Philippine Campus Crusade for Christ intently trained Sarj this past school year to be an associate staff and she excellently passed the training!
As her trainer, I am grateful for the trust given to me to work on the aspects of Sarj’s life and blessed to move with God in moving in her life.
Here is the testimony Sarj shared during their commissioning.
During the application process of New Staff Training, I was bothered when I was answering the part about my parents in the psychological exam. Few months later, during our get- away retreat, one phrase impacted me, that is, “My relationship with people should reflect my relationship with God.” Before the training, I had forgotten my need for people. I live independently when in reality I was longing for companion. I hated my birthday because it either falls on finals week or vacation time and people are nowhere to be found. I won’t forget one birthday I had when people closest to me forgot to greet me.
The truth is a lot of things happened in the past which I kept within myself and even from my parents. I thought I was saving them from hurts but that only estranged us from one another. I killed my emotions just to survive from pain. I remember one time I swore I would never cry again. I thought that’s the best way I would learn how to be strong.
Together with my trainer, ate Flo, we processed and dealt with my emotional and relational issues. I was surprised to find out God’s original design of me as someone who naturally loves relationships. I learned the joy in being vulnerable. Now I can share my heart openly. I saw my brokenness and all the more, my need of God and my need of people. It’s amazing especially that even another broken person can lead me to Jesus. God taught me to trust Him and to work even in the midst of my weaknesses and frustrations. Grace has been more real. I grew in taking initiative and being sensitive in meeting the need of others. For the first time, I called my family just to say hi and ask how they are and for the longest time that I’ve been pursuing our relationship I’ve been frustrated but my hope became alive once more when for the first time, Mama said to me, “I love you.” I also experienced comforting those who are hurting with the comfort that I received from the Lord just by being there. Meeting time with my disciples now is more than going through the material but I’m more concerned with their well-being. It melted my heart when I heard from a disciple for the first time, “Ate, thank you for listening.” These are just few among many first times that God let me go through and I look forward to being more in awe of Him.
Tomorrow would be the 22nd year of my existence. It feels freeing to be able to say now that I want to be remembered and I do love and I do need people.
