Receive heavenly vision and write a new chapter in life
【2012 Divine Resources and Culture Practice Camp】Response from Taiwan Courses
▲The author Sun Yilin shared the grace received from God with brothers and sisters during the closing ceremony of the Kingdom of God camp in Taiwan.
"The true journey of discovery lies not in finding new worlds, but in finding new perspectives." - Proust, author of "In Search of Lost Time"
During the "Focus Time" on the morning of the third day of the 4th "Taiwan Divine Resources Cultural Practice Camp", the speaker, Pastor Su Wen'an, quoted this famous saying to encourage all students present. For me, the most important thing I gained from participating in this camp was "a new perspective" - starting from God's perspective rather than my own perspective.
Temporarily leaving the busy study life in the city of Taipei, the few days of camp at St. Benedict's Monastery in Tamsui made me feel like I had experienced a journey to heaven, and I once again had the strength to face daily challenges.
I am not a person who likes adventure and challenges. I am always used to hiding in familiar surroundings. Even the thought of meeting new friends makes me more stressed. But when I took the MRT with my luggage, looked at the open morning light of Tamsui River in the distance, and prepared to step out of my comfort zone, courage was quenched in it! And isn’t life the same? Even if I have never seen the scenery of the Promised Land, I can still move forward with faith - because I am convinced that God will be with me along the way.
Leave the comfort zone and meet the turning point
In mid-September, through the introduction of a friend, I learned about the Kingdom of God Resource Culture Practice Camp for the first time, and signed up with faith. In the camp, in addition to three workshops including reporting, leadership and management, and dance to perfection, there was also a "focus time" information sharing in the morning and a cultural lecture in the evening. In this focus time, Pastor Su Wen'an used the stories of Moses, Jeremiah and Sarah as examples to bring a series of messages on "life turning points".
The key verse on the first morning was Moses’ sentence in Exodus 3:3: “I want to go over and see this great vision. Why is this bush not burned up?” Pastor Su said: The hope of “past” here is The original text of Beth refers to: "Let go of everything you are familiar with and what you are doing, and turn to a completely different situation." And this is the beginning of the turning point in life. Whether it is a disruptive event or an unexpected change, even if it seems to be a troubling problem to humans, it is an opportunity to change our lives in the eyes of God. As long as we can have a personal and deep connection with God, a new realm of life, service and living can begin.
In the past year, due to busy service and unbalanced life, I lost my intimate relationship with God, and my spiritual condition felt like I was in the wilderness. But in February 2012, at the "Heavenly Kingdom Culture Conference" hosted by Asia for JESUS (Kingdom Harvest Association), the prayer co-workers received prophetic words and told me: "You are a princess wearing a crown, walking with God in the wilderness. Dance.” It turned out that God knew that only by leading me to the wilderness would I turn to Him wholeheartedly. In the next six months, I faced a series of blows and setbacks in my interpersonal relationships. I even realized with embarrassment that I was so proud, timid and self-centered, but I found that this was God’s answer to my prayer at the beginning of the year.
The summer of 2012 was also a time of great change for me. After graduating from college and entering graduate school, not only did the school and major subjects change, but the church's student group also changed to a social youth group meeting. Moving from familiar surroundings into new territory, I know that I can choose to retreat or reject, or I can choose to look forward to walking with God.
"When the Lord wants to perform small miracles, He puts "difficulties" in front of us; when the Lord wants to perform big miracles, He puts "impossibility" in front of us!"Pastor Su’s words completely changed my perspective on the environment, and reminded me once again: Nothing is impossible with God, and no matter how great the difficulty is, it is nothing in God’s eyes!
Pastor Su said that God never asks us to pretend to be someone else or cover up past failures. All shortcomings are opportunities for God to change. I believe that when we ask God for love, He will put us in a situation that requires love. And when I prayed for a breakthrough in my interpersonal relationships, which were no longer filled with alienation and indifference like in the past, God allowed conflict and brokenness to occur, thereby uprooting and replanting my life.
Interviewing and reporting training, rethinking the writing mission
One of the features of the interview and reporting workshop is that the course design not only includes lectures by lecturers, but also includes practical exercises. The students were divided into three groups and each designed an interview outline for the subjects to be interviewed the next day. Pastor Su mentioned that the principle of "from the outside in, from the shallower to the deeper, and from the far to the near" is very helpful to me. At the same time, I also found that each team member has his own different thinking perspective, and together they are the final result. Complete plan. And this workshop not only lasts for three days, but also includes "after-sales service". After we complete this report, we send it to Pastor Su. He will revise it in detail and attach comments so that we can understand the advantages and disadvantages and how to improve it, so that we not only know the theory, but also know how to apply it.
I also re-viewed the interviewing work and writing mission with new eyes. "You must first move yourself before you can move others!" Pastor Su said that the interview scripts written by Christian writers should be able to speak to the readers' hearts. This made me determined to change from a bystander to a participant during interviews and use my heart. Get to know the interviewees’ stories and discover God’s wonderful deeds in them.
I have been working as a special correspondent in reporting and reporting for nearly two years, and I have been writing conference reports and gospel publications in the church for about three years. I am familiar with the written ministry to a certain extent, but sometimes I accidentally forget to be cautious, reverent, and pursue excellence. Attitude. But from the short film "The Magical Power of Words" shown in class, I was also reminded: Don't underestimate the ministry and ability in your hands. The words in your hands are God's opportunity to bring about life changes. ("Change your word, change your world.")
From students to family members─Receive it, not just in the classroom
The biggest feature of this camp is the warmth of a family. During the three-day camp, we never went hungry once because many brothers and sisters donated meals, biscuits, fruits and other materials, and some took the initiative to roll up their sleeves and cook for everyone. "Contribute" to ensure that the participating students can experience the richness of the Kingdom of God first-hand.
The venue used this year, the Meditation Hall of the Abbey of St. Benedict, has been renovated to look like a two-story summer vacation villa. The soft sofa in the living room is quite suitable for group chats or quiet reading. Over the three days, I got to know many brothers and sisters. When I rested at night, I nestled between the pillows with my book and pen in my arms, and wandered through the text under the dim light. It was a great enjoyment! Pastor Su, Gao Lili and many other teachers did not feel any sense of isolation from big-name speakers, and they ate and lived with us. I have never been to a camp that was so welcoming.
Thank God for allowing the typhoon that was approaching Taiwan to change its course, allowing us to enjoy a clear blue sky! The afternoon sun shines through the stained glass and reflects on the wooden floor, which is as beautiful as the auspicious light falling from heaven. When you open the wooden door painted blue in the kitchen, you are greeted by the cornfield planted by the monastery co-workers; whether it is the unexpected egret or the rosemary swaying in the wind, everything in the world is telling the story of God. The beauty of creation. Even if we miss these revelations in our busy schedule, God continues to use nature to tell us that He Himself is the source of all beauty.
When you close the door and enter the room, the word of God does not stop. Before going to bed the next night, I had a great conversation with another student, Susan, and God spoke to me through her mouth. I had just graduated from college. Although I knew that my vision was in the literary ministry, I was still unsure of the direction of my future work. But Susan used her experience to tell me not to be too impatient. Sometimes God will let us know the direction we should go after we enter the workplace or even change several jobs. Sometimes God has already told us how to go. , but it does not mean that we have the ability to start now, and some processes are needed to shape our lives. Just do everything God puts in our hands right now and welcome His guidance at any time. For me, who is impatient and values efficiency, this is really a wake-up call! Yes, there is still a long road ahead in life, and it will take God a lifetime to lead us! Is it any wonder that it takes a few more years to receive training and equipment?
▲With its paradise-like venue, friendly lecturers and warm exchanges, the KRC camp will give you and me the richest satisfaction in body, mind and soul.
Keep your eyes on God and devote your life to Christ
In the cultural lecture on Saturday night, Pastor Su shared "From Tebowing to Linsanity". He encouraged us to pursue such a humble and godly life from Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin, two outstanding Christian athletes in American football and basketball. All the brothers and sisters present listened attentively and were moved, excited or shed tears from time to time. We all know: The lives of Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin are wonderful testimonies not only because of their outstanding performances on the court, but also because of their simple humility in giving all glory to God. When faced with popular culture such as sports, movies, TV shows, and fashion, Christians should not just regard it as "the sin of the world" and blindly avoid it. Instead, they should remain holy while being involved in the world. Only in this way can they exert their heavenly influence. These two brothers just gave the best testimony.
▲As Tebow said: "No matter what others are doing, I only focus on doing what I think is the most important thing." The most important thing for God's children is to focus on God every morning and dedicate the whole day to Him.
▲"When the Lord wants to perform small miracles, He will put "difficulties" in front of us; when the Lord wants to perform big miracles, He will put "impossibility" in front of us!" Teacher Su Wen'an used Jeremy Lin's story to encourage everyone to bravely face the crisis. A turning point in life! Jeremy Lin's influence this year has been so great that newly coined words such as Linsanity have even been included in official dictionaries. Tim Tebow often kneels down and prays to God after winning a game; Tebowing's extended definition is "no matter what others are doing, I only focus on doing what I think is the most important thing." After returning home, I also began to practice kneeling down on one knee in my dormitory every morning, focusing on God for a short period of time, and dedicating the entire day to Him. I believe that what we have to offer to God is a lifetime offering, not just a day. Every person created by God is so unique, with different gifts, talents, and personality traits. After three days of training in the camp, every trainee will become more skillful in dedicating everything he or she has to Christ. The end of the camp is only a temporary end. After turning the page of the turning point in life, a new chapter of our life and service is beginning to be written. As Teacher Gao Lili said in the closing message, the father in heaven will accompany us throughout the entire race.