This year's trip to the Philippines was quite the adventure. As with any mission trip, you tend to experience the extremes of the emotions. We experience the greatest joys combined with our greatest fears, and of course, the moments that completely break us. To add to that, being alone made the challenge even greater. It was different on my own; being alone in a place where my first and second languages wouldn't help much; being alone in a place where I have always had people taking care of things for me. I walked into that plane not knowing what to expect, but with a heart of expectation. I was not ready to face the challenges of a mission alone. Yet I was ready for God to move through me, to challenge me, to test my faith in ways He had never done before. I was ready for Him to use me as His vessel; to open my eyes to see those who were in need. However, I was not ready to be broken in ways that he would shape me to be a better servant and a better leader. After a brief stopover in Manila, and an hour flight to Cebu, I was ready for the adventure to begin.
Once I reached the Philippines and was able to find wi-fi (thank God!),
I learned through communication with my Dad that I was scheduled to play a
special number at Bradford UCCP's Sunday afternoon service --- the day I landed.
I lacked sleep. I lacked energy yet God chose to put me to work right away,
once again putting me on my toes, a position I was all too familiar with.
I was stressed, and that itself drained me even more.
I was anticipating the large amount of work I was about to do in the next few weeks.
I was not ready to go to Leyte. I didn't know anyone in the group.
I had no clue what I would be doing. I had no medical background.
I would be useless. I was not ready to go to the mountain churches.
I couldn't speak the language. How could I possibly be effective?
Emotions were running through my mind as I entered Cebu.
It was great to be at my grandparent's house in Cebu again. It felt like home. It was really something to have a place like that when you feel alone. Pictures on the walls of our previous trips, family back home, and our accomplishments really raised my spirits about everything. It was a good feeling. I could only experience this for a short while as I was about to play a special number in church in a few hours.
Even as I walked into the church I had no idea what song to play. My mind was racing a million miles an hour as I felt like shaking hands with hundreds of people; some who remembered Zeal and our ministries before, and some who were anticipating what I came there to do. As I listened to the pastor's message about having Christ as the firm foundation through anything, I decided to play "Your Embrace" (click here to watch the video). With the pastor speaking about laying all our trust and burdens in Him first, it only made sense. It was good to sing again.
The rest of the day consisted of meeting more people. I was able to meet some of the team that would be traveling to Leyte, which made me just a bit more comfortable. It was honestly hard to actually go out and meet more people as I challenged myself to do. Even back home, I'm not usually the person that approaches someone and introduces myself to people.
On Monday night, January 27th, we were scheduled to take an overnight boat trip that would land in Ormoc, Leyte. This was no ordinary boat either...
For the overnight ride we were all assigned a cot to sleep in. There were hundreds of these around the boat, built like bunk beds to accommodate all the passengers. The picture on the left was the view from my cot as we departed Cebu City for Ormoc. Different became normal to me at that moment. Even though the boat seemed "over-filled" and stuffy, it was actually a very interesting experience. I slept through most of the ride and woke up comfortably rested. We landed just before the break of dawn.
Just before our vans came out of the boat, we enjoyed a short time of singing and fellowship. I kept my distance (as you can see in the photo below) at first but also meditated and prayed about the tasks ahead.
I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I had no idea how I was supposed to help. I had a feeling everyone in the group felt I was useless. I didn't have medical experience or anything close to it. I just prayed God would use me where He would.
As the sun began to rise over the horizon, I walked to the other edge of the port, where I could see the city of Ormoc more clearly, or at least, from what was left of it. The buildings and structures were still standing but I could clearly see that the typhoon significantly affected this place. Some rooftops were gone, windows shattered, trees pointing to the wrong direction, and the Ormoc Superdome was missing so many letters that you would not be able to figure out what it says at first sight. Yet, the coast was beautiful.
The ride to our final destination was long and winding. Through the urban areas of Ormoc we were able to see more of the typhoon's aftermath up close. Houses were damaged and the people who lived in them were attempting to rebuild them themselves. It seemed, in some cases, that people were using wood from the trees nearby to repair their damaged homes. We passed by these sites so quickly I was not able to capture them. Certain places I remembered were a man repairing his roof on his own, a basketball court with broken rim, and an area of trees that were pointing sideways. The island was mostly rural, but you could still see evidence that a major storm hit the area. We eventually landed in the town of Gutosan, in a region called Biliran. We were welcomed by the local church there, in which we would conduct our ministry. The pastor and people from the local church were very welcoming and excited to see what God would do for the people of the city. We had breakfast and prayed that God would begin a work of healing in that town, and for all those affected by the typhoon.
People began piling into the church area, hoping to receive their long-awaited medical needs. I was able to find my role of carrying and sorting medications while the medical workers began to meet the needs of the people. The first thing I noticed about everyone there was that each and every person had their own story. I could literally see the pain in their eyes as I learned of injuries sustained during the times of the typhoon that were not attended to for months, and sicknesses that spread from child to child. Mothers praying that their infant child is ok. After each patient was done with their check-up they sat down with one of the pastors from Bradford Church for prayer and counseling. Although I could barely understand what they were saying, I could see that these people's needs were far greater than just medical problems; many people were in great need for spiritual healing and for joy to return in their lives after the storm. I saw many gruesome images during these two days. Feet and knees not pointed to where they were supposed to be pointing, infected wounds, and other visible illnesses. I just couldn't help but pray every time I saw something like that. All in all, the two-day experience was one of the most eye-opening times of my life. Being alone without people I really knew really forced me to focus on the task at hand without any distractions. I was able to see the needs and pain of the people. I was able to experience the people who we prayed for; to take a glimpse of what life is where it is less fortunate. I am very thankful for everyone I met and everything I have experienced on this medical mission. Of course, I can't forget taking a bath in a tight concrete bathroom space, or sleeping on the church floor. That's always fun.
Our foundation help equip some local churches in the mountain regions to be able to spiritually feed the people and make disciples. Some churches, such as Paril UCCP was in need of healing at the time. It was decided that I go and speak to the people; maybe share a song or story for encouragement and inspiration.
Paril was not an easy place to go to especially from Cebu City. We would have to take a taxi to the closest town to Paril, which was Pit-Os, then hire a motorcycle driver to drive us up to the church there. The trip would take about an hour and a half to two hours, not to mention that a public motorcycle wasn't the safest form of transportation.
One of our foundation scholars, Jay-R, accompanied me on the trip, and once we arrived, we were the only ones there. This gave us the opportunity to explore the area and for me to admire the scenery of the place. We walked down the mountain road to visit some families in the area, and I realized that several people that lived in that area had the same last name as me. It was good to see some of the roots of my family. We were able to actually enter some of the houses there. Some very simple, small wooden houses that housed large families; some looked like they would easily collapse. Once again my eyes were opened, but it was different seeing that these people were my family.
In Cebu, an annual event was was being held at the city, a significant event for various Christian denominations represented in the city. This event, The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, was created to unite various denominations of Christians in Cebu as brothers and sisters in Christ, and not members of different religious groups. I wanted to bring this message to the people of Paril, some divided because of personal differences, some for other reasons. I shared to them that WE are the church, the people, not the building or establishment. We are called to be united as His people to bring forth his light together and not divided. I shared that the Lord knows our struggles and that He is ready to bring us healing as long as we ask. I was also able to share some songs from the Zeal album and some songbooks. It was awesome to see that many of them knew the songs already! It was a blessing and I was definitely blessed to be there. It was good to see faces light up and see people encouraged by His message.
I knew from the beginning that Sac-On was going to be an adventure. I would stay there overnight and have a real experience of what living in the mountains would be like. First I would attend the service on Sunday morning and meet with the youth and students we worked with on our previous trips.
We had a great ministry going on in Sac-On. It was the site of our previous mission activities.
We conducted a medical mission and a worship concert with Zeal in 2010.
I was able to share a song from Zeal "That I May Follow You",
(click here to see Zeal Band sing "That I May Follow You)
during the service.
While meeting with the students, I noticed that many of them were very familiar to me.
I noticed the ones that we worked with before and I was curious to know what they've been up to through the years.
Did the foundation scholarship make a difference?
Were we able to make lasting impressions when we worked with them years ago?
As the students introduced themselves and told their stories,
many of them expressed their gratitude on how much the scholarship
and the foundation made a difference in their academic and spiritual lives.
Some of them were thankful that the scholarship encouraged them to be the best young people they can be,
that our camp three years ago inspired them to find their God-given talents and use them in ministry.
It was good to see that several of them became leaders in their respective communities and giving back to the places where they came from. God was definitely doing work in the mountain areas. Students were becoming teachers. Young people became leaders. Many students from our program were becoming great examples for the younger ones to follow.
This was about the time when I let down my barriers. I allowed myself to become open to the people. Being alone really put me in the position to personally relate to the people I encountered. There was no one this time to translate or to relay a message through. I really had to be personal with everyone. During this time I was surprised at how much Bisaya I was learning. As the youth shared their testimonies I realized I didn't really need my friend to help translate. It was a blessing because all my life I wanted to learn the language that more than half of my family grew up speaking.
That night I was able to spend the night at my Lolo's house in the mountains. I had no idea what life in the mountains would be like. And I was sure that only one night was a mere glimpse into another side of life. Life was simpler and much more peaceful. We would use water collected from rainwater drums to flush the toilet and wash our hands. We walked downhill to a nearby well to take a bath. And that night I sat there looking at clear skies, singing worship songs and letting my burdens go to God.
This had to be one of the most interesting experiences for me. It was good to see the church united in prayer and worship no matter who was around them. I was very privileged to be asked to compose the theme song for the entire week. I was asked the day before I left for Paril and I was gathering thoughts and trying to figure something out the entire time. The first unity service was the same day I went to Paril --- at night. I prayed for the words. I prayed for a message. I had no idea what I would write about and I only had a day to write it.
I thought about the words, "we are the church, we are the people" and decided to open the song emphasizing the people as the church, called by a purpose to further the kingdom. I prayed for lyrics that would proclaim victory of the darkness that has caused division in the church. We were called to sing His praises as one, to rise as the body of Christ, and to come together as His people.
I'm thankful that God really led me to find the lyrics of that song and I truly believe that it was Him who inspired me to sing those lyrics. The first night I sang the song to a crowd larger than I expected. There were hundreds of people there representing several denominations in Cebu. I really felt the spirit move in that place.
Even though the service was held at a UCCP church, I enjoyed watching several denominations coming together in worship, proclaiming that above all, Jesus is the Lord. I was also asked to play the song at another UCCP church, and at a Catholic service known as the Light of Jesus Family. It was a great experience to travel to different churches, experiencing different types of worship, yet giving glory to the same God.
I was scheduled once more to visit the Paril church before I left for Manila.
The youth of the mountain churches meet once in a while
to represent their respective churches in a joint overnight fellowship.
During this time, the storm in Cebu was at it's strongest point.
My friend and I journeyed through the cold torrent rainfall on the way up to Paril,
despite dressing for warm weather and t-shirts. Once we arrived, we prepared a meal for dinner and planned our fellowship.
Once again I felt anxious about fellowship. Being alone really forced me to connect to the people myself
and allowed myself to relate on a more personal level. I was able to share my songs and testimony.
Despite not knowing whether or not people understood me,
I was sure that the Lord was faithful and spoke through me.
It was a great night of fellowship, singing, and growing in our relationship with the Lord.
We were all able to share about our spiritual walk and what we were thankful to the Lord for.
As my time in Cebu closed out with a final performance of the song "As One" at Bradford Church, and some final fellowship moments and goodbyes, I was so happy to see how far God has taken me during this trip. He showed me that even though we cannot directly see the results of our work, He is always working things out. I felt tested more than ever during this trip and I felt more and more prepared to take on challenges on my own. Throughout my inner struggles, and conflicts with the tasks at hand, He always provided a way for things to work out for Him. I saw an image that would describe my experience as I was flying out of Cebu. Through all the storms that were going on, literal and metaphorical, God is creating a work of beauty above the storm, we just have to look at the big picture to figure it out.
