Pursued. Repentance. Transformation.

By Kathryn Boyd

Pursued was the phrase that came into the minds of the Leadership Development Class of Dalat International School when deciding the theme for the Spiritual Emphasis Week this year.  Anna Ruble (12) explained her thoughts behind the theme this year, “I think that the theme ‘Pursued’ accurately depicts God's love and desire for a relationship with us. We are His creation, and He desires so strongly for us to accept what He did for us on the cross. I really enjoyed the theme this year and the sermons that came with it.”

Three days, three nights. The sound of praises unto the King of Kings echoes from the Harbor Hall. A team from Avant Church in Vancouver, Canada, joined the students and parents for an amazing three days of grasping the truth of the Gospel and God’s love for us. The Avant Church team spoke to the Elementary, Middle, and High schools. They shared stories from Luke 15 about the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. Through these stories, the students gained a deeper understanding of God’s pursuit of each of them through His Son, Jesus.  Many students attended morning and evening sessions to hear about and experience God’s love for them.

SEW is a week that many students look forward to, not just for the no-homework rule, but also to grow closer to God. The second night, Pastor Ben Narayanan spoke about the pursuit of God, the importance of repentance, and how through repentance, God transforms us as our eyes are fixed on Him and His plan for our lives. This impacted many students that night to draw closer to God and understand His grace and forgiveness. 

The third night was student-led worship. There were three powerful testimonies from the senior class about how Jesus transformed Isaac Beaman, Arielle McIver, and LiMey Chhor’s lives. There was also a beautiful dance choreographed by Joyce Wan (12) and a beautiful song written by Caleb Jun (12) that talked about Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and the grace He has given each and every one of us. Students were given the opportunity to receive prayer and go to two different stations that would allow students to meditate on the messages shared over the past three days. It was clear that God was breaking the chains of sin in many students that night. 

Isaac Beaman (12) shared his testimony that night and explained his feelings, “I just felt God was totally behind me, and I saw his presence in the crowd. It was just joy. As I saw the clock in the back ticking up to 8, I couldn't stop crying.”

At the night's end, Pastor Bob called forth the parents to pray for the students, individually or in groups. This promoted unity between the older generation and the younger generation over God’s pursuit of them. Throughout the week, God showed His heart for the students through the people, worship, prayer, and speakers. Overall, many students felt the pursuit of God for them this SEW week.