Hafa Adai!

Hafa Adai is how they greet visitors in Guam.

It’s the Chamorro phrase for Welcome, or Have a good day!

What it actually means is that one can go around the island of Guam in half a day. But in a general sense, the phrase connotes, “Expect good things to happen to you in Guam!”

To visit Guam is something that I never expected, or even dreamed of. But this doesn't surprise me anymore. Somehow, I sense that I have entered a new season called Expecting the Unexpected … and many unexpected things have been coming my way these past months.

Just before lunch of Thursday last week, Sue, my sister in law, called me into her office. “Lidj, we’re leaving for Guam on Sunday; we’ll be back here on Friday morning.”

It was an official trip, I was told, and I was to be in charge of documentation (read: take pictures and videos, and do the write ups.)

“Oh, okay,” was all I could say. Mentally, I was going over my to do list for the next few days.

Happily, the Transforming Hearts Ancient Paths 2 seminar I was to coordinate ends Saturday night. There was nothing that I had planned that would be in conflict with the Guam schedule.

I only hoped that I could still have enough time to write my research proposal for my M.A. course due for submission by the end of March.

Deep inside of me, a prayer arose. “Lord, I just want to be at the center of Your perfect will, even in the decisions that other people do for me. May I give You the glory in everything I do.”

I am one person who is not really ambitious. Given a choice, I would really just prefer to sit in a corner, reading a book or my Bible, or listen to music, or water my garden. I am quite comfortable with routine and predictable outcomes.

Yet, these past years God has been enlarging my territory, expanding my horizons, calling me out of my comfort zone… and my life these days is far from predictable.

“Frontier” was a clear word that God spoke to me as 2003 began. “You are entering uncharted territory,” was what God had continually impressed upon me since then.

Those words marked the beginning of a new season for me. It was my 50^th year, my year of jubilee.

I remember what Henri Nouwen writes about “passion.” The word is derived from the Latin verb patior, meaning “to undergo.” It is also the origin of the word “passive.”

In one of his books, Henri writes about the passion of Jesus – how it came after much action.

For three years, Jesus was about His Father’s business,

going from town to town,

walking down dusty roads,

responding to people’s needs,

healing the sick, performing miracles,

teaching in parables,

giving practical sermons,

confronting the Pharisees,

rebuking the self-righteous and religious hypocrites,

raising the dead back to life.

But at the Garden of Olives, all this activity suddenly comes to a stop. At Gethsemane, Jesus is “handed over” by Judas to the authorities.

Jesus does not resist, he gives in without a fight. This is what the passion of Jesus was all about: in the last remaining hours of His life, the crux of the matter was not His will, but the will of the Father.

These beautiful words of Henri Nouwen describe the life of Jesus:

The great mystery of Jesus’ life is that He fulfilled his mission not in action, but in passion, not by what He did, but by what was done to Him….

It was when He was dying on the cross that He cried out, “It is fulfilled.”

There was a time when I had my whole life planned out. I was going to have a perfect life, with my dreams happening just as I had planned they would. Everything falling into place. All the pieces fitting perfectly together.

I thought I had it all figured out. But it turned out I was wrong.

And I needed to learn this one vital lesson: that God is the scriptwriter of my life story. That life is all about Him, not me.

Once I learned that important lesson, things began to be much easier for me.

It is a lesson about embracing the humility of Jesus.

Recognizing the voice of the Father and learning to obey Him.

Accepting life as it is handed out to me.

Learning to pray the serenity prayer at the right time – “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

This points me back to Mary, the mother of Jesus. I just love her words: “I am the handmaiden of the Lord, may it be done unto me according to His word.”

When Craig Hill visited the Philippines last November, something he said during one conversation I had with him really stuck.

He said:

“Truly humble people have margins in their time,

their finances, and their relationships.”

Wow! That was a loaded insight.

And since then, I've done a lot of thinking about it.

A humble person is a meek person.

And meekness in the different areas of my life simply means that:

I know I have power, but I'm not using it all up.

I know I have money, but I'm not using it all up to fill my emptiness.

I know I have friends and loved ones and people under me, but I do not use them as an extension or a vehicle for the fulfillment of my dreams and desires.

Meekness is power under control. A truly meek person knows how to manage his finances, and to order his time, and to nurture his relationships.

And I don’t think Craig was merely talking about good stewardship. I believe it’s not simply a matter of being a good steward.

If done from self-effort and self- discipline, being a good steward can make one proud and self-righteous.

But Christ-like meekness goes much deeper. It is about being generous, and being a life-giver.

A truly meek person has extra room in his time for changes and detours. He is open to interruptions and last-minute changes in schedules. He has room in his relationships for the unexpected to happen.

Taking this a step further, the meek person has margins in his heart where the other is allowed to be different, given the freedom to make mistakes. And he knows he need not be afraid of being judged, or criticized for doing things his own way.

On Thursday evening, after a friend of mine found out I was going to Guam, she blurted out a comment.

On the topical level, her statement seemed correct.

But something in the way it was uttered sent me a negative relational message. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. But the message I received was this: “You are in the wrong place, with the wrong people, doing the wrong thing, and something wrong is bound to happen in your life!”

Because I am certain there was no intention to hurt, I no longer harbor any offense against my dear friend.

But honestly, how my heart grieved because of that uncalled for and quite unnecessary comment!

A dear friend Trudi really warmed my heart as she and I prayed about my forthcoming trip to Guam during a break in the Transforming Hearts seminar on Friday evening. She said that although I had named my only daughter “Obedient One,” she sensed that I was actually the obedient one. And she told the Lord that she was encouraged by my obedient responses to God in the many seasons of my life.

Trudi is not Filipino. She is British and is 20 years younger than I, yet we are good friends. She has a deep understanding of spiritual things. And if there was a prayer I needed to hear at that time, it was the prayer she gave.

As she prayed, something in her words resonated deep within my spirit. I don’t want to be struggling, or defending my position, or hoping to prove that a decision I made is right.

My ongoing prayer is for God to make me a truly humble person. And joy rises within my heart to realize that being available for unplanned changes in my schedule is good for building my character.

It is a mark of a servant spirit, and also sets one apart as being a disciple – the willingness to go beyond the first mile, and to do all things without complaining and grumbling.

However, I am looking for meekness, not only in myself, but also in my friends.

It is so liberating when friends and loved ones give you freedom to be yourself, and allow you to be vulnerable. With a friend who is truly humble, you feel like you are in a safe place, where you are sure that no thoughtless remark will be hurled at you, catch you by surprise, or spoken behind your back.

Trudi’s prayer was like a healing balm on my sad heart. Because somehow, I knew that this trip to Guam was really part of my life story that God was writing.

And when I reached Guam, I found out I was right.

Hafa Adai! Expect good things to come your way!

That welcome greeting couldn’t have been given at a better time than this!

Below are some pictures from my Guam photo album:

Sunday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. Manila time
Sue and me before checking in for our evening flight to Guam

Hafa Adai!
Day 1 - Monday, March 2, 4:30 a.m. Guam time
Arrival in Guam.
With me are the 3 university vice presidents and my nephew Tony

Barbecued Chicken and Ribs on Red Rice
Day 1 - March 2: Early Dinner at the Jamaican Grill

Day 2 - March 3

A lovely view of Tumon Bay from the Guam Hilton

Day 2 - March 3
Me, at the Guam Hilton dining area, right after a big breakfast!

Day 2 - March 3
Outside the hotel, ready to start the day!

Day 2- March 3
Our hosts in Guam: Paul Pineda and his wife, Debbie.
Paul is the pastor of the St. Paul Assembly of God,
and the founding principal of their school, the St. Paul Christian School (SPCS)

Day 2 - March 3
A Grade One pupil at the SPCS

Day 2- March 3
Another Grade One pupil at the SPCS

Day 2-March 3
More Grade One pupils at the SPCS

Day 2- March 3
"The Reason for St. Paul Christian School"

Li Hing Mui Margarita - yummy, yummy,yummy!
Day 2 - March 3
Sumptuous lunch at Sam Choy's

It's good to the last drop!

Day 2 - March 3
At the backstage of The Sandcastle with some of the cast of The Dream
This show was literally breathtaking.
A million thanks to our hosts Ron Ravela (in blue), and his wife Maria (in purple).

Day 3 - March 4
Vito and Sue at the balcony outside their hotel suite

Day 3 - March 4
Dr. Michael Cruz, Lt. Governor of Guam
Such a gracious man with a big heart.
Guam is fortunate to have a man like him as one of the top officials of the territory.

Day 3 - March 4
With Dr. Michael Cruz at his office in Hagatna

Day 3- March 4
Coat of Arms of the Territory of Guam

"Windblown!"
Day 3 - March 4
Sue and me outside the Governor's and Lt. Governor's official headquarters in Hagatna

Day 3 - March 4
A perfect way to end the day
On board the Midsummer on the Philippine Sea.
We had a wonderful time! great view of the island, watching the dolphins,
diving, fishing, and eating!

Day 3- March 4
My nephews Tony and Vince

Day 3 - March 4

"Guam Sunset"

Day 3 - March 4
"Stars and Stripes" on The Midsummer

Day 4 - March 5
My favorite meal of the day - a big breakfast!

Day 4 - March 5
My last day in Guam ... for now.

Day 4 - March 5
Window shopping at the Tumon Sands Plaza
Guam's economy is fueled by tourists and the military.

Day 4 - March 5
Lunch at Planet Hollywood at the Duty Free Shops (DFS)
A lovely couple - Vito and Sue
Sue is my husband Ernie's younger sister.

Day 4 - March 5
"Homeward Bound"
Awaiting boarding at the Presidential Lounge,
Guam International Airport

Day 4 - March 5, 10 p.m. Manila time
"Home again!"
Upon arrival at the Manila International Airport

(Read more about Guam on Wikepedia here.)