Abandoned Agenda

Abandoned Agenda

Highlights of the Singapore Trip

(October 27-November 2, 2010)

God meets our great expectations through little surprises.  This is what happened during our trip to Singapore.  We have planned for our itinerary and the people to meet and talk to, but God has another agenda for us.  On our first day in Singapore, we decided to abandon our printed schedule and itinerary, and instead pursue God's leading for us.

Little Delays, Big Realizations

walking to the airplane to board

While checking our luggage in, we were set aside by a lady at the counter who told us that we have not paid for everything.  But I was the one who paid so I knew that would not be possible.  In fact, I still have four centavos change.  When I asked how much our balance was, it was 49 cents. 

Because of 49 cents, we were not able to get our boarding pass until everyone in line was done.  The crews at the boarding gate were already calling the passengers who were not on board yet.  We knew it.  This little distraction was from the enemy trying to delay us and the work the Lord is about to do.

The God of Comfort and Surprises

with Peter at OMF

In May, our team stayed in a backpackers hostel in one room, male and female joined, together with other male and female foreigners.  I was trying to book to the same kind of accommodation but reserving two rooms for two people in each room.  The person I asked to do the booking for us lost connection thru the internet and was not able to confirm our booking.  I believe this happened because the Lord had another place for us to stay.  We did not pursue the original booking and God led us to another place to stay.  There were only two more rooms left which we believed were reserved by God for us.

                We stayed at OMF Guesthouse in Singapore where we paid for a lower price compared to the rooms we were trying to reserve (which were also not so comfortable).  The place was very quiet,   peaceful, clean and relaxing.  In short, the place was very comfortable for us to stay.  It was also very accessible, just in front of the venue where we planned to gather the Filipinos for the event.

Gary and Jeff talking about missions

                We planned to gather them in the park but it was cloudy that day and raining in the afternoon.  The guesthouse manager was gracious enough to allow us to gather the Filipinos in the dining hall—free of charge.  There was no distraction and surprisingly we met Jeff, a Filipino inquiring about mission opportunities who joined us and had fellowship with us.  For Jeff, it was no coincidence, but God's divine appointment.  Being new in Singapore and looking for friends and more involvement in missions, God sent him to our group. 

A Foreigner with a Heart for the Filipinos

with Gilda (my mom) and Debbie

Debbie is an Australian who, together with her husband, was a missionary to the Philippines for nine years.  She not only speaks Tagalog clearly, but her heart also beats for the Filipino overseas workers in Singapore, especially the domestic helpers.  We were only introduced by a common friend (a missionary also) through email and I was supposed to meet her there but Gary met her first while fixing coffee.

                It was a morning of meaningful and very helpful conversation about starting a ministry among the Filipinos in Singapore.  This was the moment also when we abandoned our printed schedule and itinerary and just followed God’s leading.  We met another man named David (a British) who is a retired missionary but is going back to the Philippines to start another evangelistic ministry.  It melted our hearts to see how these foreigners love the Filipinos.

Statistics Speaks

If Debbie's heart is for the domestic helpers, we cannot neglect also the many young professionals, married and unmarried, who are flocking to Singapore nowadays.  This was confirmed by Mr. Rodolfo Sabulao, Labor Attache in Singapore.  He said, statistics say that there are around 162,000 Filipinos, 55% of those are skilled and professionals.  This trend and demand for more skilled and professional workers, he said, will continue for the next years. 

with Mr. Sabulao, Labor Attache in Singapore

It was a meaningful afternoon with Mr. Sabulao when he generously shared with us facts and information about our Overseas Filipino Workers and in establishing churches in Singapore in the absence of Ambassador Minda Cruz who was in Korea that time.  The Ambassador met with the leaders involved in any Filipino communities, religious and non-religious, who are helping our "kababayans" in Singapore every month.

Wordless Devotion

along Symphony Lake

a walk through the rain forest

One morning, we decided to have a walk at the Botanic Gardens across the street.  Pastor Mar was supposed to lead the devotion and he did it without opening his Bible and without saying a word.  The creation spoke of God's greatness and majesty—century old trees, thousands of varieties of flowers and plants and trees and cacti and bushes.  Birds freely flying around, fishes in the ponds together with the turtles and water plants—they all shout of God's masterpiece and caring hands.  It was refreshing to the soul, especially the walk through the rainforest where God sent dew to water the trees and sustain them to give shelter to animals and human beings.

                It was quite a journey through God’s creation realizing how His grace is sufficient for us and how He created each creature with a purpose.  Looking at the trees, we could not help but relate them to different churches and approaches made in church planting and there was this one tree which caught our attention and led us to a discussion of what we thought the kind of church the Lord wanted to see among the Filipinos based on the Scripture.

OFW with a higher purpose for their overseas job

A Date with Jesus

Gilda, Mae, Rosie, Abby & Jane

During our gathering on Sunday, Mae was invited by Rosie who was invited by my mother.  Mae did not know what the gathering was all about. She was told that it will be just for a while but then it took her to stay for two hours.  While I was having a conversation with her, she told me that she missed her other appointments because she did not expect it would be that long.  When I asked her how she felt, she said it was just fine, she did not regret to stay and that she did not expect also how her life would be touched by God.  She said that she will just tell the person she was supposed to meet that she had a date with Jesus.

Gary, Emil, Mar, Mark, Jeff, Paul, & Harley

Gilda, Mark, Let, Jane, Rosie, Mae, Sharon, Jane, Gary & Jeff

Family vs. Money

during the session

We met two of Pastor Mar's classmates in college.  They were both engineers working in Singapore.  Harley brought his wife and two kids in Singapore and they all attended our event.  The other one, Emil, left his family in the Philippines.  During the small group discussion, he realized that it was not about money—how much he earns but it's about his love for his family.  He used to be earning a lot in the Philippines but something happened in the work that frustrated him.  So when there was an opportunity to work in Singapore, he grabbed it. 

When Harley was invited by Pastor Mar, he also invited Emil.  Pastor Mar and Emil hardly remembered each other because they were not close friends in college.  But it was no accident that God brought him to the event.  He told Pastor Mar after the event that he now realized his purpose in life.

Not Knowing Jesus

Max is a seven year old kid who had many questions like, “Where is God?”, “Where is heaven?”, “What will happen if a man dies?” and “Will I have the boat of my dream?”  Those were just some questions he had in mind before we arrived in their house. 

Jane worked with the family as a helper and Max is one of the two sons.  The other one is Jaime who is five years old.  Their parents are from UK and Finland and they do not express any belief in God and they couldn't even answer Max's questions, and so they were happy to have us.  Although Elena was hesitant at first and wanted to leave when we arrived, she stayed with her husband Simon. 

Jane & Max (Back) Jaime & Abby (front)

We talked about the Bible, as a source of answers to his questions.  We shared the story of Moses and then talked about God and His plan and purpose for each one.  When Max asked what will happen if a man dies, we let him read John 3:16.  He was shy to read it loud so he read it by himself and when his mom asked, "So did you read it?  Did you understand what you read?"  And the boy shook his head and told us, "I didn't understand what it meant."  We were reminded of the Eunuch who was reading from the prophets but couldn't understand what he was reading.  He sat beside me and Abby and we let him read again aloud.  We talked to him how much God loves us and sent His Son Jesus for us.  It was surprising that he didn't know Jesus but he knew about Christmas and Easter. 

We asked him and the rest of the family to join us in prayer to make the decision but he was shy to do that.  But after our discussion, we asked him if his questions were answered and if he understood it, he nodded with teary eyes.  When the snacks were set, we offered to pray for the family.  Before we prayed, Max said he did not know how to pray.  After our prayer, he asked his dad, "Dad, do you pray?"  His dad answered, "Not always, it's been years since I last prayed." 

This is a picture of how much the work is needed to reach out also to other cultures.  Fortunately, many of our OFWs like Jane were already positioned to minister to them.  It's upon their reach to share the good news to people—like Max and his whole family—who don't know Jesus.

FLY BY FAITH

                We all went to Singapore with our tickets and faith that the Lord will provide the rest.  And He did, we were able to pay for our accommodation and He sent people to bless us.  We were blessed by the generosity of people we met both the professionals and the helpers.  From breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to coffee at Starbucks, we thank God for people who blessed us.  Even at the airport, Lorie met us and blessed our team before we boarded back to the Philippines. 

                Of course, this will not also be possible, if not for people who prayed and believed in what the Lord is doing through us and even invested their resources in us and in this trip that made it possible for us to prepare and go to Singapore. 

To summarize this trip, if there is a VISION, there is a PROVISION.  When God gave a vision, He has already provided to make it happen.  It takes people to take a step of faith and say Yes to participate in what He is doing globally, especially in this case, among the many Filipinos, 11 million as estimated, who are scattered around the world.