Day 11: Ground Zero

We'd be lying if we said that there wasn't a little bit of preoccupation mixed with anticipation for this Monday. Our trip so far has consisted of participating in a leadership conference with about one hundred other young people from Uganda and bordering countries – and our role has been building relationships and inviting the other participants to engage with the talks through conversations during meals and breaks. The grounds of the seminary were gorgeous and there is always a cool breeze coming from the lake (Lake Victoria) this time of year, so it was a read blessing for many of us.
However, we were all looking forward to this week because this is when we'd be pulling out our secret weapon: the Comission Study/Fifth Faith Study/Courageous Catholic Program. These unassuming duotangs contained the wealth of CCO's twenty-two years of experience and packs quite a punch when it comes to training people to be evangelists and to embrace the missionary call of our baptism. We were planning on giving sessions on Comission during the day and then leading the participants (narrowed down to about 35 university students and staff) through the Discovery faith study each evening.
The Discovery study is our introductory faith study which brings a person to a place where they can make an informed decision about whether or not to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, and is the front-line of CCO ministry on Canadian campuses. However, the Spirit was working powerfully in Megan when she suggested that we take the whole first day to do Discovery all the way through (as compared to doing one lesson (out of six) each evening) and start Comission on Tuesday. We thought it was a good idea and decided to follow through with it. A few of us were still a little anxious about this week despite the awesome material because it meant that we would be working ministry days between 7am-9pm every day without much of a break.
Monday morning came, our ride (the ever-faithful Patrick) picked us up and brought us to the new site of our conference. The six students were each given groups of 4-6 to lead through Discovery and were all blown away by the enthusiam and the reception of the material. Personally, I have never seen a more effective communication of the material (courtesy of Andre's large-group follow-ups to the small group study sessions) and a more passionate and receptive response. It was incredible. Different students at lunch described wanting to take this material to their campus and start movements to bring back their brothers and sisters who were lost. The overwhelming success of this first day was able to raise some of the drooping spirits of our fellow missionaries.
The Spirit is working powerfully and many of the participants are actively being impacted by the material. Pray that we are able to further abandon ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow for Him to work through us and in the participants of the conference!


p.s. things are crazy. in the best of ways.