By Jessica Barroso
Growing
up in the IPHC, I’ve attended and participated in my fair share of
Youth Quest events. Since the age of 12, Youth Quest has played a role
in shaping my relationship with the Lord and my expectations of how He
can use young people for His glory. However, nothing I ever saw in this
annual, domestic conference could have fully prepared me for what God
has in mind for the nations.
As
I’m sure you have noticed, not all cultures function the same way. They
speak different languages, eat different foods, argue different
political opinions, and value different ideologies. As world citizens,
and more so as Christians, we celebrate these differences and all of the
beautiful ways God created us as unique individuals. However, we also
believe in Christ’s Message of unity and His ultimate purposes for His
church. While each European and Latin American nation or conference is
equipped and empowered to reach the lost, imagine the greater impact the
IPHC could make if we networked together across borders to bring the
Message of the Gospel to all who will hear! Over the past year, The
Awakening has been preparing to challenge the next generation of
European and Latin American young people to do just that.
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This
summer, The Awakening team traveled the globe to launch two brand new,
dynamic events: EuroQuest and LAMCAR Quest (Conferencia de Lideres
Hispanoamericana)! We can't even begin to express how overwhelmingly
powerful it was to see so many nations, cultures, and languages not only
worshiping together, but praying together and FOR each other!
The
first event on our world tour, EuroQuest, was held in beautiful Vajta,
Hungary. With just over 50 attendees representing seven different
countries from both Eastern and Western Europe, we gathered together for
a week of worship, prayer, and timely messages from the Lord!
Missionary Linda Fannin said, “EuroQuest 2012 was a long-awaited dream
of Bob Cave, Harold Presley, Lin Berry, and my late husband, David
Fannin. It has always been the strategy of these men to bring together
Europe, East and West." The conference theme was to "reach from
within--Europeans reaching Europe," and God truly instilled that passion
and desire in each heart during EuroQuest!
One
particular afternoon, we asked each of the country groups represented
to express their burdens for and share what they believed to be the
greatest needs in their homelands. Then, the other nations prayed
specifically that God would answer the prayers of that country. I could
not wipe the tears from my eyes fast enough as nations prayed for
nations and each sang the same worship songs in their own languages.
Despite their impaired ability to communicate with one another, everyone
was worshiping the same God in one spirit.
Though we opened the event as young adults from many different countries, cultures, and languages, we left family! Sebastian from Romania told us at the close of the event that he “could have never anticipated what God did and the spirit of unity was incredible." We couldn’t agree more! |
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At
the end of the week, The Awakening’s team departed directly for Costa
Rica where we hosted LAMCAR Quest—also the first event of its kind for
Latin America. With nearly 200 attendees representing 13 nations,
LAMCAR Quest absolutely blew our minds! Speakers included Presiding
Bishop Doug Beacham, Continental Director Dan Clowers, co-director of
The Awakening Max Barroso, and a number of others who taught in the
various workshops. On Friday, Bishop Beacham led a powerful session
designed to help participants understand the DNA of the IPHC. We believe
that it is crucial for the next generation to understand who we are,
what we believe, and why. We watched and rejoiced as the Lord drew young
people together from all across Latin America.
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On
the final day, a representative from Panama brought a Panamanian flag
to the stage and asked, “Do you see this flag?” He then declared, “it is
time for us to, united, lift up the flag of the Gospel" as he laid his
Panamanian flag down at the altar. What a powerful testimony of how God
is allowing young people to overcome borders, and together, reach the
nations for Christ! LAMCAR Continental Director Dan Clowers stated
during his session that LQ was "one of the most significant events in
the history of LAMCAR." We believe that the future holds even greater
blessings for this beautiful region!
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We
cannot even begin to thank the Lord enough for all that He accomplished
through these events. We are now filled with anticipation for EuroQuest
and LAMCAR Quest in 2014.
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