Young people from the Ibero-American Region of the Sword of the Spirit gather every five years for a five-day Kairos Conference. This past August, more than 600 young people, ages 16 to 25, gathered in Quito, Ecuador. 

This had been the most anticipated event for the past five years since the previous conference in Nicaragua (Montelimar 2005). The conference theme this year was taken from the book of Revelation: “Be faithful unto death: and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelations 2:10). 

Embrace the call
During the five days that we were together, the Lord spoke to us during our times of prayer and worship together through prophetic words, personal sharings, and presentations given by people from all over the Ibero-American region. The Lord spoke to us about the urgency of the times we live in and the need for young people across the globe to take their place in mission as disciples of Christ. We were invited to embrace as our own the call which was first given to our parents many years ago – the call to build a bulwark and take our place as living stones against the tide of evil that is spreading across the world. The call is to follow Christ faithfully to the end.

Giving thanks for 40 years in community
During one of our general sessions we gave thanks to God for forty years of life together in covenant community. Jean Barbara, President of the Sword of the Spirit, spoke to us about the open door that the Lord has set before our communities for new mission opportunities. We also took some time to honor our founder Steve Clark, who was present at the conference. 

United in prayer and intercession
During one of the conference sessions, Steve spoke to all of the young men about purity in our relationship with the Lord. Bill Brown, the President of the Ibero-American region of the Sword of the Spirit, also addressed us about our call to stand united in prayer and intercession. The conference deepened our unity as brothers and sisters in the Lord and encouraged us to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord.

During the conference we had many opportunities to meet in small groups and informally with one another. We got to meet with many brothers and sisters from all around the world – from Miami to Guayaquil, from Lebanon to Mexicali, from Portugal to the Dominican Republic – and to see how the Lord is working powerfully in their lives and calling them to serve in mission. Most of the conference participants are deeply involved in outreach and youth work in our local communities. We experienced the Lord giving us new strength and grace to keep carrying out our mission. 

Several young people from Brazil and El Salvador also attended the conference – people who were interested in seeing what the Lord is doing in the Sword of the Spirit communities and outreach work. They are now very enthusiastic to take back to their home countries what they have seen and learned here, especially the call to live as a community of disciples on mission and to build a bulwark for promoting mission and for defending the gospel in environments where it is being undermined or is under attack from anti-Christian forces.

Hold nothing back
At the end of the five days we returned to our home communities with the growing conviction that the Lord is walking closely with us to draw us more and more to himself, and that he will continue to strengthen us in our call – a call to hold nothing back from following him and giving him our all, even to the point of shedding our blood for his name’s sake. To him be glory forever! Amen.

[Miguel Vargas is an underway member of the Jesed Community in Monterrey, Mexico. He has been actively involved in youth ministry and is currently living in Monterrey, Mexico as an affiliate of the Servants of the Word. He majored in classical philology and graduated from the University of Costa Rica in December 2008.]
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