FRIENDS! xD
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PRAYERS!
I must share with you that GOD IS OH SOO FAITHFUL! He answers prayers. Last night I had my first GIGs w/ the women on my floor + one “honorary girl”. Haha.
So I ended calss at 6pm, walked back to my room and began to prepare and pray hardcore! In the midst of doing all of this, I just became really anxious and really jittery! and uber self-conscioius… because I hate to speak in front of a large group of people.
A sister called me and prayed for me… I also called up another sister and asked her if she and my family in pC could pray for me and my girls. I also called my brother/mentor Jae to pray for me as well. I was just pretty much asking everyone to pray for me that at moment and time. I knew that I was going to be doing something that would upset satan… but what can be against us if God is for us right? After they prayed for me, the burden and the heaviness I felt was lifted up… and the feeling of peace just rested on my heart. God gave me peace and joy in that instant. This goes to show that God does answer prayers!
More over, the email that I send out literally 2 hrs before the study asking you guys to prya for me… it worked! becasue you know what? all of the girls came (after they gave me reasons why they couldnt/shouldnt come)… We were only missing one girl because she had to watch a movie/film for her GE class.
Let me tell you, one my sisters on my floor was going to help me… but she said she couldn’t guarantee anything… but I told her that its fine if she can’t come because she herself is a busy woman… she leads her own bible study with other females in rieber. But my wonderful, and bestest roommate in teh world stayed to support me and help me out! HOORAY! SHe helped me a lot! Praise God for SISTERS!
The girls came in and I fed them. haha, my roommate bought a bunch of snacks for us… and everyone was just getting food.. and already, i knew that we were all going to have a good time… because we all know each other! and it’s not like anyone is meeting anyone for the first time!
We began our GIG with a short icebreaker… had some laughs… After that, I asked them to tell me what are some of the things that they have been worrying about this past week or so. This is when the discussion began with the ladies sharing with the group some deep and personal stuff. After that, I handed out the passage to them (matt 5:25-35) and asked them to read it. Following taht, I decided dto lead the girls into an inductive method of studying the passage. Something that I learned from my previous bible study leaders and mentors. I have to say, it went WELL! the girls were already sharing a lot of good things… i mean, it was after all our first… n the fact that some of them were able to share a hint of their personal lives with the group made me happy. Not only were we all drawing closer to one another as a family, as friends, and floormates… we were also drawing attention and focus to who God is… If you guys read the passage, you may remember that God directly tells us what we can do to rid our worriies.. It says so in Matt 6:33, right? “first seek His…..added unto you” <– yea, that one! So as we were investigating this passage and asking one another what we think Jesus is trying to tell us. We as a team, group, family were getting to know more about who God is. Our GIGs ended well… because I know I myself learned a lot from these girls’ insights, opinions, and questions… and I’m positive that they too got a lot from the WORD of GOd. DUDE, it was ALL GOD! I could’nt have done this if it weren’t for HIS help and YOUR prayers!
When we were about to go over that verse (matt 6:33) our other floormate walked in on us wanted to see what we were doing. He asked me if he could stay and I said, “Of course!” to him. He stayed for the last 15 minutes, and even participated. I was so happy to see him there because he’s a floormate that I’m not too close to. LIke, I don’t know where he stands spiritually or not spiritually with God. (im closer to the women on my floor)
At the end of our GIGs, I told them why I asked them if they wanted to study the bible with me… and I was honest with them when I told them that I wanted them to learn more Christianity… about Jesus! But I also told them that aside from all our floor hangouts (ie.. nightly bruin cafe runs, OC nights, watching various movies, listening to music, eating out and going out to the supermarket), I wanted all of us to get to know each other on a deeper level.
Before I officially ended GIGs, I handed out index cards and asked them to write down any comments, concerns, criticisms, questions, or feedback. I receive 3 cards back and here is what they wrote to me.
“I really enjoyed talking… I think it’s a great way to get to know ppl in a deeper way”
one my sisters that’s already Christian said, “…Honestly It introduced them (to God)..so hooray–they have a lot to take with them!”
and our “honorary girl friend” wrote, “As an ‘Honorarygirl’ I thank you for having this investigation on God. I used to go to church every Friday but I haven’t gone in a while, so I’d like to do church-related worships. Please pray for that. Thanks.”
And you know what? When everyone left my room, I went into my neighbor’s room to say hellos. His roommate was like, “Hey thao! What were you guys doing in there?” I told him, “Oh, we just had a bible study”. He said, “Oh! Invite me next time.”
ohh ohh… and check this out! My other floormate who is Atheist saw me and asked me, “So How was the bible study?” I gave him my response and all of a sudden… we started to have a spiritual conversation about God. However, I think he’s the kind of guy that likes to argue… but He is not really seeking to know who God is or anything like that. HOWEVER, this only goes to show that my friend at least cares about what goes on to ask me how it went… but God is also telling me that I should pray for him more… pray that he’ll have an open heart to receive the Truth. In having this conversation with him, I learned that …. a lot of his views now are shaped by his childhood/teen-hood. So please pray for that.
OH MANG! GOD IS GOOOD. SO, I have another PRAYER REQUEST! Please pray for a men’s GIGs group. There is a strong community amongst the girls on our floor… but for the men on our floor, there really isn’t a tight community. But I pray that a community will be birth out of studying the bible together… and that the brothers on our floor (the guys that are already Christian) will step out and love the men that don’t know God…selflessly and genuinely.
GUYS, its SOO FRIKKEN CRAZY! The day God gave me the courage to ask some of my floormates if they wanted to study the bible with me, was the day that God also gave me no shame in testifying His love, His realness to people! Like now, I think it’ll come easier to me to ask people to study the bible with me…I don’t think i’m so self-conscious about asking or even talking about Jesus to people so much as before. HOWEVER, this also means that the devil can try to discourage me and make me think otherwise. So please pray for me! I need covering.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -ROMANS 8:28
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. - Mark 16:15
heart,
thao
