Boracay Diaries

I'm here in Boracay for a 3D2N incentive trip from Microsoft. Oh am I not so much blessed to be able to go to the island so popular worldwide but I had given up hopes of being in due to the cost. So grateful to God for just placing me in the right places. 

Today we had a whole day activity including the ff:

-Cliff diving

-Snorkeling

-Island hopping to Magic Island and Puka Beach

-Parasailing (the one where they fly you through a parachute-like thing)

-Paraw Sailing (the one where you ride a sailboat)

I had a really great time being the naturally adventurous me. But tonight is an equally amazing time as I chose to isolate myself from my teammates who are now in the market. Shopping's just not a priority especially when I have the option to just lay down at the fine sands of White Beach while taking my chance on stargazing on a pretty cloudy night with an acoustic performance at the background from a nearby restaurant.

Oh Lord thank you for letting me experience a simple life at the beach. I can sleep here, you know? :) 

He has Proven! - Mongolia MPD Chronicles

I shared in my previous post about how God has specifically commanded me to not do anything with trust in Him as I near the deadline of completing my funds for my Mongolia short term mission trip. I'm writing to share how He has proven himself once more to be worthy of trust and obedience.

During the 2 weeks span of not doing anything in hope that God will give His provision miraculously, I couldn't help but play in my head different scenarios of how God might meet my need. Scenarios such as:

1. Maybe He will use just one person to provide all the Php15,330.00 I was lacking as of June 3.
2. Maybe those whom have pledged to give but have not stated an amount will complete the lack.
3. Maybe those who have not responded yet to my request for partnership will finally say yes.
4. Maybe a relative will give 'the amount that I was lacking.

Amazingly, none of those scenarios happened! God had His own idea of provision. On the day of my deadline, I was exhilarated in faith that God will show miracles of His provision. Indeed, unexpected support came in one by one. I got 6k of support in the morning, 7k in the afternoon and finally 3k in the evening which completed my funds! And the most comforting thing about it is that all those support were channeled through my mission team mates! These people already reached their target and more partners are supporting them so they channeled the money to those who are still lacking. It was amazing because suddenly, my teammates were not just teammates anymore, but God's instruments to really push me into what He has called me to do. I have gained confidence and trust to my teammates which I believe will bond us stronger as we complete what God has laid out for us in Mongolia. :)

Why I Dare To Do Nothing - Mongolia MPD Chronicles

What do you do while waiting on God's promise that has to come within a deadline yet God tells you to do nothing? Can you really do nothing when you know that your testimony is on the line? That's exactly my dilemma right now.

I'm Php 15K short of funds for my short-term mission trip to Mongolia. Around last week, I feel prompted to just trust God that He will complete my MPD. However, I wasn't sure if that prompt came from the Lord or if it's just the work of the enemy trying to hinder me from reaching my goal. But deep inside, I feel like being asked to step out of the boat and walk on water where there's just a lot of uncertainties. So I stopped approaching people when I started to feel that call, even though I wasn't really sure if that's from God. However, came Thursday, 7 days from my deadline, I came across  verses in the Bible for that day's Bible Reading Plan which loudly spoke into my situation.

That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” (Somewhere in Romans 10, The Msg)

Although the verses refer to Salvation, those words were like a confirmation in my heart to just be still and do nothing. And how timely that the verses I was going to share on that coming Sunday was about obedience, i.e, Obedience puts us in a position to receive God's promise. That was a big warning sign for me to really stay still and not get my hands into work!

But I get feeds from Viber about my team mates getting support here and there with the partners they are approaching. At first it was really encouraging but when I realize everyone's moving forward but  me, I can't help but start to doubt if God really intended me to just keep still. Besides, isn't approaching partners to share the vision one of the goals of MPD? And is that being excellent to do nothing knowing that you have a deadline to beat? I hear myself now screaming inside my head "Could you just let me do something, Lord???" I have a couple of people in my head that I could still approach or follow up. Yet I know in my heart that that would be disobedience. Plus I know that what pleases God is faith and not excellence!

So what can I do now? And then I was reminded to say in response "Praise God." Yeah that's what I'll do. Praise God when he has called me to focus my eyes on Jesus even though the situation is a bit rocky. Focus my eyes on Jesus knowing that He is faithful to bless me when I obey. Look beyond this deadline and be in faith that I will be in Mongolia despite the oppositions. And most of all, trust that whether I reach 100% or not, God is in control. :)