DIVE IN 07 - Discover a Real World

The month of August was so eventful! The new semester started, work is already pouring in, but most important of all, August was FILLED with th essence of DIVE IN 07!!

For those who didn't come for DIVE IN 07, I'm so sorry but you'll never realize how much you've really missed! Stories cannot possibly describe how much happened during the camp, pictures worth 1000 words can't come close to giving you the experience of DIVE IN 07! But I will do my best to tell you about the camp from my personal point of view.

Just to make things clear, I'm not coming from the POV of any other camp participant. I started off as a diver (a participant) but eventually became quite occupied with taking photos of the camp (being part of the photography team). So my POV will be the mix of two different angles.

Being a diver was great fun. Wow, meeting my teammates (Team 4, yea!) and working with them, creating cheers, abusing our flag, learning songs and dances - it was all real great! Once I started to get more involved with photography, however, I was a bit more distant from my group (sorry, guys!) and unfortunately, I wasn't able to say goodbye to them personally after the camp ended! Team 4 @ Green Lic Pies, if any of you are reading this, I send my apologies and I hope I get to meet you again SOON so we can catch up!

As awesome as it was to be a diver, I feel being a photographer was even more worth the experience. I must admit, I almost didn't want to be a diver because I had been one in DIVE IN 06 and I really felt like contributing more to the camp! You know what, God is so good because He catered to my wants even though I had never mentioned them to anyone! I helped out in the photo ministry more than initially planned, I helped set up chairs in the hall and I even was given a chance to help set up a game!

Don't misunderstand me - I'm not saying this out of pride that I'm more "important" than any other diver. I'm really saying it out of humility and thankfulness that God was so good to have made use of me in even the smallest areas!

And God is really so wise in how He makes things work out, because by putting me in positions where I was, in a way I obtained the "freedom" to be where I wanted during the events (eg: I could sit at the back of the hall, I could move around to take photographs..). The reason I am so thankful for this "freedom" is because it gave me the liberty to just be there to pray! I believe one of the reasons God put me where I was (besides being able to contribute physically) is because He wanted me to pray.

I hope I'm not going in too deep for you. Let me explain my mind and heart for DIVE IN 07. Before the camp, I was constantly, faithfully praying for the camp, for things to go smoothly, for the place and especially for the PEOPLE. I didn't want this camp to be just any other fun camp for students, but I wanted it to be something different for people to experience! I wanted people to benefit from it, or be blessed by the content of the camp.

During the last week before DIVE IN 07 happened, I fell into a tired state and my spirit was very low. During the camp itself, God revealed that though I had stumbled that week, He was still faithful and still had me securely in His hands! God was so good to explain to me that I had been relying on my own strength and not His, and that is why I had become weak. Then I received a prayer that confirmed what I had heard from Him. So i recommitted my life and efforts to Him and He really showed me the great and unsearchable things that I did not know during the camp! (Jeremiah 33:3)

So what do I mean about having the liberty to be there to pray? I need you to understand that I really believe in the power of prayer. God is so real with His ear always ready to hear and His hand already outstretched to perform wonders and miracles upon the requests of those who love Him! So in the mornings, during services, almost anytime I wasn't snapping photos, I was praying! Like I said, I wanted people to be blessed and receive more than just "fun" from the camp. So that is what I prayed for - that people will be blessed, strengthened, touched by God's love that has so touched me!

And do you know what? It is amazing because through my weaknesses, God shows His strength! I was extremely tired on the 2nd night, and nodding off just about every five minutes. But at the same time, I didn't want to cease praying so I silently, and admittedly distractedly, asked God to keep me focused. Very suddenly, toward the end of the service, I began praying and I hardly knew what I was praying because my mind was still half asleep! I feel that this really was the Holy Spirit of God working in me. As I continued to pray, for no reason at all, I began to cry! Until now, I am amazed because it was unlike any other kind of weeping. I neither knew why nor where the tears were coming from until I felt God speak to me and tell me that He was taking things into His hands now, that He was now doing what He wanted to be done in the camp! It's like He wanted me to rest and I really felt peace and a sense of joy deep in my heart that it made me cry even more.

God really is so wonderful. DIVE IN 07 provided me an encounter with God like no other encounter I've had before. It moved and encouraged me so much that when I joined the IMU students for their morning devotion on the last day and Victor asked everyone: What is the next level for you?, I immediately had an answer. I had not thought about it before, but I believe this is the next step God wants me to take.

After DIVE IN 07, I want to become a prayer warrior for God. "Prayer warrior" is what people have been calling me each time I pray for the college, other people, etc. But I never actually embraced the title until the Holy Spirit filled me on the last night of camp. I believe that if things are out of my capabilities, God can still do wonders in those areas. I believe that when we pray, doors are opened for God to show his glory and power. I believe that each time we cry out to God, each time we present a request, He hears us and is ready to act.

Lord God, nothing equals up to Your love and power. I feel that taking this step to becoming a "prayer warrior" for You will certainly be more challenging than just casually stepping in. I know I will face obstacles but I want to be an overcomer as You have called me to be. So I pray that You hold me close to You and walk with me on my journey. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.