I ASK FOR?

2. Passion for God’s word.

My job description there was to simply teach conversational English, but I thought would it be fun if I incorporate IBS (Inductive Bible Study) in the lesson plan! A simple desire to help them, who have very limited vocabulary understand what they are reading. For the reason that, they would not be persuaded by anybody that is preaching a gospel other than what they’ve accepted (Gal 1:9Gal 1:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.  

WP-Bible plugin). As I’ve noticed that there has already been an infiltration of Catholicism within the community. In reference to Nehemiah 8:8Nehemiah 8:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.  

WP-Bible plugin, My desire is that they’ll learn how the Word be made clear, and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. Imagine, with what little I know about IBS and the Bible, by grace, it was being used by God to teach them how to observe, interpret and apply the Word to their lives. I thought that teaching them this would go a long way. In my class alone, there are about 4 that wanted to be missionaries after they graduate, to mention K’neh Mee Wah and Ly’Dia.

They hunger for God’s word! They have daily 5 AM devotions, daily 7:30 AM service and evening Bible studies. It was hard to walk up and down through the slippery mud at the darkness of the night to do Bible studies, even though tired “I prayed, Lord, You have brought me this far. This is what you want me to do. Grant me grace Father.” And on Sundays, 4 services in the morning and 1 in the afternoon! Such a blessing to be used by God to share His Word! Through them, I got a deep passion for God’s Word! And this convicts me every time that we are in a church gathering, and if we are not looking into God’s Word and in prayer, then we are missing something big time! These people wanted it every time! That makes me ask myself, what am I doing and how am I responding to God’s grace?

3. JOY in all circumstances.

I’ve learned that many of them have sleeping disorders resulting from the horrors that they’ve seen. The uneasiness of thought that what if the soldiers come suddenly. Many lost their families and loved ones. One evening, I shed tears when I was listening to Saw Hsa K’pru Htoo’s testimony, hearing a girl being raped on the nearby village and he was completely powerless as a boy. I prayed, Lord, have mercy! On another occasion, I asked Phu’ Dhe if she’s angry/bitter with the SPDC (Social Peace and Development Council, Burmese soldiers for short), she said, Jesus says in the Bible to forgive, to love our enemies and bless them who persecutes us. Those words convicted me! How can these people forgive? How can they sing hymns and praise God after all they have been through? How then, that they are still hopeful for things that are unseen? How then they have JOY inspite of? The peace in their faces through those little smiles? Then, it must be God, no one and nothing else! The peace they have WITH God, and OF God, and that peace that transcends all understanding has been giving them that JOY!

4. Awakening.

At the age of 30, I always thought that I’m too late for anything. I admire those whom God called early on. But then, the Lord proved me wrong, He awakened me to a reality that I haven’t seen before. An awakening not to waste my life chasing after things that pagans do. An awakening for a greater calling, counting the cost of being a follower. A deeper understanding and deeper perspective. And most of all I just entered into that place of SATISFACTION and COMPLETENESS with God.

In closing,

The one thing that the Karens took away from me is…

My heart… They will always be a part of me…

WHATEVER IT TAKES . . . the theme of our latest mission trip. Enjoy and may the Lord stir up your heart for global missions.

WE CAME, WE PROCLAIMED, WE CONQUERED – Those people will never be the same again. H4U Siquijor is once again a victory we all share! Thank you church for partnering with us in this battle that was already won by Christ 2,000st 2,000
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin years ago. It will continue to rage until the end of time, but we are always assured of victory. “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” (Rev.12:11)

A VICTORIOUS RESURRECTION DAY! Calvary Chapel Dumaguete celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It means the promise of life after death! It means hope of a better life. It means forgiveness, it means joy and peace with God!

It was a great 25th Anniversary celebration Calvary Chapel Dumaguete had that culminated in the HOPE FOR YOU Concert last Nov. 28, 2010 at the Macias Sports Complex, Dumaguete City. It was indeed a display of God’s greater works! Praise be to Jesus Christ!

Calvary Chapel Dumaguete celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Nov. 28, 2010. This presentation takes us back to the humble beginnings that the Lord has planted and now we stand in awe of what He has done!

This was during our outreach in Ozamiz last June 25-26. Jesus once again did the wonderful thing of saving souls! 85 of us, not only were His instruments, but witnesses of His grace and power!



A life-changing mission —accomplished! Praises to Jesus our Savior whose heart beats for mission -for the rich, meaningful, and unforgettable mission trip of the Calvary Chapel Dumaguete’s Thailand Mission 2010 Team!





A life-changing mission — accomplished! Praises to Jesus our Savior whose heart beats for mission – for the rich, meaningful, and unforgettable mission trip of the Calvary Chapel Dumaguete’s Thailand Mission 2010 team.

Watch and relive what the Lord has done during our H4U Outreach Concerts in Dapitan and Dipolog!



CCD celebrated its first Church Family Day, combining all three services as one, at the Macias Sports Complex. Watch and enjoy the slideshow presentation.

Watch the slideshow presentation of the H4U Praise & Worship Seminar and Night of Psalms in Dipolog City held last Aug. 29-30, 2009.

Intimacy

Jesus desires to have a very meaningful loving relationship with you. He loves you more than you will ever know. As Paul was praying for the Ephesian church, he prayed that they might know the length, the breadth, depth, the height of the love of Christ which he said, “passes knowledge”. The love of Christ is so great, so intense, so deep and so rich you’ll never know the full depth of His love. Jesus said to his disciples, “Greater love has no man than this that a man will lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus loves you more than you will ever know and He desires that His love for you will spark a responsive love in your own heart as it did with His disciples. John wrote, “we love him because he first loved us”. As we come to understand His love for us, it strikes within our hearts a responsive cord. I find my heart responding to His tremendous love for me. As my heart responds to His love, I’m drawn unto Him in this deep loving relationship. As the Lord said to the Nation of Israel through the Old Testament prophet, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore have I drawn you with loving-kindness”.

You remember His message to the church of Ephesus? It was a church that had all kinds of commendation. They were a working church, they were a discerning church. Yes, they even have their theology right. And yet the Lord said, “I have this against you in that you have left your first love. Repent and go back and do the things you did at first”. The Lord is calling the church to come back to that first love, to come back to that deep, intimate loving relationship.

There are many people who have not yet experienced this loving relationship with God. They go to church as sort of a performance kind of an activity or sometimes out of obligation. They have a sense of obligation to be moral and to be community pillars and to live a proper life and it’s proper to go to church, it’s accepted culturally. Church to them is an obligation, a duty. They don’t really know the intimacy of a relationship with Jesus – that glorious loving relationship where you are just caught up in rapture with His glory, with His beauty, with the wonder of His love for you. Where you just sit at times just letting your cup overflow with the consciousness of His love and of His presence and of His goodness, where you pour out your heart and soul to Him and your expressions of love. So when you come into this loving relationship with the Lord, you know the joy. You know the glory, you know the excitement of His presence, the excitement of your heart being so filled with love and the one that you love is there, He’s with you.

This is the theme of our Night of Psalms tonight. Come out and let’s express our love and devotion to the Lord together. But don’t wait for tonight. Let’s do it this morning as we come to worship Him!