Davao del Sur celebrates 1st Family Fellowship
By: Jeanelle Grace Lorilla
The Davao del Sur Section enjoyed family bonding on its 1st Family Fellowship held last October 23-25, 2013 at Our Paradise Beach Resort, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
55 Delegates from EFC-Kidapawan, EFC- Sta. Cruz, EFC-Magsaysay and EFC-Victor packed their bags for a three-day camp filled with no dull moment. Exhilarating activities and camaraderie among brothers and sisters in the Lord were priority in the camp’s program.
On the first day, however, excitement was not the only emotion that roused us. Problems such as health, finances, and messed-up schedules threatened to ruin the arrival and registration of those who wanted to be in the fellowship. Maybe the enemy is miserable when God’s people are having a great time! But the intercession that exploded on the shoreline saved the day. After praying, God was faithful to bring more people safe and sound to the venue.
When mishaps were finally cleared, we all settled in and started to set up tents. As comradeship kicked in, everyone expected to witness the Lord’s marvels in this camp. The glitches early in the day only served to make us anticipate for more of God’s goodness.
Evening came; the camp fire blazed as the symbol of the affair’s opening. There were presentation of participants, testimonies and entertainment numbers from each church and camp teams. Yellow, Orange and Green teams showed their instant yells. Age did not matter since all ages were present in each group. We all enjoyed gulps of fresh air and therapeutic laughter all throughout the evening.
The second day started with a morning service led by Pastor Sanny Padua. Tears fell as the Lord gave hope that His people should continue to serve Him faithfully amidst the storms of life. After the service was the Treasure Hunt. The hunters searched for the hidden treasure with serious determination. Others did with some silly efforts, like diving into the ocean thinking that the prized treasure was kept in the deep!
We did dares and answered the puzzles. In the afternoon, our knowledge of the Bible was tested. Bible games shook the place with fun and facts.
The last night’s service led by Pastor Leomilo Jones challenged everybody to declare Joshua’s famous words, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” forever. God saturated everyone with His presence, reviving the weary, healing, and restoring the joy of serving Him. Every person stood in awe of God’s powerful deeds. The evening was closed by testimonies and giving of awards to the deserving teams.
Alas, time flew fast! The third day was home sweet home with thankful hearts sealed with holy fire to bring glory to the Lord.
