Hanging with the Volunteer Team from Cagayan de Oro

Again, we were blessed to be partnered with a ministry team from Cagayan de Oro. The CDO team was composed of a dance and worship team and a medical team made up of those skilled in nursing and pharmacy. And of course Pastor Elpie was with us translating, overseeing his team from CDO and being a major example of servanthood. It was very evident in his team as well. They were always there for us making it so much more easier to acclimate. But these servants were really showing how “soft” we were. They roughed it and served us daily with no complaining. Several of us noticed and we want to change that for next time - did I say next time? We want to lodge where they lodge, eat as they eat and compete with them on service! Because we should!

A New Way to Do Ministry

We've never traveled with a basketball team before. Ministry was new for us collectively. Even for the players, I don't think they ever traveled with a mission team before. So when we partnered up with Coach Carl and Coach Lawrence we weren't quite sure what to expect. But God called us to this mission and we were willing to learn. 

In the picture above, we played before a packed house in Oroquieta. It was seriously packed with people standing on the baseline. It was to be our fifth game with challenges introduced at each venue. At this particularly one we were cautioned not to blow out the local team or the crowd would leave early. But that wasn't to be. An older gentleman was kneeling by my chair during the entire game laughing and enjoying every minute of the play. Certainly, we won and ran away with the game early but the fans love the game of basketball. 

At this particular game we introduced the idea of throwing out tee-shirts during the quarter breaks. That was quite a hit.  We also had a "pre-game" program that seemed to be working. Considering we were always waiting for the sound system to arrive or be set up, we managed to start each night with worship. Mark would jam with the band an instrumental version of "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" or some other familiar tune. Then he'd break into worship with Nicole and other singers. Renee would occasionally dance. The Cagayan de Oro team would also do their hip-hop numbers on the basketball court - "Listen People."  Go Willy!

By this time Coach Carl would share the word before the game warm-ups began. This was effective because here was a member of the basketball team sharing from the word. The crowd paid attention. Even when Coach Carl was "standing on the word!"

A player would also share a short bit, usually thanking the city for allowing us to play and for accepting us so warmly. It was great to see the transformation in our players as the two weeks progressed. God was working on everybody's heart and bringing us all together as a team! 

One thing that really excited the crowds in Mindanao was the slam dunk. During our third game played in Cagayan, during a violent rain storm in which Daniel McLaughlin's plane was grounded, our players put on a little dunk exhibition at the end of the game. I was able to capture Mike McFadden wrapped around the rim after a powerful dunk. Oh my!  Mo had some powerful slams as well. As you can see, the young men (mostly) ate this up. 

It was a new way to communicate the gospel - the good news to an audience very attracted to the game. Many times we use the arts to "entertain" but we tend to think of them as "sanctified" and "sacred" but in reality the arts are an expression of who we are, how God has gifted us and made us. And in many ways, basketball, played well is an expression of a God-given gift. Our players were learning to worship with all of their being.

Did you know they believe in Sizzling Monogamy?

It was funny, the title for our first marriage seminar held in Iligan City. “Sizzling Monogamy” the brain child of the seminar coordinators. Great host couple, an excellent facility. Too bad not as many attended (as our second event). It could have been due to a date change or possibly a failure of people catching all the advertising that did occur. It could be - and I think this is the reason - the need is developing in this city that had to endure some horrific times just a few decades earlier. This city is on the brink of another revolution but one of heart and one for God. When (and if) we ever get back to Iligan, we should try again to have a marriage seminar. 

For the 60 or 80 who did attend, it was a good day of ministry. Pastor Brian Goodell handled the first two-hour season. It was a good opening. Pastor Nelson went next followed by Pastor Dominic. I subbed for Brian at the next seminar and together, our team of Nelson, Dom and I worked together to improve upon the first seminar. That second seminar occurred in Oroquieta. We had about 300 folks attend. 

This Dancing was less than Magical!

Here's Daniel M and I in a brain wave ... Daniel had never done the skit “The Brain.” I said to him, "Just follow Justin's instructions..." and here we are doing ballet. Look at the form, look at Daniel's right foot - can it do that? 

This was the afternoon school which was a bit out of town in the hills or mountains or somewhere. A lot of kids responded when asked for prayer. Even some of the faculty were open to prayer - one allowed us to pray for her healing. I want to know the stories of what happened after we left. I know God can touch lives and many times we don't see the fruit from the events. 

In this particular city - Iligan City - lives were touched. Reports are coming back of basketball players who were believers but timid regarding their faith, now coming out boldly regarding the Kingdom as a result of our playing a couple games there and openly sharing faith!  Powerful is our God.  

And non-magical is the dancing of Daniel M and Ben H.

The Dancing that Night was Magical!

Words are hard to come by to describe what happened on June 27 in Iligan City at the IT University Arena. It was the second night of a two-game stand for our basketball team. The team was poised to play a formidable opponent from Cebu. They were a team loaded up with a couple Americans to add some needed height to counter our tall and fast team. It was a team composed of a PBA player turned coach and young men who loved Jesus and were willing to share their stories.

But that was the headline. What really was going on is almost indescribable. Mark was leading the band on the stage, playing worship songs. While it was hard to hear the words to the songs, the worship was going out. This was the “pre-game” activities as this evening was prayed for and committed to the Lord.

When Mark concluded worship, worship didn’t end. Renee Wynia bravely took her position on the basketball floor and began a spiritual dance before the Lord to the tune of “We Bow Down.”  Here was a mother and worshiper dancing with all her heart before the Lord in front of possibly 6000-8000 fans who had come to watch a basketball team from America. But they were fixated on the worship that they had likely never seen before. Renee was pouring her heart out before the Lord in dance...

Prior to the dance, prior to the worship music, I was backstage pacing. Jun asked me earlier that day to give the short message, a short exhortation and I was busy praying regarding the message I believed the Lord had put on my heart. I don’t have the words of the message. The one thing I know, it was going to be about Jesus. He was not just a good man or a great prophet like Abraham and Mohammed. Yes, I was going to drop the M word in this crowd, in this city where a few decades earlier, real battles were happening between C’s and M’s over the territory. I felt that strong about proclaiming this Jesus as the one - God himself - coming in human history for you and me. He is not some figure on a cross but God himself desiring relationship with everyone in that stadium that night!

When Renee started her dance, I became emboldened. My faith rose. When she completed her dance, I started my short 8 minutes speech at a fever pitch. I usually don’t start there, I go there. But I got there out of the blocks. It wasn’t a perfect message. I miscommunicated a few things early, but I believe the message of Jesus got through to this crowd, this attentive and captive crowd. Then we prayed for Jesus to come in and to start a relationship with each one there...no place for an altar call that night.  But something powerful was happening in the realm of the Spirit. (That’s not a cop out or cheap rationalization about what happened. For many came up to me later and described the intensity of that opening with powerful declaration in music, then dance and then in words. All we needed next was for someone to be physically healed...next time? If the Lord wills.  God was very present.  

What happened during the game was magical too but certainly, the magic was in the power and presence of God to participate even in the midst of a game played between 10 athletes and a ball and two hoops. It was special indeed!

The Agony of Campus Followup

I'm sure our US team has impressions of our early campus ministry in Iligan City. In our first two days we visited seven High School campuses. I recall the first campus. Alleatha and Daniel McLaughlin shared their testimonies - stories I hadn't heard. We did skits - "Two Masters" - and sang acapella. One of the many sites where we didn't have a sound system nor power (we arrived in Mindanao during a particularly rainy period and power was "had" from the first night - I love lightning!). 

Dan Gardner shared. And then the call to respond. There were a lot of High Schoolers who responded to the call that occurred. In particular I had the privilege of leading over ten to Jesus. It was a rewarding time of ministry but one that has unsettled me as well. 

While we partnered with our Iligan team from the Roosevelt church in downtown and their youth ministry, there were so many that responded to Jesus for salvation. In each of the High Schools many responded and for most it was a first time meeting with Jesus and responding to the call to follow him. So many - over 600 - and yet how would our Iligan team follow up on these campuses in which they had few contacts or a core set of believers. It led me to pause and to allow my heart to break a bit for these little ones that Jesus said to "not forbid." And yet are we leading them to Jesus and leaving them at the "altar" without a shepherd? 

It is a heart cry for now. What can we do for all these beautiful people who sincerely want to follow after God. They want to know this Jesus who is more than a man on a cross - but the living son of God who loves them and wants them to experience his liberty and his overwhelming presence. 

I remember leaving our campus partners the night before we departed the city and prayed with them for God's provision and wisdom in following up with all the "little ones" that need care. God, it is my prayer now that you bring a revival that bears fruit on these campuses.  I may not have the spellings right but I'm listing the High Schools we visited ... Lord, hear these names, remember the faces and bring them shepherding care.

Iligan City High Schools

• Suarez

• Fishery

• Cristiana National

• Tomi Noble

• Mahayahay

• Puga An

• Planon

620 decisions for Christ! Jesus ... hear this prayer.