When I was a new Christian, the thought of being in a life group meeting used to scare me. I was afraid it would tie my schedule up, forced me to report how I failed or live up the past week,  be judged and be forced to live up to an impossible standard.   And yet here I am now, being in a group had become a part of the routine despite a busy schedule. It has become so much a part of our lives, that  when were new immigrants, the only thing still constant from our past life was the weekly cell group meeting. Oh how it has sustained us along the long, cold days of adjustment period.

We’ve since then attended different groups thru the years.  Thru LGs, I’ve learned of God’s of generous love. I’ve seen ever since then that even Christians struggle, that even Christian families aren’t as perfect as they seem to be. It mirrored my life. When the going gets tough, I press on because I see them press on.   I continue to serve despite the hectic schedule because I see them persevere.   I continue to stand amazed in God’s wondrous ways because I’ve seen His hands move in each family’s lives. Unique in each family dynamics, unique in every circumstances, but great love just the same.

On several occasions that our current life group has to miss a weekly get together, that’s when I would be reminded how dragging life can be. Without it, it felt like just the daily grind of work and home and trying to survive in between. I would miss the end of the week session where the singing & worshipping together alone, is almost enough to calm away the week’s tiredness. I would miss the sharing –the  food, the jokes, the Ogden (our favourite Bible study material so far) questions and the many ways we can discuss or laugh about it. Who knows when things would change for us to join a different group.It always takes time to break through the superficiality or to get over how different we can be. But it’s always been worth it.

— Ailene Oliveros