repentance & forgiveness

Hi everyone, I've missed all of you! Before I start getting into the second update, I want to encourage all of you in deepening your relationships with God. He is so amazingly worthy of all of our praise! Please feel free to continue emailing me prayer requests so I can be praying for all of you.

This week we have been covering repentance and forgiveness. I’d just like to highlight a few points that stuck out to me during our lectures.

• Jesus’ main purpose on Earth was to get us to repent from our sins.
• It is a privilege to repent from our sins!
• Be thorough in repenting of your sins .
  
• We become a victim of someone we haven't forgiven.

This past Friday our application on repentance and forgiveness was to confess and repent from our sins and to give forgiveness to anyone we held something against. The difficult part was that we did it one at a time before God and the rest of the class. We got started in the morning and broke into two groups in the afternoon to speed things up because it took around 15 hours for a class of 43 people. The air in the classroom was so heavy. So many sins were confessed that day from the darkest corners of our hearts. Someone was living in fear for 20 years because of something they were holding onto. Bonds from sin were broken and people were released to start walking in holiness. It was an amazing time. Never once did we judge someone, we always shared in their pain and lifted them up no matter the sin. After half the day my heart really just wanted to stop hearing all the sin that people have gone through. Seeing all the hurt and pain really gave me a new hate for sin. But of course we pressed on and it was an amazing time of newfound freedom and cleanliness.

Not everyone was feeling that way afterward. Many of us who are clean and walking in righteousness now still don't feel that way. There can be so much sin from the past and habits still rooted in us that we don't feel forgiven. At this time I think that spiritual warfare becomes very real. Now that we are empty of our sins Satan is very eager to fill us again with evil. Our struggle is to pursue God and fill ourselves with His word before anything.

For me personally I've been feeling hopeless and discouraged. I know that I am forgiven of my sins but there are so many things that I need to change and I'm not sure how to do it. I want to walk in holiness because I am so convicted of the sin in my life but I'm fearful of failing again. I guess that part is the 'asian' built in me. I know God will continue to forgive me but I want to mature and run as far away from sin as I can.

Last weekend we went to a river/beach to go sandboarding! We had to walk a mile or two to get to the slopes but it was heaps of fun. Since every post needs some pictures, here they are!

A view of where the river meets the beach

Another one of the river/beach just for fun

Me lost in the desert somewhere along the 1 hour hike!

The sand dune that leads into the river

And me going down!

As for an update on the last prayer requests, almost all of them have improved thank God! The messages/lectures have still been difficult to focus and stay awake, but now I've been gradually doing better and better. We're encouraged to stand up if we get tired and I'm usually the first one to stand up. No shame! I'm getting more and more used to the schedule but I'm still working out times during the day when I can sneak in some journaling or reading. The situation with my roommate has improved! He was having a hard time here but lately he's really coming around and opening up to people. Some students are still sick but at least it's different students, the other ones are all better now! Praise God for all the things we have been praying about! He really is that good to us, even in the little things. I feel so supported knowing that I have all of you praying for me.

Here are some more prayer items so that everyone can continue praying for me (I'm not bashful about asking for prayer!):

• For peace in my heart to know that I am forgiven and righteous.
• Wisdom on how to battle pride. God is convicting me of some serious pride, but I'm really struggling with this because pride is so deceitful and has many different faces.
• Pray against evil attacks! There are a few students here who are really struggling and barely hanging on each day. There are so many mixed emotions and confusion that is either from Satan or could really be used by Satan. There are also a few girls who have been sick for a few days now.
  
• That my ears and heart will be open to hearing God's voice. I desperately want to hear from Him!

Thanks again everyone so much. God really is working in everyone's lives here. Sometimes it's frustrating because I feel that others are getting more blessed than I am or that they hear the voice of God and I don't, but even if I come home the same I will continue to praise Him for He is worthy. Some days are really hard, but thank you for all your continued support and encouragement, I eat that stuff up! I'm eagerly awaiting my package! Sometimes during the day while I'm doing something I wish that you all could be here with me. Miss you all heaps upon heaps (Aussie's like the word heaps for some reason). Don't forget to let me know of any prayer requests you might have, I'd love to be praying for all of you.

Fight on CCCSB! Be Bold and live for our King in everything you do because he is worthy.

Blessings,
Andrew