50 converts in 5 days

This is the group that brought in 50 converts in a span of 5 days. *clap clap*.. I want to affirm them for creating a breakthrough in the North's spiritual atmosphere through their boldness and excitement in sharing the gospel. These conversions took place during the holiday season where they don't usually see secondary school students around - this is amazing as well. Many people have approach them or myself to ask how it was done. Many people have been curious about how they did it, even the North brothers.

Perhaps let me go through what happened that leads to this 'miracle'.

Before the camp, the change in the spiritual atmosphere already started to take place in the unit. We have 1 convert who receive Jesus after watching 'The Passion of Christ' and she brought the vcd home to watch it with her entire family - her ah ma, mother, father, uncle, aunt, and the list goes on (without our knowlegde). After that she called her shepherd, Celine, to account to her what happened. Celine told Joyce and Joyce told me about the incident. When I heard what the new believer did, the first thought that come to my mind is "wah.. sure die one.. sure kena objection then cannot come anymore le" 谁知道... her family members all teared after the movie and encourage her to go to church.. *shock shock shock* this kind of thing never happen in Yishun before.

Another member, Sherry's account is even funnier. Her mother wanted to send her for counselling because she thought that Sherry had intention to commit suicide. Her reason: Sherry is so well behaved, very different from the past. Whahahaha..

Next, for the mid-year exams, the girls did really well in their exams. Vivien scored many As :) I just got to know that Celine is actually a normal tech student that moved to a normal academic class this year.. we're so encouraged that we are encouraging many others like Ace and Sherry to work hard in the next 3-4 months to move to NA as well.

Before the camp, the girls already had a lot of fun together. They are attractive and dynamic. There is so much postitve encouragement going around. CG members enjoy spending time together and play CG games. You can just go to some of their blogs (I've some links in my blog) and see for yourself what I mean. Even when there is someone in the group who is not 'doing well', there is no 'boycotting' but acceptance and concern for the person and the person's shepherd. It was about 2 months before the camp that we had this new structure - North, the girls didn't really had opportunity to find out more about each other. And there was the camp - perfect timing.

During the camp, there was the new addition of the Woodlands girls. The girls were quickly absorbed into the 'then' Yishun group. There was no division like 'hey, woodlands (yishun) girl'.. haha.. Getting all the girls together increased their dynamics.. woohoo..

In the camp, it was really the Word of God and the 'all-new' experience with God that increased the girls' faith in God, believe and trust in God for more challenging goals, and desperation for more youths to receive a 'brand new life' that they are living in Christ right now. It was during the final night's worship session that really moved my heart when I saw how they worshipped God. Many of them knelt down (for the first time) to worship God. Many of them cried as God touched their hearts.

A thought came into my mind as I was worshipping, "With surrendered lives like these, how can North not be won".

After the session, I gathered the group to challenge. I felt that even if I were to mumble rubbish, the people will still 'Amen'.. haha.. because they are so convicted about what God spoke to them and they are so 'gung-ho' for anything that is to come. I remembered some of their responses. Let me share with you:

Joan looked so 'disturbed' after the 2nd night's response session. I was concerned but didn't really know why, she just told me that she was in deep thoughts about something. Then on the last night's worship and response session.. again.. she looked 'troubled'.. usually you'll seldom see this kind of expression unless she is not happy about certain things.. so I was more concern already with the frownings and all. However, during the session, I began to realise that she was in deep thoughts about how to win the schools that she is responsible for; troubled for the spiritual things, disturbed by the lack of spiritual influence in the land. She wants to make a difference.

Valerie shared with me during the last night that God really touched her heart this time round. She couldn't really explained it in words, but she felt that God was never as real in her life before until that night. Now she is such a different person, she is really more joyful, expressive and initiative. She is a shepherd now and I can see that she is doing a good job. She is a good student as well as a responsible shepherd. I believe God will bless her much in these two areas in her life to be an example for the rest of us.

Everytime in the camp, you'll hear this sentence, "The real things begins when the camp ends". God encouraged the people with Ace's testimony. When she went home after the camp has ended, her dad, who is a pre-believer, suddenly ask her, "ah girl, Jesus really good ah"... not so long after he received Jesus. Now her whole family is serving God together :) She is really grateful to God for the many things that she was blessed with. She shared with me that her peers actually said, "I think you look (literally her looks) more mature after you come back from the camp. Wah seh... haha.. Spiritual plastic surgery.

After the camp, the group bonded even more. The unity was 'thick'. Joyce challenged her team to outreach everyday (street evangelism) from monday to friday. She also met her core team members daily after their evangelism to teach about SOW and sort.

The first day, they only had 3 converts. But they were not discouraged, the continued to persever to outreach on the 2nd day and by the 4th day, they had 27 converts. Joyce shared this testimony in ULM on thursday. Also, I want to encourage Sherry here - she personally brought in 9 converts.

On friday, while I was queueing up to pay for my orange juice in carrerfour (ok.. irrelevant.. -_-), I receive a call from Joyce with her team shouting in the back ground "we have 50 converts in total" - meaning 23 converts on the last day.

Can you see already that it has nothing to do with going down to the street and evax alone? It is about the hearts of the people that are ready for God to move. The harvest is a result of their personal relationship with God. It is about what God had convicted their hearts to do and specifically through this method. Given a different bunch of people using the same method, i don't think it will reap the same result.

Luke 24:32
They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Luke 5:4-6

4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

John 21:3-6
3"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. 6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.