Training Day Friday - Walking On Water (Windows YP 2011)

Walking On Water
Windows YP 2011 (Youth Missions Conference)

Written by Anne Benavidez & Murray Melmick

Last May, we had a successful Missions Conference. Thirty one youth leaders attended the said conference coming from different churches in Manila, Olongapo, Bataan and Zambales. The Missions conference theme was “Walk on Water” because we desire that the youth leaders will dare to step out of the comfort of their “boats” to walk in the impossible in obeying the Lord for the work of missions.

While preparing for the Windows YP conference, I was facing a decision whether we will push through with the missions camp in the facilities of New Tribes Mission or we'll just do the conference at the YM office. During that time we only have one week to go and only a handful have registered yet. If only a few will register we were thinking of just bringing the youth leaders to the YM office. The only problem with the YM office was it was too small to accommodate more than 20 youth leaders and it was too late for us to look for a new venue. As I was asking the Lord for wisdom on what to do, the Lord impressed in my heart to push through with the original plan to hold the conference at New Tribes mission because it will be a prophetic gesture if we will do that.

The Lord reminded me of the 15 youth leaders who were mostly Aetas (a tribal group in the Philippines) whom we have invited for the conference to give their testimonies. The Lord impressed to me that He will have a new move among the Aetas that He will call His new breed of missionaries coming from these tribal group. With that word from the Lord, I finally decided to obey the Lord and “walk on water” trusting Him that he will be the One who will bring other youth leaders to attend our first missions conference. They did come, thirty one of them, thirty one youth leaders whose lives have never been the same after the conference.

The mission conference was an opportunity for youth leaders from different parts of the Philippines to establish relationships with each other and to encourage each other in the shared desire to serve Jesus Christ through the mission field. These young leaders experienced sessions, workshops, and team building activities to assist their personal development as young missionaries in an interactively fun way. The workshops and sessions played an important role for the practical growth for the individual experience, as well as creating a community among the young missionaries. As fruitful as the sessions and workshops were the real impact came from the testimonies, recreational time and time spent worshiping the Lord.

The last night we had a big bonfire and worshiped our Lord under the open stars. Worshiping Christ with these young missionaries around the bon fire, I will personally always hold this night in my heart. As two young tribal ladies' shared their testimonies, everyone listened with tearful eyes and joyful hearts. Many of the youth could fully relate to the trials these ladies have faced the testimonies, recreational time and time spent worshiping the Lord. The last night we had a big bonfire and worshiped our Lord under the open stars. Worshiping Christ with these young missionaries around the bon fire, I will personally always hold this night in my heart. As two young tribal ladies' shared their testimonies, everyone listened with tearful eyes and joyful hearts. Many of the youth could fully relate to the trials these ladies have faced.

The one problem with Windows YP that everyone could agree on was that it was not nearly long enough. In terms of touching the lives of youth and helping enable them to serve Christ through missions; Windows YP was a huge success.

Three weeks after the mission conference three youth leaders who attended Windows YP traveled to Muntilupa, Alabang to work with street children at the drop in center. God is truly on the move in the Philippines, it is encouraging to know that there are intelligent God fearing youth that are on the move with Him. Youth that responds to the call of Jesus and is willing to step out of the boat, with their eyes fixed on Christ showing the world that it is possible to walk on water.

(NOTE: Pictures taken during the conference were posted last July 16, 2011)