The Feast changed my life. When I attended the Catholic prayer gathering for the first time 11 years ago, I found meaning and healing in my life after four years of being depressed and suicidal. At that point, I decided that instead of taking my life, I would give my life to Jesus. I experienced a miraculous turnaround. It was metanoia. However, I still harbored doubts and insecurities about myself. I knew that Jesus loved me tremendously, yet he called me to follow him in doing “hard things.” Service in the context of the church was new to me at the time. I lacked confidence in my capacity to serve God and others. At the back of my mind, I constantly asked myself, “Am I making a difference in how I live my life?”
Everything about the conference had one message. Every song delivered one melody. Every dance showed one movement. Every preacher spoke as one.
When I heard about the Feast Conference, it was still called the Kerygma Conference. I knew it was going to be a supercharged version of the Feast. The theme of that year was Champions, Arise! I was not disappointed when I joined the conference for the first time.
Everything about the conference had one message. Every song delivered one melody. Every dance showed one movement. Every preacher spoke as one. They reminded me that I am a champion and must kneel and surrender to rise triumphantly. In other words, I had to humble myself before the Lord to champion Him and His Kingdom effectively.
It all clicked in my mind, heart, and soul. That day, I learned what it means to serve the way Jesus did. I started serving in ministries that needed my help. Missionary work became a part of my weekly schedule while I served consistently at the Feast. I eventually also started training new generations of champions.
Today, I am still far from the ideal servant I aspire to be. Yet, I still celebrate the fact that I have gotten to where I am today because of where I was 11 years ago, at Feast Conference Visayas. I look forward to the conference again. The theme is New Promise. I am excited about the new series of triumphs and turnarounds this year. God has great things planned for me and the 3,000 in attendance. He will produce miracles and metanoia anew. I am eager to witness the new doors that God is opening for me and my Light of Jesus Family.
ADVERTORIAL