Kingdom Connections

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So the last will be first, and the first last. 

For many are called, but few chosen.

- Matthew 20:16 NKJV 

I woke up at about midnight with a verse on my heart, the one I quoted above. A gentle rain was falling softly, and a cool breeze was blowing. 

Many thoughts started flowing in, and here I am, sharing what's on my heart while they are still fresh.

Earlier this evening, I received a text message from a friend in Bacolod City.

The text message was about a dream that someone had two nights ago.  The details of the dream were not given, except that this person dreamed of an earthquake that struck a southern city in our province, which also shook Bacolod (my home city), and another city - forming a triangle.

We sense that this is a genuine message from God, a message given to alert the intercessors to pray. So we are now on high alert, praying that God will hold this earthquake, and instead, motivate people to pray, draw close to Him, and seek the purposes of His heart for us in our province.

These recent years we have been very much involved in pursuing the prophetic destiny of our country. Whenever I am in Bacolod City, we meet several times a week to study the passages in the Bible that talk about the end times. The studies are done to help us focus on the kind of heart, mind, and even physical preparation that we need to do. 

Part of the preparation is taking the Bible to heart, reading it aloud, and taking seriously what John says in the book of Revelation:

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear 

the words of this prophecy, and keep those things 

which are written in it; for the time is near.

- Revelation 1:3

We are also in the process of putting together a twenty four-hour House of Prayer, where there will be prayer, intercession, and worship going on for twenty four hours.

This is a huge undertaking, and the ground work has been carefully prepared all these years.

God is raising up men and women who are heeding the call, and volunteering to put their skills, resources, spiritual giftings and natural talents together. It is a slow process, but over the past months we have sensed the urgency of the times.

Our group of women in church meet weekly to study the Bible and look at its practical application in our daily lives.

There is also a regular time of intercession - for our nation as well as for the nation of Israel. 

At first our efforts were disjointed and scattered. There was a vision, but it wasn't clear to everyone. 

There wasn't a sense of desperation, and the commitment of people came and went like the tide of the ocean.

Nevertheless, there were those who remained consistent and never gave up.

I am in Manila at the moment. Whenever I'm here, I also join a group that believes in the jubilee assignment for our nation. We meet regularly to study the Bible and listen to prophetic messages given by those who have been given a strong anointing to receive and release such messages.

What I am noticing these months is that whether I am home in Bacolod, or visiting my daughter Obedient One in Manila, the fire of commitment is getting stronger; our joint efforts are getting more and more fine tuned and synchronized.

I am amazed at the kingdom connections that are falling into place.

A few weeks ago, during the Saturday worship and intercession time in Bacolod, there was a shower of gold dust that everyone experienced and saw with their own eyes. I also shared of our experience at the Gazing Into Glory conference in Subic last March, where there were gemstone crystals on the carpet after our time of worship (read my post about it, Heaven Unveiled).

Worship. Warfare. Intercession... This is now the emerging pattern for the times we spend in worship and prayer.

 The Holy Spirit is clearly at work all over the world.

During the recent National Prayer Gathering held in Manila in April this year, Chuck Pierce, Jill Shannon, Robert Mist, and Neville Johnson were among the speakers at the conference. 

The message God spoke through them was similar. God was bringing this nation to a season of testing and refinement - because He is sifting the hearts of those who are truly His.

Indeed many are called... many are invited... but only a few are chosen.

And those who are chosen are those who will heed the call, those who will respond in obedience, not allow themselves to be dissipated, or to be distracted from their assignments for this season.

In my recent blog, I wrote of the season of acceleration that is upon us as a kingdom people.

Kingdom connections are being forged and strengthened. 

That is why I sense that God is leading us to choose our relationships carefully. But it's not just our human relationships that we're being asked to evaluate, I believe God is also calling us to give importance to the strengthening of our relationship with Him.

God is looking at the condition of my heart - in the way that the bridegroom desires for the heart of his bride to be pure, blameless, without spot or blemish.

The ongoing prayer of my heart for this season is that I may continue to advance and build His kingdom, in everything I do.

These days I am just basking in unstructured time ... reading ... reflecting ... listening to worship music 

... being alone with myself ... 

interceding for members of my family and a few of my friends whose names God is laying upon my heart ...

but mostly sitting in silence in God's presence not having to do or say anything... 

doing some gardening...

going to the grocery... 

having lunch out with friends... 

enjoying the weekends with my daughter at the mall ... 

sleeping. 

Whatever... there are no oughts for me these days.

Nevertheless, I am very much aware of things that need to be done, issues in my life that I am asking God for breakthrough, but there is just no sense of urgency at the moment. I'm taking things in stride, trusting my Creator Father God is hovering over the dark areas of my life, and He is creating something beautiful and something new!

And yes, in all these, I am thanking God for my kingdom friends... the kingdom connections that God is strengthening for the days ahead.

Farewell, Baby Rowan...

Rowan Tree flowers

Rejoice with those who rejoice;

mourn with those who mourn.

- Romans 12:15

On June 11, 2012, my dear friend "Mrs. Mac" wrote this entry on her blog:

My sweet Rowan passed into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father at 3:12 this afternoon. God gave her a beautiful day for her home coming .. perfect blue skies .. and a beautiful sunset. My how one little gift from God changed so many lives. What a privilege it has been being her grandmother.  My heart rejoices knowing that hers has been made whole.

Thank you to the many readers and friends that have been praying for our little heart warrior. She was born with hypo-plastic left heart syndrome where the left side of her heart did not form properly. Our family will see her once again in Heaven.

Rowan's mom Katie gave birth to her on December 12, 2011. They first found out about the baby's heart condition in August, four months before she was to be born.

This news required the whole family to gear up for the coming birth - and many friends - face to face, blogger, and FB friends -- were alerted for prayer support.

I live thousands of miles away from this family, but Baby Rowan was already on my heart even before she was born.

I have never even met Mrs. Mac personally. But she is today a precious friend.

For her January 2, 2012 welcome post, she wrote these beautiful words:

A new year, month, day .. and calendar page. Last year was sparse for posting on my blog.  We had a second half of the year filled with anticipation, hope and worry with the arrival of our newest grandchild ... after learning that she has a heart condition in August .. that would need surgery soon after birth in December; it was a fast paced, hectic time to say the least.  Baby is home with her parents and big brother.  The whole event brought back so many memories 15 years ago when we welcomed our youngest son, Nathan, that needed TLC and surgeries after his birth.  Such challenges try the soul .. and create unimaginable strength.  Life goes on and we have to adjust.  May the new year bring you strength to face the possible challenges ahead in 2012.  Always be prepared, learn a new skill to help you survive whatever economic/health/weather storms may be on the horizon.

Such challenges try the soul .. and create unimaginable strength.

How appropriate her words are.


We never know what lies ahead, so her words "Always be prepared..." are words of wisdom for all of us to heed.

However, I believe that nobody can ever be fully prepared for the passing away of a loved one.

There is dignity in grief, and I know about walking alone through the valley of mourning. There are no adequate words for it.


Mrs. Mac doesn't know this, but she is one of my modern days heroes. I am one of her secret admirers.

If you ever have an opportunity to read her blog, you will have nothing but great admiration for this mighty woman of God. She has a 15 year old special needs child, Nathan - and her blog is full of stories about how she and her family have weathered this storm, and has helped them tap into an inner strength they never knew they had!

Mrs. Mac lives in North Idaho, "Snowmageddon" she calls her place during the wintertime. It really is a picture pretty place - near Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, one of the few places I would love to visit in my lifetime.

She grows her own vegetables, maintains her home well, she bakes, cans most of what the family eats for the winter season, churns her own butter... she even makes her own laundry detergent - from scratch.

She has no time to wallow in self-pity - her daily life is full of things to do.

Yet she finds time to nurture her family relationships -- with her husband, Mr. Mac, and each of her children, including her grandchildren, Jacob and Rowan.

Facebooking has become quite an indispensable and important part of modern day communication... but you won't find me there.

I have stuck to blogging, because this is where I can pour my heart out (when I give myself time to do so), and allows me to share with whoever cares to know the recent happenings in my life and in my relationship with my heavenly Father.

Not only that, blogging has helped me connect and be in touch with the heart and soul of my blog friends.

"Mrs. Mac" (Cathy in real life) is one of such blog friends. We may not always have the time to leave comments on each other's posts, and Mrs. Mac probably doesn't know that I visit her blog place more often than she is aware of it.

But on this post, I do want to go out of my way to honor this dear woman for the beautiful way she has raised her children, equipping them for events such as this one.

I know her heart is breaking, but her faith is strong.

My heart bleeds for her daughter Katie, Rowan's mom. Her deep pain over this loss will never be felt by anyone else - except God alone, of course, and probably her own mother, Mrs. Mac.

Yet I also mourn in my own way. Ever since I received news of Rowan's homegoing, I have found myself in tears off and on. Not only me, many of us in the Scarf Sisterhood (Cathy's blog friends) have felt the same way. A common thread runs through our lives which has united us all in this season - praying for Baby Rowan... and now, grieving with her family.

Rowan Tree Berries

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It amazes me how much love there is in our hearts for one another - and most of us have never even personally met... only in the blog neighborhood do we "visit" and get to know each other.

It is really like heaven on earth, this kind of friendship.

Because in heaven, the language we speak is not the language of spoken words.

The language of heaven is feelings. Here on earth, I have to use so many words to make myself understood... but then I am fortunate to have a few friends who know how I feel without my having to use words. It is the language of intuition.

So to my dear Mrs. Mac, Mr. Mac, Katie, Ryan and the rest of the family ... as you put dear Baby Rowan's earthly body to rest this weekend, and as you go through your valley of grief for this season, know that I am keeping you close to my heart.

In the area of our deepest pain, God comes to bring healing, comfort and strength. I have experienced this first hand when my beloved Ernie went home to heaven four years ago.

God is near to the broken hearted... precious in His eyes is the death of His saints.

He keeps our tears in a bottle.

May our Father, the God of All Comfort, come alongside your family in this season of mourning.

He is the God who promises to make all things beautiful in His time.

Heaven is our hearts' true home - there God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. And in that land, there are no goodbyes.


To Baby Rowan (A tribute I wrote on the Scarf Sisters blog)
Rowan's Story (written by her mom, Katie)
Baby Rowan (Katie's account of her baby's homegoing)

Rowan Tree - Meaning

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Entering A Season of Acceleration

Night Runners

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If you have raced with men on foot
    and they have worn you out,
    how can you compete with horses?

- Jeremiah 12:5

 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.”

 - Amos 9:13

Upon arriving in Manila from our ministry trip abroad, I spent three days with my daughter Obedient One before returning to my Bacolod City home.

I had been away from my home for more than a month.

Things happened one after the other when I got back:

there were birthday celebrations,

dear friends to share a cup of coffee with,

the weekly devotional lessons on the book of Daniel for the women's group in church were resumed, 

and First Born's recent accomplishment -  a brand new MBA diploma - called for a special family celebration. 

By God's grace, I also conducted a two-day inspirational retreat for the teachers of our church school in early June.

God alone be given glory for what He enabled me to accomplish.

The first thing I noticed when I reached home was that my plants were all overgrown. But it was only a week after I arrived that I found the time to tend my garden.

Sadly, all my plants near the iron fence of the garden was covered with sticky black soot. They discovered it one morning, a week before I got back. My son's explanation seemed the most plausible one. Probably, while no one was at home, an irresponsible driver had chosen to park by our fence to illegally clean his truck's exhaust pipe, dumping all that black substance into the atmosphere. The white myrtle trees were budding, but had become covered with soot. Many of the blooms had fallen off prematurely. Everything in that part of the garden was ugly - the Australian bushes, the pink myrtles, the asparagus ferns, the potted bougainvilleas.

But rather than be dismayed over what happened, I chose to look at it as an opportunity to prune the affected plants, removing all traces of the soot and the greasy residue. 

My maid and I spent two mornings in the garden and when we finished, I was quite happy with the results. 

The past weeks, I had also been having vivid dreams about death.

However, instead of being weighed down by these dreams, I would wake up each morning with a sense of renewed hope. It seemed like God was exposing to me areas in my life and relationships that He wanted me to lift up to Him.

God is never intimidated by the dark areas of our lives - rather He stands ready to instill strength, courage and hope into our hearts.

He is the God who brings order out of chaos and emptiness.

The day after my 59th birthday last March, I made a fresh resolve to choose my friends carefully.

Father God was bringing me to a season of pruning, giving me the desire to choose the words I speak, and to choose the people whom I will allow to speak into my life.

It  felt good to take such a stand. 

These are the last days; there is much work to be done. It seems like we're only scratching the surface. And, whether people are aware of it or not, the season of acceleration is upon us.

Therefore say to them, "Thus says the Lord God:  

'None of my words will be delayed any longer, 

but the word that I speak will be performed,'

declares the Lord God." 

- Ezekiel 12:28

This is a season of breakthroughs upon breakthroughs, a season of cleaning up, and removing what stands in the way.  It is also a season of knowing what God considers His kingdom priorities and partnering with Him in what He is doing.

This is why I had a sense that I was tired of hearing unnecessary words, either from my own mouth, or from others.

During our eighteen days of ministry, God spoke specifically that He will work powerfully through the worship connection - deep is calling unto deep, He wants to strengthen the heart to heart connection.

He also spoke specifically through Isaiah 61, that we are called in this season to receive

a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3).




The garment of praise is never to be taken off, because in an atmosphere of worship, gossip and evil speaking cannot co-exist.

A filter around my mind is my safeguard against evil thoughts and evil speech:

...whatever things are true, 

whatever things are noble, 

whatever things are just, 

whatever things are pure, 

whatever things are lovely, 

whatever things are of good report, 

if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—

meditate on these things. 

-Philippians 4:8

These past years I have been in a certain difficult relationship where I've been wrongly accused, and much as I have done my best to work at reconciliation, I realize that the healing is no longer up to me. Having done all I can, I sense in this season that God is giving me permission to let go and move on.

I have decided to quit trying.

Again this kind of determination gives me such a feeling of  freedom, of being released from my own human efforts to look good in the eyes of men.

Ultimately, it is what God thinks about me that matters.

In this season of acceleration, nothing must be  allowed  to distract or derail God's purposes for my life.

Well, here I am, back in Manila again. My plane ticket for this trip was purchased a few months ago, even before the dates for our ministry trip were finalized.

Now I realize that my time here will be mostly unstructured. What a welcome transition point to spend time in God's presence and seek more of what is on His heart as the first half of this year draws to a close.

God is birthing new things in my spirit -  He hovers, He broods, He dwells in my darkness... the unresolved issues of my life.

I like how Barbara Yoder puts it: "No darkness, no confusion, no problem has the final word.... God, who is Life, and Light, has the final word."

He brought me out into a spacious place;

He rescued me because He delighted in me...

You are my lamp, O LORD;

the LORD turns my darkness into light.

- Psalm 18: 19, 28 

Emergency Landing

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Thus says the Lord:

“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when I went to give him rest.”

- Jeremiah 31:2




 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, 
in quietness and trust is your strength.”
- Isaiah 30:15

"But for you who revere my name,
the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.
And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.
Then you will trample on the wicked;
they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,"
says the Lord Almighty.
"Remember the law of my servant Moses,
the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
"See I will send the prophet Elijah to you
before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.

 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.


- Malachi 4:2-6

 

My beloved blog friends, another month has come to an end... and my name for this month is Emergency Landing. If you keep reading what I've written on this post, you will soon find out why.


In my previous post, published over three weeks ago, I wrote:

For me, embarking on a new journey is true not only in the natural sense. I am embarking on a new spiritual journey as well.

When I wrote those lines, I had no idea what God was going to do, or how the events of the days and weeks to come were to unfold.

All I knew was that something beautiful was going to happen, but the specific details would be revealed only as I walked on the road that was being opened up before me.

It was another example of possessing the land... one step at a time.


On May 8, five of us -- Raffi, Honey, Gina, Tina and I -- boarded our flight out of Manila. It was going to be a long journey. Personally, the Lord had already emotionally prepared me for this trip, but a few others on the team were not as ready. When we met at the Manila International Airport at 4 a.m. that morning, one of them told me that she was leaving with a heavy heart. Another friend said that she was embarking on this trip with much hesitation and trepidation.

I listened quietly and understood their inner struggles, fully aware of my own reluctance just a few days before. It was an act of God's grace that He spoke directly to me just that Sunday at my friend Alberto's church. The footage we viewed of the Chinese Christians, so passionate about their relationship with God, was still clearly embedded on my mind.

With a clear sense of purpose, I went through the long process of checking in, having our bags weighed, going through passport control and the series of security check before we finally reached the pre-departure lounge.

"Make it all worthwhile... for all of us, dear Lord," was my unspoken prayer.


Before long we were airborne. Two hours later the plane reached Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, where we were to wait for twelve hours before boarding another plane that would take us to our intended destination.

Thanks to Raffi who needed to be on a wheelchair, we never had to line up for anything at the two airports. Because we were traveling as a group, we all received priority treatment accorded any passenger needing wheelchair assistance.

A shuttle bus took us to the hotel where we were booked for the duration of our layover in Brunei.

Gina had arranged for her friends Jess and Miks to pick us up from our hotel to give us a little tour of Brunei. Honey and I would have preferred to sleep that afternoon, but wanting to be polite, we went along with the plan.

We were not disappointed. Jess and Miks took us to the Empire Hotel, the grandest one in Brunei. Indeed, it was a sight to behold. Later that afternoon, we were invited to partake of high tea in the hotel's lobby. We took advantage of the soft armchairs, the unlimited herbal tea and freshly brewed coffee served with some delicious tea cakes, scones and biscuits.

Before returning to the Bandar airport, Gina's friends treated all of us to a delightful dinner.

We reached the pre-departure lounge in high spirits. And since there was still an hour left before boarding, we decided to spend the time in worship. Already our hearts were softened and encouraged by the goodness of Jess and Miks, and so far, everything had been going smoothly for all of us. Our group worship experience further set the tone for our trip.

Our flight took off at 9:30 p.m., and once on board, the captain announced that our destination was approximately eight hours away. Dinner was served shortly, after which we all hoped to settle down and get some badly-needed sleep.

Halfway through our meal, the flight stewards started collecting our dinner trays. I noticed that there was a sense of urgency in their movements. A few sleeping passengers were awakened and told to remain seated.

I grabbed Gina and Tina by their hands and said, "I think we're going to land. Notice how fast the stewards are moving, and why were our food trays collected when we hadn't finished eating yet? We better pray."

So we began to pray. While we were praying, the captain spoke.

As the pilot spoke, I couldn't believe my ears. I never thought I'd live to see the day when the words that I had only heard in movies would also become a real experience for me. I listened very carefully to his words that up to this day, I can still recall what I think he said, almost verbatim:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The aircraft has developed an electrical problem and we have not determined the cause of it. In twenty minutes we will have an emergency landing in Ho Chi Minh airport. Listen carefully to my instructions.

"Tighten your seatbelts now. Ladies, remove your high heeled shoes. Everyone, remove all sharp objects from your bodies.  It is possible that we will have a double impact landing. At my word, everyone must assume first brace position, as shown on the safety card in the seat pocket in front of you.

"When I give the word, upon landing, unfasten your seatbelts as quickly as possible, and head to the exit nearest you. Leave all belongings behind."

There was no time to lose. Raffi and Honey were seated a few rows behind us. I knew they were praying. Gina, Tina and I huddled close together and began to pray in tongues. A few minutes later, I received an instruction from the Lord that we pray to awaken the intercessors, so I shared this with them. Sometime later again, I heard another clear instruction for us to pray for God to deploy huge angels to surround the aircraft, to carry it on their huge shoulders, and let them bring it down safely. Once again, I shared these instructions with my two praying friends.

I prayed in tongues, and I also prayed all the prayers I could think of. After a few minutes, Gina opened her iPod, and with one earphone each, we listened to Psalm 91 several times on her audio Bible.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
     will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD,
     "He is my refuge and my fortress,
     my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare...

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart...

We also listened to Psalm 34.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them...

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.

 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The righteous person may have many troubles,

    but the Lord delivers him from them all;

he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

What a sense of peace came over my heart as I heard these familiar words of Scripture!

After a few minutes, we also listened to the song, Mighty to Save.

Meanwhile, the smell of burning wires had intensified inside the aircraft, so we wet our blankets with water and put them over our eyes and noses.

I really had no idea how everything was going to end, but when I heard this question gently arise in my heart, "What are you afraid of?"... I knew it was the heavenly Father speaking to me.

I searched my heart for fear, but didn't find any. My reply to Him was quick: "Father, You know I am not afraid of death. I am ready to see You face to face... but please, for the sake of Raffi and Honey back there, their children are still very young, and they need their parents, dear Lord, please save us!"

This was when tears really started rolling down my cheeks. I pleaded with God to save us from a crash landing that could result in a fireball, knowing that only two hours' worth of fuel for an eight hour trip had been consumed.

At this point, the plane was descending very fast. Still praying, I craned my ears to listen if the landing gear would come out. I didn't hear the familiar thud. As I looked outside the window, I saw a long line of firetrucks and ambulances standing by. That was when the truth hit me ... I was prepared for the worst, but in my heart there was no fear... only peace.

And then, the plane touched down... ever so gently... there was no sudden stop. It really felt like heavens' giant angels had carried the huge Boeing 777-200 aircraft on their shoulders and landed it to safety.

I couldn't help but cry out, "Thank You, Father, for you have heard our prayers." Again and again, I thanked Him.

The sharp pungent smell of burning wires and the captain's voice brought us back to reality. "Ladies and gentlemen, please deplane immediately, and leave all belongings behind."

We disembarked in an orderly manner, clutching only our handbags, leaving behind our carry on bags without complaints... we were only too glad to be alive!

I don't have access to all the details. But I personally believe that things could have been much worse, and God did spare us from a possible crash landing.

We were shuttled to the pre-departure lounge of the Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Nhat International Airport where all 144 passengers, three of whom were babies and one was a three-year old girl, spent the night.

Our pilot, Capt. Jeremy Saap, updated us of the cause of the trouble. Some wires behind the kitchen ovens at the gallery catering equipment of the aircraft had overheated resulting in an electrical malfunction.

He didn't state it, but we all saw the wisdom of what he did. It was necessary for the aircraft to land for there was no way it could have survived the six more hours to our destination. As it was, Raffi, a former pilot, thinks that the airplane was already running on reserve power.

For those of us who understood, Capt. Saap was a hero. God guided him every step of the way, and he exercised quick thinking in the decision he made.  

It was near midnight when we landed. We were all uncomfortable as there was not enough space for all of us to stretch out on the seats, and the floor was too cold and hard for us to lie on. But nobody was complaining. We knew that negotiations were under way to transport us to a hotel, but this being an emergency situation, no one at the airport was prepared for the immigration issues that arose. Besides, as we found out later, the aircraft we were on had no landing rights in Vietnam. Clearly, we were on Vietnamese soil only as a sheer act of kindness.

At 7:30 a.m. of May 9 we were allowed to leave the airport. We lined up at the immigrations where our passports were taken in exchange for a numbered control card. Then we boarded several buses that were to take us to a hotel where we could finally freshen up and be served breakfast.

The rooms were very clean and the beds so inviting, but we really had no time to sleep on them. We only had time for a quick bath, and then breakfast.

New boarding passes were issued as we were informed that a new aircraft was arriving to pick us up before noon of that day. We were shuttled back to the airport where our passports were returned to us.

We were once again in high spirits as we thought that our long wait had finally come to an end.

But noontime came and went. Lunch was served at the restaurant on the second floor of the huge airport.

Still there was no sign of the new aircraft.

A few passengers started to complain. Many had already missed their connecting flights to various destinations. There was a growing sense of restlessness.

We in the team were not exempt from this. Some of us began to voice our doubts to one another, and the heart cry of the four of us women in team was: "I want to go back home..."

It was getting dark, and we had been in Ho Chi Minh for nearly 20 hours. We decided to once again come before the Lord and open our hearts to Him. We also waited to listen to what He had to speak to each one of us individually.

What an amazing time we had in His presence. Right in that pre-departure area, where others were waiting in agitation, some in quiet resignation, all of us unsure of when we were ever going to leave that place, God our Father met with us.

We were in a wilderness of sorts... like refugees with no legal status. We were out of our comfort zones. And we were uncertain of what was going to take place. But the Father spoke so gently that He was pruning us, allowing us a first hand experience of waiting on Him, learning endurance and perseverance, going through discomfort without a complaining spirit... because the work ahead of us required an undivided heart. He didn't want us to lose our focus, our upward gaze, for there was much work to be done in the days and weeks ahead.

We came out of that prayer time renewed and refreshed.

Dinner was served. But we as a team had had enough of airport meals. We decided to celebrate the fresh word God had spoken over Burger King and Illy coffee. One hour later, the new aircraft from Brunei had arrived, and by nine o'clock, we were once again airborne.

We had our belongings with us, and we all sat at our original seats. The flight stewards on board were very professional and catered to our every need. It was as if nothing happened. This new flight from Ho Chi Minh was God's beautiful and wise way of redeeming us from the trauma and anxiety we experienced on the earlier flight.

The flight was smooth and we landed at our destination past midnight of May 10, seven hours after we took off from Vietnam, exactly one day after we were supposed to have arrived.

What happened in the next eighteen days of ministry will forever be recorded in the annals of heaven. There were breakthroughs, deep level healing of emotional wounds, cleansing from demonic defilement, and cutting off of ungodly soul ties that have hindered God's people from moving forward in their destinies and kingdom assignments. Marriages were strengthened and families revived as Raffi and Honey shared the painful story of how God healed their broken marriage. Children who had dishonored their parents repented for doing so, and many of them called up a mother or a father and asked for forgiveness. There was instant reconciliation after years of being estranged from one another.


On the day of our return to the Philippines, we were all aware of the importance of the Vietnam experience to this ministry trip.


The emergency landing that we experienced was not an emergency landing for a malfunctioning aircraft. It was an emergency landing for a malfunctioning team who needed to be given focus, a vision, and a clear sense of calling for this season of their lives... that together we may be obedient to the assignment mapped out for us.

God wanted us to be his agents of healing and reconciliation, to prepare the Church, the bride... that she may stand before God spotless, without blemish, in all her radiant beauty.

Once again, it was all about obedience and God-focus.

Yes, true to what I had written, I am on a new spiritual journey. After what I have gone through this past month, I will never be the same again.

To Him alone be all the glory for what He has accomplished.

Official RBA Facebook update (May 8, 2012)
Local News on www.brudirect.com (May 10, 2012)


 Below is the song of worship that God has given to me for this stage of my journey.

Embarking on a New Journey

Wilderness

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“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
    I will lead her into the wilderness
    and speak tenderly to her.

There I will give her back her vineyards,

and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.

There she will respond as in the days of her youth,

as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”

“In that day,” declares the LORD, 

“you will call me ‘my husband’;

you will no longer call me ‘my master’.”

- Hosea 2:14-16

Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

- Psalm 2:8

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, 

and afterward the spiritual.

- 1 Corinthians 15:46




...from Issachar, men who understood the times
and knew what Israel should do.

- 1 Chronicles 12:32

First the natural, then the spiritual.

Years ago, during the month long Life Revision Retreat that I attended in Rasa, Switzerland, our retreat director Hans Burki taught us the importance of periodically making a location statement. A location statement is simply that: a statement about your present location.

From that natural standpoint, you then take a deeper look within yourself, and begin to look at how your external location indicates your present spiritual position.

For example, naming each month as it ends is a location statement. I look at the events of the past days and weeks and find a common thread running through the physical and supernatural realms where I live.

In a few days I will be leaving the country together with four other members of our ministry team.

For all of us, this is not an easy undertaking,...and it comes at great cost. But we are responding to a kingdom call. When God said at the beginning "Let us make man in our image," it means that we are called to become image bearers of the God whom we serve.

The call to become increasingly conformed to His image cannot be ignored. 

Humble obedience is the fitting response.

For me, embarking on a new journey is true not only in the natural sense. I am embarking on a new spiritual journey as well.

My best friend Melanie went back to her home in Virginia a few days ago.

My beloved friend Trudi will be returning to England for good in just a couple of weeks. 

I will really miss them... but even though I want to spend more time nurturing my sadness, I realize that there isn't too much time for me to do that these days, because of the emotional and spiritual preparations required for the important ministry ahead of us.

The men of Issachar understood the times and the seasons, therefore they knew what needed to be done.

The timeliness of my obedience is of utmost importance.

After all is said and done, everything boils down to only two choices:

Will I build my own kingdom? Or will I build God's kingdom?

Usually it's a mixture of both - the profane thrown in with the holy. But I want to do better with each passing day... that when I'm confronted with an array of choices, I'll choose to be about my Father's business anytime.

And I'll choose to speak the truth instead of a convenient lie...

Arise when I hear Him calling, to spend time in the heavenly throne room instead of doing something else...

Extend grace and forgiveness instead of harboring an offense.

I don't want to be reluctant, or double-minded about accepting God's invitation. It is, after all, a rare privilege to be asked to join the Father in what He is doing. Many are called, but few are chosen!


This morning, at my friend Alberto's church, we watched a rare footage of the underground church in China. Thousands of  Christians meeting in abandoned farm houses, caves, or crowded in a building at a sweltering 120 degrees, all of them standing for hours because there is no room to sit, their bodies drenched with sweat, their faces wet with tears... so hungry to be fed from God's Word, oblivious to the discomfort and the heat, lost in worship and adoration for their God and King.




They love Jesus with such a passion.

Watching it gave me a different perspective. Who am I to complain?

So here I am, standing at the threshold of this new endeavor, feeling humbled and grateful to have been chosen.

It is, for me, another sacred journey. A higher calling... being an agent of healing... yet receiving healing at the same time.

And as I go through this "valley of Achor", God transforms it into a door of hope. And I know... He is preparing to give me back my vineyards.

In everything I think, do and say, my one desire is to give glory to my King.

May I request you, my dear blog friends, to please pray for me and my team.

You Are God Alone

by Phillips, Craig and Dean

You are not a God created
By human hands
You are not a God dependent
On any mortal man
You are not a God in need
Of anything we can give
By Your plan, that's just the way it is

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on Your throne
You are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You're the only God whose power
None can contend
You're the only God whose name and praise
Will never end
You're the only God Who's worthy
Of everything we can give
You are God
And that's just the way it is

Unchangeable
Unshakable
Unstoppable
That's what You are

 

An Unexpected Friendship

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Friendship isn't a big thing -- it's a million little things.

- Anonymous

No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny 

without leaving some mark on it forever.

- Francois Mocuriac

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart,

and can sing it back to you

when you have forgotten the words.

- Anonymous

Friendship that flows from the heart

cannot be frozen by adversity,

as the water that flow from the spring

cannot congeal in winter.

- James Fennimore Cooper

 Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead;

Do not write them on their tombstones,

Speak them rather now, instead.

- Anna Cummins

We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed.
As in filling a vessel drop by drop,
there is at last one drop that makes it run over.
So in a series of kindness 
there is at last one drop
that makes the heart run over.
- James Boswell

I say good-bye to April with this post, and with it comes another opportunity to look back over the past weeks with gratitude... And my own humble way of giving God the honor for all that He has allowed in my life this month is to give it a name.

Naming the month as it ends enables me to take ownership of what God has entrusted to me, the lines, the paragraphs, even chapters He has added to the story of my life that He is writing.

I embrace the events as they come tiptoeing in, or barging in unannounced... because all of the circumstances of my life, I believe, are gifts of grace from the heart of a loving God. Not all of these circumstances are pleasant, but always, there is a heavenly perspective from which they can be viewed.

During the Elijah House School of Prayer Ministry, one teacher heard God say these very words to her in the midst of a season of pain: Someday in eternity I will explain everything to you, then you will understand.

Wow! Those words gripped my heart as if God were saying them to me.

And I believe He was. Someday... in eternity... God Himself will explain everything to me... then I will understand.

I look forward to that day when I will see Him face to face, and all my questions will be answered.

It's not how we think it will happen. Once I reach heaven, I believe there will be a knowing in our hearts. There will be no need for words, or for explanation. 

As I look back over the days and weeks of this month that is about to end, my mind is filling up with thoughts of heaven for really, despite the busyness and schedules to keep, this month has been such a gracious, gentle one to me.

In His goodness, in the midst of so much uncertainty in my own life, God breaks through and pours so much grace and kindness, my cup overflows... yet He keeps pouring in some more.

There are days when you feel so overwhelmed with His goodness.

As I write these words, I'm back in Manila. I arrived here two nights ago, and in a week's time, I leave the country on a ministry trip.

I left Bacolod City with a tinge of sadness because when I return, my beloved friend Trudi will no longer be there.

Trudi and I first met seven years ago, in 2005, when our team conducted an Ancient Paths seminar in Butuan, a city in the southern part of the Philippines. She was one of the participants who received deep level healing during the small group prayer ministry sessions.

Within that same year, the Lord confirmed that she was to move to Bacolod. Trudi had already been living in Butuan for five years, serving as a lay missionary in one of the local churches in the area. This was a major move for her. She packed all her belongings into a van, including Junbec her cat, her rabbit Norman, and a lizard named Leo. This van took her all the way to Cagayan de Oro where she boarded a ship that was to take her to the island where Bacolod is located.

It wasn't an easy feat for a young woman her age to undertake, but Trudi made it.

She moved into a house not too far from where I lived, and that is how Trudi and I began our relationship. She wanted to be part of our ministry team, so at the start, my role in her life was to be one of her mentors. On top of that, we also wanted to help her get settled down in our city, so I would visit her place often and offer whatever help I could give her.

One night, just a few months after she arrived, she texted me that her rabbit Norman had died. It was raining then, and I knew just how sad she must be feeling. So I offered to come over to help her bury her dear pet. I still remember how we both dug a hole in her garden, in the rain, and we were both crying... and with a little prayer, we laid Norman to rest.

On the morning that my husband Ernie died, Trudi was among the first people who came to be with me. She came with the most practical thing anyone could do - boxes of pancakes and cups of hot coffee for breakfast. She sat outside the emergency room, offering the food to members of my family. It was such a kind gesture I will never forget.

If I were to enumerate all the things Trudi and I have done together, I could end up writing a book!

All I really want to say at this point is that my friendship with Trudi is one I never expected to happen.

Trudi is twenty years younger than I am.

At the start I took on the role of a mentor... a mother who would be there to help see her through the initial stages of living in a new city, and guide her through the stages of becoming an important part of our ministry team.

We have been on countless ministry trips together - within the Philippines... to Singapore... to the Middle East.

And we have done many other things as well - like doing the Elijah House Schools. We've been on boats, planes, buses, trains together.

I do not know the precise moment when Trudi became a dear friend. But I woke up one morning and realized that she is indeed my beloved friend.

This May, Trudi will return to England for good. She knew that her season in this country was ending, and that God was already calling her to a different direction. 

I will miss Trudi... I really will. Even right this very moment I cannot imagine what life will be like without her. I could always count on her to come with me to Starbucks, or to help me decide which suitcase to buy, then drag that suitcase all over town, go to a beachfront to share an early morning quiet moment with... or to the Talisay flea market on a Friday morning looking for cheap bargains. I will miss our Saturday morning prayer time, praying for Israel and for the Philippines!

She is a friend who has been so much fun to be with. There is so much song and laughter in our friendship!

Being Trudi's friend has made me feel very young... like twenty years younger or more! Yet, I can share the pain and the anxieties of my heart with her, and I know that my secrets are safe with her.

Trudi has a very large heart, and because she is not self-focused, she is not easily offended. She is not a demanding friend. Trudi is a very good listener. She has an understanding heart.

When I first met Trudi, she had a restless spirit... but today, seven years later, we can just sit quietly sipping our coffee, and we would not even have to say anything. I see many beautiful qualities today in Trudi that were not so evident a few years ago. I have seen her walk through the many difficult issues of her life and receive healing for them. Yes, Trudi has mellowed beautifully, and I have really watched her grow up to maturity before my very eyes.

But good-byes in this life are inevitable. Seasons come, and seasons go. 

 During my last few days in Bacolod, Trudi and I made it a point to see each other everyday. 

At Delicioso - sharing alio oglio and a plate of cold cuts and cheese.

 

It was such a special way of saying good-bye to each other.

At Jacopo, where we enjoyed lamb biryani, khbuz (flatbread) and hummus.

When I think of my friendship with Trudi, I can't help but think of how good God is in giving me Trudi for a friend. 

Taken after The Question for Young Women seminar

Yes, it is true... a true friend is God's way of taking care of us.

On the day I left, Trudi came over to have breakfast with me at home. After breakfast, we celebrated our friendship by having the Lord's Supper together. What a beautiful time it was for us, for indeed it is because of what Jesus has done on the cross that has brought redemption to our relationships.

Eternal friendships are possible because Jesus paid the price for it.

Last picture together, at my garden

And heaven will be such a wonderful place to come home to... because it is there that we will be spending eternity with people we love - forever, without end. 

There will be no good-byes in heaven.

Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends...

This isn't good-bye but "Fare thee well," my friend. God gave you to me at a time when my heart was grieving for the loss of my husband, and you don't know it, but you have helped bring healing to me. By your selflessness, by your cheerfulness, by your positive spirit, by your kindness, and your humility. You never pretended to know all the answers, you were just so eager to learn new things from me.

You were so right when you said that "our friendship is unique because it crosses many boundaries - age, culture, intellect, and more." I never even thought of that. But did you ever know Trud that I have learned so many things from you? Just by being yourself, you have taught me much.

And yes, I agree with you when you said that "our friendship is special because of unconditional love and acceptance both ways."  Thank you for loving me, Trudi.

I will always love you my dear friend.

Here is my song for you, my favorite of all favorites: Cavatina by John Williams. Whenever I listen to it, I will think of you.

I name this month in honor of our friendship:

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