This year’s 13th annual G12 Conference in Bogotá had lived up to expectations, again. Inspiring and refreshing many there, including our FCBC pastors, who were there from January 28 to February 02 for the six–day Conference, they were all immensely touched by God and awed by exemplary lives of the Castellanos family. Rev Ong Swee Geok reports of this unforgettable experience to the place where her G12 dream was first conceived, with some valuable insights from her spiritual family.  

The first visit to Bogotá in 2005 taught me to dream dreams. It taught me to believe for the dreams God gives to me. Going to Bogotá this year with seven ladies from my Network is the fulfillment of a dream birthed in 2005 in Bogotá. Therefore, this trip to Bogotá has been extra special for me and I went with great expectation that He has much in store for me. Indeed, this has been an awesome trip for me and my ladies. Words alone cannot express what we experienced.

In Bogotá, one learns not only from the teachings given at the convention. In fact, God is manifested every where and one needs to constantly imbibe His teaching by taking in everything that is happening. Ps Cesar’s and Ps Claudia’s lives have never failed to inspire me. As I look at them, their four daughters and their recently adopted son, it gives me hope for families. They are living examples of what a family ought to be. They inspire me to work towards what the Lord has for my family. Each of their daughters loves the Lord and each is a spiritual giant in her own right. I am dreaming for this to happen in mine.

Lie Chin Chin, one of my 12, writes of the Castellanos family:

“It was demonstrated to me that it is possible to find integration in all areas of my life. Reject the lie that with many roles to juggle, I can only expect to be a jack of all trades and master of none.
 
I can integrate all areas and enjoy immense success in all areas. The feast for my eyes came when the President visited. He recognised and addressed Ps Cesar, Senator Claudia and each of their four children BY THEIR INDIVIDUAL GOOD WORKS. It was a touching moment when I saw that Ps Cesar and Ps Claudia are successful in their relationship as husband and wife, in parenting all the four magnificent children, in their respective careers – and in the case of Claudia a seemingly secular one, in their local and international ministries and in their social relationships.

The extent of success is evidenced by how close the family is, and how they are each fruitful in their own right. Each of them, including Sarah, 15, was able to preach fresh messages that revealed their deep love for God and their intimate relationships with the Holy Spirit. I saw how the four children served in worship, dance and preaching wholeheartedly. Each of them seeks to transform people and nations. The young children are filled with a sense of purpose. They are the manifest outworking of all that Ps Cesar and Ps Claudia have been teaching. It's amazing how much favour the family has with the President. Ps Cesar preached and prophesied over him, prayed for him before the crowd of 10, 000 to 20,000.”

Through this trip, I am challenged again to dream bigger dreams; to believe in the impossible and to expect miracles all the time. The highlight for this year’s Conference is the ‘challenge of 52 days’. The church, under the leadership of Ps Cesar, was recently taught to believe God for the building of different ‘walls’ in 52 days, from the book of Nehemiah.  At the Convention, there were testimonies of successes in the arena of the politics and finance. We were given a treat to experience the fruit of another success – the outfitting of their new premise in less than 52 days. 

Charlotte Foo, another of my 12 shares:

“Everything is possible for Ps Cesar. I witnessed the supernatural breakthrough in getting the new auditorium ready for the inauguration during the conference. Ps Khong himself saw the state of the new auditorium the day before the dedication and he agreed it was a miracle to transform the renovation mess to what we had on that Friday afternoon where the stage, sound system (for even Delirious band to perform), lighting, seating, painting and all logistics were all in place for the Mayor and the foreign delegates’ visit. I am really awed by the great support of his architect and the team – pushing Ps Cesar’s dream into reality.”     

Immediately after the Convention, the church was issued with yet another challenge, the raising of 100,000 cells in 52 days. I wondered how they could go on and on and on without feeling tired or burnt out? Everyone in the church seems to live in the ‘fourth dimension’, that of the supernatural. 100,000 cells in 52 days is unthinkable for me. Yet as I talked with the different pastors in the church, they all see it as possible. Amazing! How each of them spoke as though it is done already! None showed any anxiety or fear. There was such rest in their disposition as they talked about achieving the 100,000 cells in 52 days.

I am inspired to emulate their restedness in the Lord. I pray I will be able to have their level of faith if ever the Lord gives me such a task.

To help give a better understanding of the trip, I have included excerpts of my ladies’ sharing. They are only a little glimpse into the many lessons we caught in this trip.

“This Bogotá trip has opened my spiritual eyes and has enabled me to step out of the boat and walk in the supernatural realm with the Holy Spirit… I also want to thank God for His gift of a new level of faith that I am now able to trust and rest in Him regardless of circumstances. I know He is in control.” – Lim Shu Teng, my youngest team member, a 5-month-old Christian.

“I realised that dreams and visions are in their DNA, in their blood. They (Ps Cesar’s church in Bogotá) believe in it because they have experienced the fulfillment of their dreams and visions. Ps Cesar said that God gives people dreams and visions, and didn’t give them to animals! I learnt that when one can see the spiritual realm, one can see the success in the natural realm. It’s all about the supernatural.” – Nancy Lim, another of my 12.

“Faith is something that can only be caught and not taught. At Bogotá, I saw in Ps Cesar and Ps Claudia a level of faith that amazed me. Ps Claudia’s faith in God enabled her to take the bold step of adopting a baby at her age, on top of her busy ministry as Head of the Women Network, local as well as international, and her career as a Senator – and all despite the fact that she already has four grown-up girls, one of whom is married.

It’s their faith as a couple that give them the sense of security and assurance to thrust their ministry to their daughters so that they can be freed to go beyond where they are. Looking at how their daughters grow in their faith and serving so fervently and mightily in the Lord is another great testimony of their love for God, love for each other, love for their daughters and love for their ministry. 

To be able to reap such fruits, they must have worked hard as parents, fathering and mothering their daughters to become who they are today.  So, in a way, it’s not only about methods and strategies, but more about living a life that is totally yielded to God, totally dependent and walking with the Holy Spirit as their Guide, therefore being able to see many supernatural working from their ministry. I’m glad to be there to see for myself a family that is ‘sold out’ for the G12 vision and living it out in word and in action.  Like Johanna Castellanos said in her message, 'Faith must be tied up with action!' They are a great testimony of being able to ‘walk the talk’." – Jane Ng, another of my 12.

The Convention ended with an open-air meeting in a park. Almost the whole church was present for this meeting and we had a foretaste of seeing the multitudes. It was an awesome feeling to see the sea of people worshipping the Lord in the cool of the evening breeze. It gives me the faith that having multitudes in FCBC is possible.

MCI started with eight persons in the house of Ps Cesar and Ps Claudia. Today, they are more than 200,000-strong. If God can give them multitudes, I believe God will give multitudes to us, too. After all, that’s the heart of God.

Written by: Rev Ong Swee Geok
Posted on: 21 February 2008